The King of Fighters XIII/Yuri Sakazaki/Strategy

(Work In Progress)

Spacing

Far Range

• Stop incoming superjumps with qcb+P's and incoming dashes with qcf+K

• Negate fireballs with your qcb+A (C version is a little slow), or if you have meter, f,hcf+C

• If you have meter, her hcb+BD can be used as an anti-air option because of its invincibility features. As well as her qcf,hcb+BD if you have 2 meters to spend.

Mid Range

• Be on the lookout for hops by checking the space in front of her head with st.A, st.B, cr.C or st.D. For ranges a bit farther keep a dp+A ready as well as qcb+A incase someone wants to jump or superjump above your head.
  If a st.B or cr.C hits, confirm it into a dp+K~AC.

• On an opponent that likes to stay grounded, poke sometimes with her qcf+A or EX qcf+P, which range may surprise them.

• Free cancel her cr.D or st.CD into a qcf+P, qcf+K or qcb+D if they are keeping a defensive stance.

• If an opponent that likes to stay grounded and also doesn't like to jump, close the gap by dashing in briefly with a cl.C and mixing that up with a qcb+D running throw to surprise while they are on the defense.

Close Range

• Poke with her cr.B to hit confirm into a combo. On block, keep the pressure up by mixing it up with her dp+D~K dive kick pressure, or run up throw (either normal or hcb+K), or a hop attack.

• On block, you can do cr.B into cr.C as a frame trap. On hit, you can also link it as a combo.

• Keep in mind that her blockstrings are a little on the boring side, so try to mix your pressure by laying off a bit by waiting and baiting reversals every now and then.

• You can catch a lot of normals with her hcb+BD EX move, if you have the meter, spend it by using it to catch mashing.

• Keep an eye out for opponents trying to hop at you up close by jump checking with st.A or st.B.

Cornered Opponent

• Her block strings are a little on the linear and simple side, so keep a small space between you and opponent to bait reversals or jumps that you can punish with her qcb+A or an air throw.

• After a combo that ends with techable knockdown in the corner, follow it up with a qcf+K to keep pressure

• If you try any dive kick pressure, keep in mind that the opponent can just simply Guard Cancel Roll (or normal roll if the attack gaps are far enough) out of the corner, or EX dp her (ie Kyo, Iori)

• Surprise your opponent once in a while if they are respectable of your attack strings by performing her hcb+D running grab throw

Cornered

• She has a few really good reversals like hcb+BD, dp+A, and dp+AC. If you opponent isn't trying to bait anything out of you, and is only fishing for combos, throw one of those out. Throw them out at the wrong time and with improper judgment can be deadly.

• Don't try to dp+K out of the corner, it's very slow and can be jabbed upon reaction

Tips

Frame Traps and Links

• (L) = Link, can be a frame trap as well.

• "(n) frame gap" = The amount of frames that opponent has to counter a frame trap. If n is 0 or -n, the particular frame trap is, initially, a block string.

1.) st. A > cl. C - 3 frame gap between st. A and cl. C.

2.) st. A > cr. C (L) - 2 frame gap between st. A and cl. C.

3.) cr. A > far C - 4 frame gap between cr. A and far C.

4.) cr. A > cl. C (L) - 2 frame gap between cr. A and cl. C.

5.) cr. A > cr. C (L) - 1 frame gap between cr. A and cr. C.

6.) cr. A > cl. D - 4 frame gap between cr. A and cl. D.

7.) st. B > cr. C - 4 frame gap between st. B and cr. C.

8.) cr. B > far C - 3 frame gap between cr. B and far C.

9.) cr. B > cl. C (L) - 1 frame gap between st. B and cl. C.

10.) cr. B > cr. C (L) - 0 frame gap between cr. and cr. C

11.) cr. B > cl. D - 3 frame gap between st. B and cl. D.

13.) qcf+C > st. A - 2 frame gap between qcf+C and st. A.

14.) qcf+C > cr. A - 2 frame gap between qcf+C and cr. A.

15.) qcf+C > st. B - 2 frame gap between qcf+C and st. B.

16.) qcf+C > cr. B - 2 frame gap between qcf+C and cr. B.

17.) qcf+C > far C - 4 frame gap between qcf+C and far C.

18.) qcf+C > cr. C - 1 frame gap between qcf+C and cr. C.

