Very potent anti-air that also hits crouchers. On counterhit you can pickup with 2C. Non-counterhit can also convert with 421A, 623[B], or 623C.
5A extends your hurtbox before the hitbox comes out, so there are some moves and situations where 5A will lose.
You will typically prefer to use 5A in pressure and 2A to rebeat.
Extremely long active frames. Moves Satsuki forward, which is very valuable in pressure. The movement forward and the disjoint can let this move act as a counterpoke in neutral.
If a 2C or 236C is buffered after the move, it can be easy to confirm off.
On a knocked down opponent, 5B can catch all tech options as well as no tech.
Also notable is that this move has 100% proration, which makes it a very damaging starter.
5C on its own serves little purpose outside of comboing. In pressure, it has a significant amount of pushback, which is useful for setting up the spacing for a 214A whiff.
Leads into a lot of damage on hit. Good to mix into your pressure once you have your opponent respecting you.
Partially charge to trick your opponent into blocking high, then cancel into 2C.
Satsuki's ridiculous sweep. Active on frame 5, multihitting, low profiles, and confirmable at insane ranges with 236C.
If the C button is held for longer than 2 frames, the move will begin its charge animation and be slower to come out.
You will be using this button a lot.
Nearly exclusively a combo move, despite its positive frame data. If all three hits connect it does a large amount of damage and gives a ton of meter, though the timing for 2[C] is tricky and depends on the character. It is often easier to time your 2[C] so that only the 3rd hit connects.
It is impossible under any circumstance for all three hits of this move to connect on Ryougi and Ries. Also, due to the shorter hitbox than 2C, this move may whiff on falling Kouma and Wara under some circumstances.
Incredibly good hitbox for a j.A. Due to the shape of the hitbox, this move is suprisingly good at poking opponents behind Satsuki in the air and on the ground.
No reward on non-counterhit, but pay attention to their tech. You may be able to catch them after.
Not a high, but can be used when falling extremely late to beat fuzzy mashing.
Don't use this move for jump-ins. This move is best suited to protecting you as you move backwards with a j7 or airdash back. On counterhit, leads to some of your most damaging routes.
Reaches slightly farther horizontally than j.A and j.C.
Very very good air button and integral to every aspect of Satsuki's gameplan. This move combined with how short her airdash is is what makes Satsuki oki so powerful.
Spikes the airborne opponents into a techable knockdown. Unlike her other two air buttons, this one can be converted off of on a non-counterhit connect by successfully trapping the ground tech with 5B. On counterhit, land and catch 5B > 623[B]/623C for a huge punish.
When you input this move, use E instead of C. j.C starts its charge animation very fast, and E cannot charge the move, so it will give you a frame perfect j.C.
Primarily a combo move, but is not useless in pressure and neutral. j.[C] is Satsuki's only way to do normal air cancel options like jump, airdash, or press another button.
During the charge animation, Satsuki's hurtbox shrinks signifigantly.
High risk high reward poke in neutral. Fairly safe at max range, but horribly minus close up.
3C is extremely valuable in matchups against characters with a strong midrange presence, where Satsuki traditionally struggles. The low profile makes this move good at dodging projectiles. Also, being low makes it decent at trip guarding players as they land.
On a successful hit, link into 5B > 623[C] for a full combo.
Similar uses to 3C in neutral, though you are more likely to get hit out of its charge than 3C. Threatens laggy options at a range none of Satsuki's other tools can.
In pressure this move will allow you to reset by cancelling into a staggered 623[A], but a good opponent will start to shield 3[C] and 623[A] on reaction.
If the move connects on the first active frame, the opponent will be launched into an untechable knockdown. Any of the later active frames, and the opponent will be able to air tech after a short time.
Satsuki launches the opponent into the air. Opponent can air tech just before touching the ground. Not a very good throw, but sometimes it's all you have.
Universal burst mechanic. Unlike Crescent/Full Heat activation, the hitbox and frame data doesn't vary between characters. However, you can be thrown out of this move if you input it in the air.
