The King of Fighters '98 UMFE/Ryo Sakazaki

Introduction

Ryo is a dangerous allrounder who is scary at every range. On the defense he has great pokes and some of the best anti air tools in the game, a real walking wall. On the offense he can confirm into big damage from any situation with or without meter. He is playable at every spot in a team. He is also quite simple and easy to pick up for new players.

Normal Moves

Standing:

• st.A: Good range. Special cancelable. Use this after cr.B for combos and to stop hops.
• st.B: Great poke to keep the opponent at bay and whiffpunish.
• st.C: Not a bad button to throw out, not great either. His most damaging normal outside of CD. But not cancelable or anything special about it.
• st.D: Can anti air in situations where cr.C lacks horizontal range but its too slow to react with, rather use st.A, dp+A/C or block.

Close:

• cl.A: Will hit where st.A might whiff on small characters. So use accordingly in confirms from cr.B.
• cl.B: cl.A and st.A are better do not use this. Special cancelable.
• cl.C: Less damage than cr.C but can make combos easier. Special cancelable.
• cl.D: Same as cl.C really. Same damage. Activates further away but comes out a little slower. Special cancelable.

Crouching:

• cr.A: Not great but use it after cr.B instead of st.A/cl.A if the opponent is too short while crouching.
• cr.B: Low combo starter. Chains into itself, cl.A, st.A and cr.A. Links into cr.C. Does not special cancel.
• cr.C: Very reliable anti air normal, one of the best in the game. Insanely fast at 1f startup. Links from cr.B for combos. Special cancelable. Leaves you very open when whiffed so use with care.
• cr.D: Fast sweep with okay range. Special cancelable. Cancel into qcf+B for low->high gimmick.

Jumping:

• j.A: No use for it really. Maybe air to air but j.B works just as well.
• j.B: Best horizontal range of his air normals. Use for air to air or to poke when too far away for j.C/j.D/j.CD.
• j.C: Same damage as j.D and just as fast. Can crossup.
• j.D: Same damage as j.C and just as fast. Can crossup. More horizontal range

Blowback:

• CD: Quite fast, recovers fast enough to link into dp+A after a counter hit in the corner. Enough range to connect after cr.B, cr.B blockstring. Nice to fish for counterhits to combo. Special cancelable.
• j.CD: Good move. Easy to hit crouchers with. Great for pressure. Enough blockstun to run up or jump in an again after connecting. Also good air to air. Lets you combo on counterhit.

Throws

Tani Otoshi: b/f+C (close)

• Throws forward. Causes hard knockdown, leaves opponent backturned and allows for pressure.

Tomoe Nage: b/f+D (close)

• Throws back. Recovery roll possible, making it only useful to throw the opponent into the corner.

Command Moves

Hyouchuu Wari: f+A

• Overhead when done raw. Reaches surprisingly far. Pretty safe to throw out. Hits mid when cancelled into. Not cancelable into other moves directly. When done REAL meaty on opponents wakeup you can link f.5A to combo further. It is also possible to combo from this move using quick max or cancel into dodge and its follow-up attack.

Special Moves

Ko Ou Ken: qcf+A/C

Unlaunched projectile

• Both versions only combo from heavy attacks but are not optimal for combos since other options are more damaging. C version deals more damage and moves further. Both are safe on block if spaced properly and punishable when not, they make good pokes to throw out at the right distance. Easily beaten by slide moves.

Kohou: dp+A/C

DP type move.

• Incredible anti air. Both versions will beat most jump in attempts but are punishable when missed. A is harder to punish, C equals a free combo of choice for your opponent.
• A: Invulnerable frame 1-2, active on frame 3.
• C: Invulnerable frame 1-7, active on frame 5.

Moh Koh Raijin Satsu: qcf+B/D

Flying Overhead

• Overhead that travels forward in an arc. Useful to punish reckless projectile usage, less useful as an overhead itself. B version hits about half screen away. D version hits almost full screen but not quite.

Moh Koh Raijin Gou: qcb+A/C or A+C

Special cancelable armor move

• This move has armor frames during startup and is cancelable into other version specific special moves. Unsafe on block.
• A: Cancelable into from heavy normals. Is cancelable into dp+A/C.
• C: Can not be cancelled into. Is cancelable into hcb+B/D.
• (A+C): Cancelable into from heavy normals. Cancels into dp+A/C or hcb+B/D. Crazy.

Pressing both buttons together combines the best parts of both versions into one. Cancelled into hcb+D makes this the most damaging meterless combo ender.

Hien Shippuu Kyaku: hcb+B/D

Spinning kicks

• Both versions combo from light attacks. B version alone does more damage than dp+A/C or qcf+A/C, D version does even more damage. This is the meterless combo ender to use for longer confirms.

Kyokugen-ryuu Renbu Ken: hcf+A/C (close)

Proximity unblockable

• An unblockable attack that puts your opponent in juggle state. Use j.CD after launch for extra damage, that way it does more damage than hcb+D alone. This is the best you can get out of cr.B, cl.A without meter.

Desperation Moves

Haoh Shou Kou Ken 641236+A/C

Projectile DM

A and C version combo from heavy normals and deal the same damage.

• A moves slow.
• C moves very fast.
• SDM version also comboes from heavy normals. Deals more damage and has a bigger hitbox, moves about as fast as C version.

Punish reckless projectile use with this. Can also catch jumping opponents.

Ryuuko Ranbu 2363214+A/C

Ranbu type move, as name suggests.

A and C version combo from heavy normals and deal the same damage.

• A connects much more reliable in combos because it starts faster.
• C has some meaningless invulnerability on startup, not a reliable reversal.
• SDM comboes the same way A version does and deals more damage. Also has some invulnerability.

Most damaging out of the regular DMs.

Tenchi Haoh Ken 236236+A/C

ICHIGEKI HISSATSU

A and C version deal the same damage and a lot more on counterhit.

• A connects from light normals.
• C has some meaningless invulnerability on startup, not a reliable reversal.
• SDM connects from light normals and deals less damage on its own but will stun the opponent.

This SDM turns out to be his most damaging SDM since it lets you hit a combo of your choice afterward. Paired with even just his best meterless combo this deals more damage than any other SDM alone.

Combos

meterless

cr.Bxn > st.A or cr.A(on crouched opponent) > hcb.B/D(on standing opponent) or dp.A : basic low confirm.

cr.Bx1~2 > (frame link)cr.C > qcf.A or hcb.B or (qcb.AC > hcb.B/D on crouched) : frame link low confirm.

cl.C or D > qcb.AC > hcb.B/D(crouched opp) : best meterless damage.

cl.C or D > hcf.P > super jump.CD : classic.

meter

ground heavy > f,hcf.C : very simple, basic.

cr.Bxn > st.A or cr.A(on crouched) > qcfx2.P : low confirm, does quite low damage.

cr.Bx1~2 > (frame link)cr.C > f,hcf.C or qcf,hcb.A : frame link low combo. ranbu is quite unstable depend on distance.

ex meter

(corner, on crouched)cr.Bx1~2 > (frame linl)cr.C > qcb.AC > hcb.D > ABC > dp.C

cr.Bx1~2 > (frame link)cr.C > qcf,hcb.ABC : consistent version of frame link low combo.

cr.Bxn > ABC > cl.D > f,hcf.C : main low meter bnb.

(corner, on crouched)ground heavy > qcb.AC > hcb.D > ABC > (max)qcfx2.P > jump heavy > close heavy > qcb.AC > hcb.D : his best damage.