Best Team Position?

First Position

Yuri is one of the better meter builders in this position but to dish out some good damage, she needs meter. Not that it's mandatory because Yuri CAN get away with more then a few game play style (rush down, turtle, etc) as she can be versatile. Yuri has several meterless combo possibilities however: cr.B, cr.B, st.B, dp+C. or perhaps j.C, cl.C, hcb+B. It's important to keep in mind that Yuri has a very good command throw as well - it is a one frame command throw and it is rather easy to hit confirm into and punish with. Both versions of her command throw can be comboed into. Don't ever forget to utilize her dive kick for starting pressure and okizeme. In this position, Yuri can play build meter relatively quickly should the player continue to successfully pressure the opponent with normal and meter-less BnB combos. Use qcb+A to build meter when at a full screen. Yuri can use qcb+P, st.A, cr.C, or dp+A to discourage reckless jump ins. Yuri can get over 700+ damage easily for a one bar HD combo. Yuri can outright KO a character with two bars in a full drive meter for a HD combo.

Second Position

Yuri works very well in this position because she will more than likely have a bit of meter generated from the first character who fought before her. She can be devastating as a battery character - 4 meters and a full HD gauge gives Yuri plenty of options to work with. Yuri has a lot of easy drive cancel confirm which is part of the reason why a lot of people recognize her the most in a game such as this. Yuri can also use an air throw - for example: cr.D > EX Houyoku > Air throw or j.CD > dp+B > Air Throw = For a hard knockdown. Yuri can then conduct a hit confirm on the opponents wake up or bait an anti-air. Yuri's Hien Hou'ou Kyaku has a fair damage output too. Her dive kick shortens the jump and is pretty safe on block on guard. Yuri can still play a variety of roles as well. In the second position, you can do almost anything - save meter, consume meter and dish out some serious damage, or play a bit more defensively. It is possible for Yuri to combo AFTER her Neo Max too (i.e. Post Neo Max, dp+BD~C, dp+A for example).

Third Position

Yuri can do, more or less, the same thing as she did in her second position. Yuri with meter is better than Yuri without meter, so the secondary character must save a little meter so that Yuri will have extra utilities at her disposal. Remember that Yuri can build meter easily by herself as well. One should keep Yuri's damage output, mix-ups and mid-air resets in mind if they want to be successful, because this is where meter usage truly comes into play. Yuri is a very good anchor character if the player is able to manage their meter well. She can keep up with high and low normals and get easy drive cancels and hit confirms if the player is careful. Yuri damage output increases exponentially with just one bar alone. The player should remain proactive with Yuri's movement and know how to punish/whiff punish with her moves and learn how to hit confirm into her combos for more damage. Yuri's combo damage in general have longevity and she can carry the opponent towards the corner from mid or full screen. Yuri can then pressure the opponent while the player carefully makes use of meter to start pressure to accelerate Yuri's damage output during her combos.

Character Matchups

Andy Bogard

• Punish Zaneiken (db,f+P) with Yuri's EXDM qcfhcb+K

Ash Crimson

• Try to be careful with Ash while he is waking up and if you're intending on pressuring him. Make Yuri's dive kick so that you can go for ambiguous cross up set ups. Otherwise, bait out reversal attempts and then punish.
• Stay within two/three characters away from Ash. Yuri can discourage projectile zoning as she can jump over them and punish at that distance. Yuri can also go through projectiles with her EXDM qcf~hcb+K and her EX hcb+K

Athena Asamiya

• Stay within a 2/3 character distance range away from Athena so that Yuri can punih
• Don't hang around in the air for too long. Use j.B as an air to air, because Athena's j.CD has plenty of priority but more start up. Yuri can smack Athena out of the air with
• Athena's hop is floaty so take advantage of this and prepare to anti-air with st.A, st.C, st.B, or cr.C,. Yuri can also use dp+A and EXDM in moderation. Yuri can combo easily after connecting a dp+A if she has drive meter.

Benimaru Nikaido

• Be on the look out for Benimaru's ambiguous cross ups. He can jump at very long distances and his j.D has a very good hit box.
• Space yourself carefully against Beni so that he can not get too close or too far away from him. Maintain a mid range distance away from him and always be ready to whiff punish.
• Discourage Beni's jumps/super jumps with A Saiha and preemptive jumping normal moves.
• Beni gets very weak in the corner, so be sure to drive Beni into the corner go for dive kick set ups, command grabs to discourage rolling, j.B for keeping Beni from jumping, and HD combo hit confirms.

