Arcana Heart/Tsuzura Saki

Introduction

Saki Tsuzura (廿楽冴姫, Tsuzura Saki?) (cv. Yumi Shimura)

She is the daughter of a successful businessman and has been best friends with Heart since childhood. Two years ago, Saki’s father had to relocate to Great Britain for work, and she attended school there. One day, Saki and her friend Fiona visited a mysterious mountainside and were sucked into the Elemental world. Saki was rescued by the Arcana Bhanri, but Fiona was trapped in the other dimension. Saki has felt guilty ever since. Now the sky has started looking exactly as it did two years ago in England, and Saki is determined not to let anyone else get caught in the Elemental world where she keeps this situation as a secret without Heart knowing. After hearing Heart is going after the strange skies in Tokyo, Saki decides to stop Heart where she doesn't want to lose another friend in the Elemental world like Fiona.

Some Maidens are born with their abilities, but for others, like Saki or Lieselotte, their abilities at birth are relatively weak and can lay dormant for years. Sometimes, it takes a truly devastating, life-changing event to awaken the powers deep within them.

Move list

Throws

4/6AD:

She grabs the opponent rolls on her back and tosses them with her leg.

5AD: Neutral Throw

She hits the opponent three times. After the third hit the throw can be followed up with a combo if last hit is cancelled.

j.AD: Air Throw

She hits the opponent with a punch and then kick which bounces them into the wall cannot be followd up. Opponent is able to tech out.

Normal moves

2A: Saki quick low kick.

This kick is fast and must be blocked low, has low hit stun. This is normally a combo starter for Saki.

2B: Saki low medium kick.

This kick is high jump cancellable and must be blocked low.

2C: Saki low sliding kick

Saki crouches down and starts to slide towards the opponent. Normally this move is forward homing cancelled into her combos. Beware of opponent baiting this move when they are blocking your pressure strings as this move can be easily punished with either an arcana burst or pushback.

5A: Saki 'shadowless' punch

Saki throws a quick jab into the air. This can be used as an anti-air technique due to it being thrown out quickly. This move can be jump cancelled and can be blocked in the air.

5B: Saki side kick

Saki kick the opponent on the sides. This move can be used to bait arcana burst on the normal combo if the opponent predicts that you will be doing 2A2B2C and is going to burst out of your 2C. By doing 2A5B2B2C, this will throws off the opponent's prediction on when to burst. This move can be used for clashing if the opponent at the start of the match too. Beware of using it too often as it is easily punished when used alone.

5C: Saki hops forward while thrusting her leg out

Mid-long range - Jump cancelable - Start up clash frames

Saki's fierce kick and one of her main normals used in her IAD loops. This move is punishable on whiff so don't use this outside of combos and block strings. 236AB ground super can be comboed off of 5C.

jA: Jumping elbow poke

Short range - Jump cancelable

Saki's air jab, fast and reliable in close quarters. Used for starting combos and beating out slow attacks.

jB: Jumping kick angled downward

Mid range - Jump cancelable

Saki's air medium kick. This move has good range and is used alot in IAD combos and IAD pressure strings.

jC: Jumping fierce kick angled upward

Mid range - Fast start up

Saki's air fierce kick. This move is awesome in aerial combat, it is fast and has good range and can hit most opponents at a higher elevation in the air.

Command Normals

6C: Saki throws her knee out using her body weight

Short-Mid range - Guard crush when fully charged - Air unblockable

Standard 6C attack, not much range and has slow start up. Punishable on whiff.

3C: Saki does a spinning high kick

Short range - Guard crush when fully charged - Air unblockable

Standard 3C attack, very little horizontal range but good vertical. Punishable on whiff, good to use when putting the opponent in air block stun for the air unblockable.

6B: Saki's backhand punch

Short-Mid range - Jump cancelable - Start up clash frames

Saki's standing backhand. This move is great for AA purposes, start up clash frames allow you to stop IAD rushdowns and then follow up the clash with 5A for a combo.

4B (Air only): Saki's backhand punch in the air

Short-Mid range - Jump cancelable

This move has good height and can hit opponents above Saki in the air. Can be comboed after j.B

3C (Air only): Saki's mid air dive kick

Short range - Knockdown against opponents in the air

This move is Saki's staple move for her mix up game. Instant over head is what makes this move really good, doing an immediate jump near the opponent into j.3C is a great maneuver to catch people off guard then follow up with a combo.

Special Moves

Claimh Solais - [2]8A/B/C: Saki's flash kick

Saki's flash kick series(think Guile from SF). A/B/C versions differs from each other by its height at which Saki kicks, A version has normal elevation and almost no horizontal movement, B version is the same as A version but higher elevation and more horizontal movement, C version has the most noticable change Saki kicks twice instead of once and the second hit launches the opponent.
- A and B versions are unblockable in the air. C version is blockable in the air. This move can be cancelled into Ria Fairu.

Brionac - [4]6A/B/C: Saki's flying kick

Saki's flying kick series, Saki winds up and throws herself across screen while kicking. A/B/C versions differ by the distance the move travels, from closest to furthest and C version wall slams. One of Saki's most unused special move, not very combo friendly but good to use to close the gap between the opponent quickly with B/C versions, slow start up also. There are multiple clash frames during the C version while Saki is turning around before the actual kick.