On hit, it is similar to Satsuki's normal ground throw, as in techable and no real follow-up. On block, it is not too bad, but pushes you far away, and you lose your pressure. Has a niche application off of non-EX shield when you have no meter to use 236C.
Absolutely one of Satsuki's strongest starters. OTG after with 5B, or 5B > 2B if near the corner. The startup is slow, but the animation is very subtle and it has incredible range. A good option to mix up with 623[A] after 3[C]. Use this move if your opponent is giving you too much respect. You can be bold and attempt a combo reset with this move too.
An important tool in Satsuki's poking game, as well as an easy way to add a lot of damage to a combo. When buffered behind a neutral poke like 5B or 2C, 236C will fire off and pull the opponent from ranges you would not be able to convert from normally. 236C can also be activated raw to catch moves with laggy startup.
Has a grab hitbox and a strike hitbox. The grab hitbox comes out before the strike hitbox and will nearly always hit before the strike can against airborne opponents.
Not a very good anti-air and gives low reward. Satsuki throws the opponent behind her into a techable knockdown. If they tech, you can chase with dash 2C.
An important move in Satsuki pressure because it is her only plus-on-block special. 3[C] > delay 623[A] is an important frame trap to know. 5A > 623[A] is another a frametrap which leaves you +2. Naturally, these setups beat jump out too.
Of course this move is vital in Satsuki's combo game, both as a launcher and as a grab. Gives a good knockdown on the grab version of the move.
This move's only use is as a gimmicky OTG when you don't have meter for 623C. Air techable; making tech punishes extremely difficult. Can OTG if they do not air tech out.
Unbelievably essential combo move for Satsuki. The OTGable knockdown is what lets Satsuki steal the corner in her 623C finisher routes. Its application in neutral is somewhat limited by its slow startup and input requirement, but it is absolutely servicable on a read.
Very little introduction necessarry. Hitting this move once might decide a whole round. Integral to her combo game because it resets the bounce count to 1.
Best used to punish predictable air movement and air techs. Does not have enough invincibility to beat deep jumpins and IADs. Get in the habit of buffering 623C constantly.
Versatile move in pressure, neutral, and combos. Can be EX cancelled, which is very useful for cancelling into EX Bite in pressure. On Counterhit, you are +7 at worst, and you can always link into 2C, but at some spacings you are able to link to 5B or 2B for huge damage. However, the move is -5 at best on block, so be very cautious about using the move is places where it could be punished.
Jump cancellable on hit but not block.
Its feint version can be used in mind games. Cancelling 3C into 214A has worse frame data than just letting 3C end on its own, but the cancel makes Satsuki slide backwards.
The move on its own is extremely high risk because it is very easy to shield on reaction. Despite appearances, this is a 2 hit move, so even on Counterhit, you have the exact same conversion options: namely 421A/B and 623[B]/C.
Good move to present to discourage jump outs, since it is air unblockable.
Interestingly, if you are at a very specific spacing where only the second hit of 214B connects, you are plus on block--plus on shield, too, since the second hit is a projectile.
Unshieldable and wallbounces. Go for this to scare opponents out of shielding 214B. This version of the move has no combo scaling, so some of your most damaging routes start off of this.
Can be jump-canceled on block.
Fairly strong reversal when used correctly. Has invincibility until its first active frame, so it often will trade. On block, you are only -2, which is enough to escape most of the time. Can be converted off into a full combo if you are near the corner.
Do not use this move as an anti-air. This move is a conversion tool and combo ender. As a combo ender midscreen, this move gives Satsuki some of her best oki. By spending 50 meter, the recovery of 421A can be cancelled into an airdodge which gives you your air options back, which lets you whiff an air button to reduce landing lag so you can extend your combo.
Same properties as 421A, but slower startup, higher hitbox, farther throw, and leaves you slightly farther away. Opt for 421B if you catch a jumpout with 214B.
Not an extremely important move for Satsuki. Slow startup and does very little damage after scaling. You have oki on a successful hit, but it is tricky to do correctly.
A niche application of this move is to option select between it and 623C. In a case where you are trying to chase an air tech and you don't think you'll be able to react, just input 623C, and you'll get 623C if they tech in front of you, and 421C if they tech behind you.