Billy Kane

• Yuri should always be on the move during this match up. Billy's pokes and a lot of special are great for covering space so getting in on Billy can be tricky process for Yuri.
• Anticipate Billy's f+A and back dash or roll away from him safely. Yuri can easily whiff punish Billy if the player is being too reckless with his special moves or his command move f+A.
• Billy does not have very good reversal options without meter, so Yuri can play bit more offensively if Billy is cornered.

Chin Gentsai

• Discourage Chin's hop j.CD pressure with qcb+A. DP+A does have a decent amount of invincibility start up so you can combat against obvious jump in attempts with that as well.
• Chin does not do that well in the air, so take advantage of his try to out pressure Chin from air with Yuri's normal moves and her dive kick.

Clark Still

• If Clark ends up getting too close, he will likely conduct a command grab. One version of his command grab has auto-guard, so punish these command grab attempts with hop j.D.
• Keep a short distance between Yuri and Clark. A Clark player will attempt to roll and then conduct a quick command grab afterward, so punish roll attempts with either version of hcb+K command grab.
• Clark has a pretty powerful j.CD attack, so use Yuri's j.B preemptively. Yuri's j.B comes out faster and stays active for quite a while.
• All versions of Clark's b~charge~f+P are punishable on block, so be sure to bait these out with delayed jumps from Yuri's dive kick and her movement.

Duo Lon

• Duo will attempt to space Yuri out with f+A, jumping f+B, and jumping f+A. Hop towards Duo Lon carefully - draw yourself toward him so that you can start an offense.
• Yuri needs to get in close on Duo Lon if she wants to really do damage. Yuri needs to conduct a cautious rush down game as Duo Lon has a lot of options at mid range. Both Yuri and Duo have very powerful offensive tools from up close.

Elisabeth Branctorche

• Elisabeth does not have any really good reversal outside of her DM's. Take advantage of this and pressure with Yuri carefully with her dive kicks.
• Both Yuri and Elisabeth have short ranged normal moves. Yuri can discourage jump ins with st.A, st.B, st.C, qcb+P, and DP+A. Avoid getting knocked down as much as possible. Be on the look out for Elisabeth's j.CD and her air to ground j.B. It is possible to Elisabeth to combo after getting a reset in the air if she has meter.

Goro Daimon

• Yuri needs to keep her distance. Daimon can hit confirm into hit command grab with normal moves such as st.B and many other of his light normal moves. Work your way around Daimon normal moves carefully.
• Be on the look out for Daimon's jumping/hop j.CD.
• Stay away from the corner at all costs - Daimon excels when he is applying corner pressure due to his normal moves!
• Discourage up close jump ins/hops with Yuri's cr.C, st.A, st.B, and dp+A.
• If Daimon is rolling towards you, that means that are more than likely going to attempt a command throw. A good player will probably anticipate Yuri neutral jumping - so the player can either punish with a meaty jumping normal (preferably j.D or B) or dive kick. Otherwise, Yuri can jump out of the way for spacing and then setting up another offensive approach.
• Daimon is a big target, so Yuri needs to focus even more on hit confirms and ambiguous mix ups.

Hwa Jai

• Stay about a two or three character distance away from Hwa until you can get an offense going. Both Yuri and Hwa are both extremely dangerous when it comes to close range. In Hwa's case it is because of his damage out put, while Yuri has mix ups that lead into big damage gradually.
• Keep Hwa out with st.A, ground Heavy Punches, DP+A, and either version of Yuri's Saiha (qcb+P).
• Be on the look out for Hwa's ground CD attack. This move can functions as a low crush so low hitting moves (Yuri's cr.B for example) will not work.
• Try not to hang in the air for too long because Hwa has several options while he is in the air. Yuri j.B comes out pretty quickly and a viable hit box. Either of Yuri's heavy jumping moves and her dive kick should be use for air to ground, especially if Hwa is cornered, be remain cautious.

