Strategy
Despite being the strongest character in the game, Sagat in practice is not that complicated of a character. When boiling it down, he has two real main playstyles: a neutral heavy Sagat that focuses on using his pokes to confirm into damage, and a pressure heavy Sagat that uses his run pressure and short hops to kill the opponent slowly. As you would expect, the Capcom grooves are where you'd play the neutral Sagat, and the SNK grooves are the ones where you'd play pressure Sagat.
- Activating Custom Combo: because of its long hurtbox, activations can punish this move from long distances.
- Low Jumps: Any low hop can take this button out. Some jump-ins can't really counter this move, fair enough, but every character has some answer for low jumping a vulnerable Sagat in the 2HP state.
- Roll Cancels: An opponent anticipating a 2HP can simply roll cancel past it. It may not lead to huge damage in some instances but if it happens multiple times the damage can rack up.
- Parries/JDs: Both of these mechanics can turn the +2 that 2HP has into something much worse and punishable. Predictably using 2HP is just asking for these defensive mechanics to shut it down.
- Lvl.2s / Lvl.3s: Due to their high i-frames, an opponent anticipating this poke can i-frame through it. It has high active frames, so level 1 supers will most likely trade or straight up lose, but level 2s and 3s can beat it out.
It's imperative that you learn both the "Crouching" DP and cross-cut DPs to be able to have ironclad defense.
I place quotes on crouching because unlike SF4, this is not a true crouching DP, you get a taller hurtbox for the slightest bit of time, but you still end up low profiling a lot of jump attacks if you do it quick enough. Being able to crouch DP consistently makes your down-back scary. Since Sagat has no crouching anti-air like a shoto crouch fierce or Chun sweep (the closest he gets is 2HP and even that can be inconsistent), some opponents think they have a free jump on a crouching Sagat, so sit them down with a crouching uppercut.
Cross-cut is a way of inputting a DP that takes advantage of the side switch from a cross-up. Basically, you input 6 before you turn, and then 321 when you're turned around. This technically is a DP input. This is absolutely crucial if you're trying to stop opponents from jumping over you. cl.HP is a good anti-crossup, but sometimes that's not enough and they're already behind you.
Characters who can't crouch under 5LP:
- Raiden
- Geese, Chang
- Sagat, Zangief
- Eagle
- Rugal, Yamazaki, Benimaru
- E. Honda
- Terry, Dhalsim
- Kyo, Joe
- Balrog (Boxer), Guile
- Blanka, M.Bison (Dictator), Todo, Kyosuke
"x N" means the move notated can be repeated as many times until it falls out of range.
5LP: Basic meaty on big bodies. Gives you good plus frames and leads into your usual strings.
2LK: Same thing as 5LP but for non big bodies. You get 1 less plus frame but that's trivial.
2HP: Yes, this button really does it all. When landed meaty, it has tons of plus frames (it can be up to +9), so you can really get creative with your links. If you predict mashing on wake-up, use this to sit them down. This is generally the preferred Sagat meaty.
j.LK: The obvious cross-up attack. Confirms into just about everything you need. You can also just empty cross-up jump if you want them to block low instead.
Short Hop: A short hop over a downed opponent can sometimes be tricky to see sometimes. Jumping over them so you land on top of them and create a vague left-right is preferred.
Roll: Sagat's roll is good enough to get enough distance to confuse the opponent on where he ends up. This is largely more consistent than short hops because you can create an even more ambiguous mixup as rolls ignore pushboxes, whereas with short hops the pushboxes can largely make your mix more clear.
General Strategy
The rundown on Sagat is simple.
If you're using C/A/P-Groove, you're going to be playing a defensive footsies style. Use your pokes to wall people out from approaching you and capitalize on all your knockdowns with good blockstrings and offense. Things like whiff punishing and spacing are absolutely crucial to play this form of Sagat properly. To get good at Sagat, you have to get good at fundamentals. Luckily, with Sagat's insane set of buttons, you're kinda learning these fundamentals on easy mode. P-Groove is interesting as it has a short hop, so you can do the Tiger Raid mixup, but you're still largely playing footsies.
If you're using S/N/K-Groove, you're going to be playing an oppressive bully style. You instead use your godlike pokes to strongarm the opponent into submission, and with run/short hop at your disposal, Sagat becomes a rushdown monster in ways not seen in the C/A/P-Grooves. You'll do lots of short hop j.HKs, runstop 5LP/2K/2HP, and basically just crushing them under the might of your button quality. You also gain access to short hop j.HK/Lvl.3 Tiger Raid, so abuse that if you can.
One thing that is common between all versions of Sagat is landing super combo confirms. This is also an absolute must if you want to play this character well. Landing tough links into Tiger Raid/Tiger Cannon is what all Sagat players need to do to maximize his broken potential. Regardless of your groove, you have to learn all the practial confirms into super and get them consistently.
Vs. Sagat
Fighting Sagat is a daunting task for any character. But to put it bluntly, you're not really fighting the character as much as you are fighting the player. Sagat's extremely versatile kit leaves most of the work done to the player to use it well.
Essentially, what it comes down to is that you need to have better fundamentals than the Sagat player. You need to know which of your buttons can counter his, and what flaws in the opponent's neutral you can exploit. Explaining this in depth would be too much considering every character is unique in this context, so refer to your character's matchup page to find out their potential strategy against Sagat's buttons.
Sagat's height also means that you can push more pressure against him than what would otherwise be possible on other characters, so abuse that as much as you can because if you're not actively wailing on Sagat, he's at an advantage.
Groove Strategy
C-Groove Sagat is scary. He pretty much always has a meter lead and has access to a lot of supers, and the system mechanics in place really compliment the type of character he is, like air blocking, rolling, and the unique level 2 super cancel that gives him access to really high damage.