Very important tool in Satsuki's arsenal. Provides upper body invincibility frame 1 and keeps it until the first active frame. That means this move will trade a lot of the time, but since you're grounded and they are not, you can convert. In addition, 22A will low profile a lot of grounded moves which were not intended to be low profiled, making 22A surprisingly potent to mash during blockstrings.
Your go-to special off held shield.
Absolutely ridiculous special. Fully invincible startup for six frames, then two frames of upper body invincibility, then the first hitbox comes out. Beats a lot of meaty options, beats a lot of pressure sequences, beats a lot of air approaches. At most spacings, the tech after a successful hit can be easily covered with a well timed 5B which leads into your BnB.
A true reversal, but unfortunately very slow and easy to play around. Satsuki punches the ground 7 times, with the last punch launching into a wallbounce into a techable knockdown.
If you do get this move to connect, you are able to convert into a full combo from anywhere on screen. At full range you have to dash superjump to get a conversion, but at closer spacings a superjump or dash on their own can be enough.
Command grab which heals a 1/4 of the damage dealt back to Satsuki.
Satsuki's universal grab is not very good at all, so this is the move you will want to use when playing strike throw.
Unfortunately, doesn't give very strong oki, but you at least have time for a high/low.
This move has no meaningful application. It can be comboed out of, and it can grab things that normal airthrow cannot, since this is a hitbox move, and airthrow is a proximity move.
High-risk/middling-reward. Extremely slow startup which can be jumped on reaction to the super freeze. It is possible to catch very laggy moves in oki and pressure situations, but unless extra damage will close out a round, it is not worth throwing away most of your meter when you could just 214C and keep 200 meter.
Unlike your Arc Drive, your Another Arc Drive is extremely dangerous. Blockable in the air, but on the ground is an unblockable hitgrab. What makes this move insane is that it can be cancelled into after a move like 5B, 3C, or 214A, and will become unavoidable. A 623C ender gives Satsuki enough time to activate Blood Heat and meaty with a move of her choice to setup the unblockable. Also, this move can be comboed into, unlike her Arc Drive, and does a lot of damage because its first two hits are unscaled.
Satsuki is a rushdown archetype character who has strong anti-airs and threatening burst movement. She has high health and strong attacks, so it might be tempting to play a cannonball playstyle, though Satsuki does better when she carefully chooses her approaches. Wait for a good opening to take advantage of Satsuki's quick movement and strong tools to get in.
Satsuki's kit is fantastic at punishing opponents who are in the air. 623C is a very real threat when Satsuki has 100 or more meter. You can be buffering the entire 623 input and committing to the C press only on reaction, or alternatively holding 6 then doing a twitch 23C. Catching air techs is a very common place to use 623C. 5A is extremely low commitment and also extremely potent. Don't be afraid to use this move a lot. Finally, 22A is extremely vital to protecting Satsuki's head from jump ins. Like 5A, it is very low commitment, and also its input can be buffered by mashing 22222... and only pressing A when you need the hitbox to come out.
An important mechanic to Satsuki's neutral is momentum preservation. If you dash and perform a neutral jump before Satsuki stops moving, the momentum will continue into your jump and and even your double jump with no degradation whatsoever. In this state, hold [4] in the air and Satsuki will stay in place because the force from the dash and from the input will cancel out. This allows Satsuki to scout in the air, all the while blocking and also not giving up ground. Then in a split moment, the preserved momentum can be added to the high speed of a forward airdash to travel extremely far and fast across the screen. By dash neutral jumping in neutral, Satsuki can safely watch for the opponent to commit and then punish from anywhere on screen with an airdash j.C.
Sometimes neutral will be grounded for both players, forcing Satsuki to play grounded footsies. She has the tools. Dash 2C is barely within human reaction time, so try to stay in the range where it will connect. 5B is a fantastic wall on the ground. It can be buffer cancelled into 3C, 236C, or 2C(1) > 236C. 3C is also an important ground neutral move. When spaced it is safe, and on hit it converts into a full combo with 5B > 623C. The quick movement and low profile make it valuable in midrange and zoner matchups.