Iori Yagami (Claw)

• Claw Iori does not have that many good anti-airs, so it would give the Yuri player a little more incentive conduct ambiguous cross up attempts for continuing pressure. Be mindful about Iori's close st.C and EXDP as that version has pretty good start (while being unsafe on block and whiff).
• Claw Iori has problems drawing himself in for pressure outside of his EX qcb+K (which has :invincibility start up) and fundamentals. Yuri on the other hand can put a bit more emphasis on :going on the offense due to her speed and up close mix ups. Be on the look for jumping/hop j.D or j.B as they can keep Yuri out.
• Bait out unsafe motions with Yuri's delayed jumps/hops to dive kick and punish.
• Punish Iori's qcb+B with her hcb+B command grab.

Iori Yagami (Flame)

• This version of Iori is more versatile than the Claw Iori. Use ambiguous cross ups/mix up from the air and delayed jumping dive kick for baiting unsafe reversals.
• Punish Iori's A rekka (first hit) with st.B, EX hcb+K and EXDM qcfhcb+BD. Iori's C rekka is generally more punishable on block that A rekka. Punish C rekka (first hit) with cr.D, st.C, st.B, EX hcb+K, EX qcfhcb+BD.
• Stay at mid range against this version of Iori until you're able to draw you self in for pressure. :Much like with every character that has a viable neutral game, Yuri needs to be a little more :cautious in conducting rush down.

Joe Higashi

• Try to stay out of the corner, especially if Joe has meter. Joe has a stun combo (starting from cr.B), making extremely dangerous against any character he fights against.
• Stay within mid range against Joe as much as possible until Yuri can start her offense.

K'

• Yuri needs stay at the mid range against K' and push her way for the offense. K' does have the ability zone functionally so stay close.
• EX hcb+K will go through Ks projectile
• Use jumping B to beat K' out of the air if he jumps as you are pressuring him.

Kim Kaphwan

• Discourage Kim's jump ins with cr.C, st.B, and Saiha (qcb+P). All of those options can stop Kim's air qcb+K attempts for a counter hit.
• Stay towards the ground in this fight until you put Kim into the corner. Kim has a little more options in mid air than Yuri does, especially when he has meter.
• Be on the look out for EX qcb+K. It is safe on block and it comes out very fast. Yuri's EX hcb+K can beat it out as he is performing the move.

King

• Stay at the mid range against King but avoid jumping too much as King has an advantage in the air (air Venom Strike). Yuri needs

to time her jumps and hops a bit more to avoid getting hit by projectiles and punish King accordingly.

• Keep in mind that Yuri's EXDM, EXHCB+K, and EX+DP can beat out Venom Strike due to start up invincibility
• Focus on getting King in the corner and then continue Yuri's mix up game from there. Many of King's special moves are punishable on block.

Kula Diamond

• Avoid getting cornered as much as possible - Kula's corner pressure and mix ups are the very thing that makes her dangerous
• While Kula has a lot of devious frame traps, some of her moves will not register as true block strings, giving Yuri a slight chance to recover and retaliate. Be careful when doing this however, because Kula's QCF+B~f+B projectile is relatively safe on block. The slide is very unsafe on block, however.
• Yuri needs to play a tad more passively until Yuri corners Kula. Put a little more emphasis on whiff punishment.
• Kula's anti-airs are not really that good. Yuri can try to bait out Kula's DP with her dive kick.

Kyo Kusanagi (XIII)

• QCF+K are unsafe on block. Punish this with Yuri's command grab (HCB+B).
• Saiha and Ko-ou Ken can neglect Kyo's Yami Barai projectile.
• Yuri's dive kick will beat out Kyo's A version DP. If it connects too late however, a hit trade will happen. Try meaty him whenever possible with the dive kick when Kyo is cornered. The dive kick itself is safe on block.
• Kyo's B and D version Kototsuki Yo (HCB+K) beats out Yuri's D command grab.
• Yuri's s.B, s.C, and cr.C are ideal for stopping Kyo's hop or jump-in attempt
• Yuri's air dive kicks can be used to bait Kyo's anti-air or unsafe reversals.
• Yuri's EX Haykuretsu Binta, EX Saiha, and A version Chou Upper completely beats out Kyo's EX Kototsuki Yo command grab.
• Yuri's A and EX Chou Upper goes through Kyo's Yami Barai, thanks to invincibility start-up properties.
• Yuri's EX Haykuretsu Binta, EX Chou Upper, and EX Hein Hanou Kyaku DM all go through Kyo's Neo Max fire ball animation, along with his Yami Barai
• The EX Hein Hanou Kyaku DM beats out Kyo's EX ground Orochinagi from up close