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Playing 
The key to making C-Sagat effective is his neutral. He has no shorthop to push any mixups with his lows and low jump HK. You have to resourcefully manage meter and use his pokes to slowly chip away at the opponent's health until the opportunity arises to confirm into super.
Level 2 Cancels
Sagat's Level 2 combos are both damaging and variable. Here are the routes you have off every practical Level 2 super.
Level 2 Tiger Raid: If you're using Level 2 Tiger Raid, you have 2 options. You can either do HP Tiger Uppercut for less damage but more meter, with the cost of a potential safe fall. Or, you can spend your last bar on a Lvl.1 High Tiger Cannon for no meter, but a hard knockdown and a noticeable increase in damage.
Level 2 Tiger Cannon: This applies to both the high and low versions. If you're close, you cancel into either HP Tiger Uppercut or a High Tiger Cannon if you have an extra bar and want to get maximum damage. If you're farther away, your super cancel remains the same, just another High Tiger Cannon. However, Uppercut won't reach, so your best bet is either an HK Tiger Knee for 1300 damage, or if that whiffs an HP High Tiger Shot for 1000 damage.
General Strategy
Just poke. A good C-Sagat is also just a good fighting game player, they know the ins and outs of the fundies game. You're going to be playing veyr defensive and just slowly killing the opponents with your myriad of pokes.
If you have at least 2 bars stocked, a mindful opponent generally doesn't like getting in as often due to the potency of Sagat's level 2 cancels and the massive damage they can bag. Sagat has great meterbuild in C, especially with Heavy Tiger Uppercut, as it gives him near a full bar when confirmed into it.
When it comes to C-Groove squads, Sagat is one of the best characters you can use. If you like a fundamental-heavy character with high damage, plenty of supers and top tier button quality then C-Sagat is for you. He also has access to good defensive subsystems that mask his defensive liabilities. Rushdown happy opponents can get sat down with a quick guard cancel, and due to C-Groove's good meterbuild he can get it right back.
Vs.
A groove Sagat can handle, there is not much to it. C-Groove's lack of any real gimmick means that you're mostly playing the matchup straight as it is.
Anti-Roll
Here is the general strategy vs. rolling as Sagat.
Click "Expand" to see the contents.
For rolling, it is very important to guage the distance where the opponent likes rolling, and the actual distance of the roll itself. If an opponent plays Iori you're going to want to expect a roll from farther a way, whereas if someone plays King, you'd expect that roll more up close since it does not travel nearly as far. It is largely a test of reads and reactions, you have to know when your opponent likes to roll, but the character's roll can also give you a clue as to when to expect it.
If you do get a read, what are your punishes? Well if they're close, you throw them, pretty simple. Throws beat rolls and throws only work up close. When farther away and a throw might not be guaranteed, you want to stick to a normal with a lot of active frames. 2HP and 2MK are your go-to roll punish buttons. If meaty enough, 2HP can net you a combo, but 2MK not so much. Either can give you a super if you really want to tell the opponent that was a bad roll.
Anti-Roll Cancel
Here are the main strategies to fight against Roll Cancels as Sagat. These aren't going to cover every RC individually, however every RC in the game will be countered by at least one of these tactics.
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- Roll/Dodge: Basically fighting fire with fire. Rolling against a roll cancel works against long RCs, examples include: Claw's Rolling Ball, Sakura's Fireball and Tatsumaki, Eagle's Sticks, Honda's Hands, Chun's Spinning Bird Kick (just hope she doesn't hit you from behind), Yamazaki's Snake Arms, etc. Dodging does not work nearly as well as rolling but it can get you out of sticky situations. It is horrible against fast RCs if you don't commit to a dodge attack as you are vulnerable to a quick throw.
- Throwing: RCs are invincible against everything against throws. Reversal RCs are not technically reversals as throws can beat them on wake-up and in other close-up scenarios. Use it if you are in range and suspect the opponent might try to surprise you with it. When the battle is face-to-face, you might want to stray away from other options since the opponent can do the same things to you.
- Get Out: Jump out of the attack. Works well against moves shown in the roll/dodge bullet point, however for specials that can actually anti-air like Honda's Hands or Yamazaki's Snake Arms, they might not work, however specials like Rock's Elbow and Eagle's Sticks will eat shit once you get out of their range. Not always a recommended tool but it is effective in the right scenario.
- Guard Cancel: Against moves that are difficult to get out of, especially in the corner (Honda RC Hands, Iori RC Rekka), you can spend a little on a guard cancel to get your turn back. This is also going to do wonders for your guard bar. If you aren't in a groove with a guard cancel (basically P or K) then this option won't be available and you have to try something else, most likely just parry or JD the best you can.
General Strategy
Generally you have to play patiently vs. C-Groove opponents. Most C-Groove characters are very fundamentals heavy and will make you pay for running in recklessly. Take it slow and rely on your pokes to do the work. Especially if they have meter stocked. You don't want to play too passively, as that means you might get pushed to the corner and have to make a big play to survive, but you also don't want to leave yourself open. Since Sagat's pokes are so good, you can lean on them to make a lot of the work easy.
For airblocks, most of your air blockable moves are safe so there's no need to worry. However, since Tiger Uppercut is air blockable on the later hits, you want to land it deep so you can guarantee that it lands in an anti-air situation. Chicken guarding is still very much a thing in CvS2, but you don't have to worry about picking and choosing what to do to an airbourne opponent since you'll be safe on your air blockable attacks regardless.
Once you widdle down the guard bar to flashing, expect an alpha counter, as they are cheap and can steal the turn from you. This is where you either start using cancellable moves to potentially stuff the guard cancel (5LP xx Tiger Uppercut for example), or you let the opponent press and punish. Since the input you get on a GC is 5MK that can sometimes be huge depending on the matchup as they can tend to be on the slower side. It's not the end of the world if you get GC'd since the damage is low and the opponent spent a decent chunk of their guard bar to do so.