Pressure
C-Satsuki's goal during pressure is not to lock the opponent down. Instead, she either wants to bait punishable panic options or force one of her many strong mixups. Midscreen, her pressure is very mediocre, but in the corner she has a lot more leverage. If pressure does not pan out, don't be afraid to back off and react to their escape attempt with 623C.
Pressure Tools
5A: Should be your go-to button on dash resets. Catches jumpouts which can be converted with 623C or 421A~2E, j.A(w). Slightly less range than 2A, so if you have not used either in your blockstring yet, 5A is a better rebeat button.
2A: Not a low and does not catch jumpers as well as 5A, so primarily a rebeat button.
5B: Advances. Stagger into and out of 5B.
2B: +1 and disjoint. Do not rebeat out of 2B or your frame data will actually be worse.
5C: Important for managing spacing for 214X mixups.
5[C]: 5[C] is the crux of probably C-Satsuki's best pressure mixup. It is important to show your opponent you are willing to overhead them, and once you do, you can start mixing in partial charges. 5{C} > 2C is very tricky to block and if timed well is also a frametrap. Vary your timing on 5[C] to really mess with your opponent.
2C: Active frame 5 and probably outspaces everything your opponent has at similar speed. Savvy opponents will wait to see you exhaust 2C before challenging your pressure, so play around that.
3C: Risky to use, but has very high reward on hit. Moves Satsuki forward and can be special cancelled into your 214X series for one final mixup before ending pressure. Non-counterhit can be converted with an OTG 5B > 623C.
3[C]: Extremely telegraphed move, but if it is not shielded, you will successfully have reset pressure. Condition your opponent to block after by staggering into 623[A], then mix in 236B once they start respecting.
214X RPS
214A: -5 on hit and block, but can be converted on counterhit. In general, try to avoid hitting with 214A
214A(whiff): EX cancel into EX Bite.
214[A]: Safest cancel after a blocked 3C. React to what they do and punish, or just go for a reset if they're scared.
214B: Slow overhead that leads into full combo on connect. Catches jumpouts because it is air-unblockable. Safe on block, but very easy to shield.
214[B]: What makes this move good is that it is unshieldable, so if they show they are willing to shield 214B, go for this and collect your massive reward.
623[A]: +2 and natural frame traps out of 5A. 623[A] 2C will catch a lot of twitchy options.
236B: Subtle animation and ridiculously strong starter. The range allows you to grab from outside of a lot of characters' 2A range. Don't overuse.
63214C: Fast command grab with good range. Against opponents who refuse to mash, start using this special.
IAD j.C: Pressure reset, but risky to go for because of shield.
Example Blockstrings
5A > 623[A], 2C Catches jumpouts and puts some fear of 623[A] in your opponent. 5A > 623[A] auto frame traps. 5A > 5A > 5A > 5B > 2B > 2C Simplest stagger string. Rebeat at any point. Add or substract moves at your leisure. 5A > 5B > 2B > 5[C]/5{C} > 2C This will auto-space outside most 2A ranges. 5A > 5B > 5C > 3C > 214[A]/214B/214[B] 3C 214[A] can be converted with 5B 623C. 214B beats jumps. 214[B] beats shield. 5A > 5B > 2B > 3[C] > delay 623[A]/236B 3[C] is 100% shieldable on reaction, and you're boned if they do. 2C(1) > 236B Canceling 2C early can be visually disorienting and hurt their reaction speed. j.[C] > dj.7 Baits H/F shield. Relatively safe way to set up a falling mixup. If the j.[C] connects you have a long time to OTG with 5B > 623C IAD j.C, land 5A > ... IAD j.C, land delay EX Bite IAD j.[C](whiff), land 2C Hold down C so your j.C hitbox doesn't come out. Whiffing an air button reduces landing lag. j.C fakeout will discourage shielding your future IAD attempts. IAD j.[C](whiff), land EX Bite 5A > delay EX Bite 5A to check them, then EX Bite to chomp them. 5B > 5A, 2C(1) > 5A, 5B > 5A, 2C(1) > 5A ... Fast and long blockstring that doesn't convert easily, but is very strong when they are one hit from death. Decently safe to heat mash.