Kyo Kusanagi (NESTS)

• Be careful when at the mid range. EX Kyo has a little more options as the mid range compared to XIII Kyo. EX Kyo's rekka series are actually unsafe on block. When spaced correctly, EX Kyo is relatively safe and the follow ups are delayable.
• Punish a poorly timed R.E.D. Kick with Yuri's command grab (HCB+B).
• Bait out wake up DP attempts with Dive Kick and then block punish them.
• QCF+K,K are unsafe on block (including the first hit. In fact, the first hit does not even cause a natural block stun).

Leona Heidern

• Don't hang in the air for too long. Leona is known for having very good air control
• Leona has one of the fastest instant overheads in the game (jumping A, which can be done quickly after inputting a crouching light normal while Leona is pressuring the opponent).
• Many of Leona's special moves are unsafe on block, so try to focus on block punishment a bit more while poking with QCF+A or C, cr.C, st.B, and QCB+P.
• Watch out for Leona's Earring, because this is a very good offensive tool on Leona's behalf when starting an offense from a distance. Play a bit more passively until you corner Leona.

Mai Shiranui

• Mai gets weak when she is cornered. Pressure Mai in the corner and try to continue with Yuri corner mix ups while retaining pressure.
• Don't jump around too much. Much like Leona, Mai also has good control in the air.
• Stay out of the corner as much as possible
• Retain distance at the mid range and punish badly timed projectiles. Don't get to far away from Mai because she has an a
• At certain spaces, Mai's QCB+C will whiff the opponent when the player tries to combo into it. Whiff punish this with run-up st.C into a combo or a command move.
• Mai has a very quick overhead from up close (cr.C/cr.B,cr.A > d~charge~uf+P > j.d.B).
• Punish Mai's j.d.B when she uses it ABOVE Yuri's. Don't attempt a punish if Mai uses it "in front" of Mai, however.
• Mai's options in general are safer if she is consuming meter. Mai's regular HCF+K, air QCB+P, both version of her DM's, Mai's QCF+C, and her Neo Max are all unsafe on block.

Mature

• Stay at the mid range as much as possible and retain that distance. Mature is a threat from up close. Mature is PLUS frames on block if she connects with her DP+P and punch follow up while being close to the ground from the initial. Mature can also cross up with DP+A and punch cross up if Yuri is crouching from up close.
• Mature does not get a legitimate reversal until she has meter. (EXDP or her Heaven's Gate DM).
• At the distance, react to the projectile (qcf,hcb+A). If you see that Mature is jumping towards you, jump away (if you have space left over) or block the incoming mix up. You can also roll out of the mix up attempt if Mature does super jump or perform a DP+C jumping animation. If Mature is running towards or performing a hop/hyper hop after the projectile, block the mix up carefully.
• All of Mature's rekkas are unsafe on block, so get ready to punish by the time the player performs the said rekkas.

Maxima

• Take advantage of Maxima's slow speed. Maxima is a very big target who can fall relatively easy for Yuri to applying pressure
• Maxima's qcf+P has high auto-guard only.

Raiden

• Pay attention to Raiden's patterns and movement because there is a likely chance that the Raiden player might be buffering the charged Drop Kick attack. While Raiden is charging the Drop Kick, there a few things that the Raiden will not be able to do.
• Raiden is a big target and he does not deal with rush down that well. Yuri should attempt to play a little more aggressively this time around.
• Watch out for Raiden's cross up attempts (Raiden's j.C has a good hit box underneath him).
• EXDM can punish Raiden's Shoulder Tackle.

Ralf Jones

• Stay on the offensive but be a little more cautious if Ralf has meter. His EX Burning Hammer (QCF+A/C) has full body auto block. Ralf

also gets a legitimate reversal with two meters.

• Yuri needs to focus on cornering Ralf and putting him under a lot of pressure as he tends to get weak in the corner, especially with much meter to work with.