You might come to believe this variation of Sagat would be very strong. Custom Combos in general do get big damage, however this version of Sagat is just redundant. In practice, he's merely a worse version of C-Sagat. His CC also has little practicality, only working as either an anti air or up-close activation. Even worse the CC itself is quite difficult to perform. Overall, there's way better A-groove characters out there and C-Sagat is just a better pick for this playstyle.
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Playing 
There isn't much to talk about. A-Sagat is essentially C-Sagat but without his access to scary good supers. The only supers he has are level 1s, and using supers in A-Groove is a waste of meter most of the time. He still has the defensive subsystems in place to help him out, and while the meterbuild isn't nearly as good as it is in C-Groove, he can still build meter faily quickly to stock a Custom Combo.
The only problem is that Sagat is mostly a battery character if he's on an A-Groove team. If anything he's good on an A-Groove squad to build meter for the next guy coming in.
His Custom Combo does the average amount of damage, getting up to 8k in some situations, but overall a competent player is not going to be that scared of Sagat's CC, if anything they're more worried about Sagat's buttons. Overall, just a redundant character.
If you want to see Sagat's Custom Combos, refer to the Combos Section
Vs.
Think of fighting C-Groove but now you have to be super careful once the opponent stocks a Custom Combo. Against characters who have really good customs, like Dictator and Sakura, you always have to be weary of the fact that they can activate it at any time, and just one mistake can result in a huge loss of health. Essentially you fight A-Groove players the same as you would C-Groove players (refer to the C-Groove section for any A-Groove stuff shared from C-Groove), but the catch is that they replaced their supers with a crazy potent offensive tool that can do big damage. There are many types of ways an A-Groove opponent can activate their CC on you. Most will be listed here and their counters as well.
Anti-CC
- Blocked CC: If the A-Groove player either failed to link into or mix into a custom. They will usually do a long blockstring that will tear your guard bar apart. Now, if you are in a groove with Guard Cancel or Counter Movement, then that is great. Just dock them in the face with it if you have the resources. If you don't, then you will either have to hope there's a punishable gap, or in the case of the ShoSho, pray that they drop the custom and get a free punish. Because Sagat is a big guy, certain custom combo mixups are more effective on him as well, so you will have to be ready to block some really weird but true blockstrings. Blocking a CC kinda sucks since you don't really get an opportunity to punish unless you have the resources to Guard Cancel but if that's what has to happen then it's better to do that instead of eating it.
- Roll CC: Oldest trick in the book. Basically roll super but instead it's a CC. If you notice the opponent getting a little roll happy then try to avoid getting greedy and stick with your faster buttons. If they are getting roll happy close to you then throwing is also a great option. Buttons like 2HP can get rolled past and you might eat a custom, but if you simply play it safe and defensively, then you will most likely shut down this attempt.
- Wake-Up CC: Another old trick that catches a lot of players. Generally gets beaten by doing nothing on wakeup and promptly punishing afterwards, though note they still have i-frames after the super freeze so you can't hit them right afterwards. If they immediately attack with something unsafe then get away and punish. If they use something safe just try to run away as best as you can. Throw some Tiger Shots out if need me. The most important thing is hitting the opponent so they lose custom. They cannot block, so their best option of avoiding anything is jumping or rolling, and by that point they lost the i-frames to blow through your counterattack.
- Anti-Air Custom: This one is pretty simple. Just don't jump. Sagat doesn't rely on his jumps to create offense, so he can afford to stay on the ground.
- Trip-Guard Custom: Custom Combos that are done by blowing through the jump-in then countering with a low attack that will hit. Most times A-Groove players go for tripguard customs as answers to jumps than actual anti-air customs, since they are a little more difficult to perform. To beat these, just do an empty jump. You will be able to guard whatever hits you on the ground. It's even better if you have a low jump and intend to bait the custom.
- Up Close Custom: Can work as a footsies tool and a mixup tool. Very hard to beat and can be mixed with pokes, throws, and empty movements. To stop this, it's best to not throw out any greedy, unnecessary moves. If the opponent senses you will do something that their CC can tag and follow up with, then it's best to stick to the fast buttons. As well, if they are doing it as an offensive mix-up tool, then you will have to just keep them out as best you can. Jumping is a decent option if they are right on you, but note they can still anti-air you. Rolling can also work, but it may get meatied if they see it in time, and throwing them is extremely risky but it can work.
- Jump-In Custom: Pretty much beats any anti-air in the game. Instead of anti-airing them, try to get out of the jump-in and either air-to-air them, or use 2MK/2HK to punish their lack of tripguard.
Anti-Roll
Here is the general strategy vs. rolling as Sagat.
Click "Expand" to see the contents.
For rolling, it is very important to guage the distance where the opponent likes rolling, and the actual distance of the roll itself. If an opponent plays Iori you're going to want to expect a roll from farther a way, whereas if someone plays King, you'd expect that roll more up close since it does not travel nearly as far. It is largely a test of reads and reactions, you have to know when your opponent likes to roll, but the character's roll can also give you a clue as to when to expect it.
If you do get a read, what are your punishes? Well if they're close, you throw them, pretty simple. Throws beat rolls and throws only work up close. When farther away and a throw might not be guaranteed, you want to stick to a normal with a lot of active frames. 2HP and 2MK are your go-to roll punish buttons. If meaty enough, 2HP can net you a combo, but 2MK not so much. Either can give you a super if you really want to tell the opponent that was a bad roll.
Anti-Roll Cancel
Here are the main strategies to fight against Roll Cancels as Sagat. These aren't going to cover every RC individually, however every RC in the game will be countered by at least one of these tactics.
Click "Expand" to see the contents.
