Trouble against Sarah

I am havin major problems attacking Sarah when she goes into the flamingo stance. I can't get an attack in edgewise. Can anybody help me? /versus/images/graemlins/confused.gif

 

Duck and down P after her first kick. Don't try to attack/throw her, you'll only take more damage. I'm not exactly sure by how much by she has a great advantage frame-wise when she's in that stance.

 

Instead of trying to attack, you can try reversing her (provided your character can reverse).

 

I'm imagining you're fighting against the CPU here, right? Either way, dealing with the Flamingo is VERY tough, and coupled with Sarah's very powerful, easily executed combos, and her great throw game (3 catch throws, ugh!), I'm baffled as to why Sarah players aren't placing first in tourneys left and right. Versus tactics against Sarah is a worthy topic of discussion for sure.

While I have a decent ammount of experience against Sarah, I still find myself feeling lucky when I beat a good Sarah, and easily recognize the gaps in my game against her. To me, the toughest aspects of fighting Sarah are:

1. Dealing with the Flamingo
2. Breaking her Throws
3. Properly Minor Countering her Attacks after Guarding for the best damage

I'll try to help where I can here:

The Flamingo

In general, the Flamingo is an offensive stance that allows Sarah to attack at all levels (mid, low, high) through strings and single moves, and Throw, and Reverse low P's, and flip over you, and run away. While Sarah can't Guard without cancelling the stance, Sega balanced this by making some of the attacks that enter the Flamingo give Sarah advantage, on Guard as well as Hit. In addition, many of the Attacks DURING flamingo will give her Advantage as well, on Guard.

Attacks going to Flamingo that give advantage:

P+K, b+P+K, d/f+PK, b+K, d/b+K+GK

Attacks to Flamingo that give Disadvantage:

PPPu+K, u+K, d/f+KK, K+G, f+P+KPKG

It's a pretty equal mix of Mids and Highs, so if Sarah's closing in and you thing she'll go to Flamingo, Crouching isn't necessarily a safe bet. In most cases, I'd say Sarahs like to go to Flamingo with d/f+P+K, b+K, d/b+K+GK, or P+K. Use of the u+K (with or without PPP), K+G, and d/f+KK are a little rare (although the u+K and PPPu+K look cool /versus/images/graemlins/wink.gif).

If you can recognize that she's gotten into Flamingo with an Attack that gives Dis., you've got a shot at getting an attack in before she can, but it's probably best to assume you can't. Reason being, if you aren't sure, and she's got the Advantage, and she Counter Hits your attempt with Flamingo attack, it can spell BIG problems for you. This brings in another aspect of the Flamingo, it's designed to lead to more hits, a throw, or a knockdown attack somehow, as it only has one true "Floater" to start an Air Combo with: KKK+G, which NO ONE uses. IE if in the above case, Sarah goes to the Flamingo with d/f+PK, and you've guarded, you might think: "I've Guarded, I can attack before her", and try to squeeze in a P to stop her attack. But, she's at 4 frames of advantage, so that means even if you're playing Aoi, whose P is 11 frames, it won't come out until 15 frames after you've guarded the d/f+PK.

So, even at 14 frames to come out, Sarah's K will beat almost all attacks in the game (since very few attacks execute in 10 frames). And guess what? It gets worse. The Flamingo K (I mention again it to finish my example, and because it's a popular Flowchart/String starter) is a "Special High", that means that if you try to thwart the K with a low P or another low attack (which should work, right?), the Fla. K wins. If she counter hits you in this manner with Fla K, d/f+PK and Fla. P are guaranteed. After getting hit from here with the d/f+PK, she's at +4 AGAIN!

Ready for more bad news? "Okay, I'm just gonna guard it!" So you've guarded the Flamingo starter, then Guarded Fla. K, guess what? Sarah's still at +3 /versus/images/graemlins/wink.gif. Guarded Flamingo KK? Even (no adv/dis for either player). Flamingo K+G, +2; Flamingo f+K+G, +2. And unless your character has a low throw, the Fla. d+K+G sweep is uncounterable. This is why the Flamingo is so powerful and frustrating, because it allows Sarah to (seemingly) attack again and again, with little regard to whether or not the attacks are even hitting, because she's usually in a position to attack again, whether the last attack hit or not. Depressed yet?

It's gonna get worse before it gets better. But, it does get better, if you can handle the Flamingo, you can float her out of it for a big combo; or minor counter. Sadly, I'm too tired to write more now, but I'll write more tomorrow, and any one of the knowledgeable people around here can elaborate; it's a big discussion.

Spotlite

 

Thanks a lot!!! /versus/images/graemlins/grin.gif /versus/images/graemlins/grin.gif