Robert Garcia

• Stay within the mid range and work your way to start an offense
• Robert's b~charge~f+B kick can be punished with Yuri's EXDM qcb,hcb+K
• Discourage Robert's jump in attempts with Saiha

Ryo Sakazaki

• Don't let Ryo corner Yuri. Ryo is noteworthy for having very good corner pressure and lock down tools.
• Yuri needs to focus on playing a more offensive game. Make sure you bait out DP reversal attempts with Dive Kicks and careful movement
• Stop jump ins with st.B, cr.C, or Saiha variants

Saiki

• Stay within mid range of Saiki to punish badly timed projectiles. Yuri generally deals with zoners much better at the mid range
• Yuri can out poke Saiki when she is closer to him with her projectile and her Saiha
• Use j.B to air-to-air Saiki's jumps. j.B stays active for quite a while and it comes out quick to beat Saiki out of the air
• Keep Saiki within the mid screen and don't let him corner you. Saiki's damage outside of the corner is not that good and Yuri can l
• Saiki does have a lot of anti-air tools so be careful when trying to maneuver through the air for jump ins

Shen Woo

• Yuri should play a bit more aggressive this time around as Shen Woo does not have that many consistent anti-airs
• Put a stop to hops and jump ins with st.B, cr.C, j.B, Saiha, and her QCF+P
• When Shen gets around two meters, maintain a cautious offensive game and focus on hit confirming into Yuri's combos
• A lot Shen Woo's moves are punishable on block, but don't let him mix you up

Sie Kensou

• Anticipate projectile usage from further ranges and from up close (because the opponent is more than likely to finish most of their block strings with a normal or Kensou's qcb+P projectile to space themselves away). When Kensou's uses his projectile from up close to finish his block string, this will be Yuri's signal to start an offense.
• Kensou's rekkas are punishable on block. The EX rekka (the first hit) can be punished on block by Yuri's hcb+B command grab.
• Kensou's air qcb+A is can be punished with hcb+B. Yuri can also punish Kensou's air qcb+A by hit confirming her cr.B into a full combo, depending on the spacing.
• Bait out Kensou's rdp+K reversal attempts. Kensou's jump is also a tad bit floaty so try to take advantage of this with Yuri's ground game and anti-airs.

Takuma Sakazaki

• This match up is a little bit in Yuri's favor due to her punishment tools.
• Stay within the mid range to punish projectile attempts and to search for a offensive opening. Stay out of the corner.
• Yuri can easily stuff a lot of Takuma's hop, regular jump, or super jumping CD attacks with her Saiha (QCB+P) or cr.C. Yuri's j.B can also stop j.CD attempts if the player uses it earlier.
• Try to prevent Takuma from hit confirming into anything when he has meter, especially from the mid range.
• Takuma's db~charge~f+B (while it is relatively safe) is actually PUNISHABLE on block with Yuri's EXDM qcf,hcb+K. With db~charge~f+D is completely punishable on block altogether. Use Yuri's hcb+B to punish the EX db~charge~f+K. All versions Takuma's Hein Shippukyaku is punishable by Yuri.

Mr. Karate

• Advert Mr. Karate's j.CD pressure the same way as you would with Takuma.
• Bait out DP attempts with Yuri's hop or dive kick (pseudo-safe jump set ups).

Terry Bogard

• Watch out for Terry's j.D because it is a very good cross up tool, especially for Terry's okizeme/wake-up game. Roll out of the way if you anticipate a cross up attempt. Be on the look out for Terry's EX Power Wave.
• Punish Crack Shoot with hcb+B.
• Discourage Terry's jump in attempts with Yuri's anti-airs (cr.C, Saiha, st.B)

'Vice

• Yuri can keep Vice out with Saiha or qcf+P. Vice usually has a difficult time getting in on her opponent, even if she has meter.
• As Yuri is subverting Vice's pressure, she can focus on cornering Vice in order to start her pressure and mix up game of her own.
• If Vice gets meter, try avoid getting hit as much as possible, especially in mid air. Because, Vice is infamous for having anywhere juggle properties on her EX Sleeve. Retain some discretion when Yuri is pressuring Vice when she has meter.
• Vice is also meter-hungry, so take advantage of this and bait out EX moves attempts. Don't be too passive in this match up.

Yuri Sakazaki (mirror match)

• Try to out maneuver the other Yuri player with Yuri's speed.
• This match up revolves around who use Yuri's anti-airs and long range options to keep the other Yuri out.