- Roll/Dodge: Basically fighting fire with fire. Rolling against a roll cancel works against long RCs, examples include: Claw's Rolling Ball, Sakura's Fireball and Tatsumaki, Eagle's Sticks, Honda's Hands, Chun's Spinning Bird Kick (just hope she doesn't hit you from behind), Yamazaki's Snake Arms, etc. Dodging does not work nearly as well as rolling but it can get you out of sticky situations. It is horrible against fast RCs if you don't commit to a dodge attack as you are vulnerable to a quick throw.
- Throwing: RCs are invincible against everything against throws. Reversal RCs are not technically reversals as throws can beat them on wake-up and in other close-up scenarios. Use it if you are in range and suspect the opponent might try to surprise you with it. When the battle is face-to-face, you might want to stray away from other options since the opponent can do the same things to you.
- Get Out: Jump out of the attack. Works well against moves shown in the roll/dodge bullet point, however for specials that can actually anti-air like Honda's Hands or Yamazaki's Snake Arms, they might not work, however specials like Rock's Elbow and Eagle's Sticks will eat shit once you get out of their range. Not always a recommended tool but it is effective in the right scenario.
- Guard Cancel: Against moves that are difficult to get out of, especially in the corner (Honda RC Hands, Iori RC Rekka), you can spend a little on a guard cancel to get your turn back. This is also going to do wonders for your guard bar. If you aren't in a groove with a guard cancel (basically P or K) then this option won't be available and you have to try something else, most likely just parry or JD the best you can.
If the opponent ends up using a custom randomly and can't do anything with it, you can punish it with super pretty easily. Overall, a very tense battle for Sagat that can either go right or wrong in one poor move.
P-Sagat is a weird mix of pressure and neutral, as he has both a shorthop and dash, so his mobility is in the middle. He's still strong, but it's really hard to deal with good grooves as P-Sagat. You need to make good use of parries and the rare times you can use a level 3 super.
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Playing 
P-Sagat is an odd character. He's the strongest P-Groove character, so constructing a P-Groove squad is definitely going to see some success with Sagat on it, but he has to make use of the main selling point of this groove: parries.
You probably know what parries are. You tap forward or down at the right time and you get time to punish whatever it is you parried. What makes P-Sagat a nice character to have however is that he's not completely reliant on parries, unlike some other P-Groove characters. The difference is that regardless of groove base Sagat is extremely powerful, and no matter the lack of synergy or strength the groove has Sagat can work in it.
Parry Punishes
Here are your options after a successful parry in any given scenario.
Ground Parry vs. Grounded Opponent
If you're close to the opponent, either do a cl.HP xx HP Tiger Uppercut or a basic super combo string.
If you're farther away, either use 2HP into super or 2HK for a meterless punish.
Ground Parry vs. Aerial Opponent
If you are close to the opponent, an HP Tiger Uppercut gets you the best results meterless. If you want extra damage, High Tiger Cannon will suffice.
If you are farther away, you can use 5HP or Tiger Knee if Uppercut whiffs, but there are very few scenarios where that will happen. High Tiger Cannon is still the go-to super if you want to use one on an anti-air parry.
Air Parry vs. Grounded Opponent
j.HK is always your go-to. Just be careful if you parry a cancellable move because a smart opponent might cancel into something else.
If you air parry something like a DP, then you can do a full punish combo, but usually you'll just do j.HK and combo into either Tiger Uppercut or super.
Air Parry vs. Aerial Opponent
Similarly to the above section, j.HK is your go-to, but if the opponent is higher than you, use j.HP, as there can be situations where j.HK whiffs vs. higher up opponents.
General Strategy
P-Sagat is a healthy blend of his neutral playstyle and pressure playstyle. He has a short hop, meaning that he can be threatening with a level 3 and can push a mixup. Unlike other short hop grooves, Sagat can keep his level 3 until he wants to use it, whereas S, N and K have limited time periods for you to use a level 3. Even though Sagat doesn't rely on parries, it's still needed to stand a good chance against the top tiers in good grooves. Parrying gives both meter and a free punish, typically Sagat likes to punish with 2MK (or 2HP if it's a slow move) for ground parries. For anti-air parries Sagat can use many types of anti-airs, whatever is preferred against that given air attack, and j.HK is used for air-to-air or air-to-ground parries. If Sagat has a super, parry into 2MK xx Low Tiger Cannon is a great super confirm that destroys the health bar.
What makes P-Sagat difficult is that the P-Groove guard bar is the lowest of all grooves, meaning the lack of any defensive subsystems will kill him if he doesn't use his defensive options properly, but also it means that if he doesn't want to waste too much guard bar on blocking aggressive rushdown, he may need to parry if things get bad. On top of that, the meter for P-Groove is not that strong. If Sagat can stay alive, he can maybe use a super once. If he is the R2 guy, then he can get a super in most likely, but it's probably going to happen once. The meterbuild is not good, meaning Sagat has to rely on winning with only one good chance at a super, which is doable but when supers are so frequent in other grooves it really gives Sagat noticeably less of a potent threat for very high damage in this groove.
Overall, he's a great pick if not the pick for a P-Groove squad, however P-Groove as a whole is difficult to work with, but if used right, P-Sagat can make some noise, and dedicated P-Groove players have proven that it can be done that way.
Vs.
This is an interesting matchup. As bad as P-Groove is, going up against a good P-Groove player is an unorthodox matchup. Due to the fact that they will check you if you use your buttons predictably with parries, you will have to switch up your game to make sure they don't land the parries, especially when they have a level 3 and you can lose a lot of health from a single parry punish.
Firstly, when does the opponent like to parry? It's different from player to player but most times P-Groove players have common setups where they will fish for a parry that they know will give them a free punish.
Anti-Parry
Wake-Up parries all have one thing in common: Option-select parry throw. If you're a Third Strike player you've probably heard that term a lot, and while it is kind of a thing in CvS2 it's far less threatening. Throws are not instant, and if you throw them early, then that option wins. On the opponent's wake-up, Sagat also has a basic 50/50 mixup between 2LK and 5LK. This is something specific to P-Groove, as 5LP can only be parried high and 2LK low. Mixing these up on oki against a parry hungry opponent can be a nice way to remind them to stop fishing for wake up parries.