Okizeme
C-Satsuki's okizeme is almost certainly the most potent of any character in the game. Nearly every knockdown can become a 3-way or even 4-way mixup. With proper setups, she can also be safe from many reversals and wakeup heat. This section will discuss common oki setups. Please note that C-Satsuki gives the player a tremendous amount of flexibility to tweak and experiment with setups. This list is far from exhaustive, and attempts more to show you the major types of oki.
Each character in the game has unique wakeup speeds for different sorts of knockdowns. Most of the time, the small difference in wakeup timing is not a problem, but some characters require extra delay to meaty, while Miyako in particular's wakeup is so short some setups cannot hit meaty without extra workarounds. C-Satsuki Knockdown Durations
623C oki is even more potent near the corner where you can make it ambiguous if the opponent is fully in the corner or if there is a tiny gap. Because of the built-in ambiguity of crossup vs sameside, and the ability to hit high or low off the same jump timing, 623C corner oki is a true 4-way mixup. The idea is that you push their character on the ground a small amount that makes it unclear whether they are snug in the corner or not. If you opt for the sandoori option, consider inputting with the macro if you are not completely sure if there is a gap or not; you will just do a double jump airdash if there ends up not being a gap.
Extremely strong meterless mixup. Not a 4-way, but not so much a 3-way either--more like a 3.5-way. Whether the corner is stolen or not depends on the delay you place between 5C and 5A at the end of the combo. More delay steals the corner, less delay does not steal the corner. After 623[A], hold 9 to jump forward and do your oki.
j.9...
airdash back j.C
crossup or same-side land 2C based on 5C 5A delay
sandoori j.C (does not hit meaty)
A few notes about this setup that are good to know. This setup straight up does not work on Len or WLen. Characters with longer wakeup timings require a very small delay before holding 9. And one more thing, 623[B] has an identical animation but gives you less frames for oki. This can mess up people's timing and also gives you the perfect timing to do EX Bite when you land.
An extremely good setup midscreen which allows for a meterless 4-way mixup. 421A and 421B can be used nearly interchangeably. The differences between the moves are that 421A is easier to hit because it is faster, throws a shorter distance, and leaves you slightly closer after the throw. Note that sandoori may leave you slightly outside 2C(2) range. In that case, you can use 2C(1) > 236C or 5B to convert instead.
Satsuki's Another Arc Drive does not respect throw protection, so by making an opponent block a move with sufficient blockstun, she can cancel into an unavoidable AAD. Against players who know about this setup, you will have to play RPS, which if you win you will deal roughly 5k damage. 5B will beat low shield, 3C will beat high shield, and 214A will beat spotdodge and backdash. If you expect a reversal move, you can back off and see what they do. You have a few seconds to get the AAD off another way.
This video contains example footage, slow motion instruction, and ways to practice it.
Sandoori is a technique where Satsuki double jumps and immediately airdashes back, which allows a very hard to react to crossup high. Input frame perfectly, sandoori is only 2 frames slower than a regular airdash back.
The input for sandoori can be 496, 476, or 76A+B. These inputs are all based on your original facing direction. For the two manual inputs, 4 can be input before or after crossing over, but the other inputs have to be after you are already past them. 496 will give a very fast sandoori. 476 will give a slower sandoori, because of required time to go from 7 to 6. It has the perk of moving you closer to your opponent, so in some cases where 496 will overshoot, 476 will be perfect. If the manual input is challenging, then it is acceptable to use the airdash macro instead.
Shield Counter OS. Players that gamble on shield will also lose to simply doing nothing, too.
Defense
Blocking: They can't hit you if you're blocking.
214C: Your reversal of choice, a fairly quick move that is invincible until it's first active frame which will almost always trade with the opponent normally in your favor. This move is pretty safe on block which is the main reason it is so good.
22A: Low profiles a lot of moves that were not intended to be low profiled.