Fragarach - 623A/B/C (Air only): Saki's reverse flash kick

Like Saki's flash kicks but aimed down. Almost no difference between A/B/C versions cept C verions leaps further into the air to perform the kick. Causes knockdown to opponents in the air, the preferred combo ender.

Orna - [8]2A/B/C: Saki's front flip dive kick

Ok this move has weird inputs, doing this by itself will make you jump constantly so its better to perform this move during a combo or block string. You can start buffering this move after a 5B in a combo/blockstring and input the rest after 5C since 5C attack animation takes a while, so basically you do it like this: 5B [8] 5C [2x], you immediately input [8] during the starting frames of 5B otherwise you will jump cancel the 5B, then do 5C and at the end of the attack frame do [2x] if done right the 5C will cancel out into the Orna([8]2x)
- Note: In Arcana Heart Full! this move bounce the opponent where as in Arcana Heart it doesn't.

Super Moves

Liath Fail - 214AB (Ground and Air): Saki's flash kick super

The super version of the flash kick, Saki does several normal flash kicks and ends with the C version flash kick that launches the opponent. One of Saki's greatest weapons, it has great offensive and defensive capabilities. Used as combo ender and out of guard cancels, GC6 into this super is great to stop pressure strings. This move is also considered an overhead if done in the air.

Garbh Dagda - 236AB: Saki's rushdown super

Saki dashes across the screen and performs a combo upon contact which ends with the 3C animation and launches the opponent. Not as useful as flash kick super, can be comboed off of 5C and followed up by HC5 after the 3C animation. First attack of this super hits low, and there is a slight invincibility after the super freeze.

Strategy

Character Summary:

Saki is the typical rushdown character with decent range and speed. Saki is newbie friendly, she's not hard to use and her combos are easy to perform. So start with Saki if you think your execution is lacking and want to have an easy time using a character.

Strats:

Stay close to your opponent, rush that shit down >:|
Use j.3C often, mix this into IAD pressure strings
214AB super is awesome, use it on wakeup or after HC6 to fend off rushdowns depending on the situation
[2]8B/C are great defensive tools, use them on wakeup if your opponent decides to do oki or after HC6
6B is your friend, go from defensive to offensive in a split second when used against IAD rushdowns

Combos

Meterless Combo

1A 1B 1C [6C]

This combo does decent damage for being a meterless combo, you can also switch up the [6C] into [8B/C] flash kick and then you can add 214AB super if you got the super meter but no homing gauges

Saki's Basic Bread and Butter Combo

2A 2B 2C > HC6 > 5A 5C > IAD B > land > 5B 5C > IAD B 4B/C > land > jA jB j4B > djB dj4B djC > 623C/214AB

Advance Combo 1

2A 2B 2C > HC6 > 5A 5C > IAD B > land > 5B 5C > IAD B > land > 5B 5C > HC6 > 5B 5C > IAD B > land > 5B 5C > IAD B 4B > land > jA jB j4B > djB dj.C > 623C/214AB

Advance Combo 2

2A 2B 2C > HC6 > 5A 5C > IAD B > land > 5B 5C > IAD B > land > 5B [8] 5C [2C] > HC2 > 5B 5C > IAD B > land > 5B 5C > IAD B 4B > land > jA jB j4B > dj.B dj.C > 623C/214AB

[8][2C] - charge move buffer between 5B and 5C

Advance Wall Combo (opponent has to be at the corner)

2A 2B 2C > HC6 > 5A 5C > dash 5A 5B 5C > IAD B > land > 5B [8] 5C [2C] > HC2 > 5B 5C > IAD B > land > 5B 5C > IAD B 4B > land > j.A j.B j.4B > dj.B dj.C > 623C/214AB

Advance Wall Combo 2 (opponent has to be at the corner)

2A 2B 2C > HC6 > 5A 5C > [dash 5A 5C]x3 > HC6 > 5B 5C > [dash 5A 5C]x3 > HC6 > 5B 5C > IAD B > land > 5B 5C > IAD B 4B > land > j.A j.B j.4B > dj.B dj.4B dj.C > 623C/214AB

This combo is just flashy looking, the timing on the dash 5A 5C is STUPID hard and the opponent have to be juggled at a certain height or consecutive 5A 5Cs will whiff. This combo does good damage but the difficulty of performing this in actual player vs player makes this not worth doing, you're better off doing a regular BnB.

Advance Wall Combo 3 (opponent has to be at the corner)

2A 2B 2C > HC6 > 5A 5C > IAD [delay]B > land > 5B 5C > IAD B > 5B [8] 5C [2C] > HC2 > 5B 5C > IAD B > land > 5B 5C > IAD B > land > 5B [8] 5C [2C] > HC2 > 5B 5C > IAD B > land > 5B 5C > IAD B 4B > land > j.A j.B j.4B > dj.B dj.C > 623C/214AB

The purpose of the delay B in the first IAD rep is to get the opponent as low as possible before hitting them with B before they fall to the ground. This is to prevent being pushed back to far away from the opponent after connecting with the first [8]2C rep to be able to continue with the rest of the combo.

Frame Data

(All data taken from http://arcanaheart.sakura.ne.jp/k_saki.html)