Empty jump parry is also a Third Strike concept that's carried over here. While this beats Sagat's single or double hitting anti-airs, if you see that the opponent is fishing for an empty jump parry, either use HP Tiger Uppercut, a multi hitting attack, or get out of range from the jump and stick out a poke on their landing. Chances are they will try normal blocking instead of trying another parry.
They may also just be looking for parries in neutral or post-throw tech. For parries in neutral, you can simply mix your pokes, which is what you should be doing anyways, and it should deter the opponent from fishing for those parries that are essentially guesses. For post throw-tech parries, since they like to throw a lot, you might find yourself teching a throw. Most times players try to stick out a low poke after a throw tech, and the P-Groove player can get a free low parry there, but you can instead do a move like 5LK or 5MK, which cannot be parried low. If you mix those options then throw techs can still be in your favor.
General Strategy
You gotta play a different blend of neutral than you're normally used to. You have to mix up your poke timings and attack strings, because the opponent can slam you for one predictable poke. On top of all that, the opponent has access to shorthops, which is a mechanic that a Sagat player can struggle with. However, the good thing here is that parries cannot be done from short hops, meaning you essentially have to worry only about the short hop attacks. Sagat has reign to anti-air, and against shorthops he prefers his Tiger Uppercut and 5HP. If you find it hard to react to shorthops, either preemptively stick out anti-air buttons (risky but doable) or simply attack them more instead and try to not be on defense, better you're the one doing the hitting than the blocking. If Sagat can deal with shorthops, this will make the matchup a lot easier.
Overall, you just have to mix it up to stop P-Groove players from using their main mechanic. Most P-Groovers have really odd teams (minus the usual Cammy, Blanka Sagat squads) so you could face anyone really, but just know that mixing up your game and playing more unpredictably makes this matchup a fairly easy one for Sagat.
S-Sagat is the best character you can possibly use in S-Groove. That's not saying much, since S-Groove in general sucks, but Sagat has some niche tools in S-Groove like using his dodge attack in neutral, or replacing his tiger shot for his tiger cannon once he reaches low health. His damage output only really gets high when he gets those infinite level 1 supers, but again he can only get them if he's about to die, making it a very risky situation to be in.
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Playing 
S-Sagat is a character who has to abuse S-Grooves limited subsystems. Sometimes even more so against characters in grooves that can trounce S-Groove. Sagat does have a run and a short hop, meaning he has good pressure, but the lack of super frequency hurts him, and that's mainly because of S-Groove's charge mechanic.
Power Charge
Here are some situations where you can power charge as Sagat.
Full-Screen: While you would normally be throwing fireballs at this range, you can also charge. It's fairly risk-free.
Knockdowns: Landing a move that causes a knockdown gives you fairly ample time to charge. Supers especially, since they are hard knockdowns and come in clutch when Sagat needs meter during desperation mode and he can afford to waste supers. The only knockdown moves that don't give you enough time to comfortably get meter are his 2HK and Tiger Raid, since they both have fairly poor knockdown advantage in the context of power charging.
Neutral: For a normal S-Groove character they would have a hard time power charging in neutral but Sagat is a genetic freak and not normal. He can get bits and pieces of meter by charging during downtime in neutral, but this will not work vs. an aggressive opponent. You kinda just have to know how assertive the opponent is and then power charge based off that.
Dodge
Sagat's neutral has a different dynamic to it with a dodge. While he normally beats most pokes that come at him, he can now avoid moves that can beat his pokes and punish.
Against moves that are safe on block, but have long recovery animations, use dodge against them. They skip the blocking process and allow you to get your best shot in safely. Such moves include Sakura's HK Tatsu, E. Honda's Headbutt, Iori's Rekka, or Claw's Rolling Crystal Flash. Moves like these will get eaten up by dodges.
For predictable pokes that also have laggy recovery, you can use dodge to sit them down. Sagat's 5MK, Haoh's 5HP, Iori's 5HK, Claw's 2MP, anything above like 20 recovery frames is going to be bad against a well-placed dodge.
Don't try using it in neutral too much unless you're positive you have a read, because a smart opponent will grab you. Especially if you try anti airing with it. Essentially, just use dodge like you would a parry and you'll be fine.
Dodge Attacks
Here are how you can use Sagat's dodge attack.
Dodge Punch (5HP): Your preferred one. It has no cancels but still deals a lot of damage and is a knockdown, so you can power charge after it or steal a turn. Because 5HP has so much range, you can clip laggy attacks from farther away, like Sagat 5MK or Boxer 5HP.
Dodge Kick (5HK): If you dodge a move and end up right next to the opponent, this is not a bad attack to use. You can cancel into HP Tiger Uppercut or Tiger Knee for the knockdown, and that cancel does more damage than Dodge Punch. However, the cancel only exists in the first hit, which has very short range, so outside of near point blank range, use Dodge Punch in your dodge punishes.
Desperation
Sagat's level 1 supers are decent. You can use Low Tiger Cannon as blockstring replacements for Tiger Shot, and also use both Tiger Cannon and Tiger Raid as replacements for your usual super combos. They cause a hard knockdown, giving you time to power charge and set up your level 3. You have the Tiger Raid mix-up at your disposal so abuse that if you can.
General Strategy
The main thing you want to do before you reach desperation is power charge to around 90% of the meter, so that when you reach desperation, you'll either already have a level 3 from getting hit, or you can charge for a very short amount of time and get it. Aside from that, just play usual pressure Sagat, with the added dodge to allow for dealing with problematic moves as explained above.
Overall, S-Sagat is a character who has to utilize the S-Groove subsystems really well in order to see success. By punishing frequently with his dodge attack and carefully picking and choosing when to power charge, he can make S-Groove work.