22B: Not a real reversal, but has enough i-frames in its startup to often function as one. Against some characters' pressure, you can mash 22B to escape.
22C: This is an actual reversal, however it is incredibly unsafe on block/whiff. You only want to use this when you are positive it is going to hit. This move also hits both in front and behind you.
63214C: This move can be used as a reversal against opponents trying to delay meaty you on the ground to bait a reversal.
2C: Go back and look at that hitbox and remember it hits on frame 5, having this option open will mess up some characters when pressuring you. Cancel the first hit into 236C to convert at farther ranges.
EX Shield: Since you are playing Crescent moon and have a 4-frame jab, that means that if you read an air move with EX Shield, immediately pressing 5A is a guaranteed CH, which you can follow up with a full BnB.
Combos
Combo Notation Help
Disclaimer: Combos are written by various writers, so the actual notation used in pages can differ from the standard one.
Must wait for a short period before cancelling X input into Y.
X, Y
X input is linked into Y, meaning Y is done after X's recovery period.
X+Y
Buttons X and Y must be input simultaneously.
X/Y
Either the X or Y input can be used.
X~Y
This notation has two meanings.
Use attack X with Y follow-up input.
Input X then within a few frames, input Y. Usually used for option selects.
X(w)
X input must not hit the opponent (Whiff).
j.X
X input is done in the air, implies a jump/jump cancel if the previous move was done from the ground.
Applies to all air chain sections:
Assume a forward jump cancel if no direction is given.
Air chains such as j.A > j.B > j.C can be shortened to j.ABC.
sj.X
X input is done after a super jump. Notated as sj8.X and sj9.X for neutral and forward super jumps respectively.
dj.X
X input is done after a double jump.
sdj.X
X input is done after a double super jump.
tk.X
Stands for Tiger Knee. X motion must be buffered before jumping, inputting the move as close to the ground as possible. (ex. tk.236A)
(X)
X is optional. Typically the combo will be easier if omitted.
[X]
Input X is held down. Also referred to as Blowback Edge (BE). Depending on the character, this can indicate that this button is held down and not released until indicated by the release notation.
]X[
Input X is released. Will only appear if a button is previously held down. This type of input is referred to as Negative Edge.
{X}
Button X should only be held down briefly to get a partially charged version instead of the fully charged one.
X(N)
Attack "X" should only hit N times.
(XYZ)xN
XYZ string must be performed N times. Combos using this notation are usually referred to as loops.
(XYZ^)
A pre-existing combo labelled XYZ is inserted here for shortening purposes.
This link is important because it helps manage Satsuki's spacing in corner combos. For example, the 623[A] corner steal does not work without this link.
2[C] has three hits and 2C has two. Connecting all five hits is challenging and requires different timings on different characters. Ryougi and Riesbyfe literally cannot be hit by all three hits of 2[C] under any circumstance.
The trick to make this link easier is to do 2[C] early so that the first two hits whiff and only the third hits. Then you will have a huge window to land the 2C followup.
2C Pickup
Some characters' hurtbox shrinks vertically when they are hit in the air, and first hit of 2C does not have sweep properties. So what can often happen is that when using 2C to catch a falling opponent, the first hit of 2C will connect and shrink the opponent's hurtbox and make 2C's second hit whiff.
The remedy for this is to do 2C early and only connect the second hit.
623[A], j.[C]
2 frame link.
What you can do to significantly improve consistency is employ a technique called "plinking". Plinking takes advantage of how Melty interprets inputs to let you press the same button twice very quickly. This will make the link 3 frames instead of 2.
To perform the plink, when you input j.[C], press and hold C, then 1 frame later press E. Make sure you are not holding any direction when you press E, or the plink will not work. If you get the plink, it should look like this:
land 5[C] > 214A(whiff), 2C
Optimal sideswap method. Requires a well timed 2C press. 2C starts its charge animation after only 2 frames of being held, so make sure you press it quickly.