Vs.
S-Groove has tools that can make Sagat look a little stupid if he doesn't know what he's dealing with. When it comes to the two main S-Groove mechanics of dodge and power charging, Sagat has ways of dealing with these, but if handled poorly you might get swept up.
In terms of what S-Groove offensively has, run and short hop make some characters have really strong pressure. They also have a Guard Cancel to stop any pressure you have, although due to the infrequency of S-Groove's meter it's something you won't see often. Dealing with shorthops and running are things you will have to grapple with a lot considering one of the most popular grooves (K) has them. Just make use of your anti-airs and anti-pressure and you should be fine.
In terms of opponents who like to power charge or push an interaction from power charging, it depends on the character. Most times level 1 supers can get beat hard by your moves, so you don't necessarily have to respect it, but if they are at low health that level 3 might hurt. All characters have a recovery on power charge, so if you are in the midrange and they are attempting a power charge, you can poke with 5LK or 5MK and force some free offense. Power charging forces the opponent to hold pressure, and while some characters like to stay away, others do not. Use that lack of being able to get away to push offense, however you don't need to bite every time, as the opponent is expecting it the first or second time.
Anti-Dodge
The dodge attack is something that might be able to punish your slower moves. For opponents who like dodging, get in on their face more often and force a bad dodge. It leads into an easy throw and pressure. However, you can't be too eager, as most good dodge attacks knock down, meaning you will have to work your way back in again. Sometimes you may not be able to get the dodge at all, but at the very least if they attempt a counter attack (most of the time close range dodges usually will be followed up by a dodge attack) then using a quick poke can sit them down. 2MK is a good option for that since dodge attacks are standing and might whiff on the low poke.
Use a lot of empty movements on a dodge happy opponent. Most times they're banking on you being too eager and button happy so they can score a few hits off you. Just stay calm and let them make the mistakes. Don't make any unnecessary advances because that is what they want. Just stick to using quicker attacks (5LP, 2LK) and then use your bigger attacks (2HP, 5MK, 5HP) when the opponent respects your offense enough to not default to dodge on defense.
Anti-Desperation
Infinite Level 1's are annoying, but it's only annoying on some characters. Others have difficult times using their infinite level 1s. In order to deal with this, stick out buttons like 2HP. Those infinite level 1's have poor i-frames, and 2HP has to much priority and has so much active frames that it's going to beat whatever comes out. Don't overuse 2HP, as mentioned earlier it has weaknesses but if you know a super is coming (or just see the super flash and the super itself is slow) then 2HP will shut that super down. At worst it will trade.
You can also avoid them via jumping, rolling out of the way, JD, parry, dodge, literally anything that avoids them is good. This is generally the counter you use against supers like Buster Wolf, Scissor Kick Nightmare, Fireball supers, anything that has laggy recovery but is also safe on block, you want to just get out of the way and smack them when they're in recovery.
Most times S-Groove isn't that threatening until you leave the opponent at low health, but even then getting that level 3 is difficult. Their run and shorthop can be annoying but Sagat has the tools to deal with it.
N-Groove Sagat may be less threatening compared to his optimal grooves but don't get it twisted. He's still very strong. He still has access good supers, and can "pop" to bag in some really big damage. Not to mention he still has a short hop. He's like a fusion of C and K but with the core parts of each groove taken out, you still end up with a very strong character.
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Playing 
N-Sagat is a character who is fairly versatile. Meter is fairly harder to come by generally because of N-Groove's natural meterbuild, but if MAX Mode is active, then you can make the opponent scared of what you can do compared to what you are doing. N-Groove having the most subsystems of any groove means that Sagat can play in various ways, however there isn't any groove subsystem or unique mechanic that makes Sagat more powerful than C or K, but N is a great way to combine the two.
N-Groove is the only groove to have a run, shorthop and roll. This means that Sagat can pressure well but also has a good defensive mechanic to get him out of some trouble. Not only that but he has a Guard Cancel attack and a Guard Cancel roll, meaning Sagat can pick and choose which situation is better fit for him in that moment. Generally against high recovery moves the roll guard cancel is better since Sagat gets a free combo, but against blockstrings that can sniff out rolls (runstop pressure, blocked Customs), the guard cancel attack is better. The damage is fairly low but Sagat gets a knockdown.
The main thing with N-Groove is it's unique groove system, "Max Mode." This gives Sagat a slight attack and defense buff and costs 1 bar of meter, and by spending another bar during Max Mode, his level 1 super turns into a level 3 super. While N-Groove's meterbuild is not as good as C, Sagat can still build meter really well in N, with things like raw specials and landed Tiger Uppercuts building large amounts of meter. Sagat sometimes needs a quick super so he's fine with level 1s from time to time but once Max Mode is on, Sagat can do some serious damage. Now that you also have a roll, any huge attempt to get you out, that can lead to a big punish.
Be resourceful with your meter, if you feel like you're able to get in a level 3, it's best that you find a good place to activate, as it doesn't last forever. N-Sagat is a versatile character and a really good pick for an N-Groove team.
Vs.
There's a lot you have to keep track of with N-Groove. They not only have great offensive tools, but defensive ones as well, however this groove is more or less the "jack of all trades master of none" function. Key word being master of none. They may be tooled up, however they don't have any one specific tool outside of MAX Mode that is incredibly threatening outside of roll cancels.
Anti-Roll
Here is the general strategy vs. rolling as Sagat.
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For rolling, it is very important to guage the distance where the opponent likes rolling, and the actual distance of the roll itself. If an opponent plays Iori you're going to want to expect a roll from farther a way, whereas if someone plays King, you'd expect that roll more up close since it does not travel nearly as far. It is largely a test of reads and reactions, you have to know when your opponent likes to roll, but the character's roll can also give you a clue as to when to expect it.
If you do get a read, what are your punishes? Well if they're close, you throw them, pretty simple. Throws beat rolls and throws only work up close. When farther away and a throw might not be guaranteed, you want to stick to a normal with a lot of active frames. 2HP and 2MK are your go-to roll punish buttons. If meaty enough, 2HP can net you a combo, but 2MK not so much. Either can give you a super if you really want to tell the opponent that was a bad roll.
Anti-Roll Cancel
Here are the main strategies to fight against Roll Cancels as Sagat. These aren't going to cover every RC individually, however every RC in the game will be countered by at least one of these tactics.
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- Roll/Dodge: Basically fighting fire with fire. Rolling against a roll cancel works against long RCs, examples include: Claw's Rolling Ball, Sakura's Fireball and Tatsumaki, Eagle's Sticks, Honda's Hands, Chun's Spinning Bird Kick (just hope she doesn't hit you from behind), Yamazaki's Snake Arms, etc. Dodging does not work nearly as well as rolling but it can get you out of sticky situations. It is horrible against fast RCs if you don't commit to a dodge attack as you are vulnerable to a quick throw.
- Throwing: RCs are invincible against everything against throws. Reversal RCs are not technically reversals as throws can beat them on wake-up and in other close-up scenarios. Use it if you are in range and suspect the opponent might try to surprise you with it. When the battle is face-to-face, you might want to stray away from other options since the opponent can do the same things to you.
- Get Out: Jump out of the attack. Works well against moves shown in the roll/dodge bullet point, however for specials that can actually anti-air like Honda's Hands or Yamazaki's Snake Arms, they might not work, however specials like Rock's Elbow and Eagle's Sticks will eat shit once you get out of their range. Not always a recommended tool but it is effective in the right scenario.
- Guard Cancel: Against moves that are difficult to get out of, especially in the corner (Honda RC Hands, Iori RC Rekka), you can spend a little on a guard cancel to get your turn back. This is also going to do wonders for your guard bar. If you aren't in a groove with a guard cancel (basically P or K) then this option won't be available and you have to try something else, most likely just parry or JD the best you can.
Anti-Guard Cancel Roll
N-Groove has an alpha counter and a guard cancel roll to use in different scenarios. Guard cancel roll is unique to N-Groove, and it can be a dangerous option against Sagat's more unsafe options. One thing to be aware of is that cancelling into specials from pokes can be vulnerable to GCRs, for example a cr.MK xx Low Tiger Shot block-string can get GCR'd on the first poke, and Sagat is left wide open. Because of this, you might want to randomize the block-strings to force the opponent to hit a button instead. At worst you get hit by a single poke, and chances are the opponent cannot react fast enough to get more out of it. This will also make opponents roll more often instead for Sagat having certain moments of being "paused" during his offensive pressure. Baiting rolls will do a lot against N-Groove. Putting the opponent just far enough for them to feel like a roll is safe but not far enough to where you can't stop them is optimal against rolls.
Arguably the strongest CvS2 character. K-Sagat is the scariest man in the whole game. He has access to a short hop, already making his pressure insanely good, and benefits the most from K-Groove's Rage and Just Defense. Once Sagat is raged, one good super turns the round in his favor, and thanks to the extremely convenient Just Defense (JD) it makes getting rage far easier that you think.
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Playing 
K-Sagat is the ultimate anchor. While K-Groove has the same run and shorthop subsystems as N and S, it has other mechanics that the other two don't, most notably being Just Defend (JD) and Rage. Sagat has great synergy with these two mechanics and make him an incredibly threatening character on both offense and defense.
Just Defend
Sagat's pressure is just as good as it is in S and N, with both a run and shorthop. However, Sagat loses any sort of defensive subsystem to help him get out of pressure, like guard cancels. This is padded because of the fact that he has JDs, which can make whatever poke he blocked more unsafe, leading to a potential punish. The most important part about JDs is that they not only reward life, but meter as well. This is really important as Sagat can JD many moves to gain a lot of meter and life, which comes in handy when he can be one chip point away from death but JDing helps keep him alive from those guaranteed setups. Consistent JDs can also give Sagat many level 3s per round. there are instances where he might even have up to three rage supers in a round because of the JDs. This mechanic can do so much for Sagat. It can give him good defense, it can give him potential punishes, it gives him life and a chunk of meter, it helps him get rage quick and can give him many opportunities to steal a win. K-Sagat is notorious for having crazy comebacks, and this is one of the main reasons why.
Just Defend Frame Advantage Formula
Good to reference for your character to see what kind of returns they can have on a JD.
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Formula
Adv = G - (Act + Rec)
Adv = New frame advantage estimate from a JD'd attack. G = Guard Stun. See Guard Stun Estimates. Act = Active Frames of the JD'd attack. Rec = Recovery Frames of the JD'd attack.
Guardstun Estimates
Light Normals: 10 Frames
Medium Normals: 14 ~ 16 Frames
Heavy Normals: 18 ~ 20 Frames
Special Moves: 19 ~ 21 Frames
Examples
Rugal 2LP = 10 Frames - (4 Act + 6 Rec) = +0 on JD (+5 Normally)
Eagle 5MK = 14 ~ 16 Frames - (6 Act + 16 Rec) = -6 ~ -8 on JD (+0 Normally)
Sagat 2HP = 18 ~ 20 Frames - (8 Act + 14 Rec) = -4 ~ -2 on JD (+2 Normally)
Rage
JDs are one thing, but the main mechanic of K-Groove and why Sagat loves JDs is because of rage. Rage is a mechanic that gives a large attack and defense buff as well as a level 3 super that can be done at any time during the rage mode. While having a level 3 super is really good, the attack and defense buffs are the really important parts of this mechanic. This makes Sagat's already damaging buttons do even more damage. When raged, short hop HK does crazy damage, which makes Sagat's overhead low presence even more of a threat. Sagat's fierce buttons also deal huge damage. All of Sagat's attacks just deal big damage, which makes landing individual pokes turn the round momentum around. Supers carry over the attack buff as well, so the level 3 supers gain even more damage. When Sagat is raged, he becomes an absolute monster, if he already wasn't one already thanks to JDs and his pressure game.