Some alternatives include:
land 5[C] > 214A(whiff), 5A > 421A
land 66 2C > 3C > 623[A], 421A
land 66 2C > 5C > 5A > 421A
land 66 5C > 5A > 421A
Kouma and Riesbyfe
You need to put a delay between 3C and 623[A] during your normal BnB, otherwise the 623[A] grab hitbox will connect instead of the launch hitbox.
Versus Ries specifically, if you are able to get the combo counter to 6 before inputting 623[A], then you don't have to do the delay anymore.
Corner Loops
421A
Example route: 214B, (421A~2E, j.A(whiff), land 2C > 3C > 623[A])xN
421A/B can loop in the corner for as long as you have meter and don't go over the bounce limit. Very light on meter usage.
Very technical loop which combines the two loops above. Optimal for stalling the opponent's MAX or playing for a timeout. With full meter, it can last for over 20 in game seconds.
A good rule of thumb for what OTG string to use is to use as few attacks as possible. For example, after 236B, simply 5B > 623C is the optimal OTG string.
Midscreen, when 5B > 623C stops working, you will want to switch to 5B > 5A > 623C
Air Button Cancels
Unlike a majority of characters in MBAACC, C-Satsuki cannot cancel her air buttons on hit or block into jump or other buttons. The only cancels she has access to are 2E and 63214C; neither of which are very useful.
However, j.[C] follows the same cancel rules every other in the game uses, meaning she can jump, airdash, and do an attack.
Ground Bounce/Wall Bounce Limit
Ground bounce and wall bounce are treated as the same thing, so this section will refer to them both simply as "bounces".
You are allowed 2 bounces in your combo. If you do a third, the person being comboed will enter an uncomboable state until they recover. This is a strict limitation for most characters, but Satsuki is blessed with a tool to ignore it. 623C resets the bounce limit back to 1, so she is allowed to extend her combos for very long. To see some examples of Satsuki bending the rules, refer to the Corner Loops section above this.
If you use 236C/623C when your bounce limit is still at 2, it will force you down to 1, so you must adjust your routing. 623C, 2C > 3C > 623[A], j.[C] > sdj.[C], land 2C will whiff on the second final 2C, for example.
Jump Cancel Limit
Satsuki does not have fancy tricks to play around this. Only one jump cancel is allowed per combo.
Advanced Combo Theory
The topics below are very neat and do high damage, but they are also very high execution. Don't try to learn these until you have mastered Satsuki's other more practical tech.
22B
In certain situations, Satsuki can use her 22B in a combo and get a 5A, 2A, or 2C link off it. In general, using 22B will increase a combo's damage by roughly 1000. Whether a button can be linked off of 22B is extremely hit-count and character specific. Grab based moves like 236B, 623[B], 236C, and 623C do not count toward the internal hit count.
5A: You have to spend meter to followup after the 5A with 5B/5C > 623[B].
2C: You have the before 5A routing (2f link) or 2C (1f link). For '2C' be very careful you don't charge 2C longer than 2 frames.
5A > 2C: You can meterlessly extend after 22B by linking 5A (1f link) into 2C.
2C; 5A > 2C: You can link into 2C (1f link) or 5A to 2C (2f link). These are the most practical to go for in a real match.
623A (Hit)
623[A]
623A
Against a handful of characters, instead of using 623[A], Satsuki can use very delayed 623A. Having 80% (O) proration instead of 71% (M) will mean that routing through 623A will do more damage than 623[A].
623A and 623[A] work the same way: there is a hitbox on Satsuki's hand that will grab an airborne opponent, if that hitbox whiffs, a new hitbox comes out which will launch an opponent. 623A's grab hitbox is bigger than 623[A], which is why it is harder to make whiff.
Unfortunately 623A is always a 1f link which can vary its delay timing based on spacing and hit count. Here is a list of characters whose hurtbox is short enough to let the 623A grab hitbox potentially whiff:
Ciel (Can't be too close or you'll grab her feet)
Miyako
V.Sion (Extremely picky about hitcounts)
Sion (ditto above)
Roa
Mech
Satsuki
Ryougi
Nero
NAC
Neco-Arc
Kohaku
Hisui
Theoretically, 623A would also work on most other characters in the game too, but it would require much harder setup. In recoil, hurtboxes gets wider through the animation, which implies it should be possible to find a precise spacing where you can do 623A and have the grab hitbox whiff, but the hit hitbox connect after their hurtbox expands.