General Strategy
Just play a bully Sagat. Use your run and quick normals to badger the opponent and then use your big normals when they get antsy. When you have rage, you can bulldoze your way in, but don't get too reckless or you will waste your rage timer. It is imperative to have a decent JD game so your punishes are better and you can get access to mulitple level 3 supers per round. Overall, K-Sagat is just a beast. Rage and JDs can make Sagat a pain to deal with once you encounter him. The crazy stat buffs rage give Sagat many, many ways to easily end a round, which makes it no surprise as to why K-Sagat is considered the best character in the game.
Vs.
K-Groove is always going to be a tough matchup, especially when a majority of the cast is at their best in this groove. Sagat has to play carefully around K-Groove's two main mechanics in Just Defend and Rage, which if not played against correctly leaves him a vulnerable character, but his overwhelming strength can get the job done.
Anti-JD
Just Defends are hard to deal with. The risk/reward factor is far lower compared to parries, as they will most likely block if they don't time it right rather than getting hit. Against an opponent who can consistently JD, Sagat often finds himself having to time out multiple rages. Like parries, many K-Groovers tend to JD in specific situations, however they're slightly different in application than parries.
Wake-up JDs are foolproof because the risk factor is low. Sagat's meaties will usually just get JD'd once the opponent knows he will try it. If it gets JD'd, Sagat can stick out additional pokes at random timings if the opponent does not choose to throw out a poke of their own. You mostly test the waters to see if the opponent uses JDs or not and randomly try pokes to mess with their timings.
In neutral, you might find some pokes getting JD'd because the opponent has a good idea of what spacing and timing Sagat likes to throw out pokes. A couple of JDs in neutral won't hurt terribly, but Sagat's 5HP and 2HP might get punished after a JD, however due to 2HP being +2 and 5HP being -2, generally 5HP sees the punish game. Cancelling pokes into a special after a JD can work too. Throwing fireballs in neutral is risky, as it is essentially a free JD if not followed up by something. This can even apply to super fireballs if the opponent is really good at it. In neutral you can mess with JD timing by throwing out safe, noncommittal pokes like 5LP and 2LK and then throw out your real poke shortly after. By masking your actual pokes with "fake" pokes that won't touch the opponent, you won't get JD'd too much.
Punish scenarios and dropped combos can lead to free JDs if you mess up the timing. This really has no tips or tricks, just don't mess up punishes and drop combos. Really good K-Groove players will wait for any sort of dropped combo or punish to get the JD in.
During blockstrings, JDs can really rack up. For example, Sagat can throw out a 5LP, 5LP, 2LK, 2HP blockstring. If Sagat does it at a usual timing where it leaves basically no gaps, then the opponent can get 4 JDs out of it. This gives the opponent a small amount of life, but a pretty big amount of meter. During some blockstrings, you can either slot in a throw to counter attempted JD inputs, or time each button slightly different. This is another scenario that can lead to untimely JDs.
There is also empty jump JDs. Aerial JDs have a different movement than aerial parries. Aerial JDs generally don't lead to a punish like aerial parries, rather they put the opponent in a slight back jump. Good jump in buttons can counter an attempted aerial JD punish. You have a pretty good advantage against the opponent when they perform an aerial JD, that is if you didn't throw out a very unsafe anti air. You have different options. If they JD'd a jab, you can actually run or dash under the opponent for a left right mixup. Whatever happens after that can be good or bad but it's a good setup.
You can also perform another anti air if the opponent hasn't attempted a punish. Because you cannot air block in K-Groove, Sagat can do pretty well with randomly timing anti airs, as the opponent will actually get hit by missing their JD. Sagat has a pretty effective move against empty jump JDs, which is HP Tiger Uppercut. This move carries obvious risks in getting punished if the opponent gets a full JD, but the timing is very difficult. Because the opponent gets put higher than Sagat if they JD the full uppercut, they might not get a massive punish, however expect something not good if they somehow manage to get all hits JD'd. Tiger Cannon is also a multi hitting anti air, however unlike Tiger Uppercut, JDing just one hit in the air has them jump over the rest of the projectile. It's not really recommended to use this anti air against a K-Groover unless you got meter to waste, which is only really prominent in S-Groove with low life.
Anti-Rage
But why do you want to avoid JDs? Well, they help the opponent get rage pretty quick, and avoiding a situation where Sagat has to work around a full level 3 super and crazy passive attack buffs is obviously ideal. It's inevitable that you will deal with at least one rage however, so it's good to know what to do to deal with it, and it's pretty simple. Just try to run out the timer. This means keeping a distance from the opponent and not throwing out anything unsafe. It's almost a death sentence if you choose to jump at the opponent.
Rushdown is incredibly discouraged here, as you don't want to give the opponent many chances to use their level 3 if any at all. Staying in neutral is sufficient, as the opponent really doesn't have the leverage in that position, they only have that sort of positional advantage if they choose to close the space. That's where you stick out your anti pressure options to keep them away. Sagat's defense may not be as good as his offense, but he has more than enough options to keep the opponent out of his face. Until the timer has ran out, staying away from the opponent like the plague is the best option to not lose too much life from rage. Even getting slapped by big pokes from a raged opponent can cause Sagat to lose a fair chunk of his health. Luckily Sagat has high health so he has more margin for error.
Overall, Sagat has to carefully manage his pokes to not give the opponent many chances to Just Defend, and once they're raged Sagat has to play defensively and shut down all offensive momentum in order to not lose a lot of life. A pretty tricky matchup but due to how common K-Groove is you'll get used to the intricacies of it.