Here are the few known setups discovered so far:
Hime:
Corner 2A > 2B > 2C > 3C > 623A
Ciel:
Corner (j.C/5A >) 5B > 2B > 2C > 3C > 623A
Arc:
Corner (j.C/5A >) 5B > 2B > 2C > 3C > 623A
Ryougi:
Corner 5C > 2C > 3C > 623A
Midscreen (j.C/5A/2B >) 5B > 5C > 2C > 3C > 623A
Essential Combos
Every combo has two damage values. One is the optimal damage, and the other is if you use stabalization techniques like single hit 2C/2[C] and ommitting hard buttons.
With this combo, the opponent will be slightly pulled out of the corner, allowing you to go for a 4-way mixup.
Ommitting the "delay 5B" loses very little damage and makes the combo much easier to hit consistently.
If you opt to do the optional d"elay 5B", you will have to also do at least the optional 2A in the OTG later, otherwise you won't cornersteal anymore.
If all that was confusing, just use this route below. It's the easiest route that still gives oki.
The delay on your final 5A will decide whether the 623[A] grab will pull out or not. Done correctly it is extremely ambiguous. See the Okizeme section for more info.
Note that 2[C] is not optional. You will never steal the corner unless you connect 2[C]. You can just connect the final hit and no others--that's fine.
Does not work against Len and WLen. Cannot meaty low Miyako after.
Because 623C sets the bounce count to 1, you don't get to do two j.[C]s.
If you try to do 5[C] after landing, you will whiff on most characters, but some can be hit anyway. Obviously it will always hit in the corner.
You can get a sideswap after landing by doing a dash under into 2C.
If close to the corner, substitute the 421A ender for one of Satsuki's corner-steal enders.
General Combos
Most of these examples route into 421A to make it easier to see the difference between each combo. Satsuki has tremendous flexibility, so feel free to adjust to whatever finisher is desired.
Use 5B instead of 5C at the beginning if they are flying far away, otherwise use 5C for more damage.
The entire beginning of this sequence is unscaled because 5B and 623[B] have 100% proration. 5C is 90% (O), so unless you originally counterhit them with something with less scaling, it won't affect anything either.
If close to the corner, substitute the 421A ender for one of Satsuki's corner-steal enders.
Meterless conversion off 2C that works even at max range. 3[C] needs to be input very quickly after releasing 2C.
Built in optional cross under with 214A. Completely optional--it doesn't affect damage whether you do it or not.
Set COUNTER HIT to LOW COUNTER in training mode to practice this! NORMAL gives random LOW and HIGH CH, which have different frames of hitstop.
If close to the corner, substitute the 421A ender for one of Satsuki's corner-steal enders.
22B Combos
These combos are very hard and very optional.
It should be mentioned that 5A links can be plinked with 4/6[D]A~E or 4/6[D]E~A. If that notation looks confusing, it is just saying to hold D and forward or backward, then plink A into E or E into A. Mastering the plink would make the 1f links 2f and the 2f links 3f.
1f Link. If you are experiencing your 5A connecting but your 2C whiffing, it is because you are either pressing 2C too slow, holding 2C too long (longer than 2 frames), or both. Some characters you can use 2A, some characters require 5A.
22B has the full explanation, but as a quick reference:
[3 hits] > 3C > 22B, 5A/2A > 2C works on:
Aoko
Satsuki
[2 hits] > 3C > 22B, 5A/2A > 2C works on:
All above
WLen
Ciel
[1 hit] > 3C > 22B, 5A/2A > 2C works on:
All above
PCiel
Tohno
[0 hit] > 3C > 22B, 5A/2A > 2C works on:
All above minus WLen
2C(1) > 3C > 22B, 2C works on:
Kouma*
Hime*
*Due to hurtbox shenanigans, you have 8 entire frames to connect 2C very easily.
