Not really sure how I missed this when you posted it. 
Are you still running with her @BoJima404? If so, is there anything in particular you’d like to know?
EDIT: post above originally said “…how u missed this…” Silly autocorrect 
Heh, sorry @BoJima404, I sort of Hijacked your thread as a general “beginner Hisako tips” thread 
1 Like
Yes, I still play her, but I have very, very mixed results. I am too scared to bring her to rank (I am Gold). One of the basics is around movement and positioning.I understand that each matchup or player might force you to use a certain strategy. But I play Aria and I literally cannot sit back and do nothing. I have to go in and force openings. So my questions about her Hisako are below…THANKS!!
On general strategy
Is Hisako also forced to play one certain game/strategy or is there flexibilty to apply different strategies? (poking and comboing, runaway and counter, rush down and setups, etc.)
On Counters
At a high level, do you wait and counter, or you rush down and look to (ab)use counters? Or it’s too risky in S3 to use counters?
On Movement
She seems very agile. Is it just me or is she really this evasive and fast? Reason I am asking is because so many characters have speed, multi hitting fireballs and random projectiles with crazy trajectories, movement in the air.
@Marbledecker thanks, good insight!! Many questions were answered by your re-post. I also changed the title, lol
1 Like
Not particularly. You can play a very oppressive vortex style with her, but you’re also free to play a mid-range game where you use her good normals to score your opening. You can also play for very hard reads (lots of counters), or for very few reads (limited use of counter). Long term though, it is generally better to rely less on making reads, and more on optimizing your neutral and oki games.
And while she’s adept in the neutral if you know her buttons, you do have to remember that Hisako is a grappler, and if you’re playing too much of an outside game that you are giving up half of her special moves. At some point you will probably want to bring the fight in to close range.
Generally speaking, the higher the level of play the less you will see of counter. Counter gets you killed quite a lot actually, so as you progress with Sako you tend to use it less and less. In high level play you will typically see counter used only on very obvious and reactable stuff, though as the fights progress and people start getting pressured you’ll see more of it.
For myself, I generally only counter after I’ve seen an opponent disrespect the option once or twice. If you jump at me and press buttons a few times, then a counter is probably coming soon. If I’m pressuring you, though, you won’t tend to see it. I have particular setups I use against DP characters to let me blow up reversals without having to resort to counter. Once the read is developed and I feel I have you flustered, however, I can be pretty cheeky about some of my counters. I’ve actually one quite a few matches by countering on an opponent’s wakeup. :-p
[quote=“BoJima404, post:6, topic:9231”]
On Movement
She seems very agile. Is it just me or is she really this evasive and fast? [/quote]
Eh…yes and no? Hisako is quick once she’s committed to doing something, but is abysmally slow if you need a more subtle spacing change. She covers ground in large chunks, or not at all. She can be evasive if the opponent isn’t right on top of her. Once they’re point blank though, you’re kind of stuck dealing with them.
1 Like
Exactly what I was wondering about positioning. She seems to cover a lot of ground quickly but not it’s not subtle and you have to commit as you pointed out. Just wanted to reconfirm.[quote=“STORM179, post:7, topic:9231”]
Generally speaking, the higher the level of play the less you will see of counter. Counter gets you killed quite a lot actually, so as you progress with Sako you tend to use it less and less. In high level play you will typically see counter used only on very obvious and reactable stuff, though as the fights progress and people start getting pressured you’ll see more of it
[/quote]
Thanks. I am just a novice and I have been trying to counter everything as I thought this was her game. However, it’s not realistic to read every move your opponent throws at you. Definitely not a viable way of playing Hisako, imo. But it’s hard to change your game if you create bad habits, so that’s why I am asking early on.
Thanks. My main gripe is that I would like to play her like a grappler, but just my personal opinion, there’s too much clutter (random fireballs, angled trajectories, multiple projectiles) on the screen at times that I have no idea what her strategy should be. But that’s just my personal rant.
For projectiles, she can dash under them or blow through them with Shadow ORZ. If you’re not in a good position to do either, you should block. If they throw one from full screen, you have both dash and teleport as good options. She can dash under multiple projectiles if your timing is right - may require two dashes. Does not apply to ARIA’s bass body.
And then there’s jumping - risky but will avoid them, and Hisako has good options (great buttons with huge plus frames, Air-ORZ) in the air.
This. lol.
I don’t actually block very many projectiles with Hisako. Her sweep can low profile some fireballs, and her air-ORZ lets her jump them pretty freely since it both changes jump arc and puts out a big damn hitbox in front of her, in case they wanted to do something like wind kick at you as you jump. And she can also descent to the their side of the screen if they throw something particularly telegraphed. All in all, Hisako is a hard character to pressure with traditional fireballs.
1 Like
I can pretty much agree with this - it’s honestly not too often that I don’t have an opportunity to low profile or otherwise avoid them. There are times though - Riptor or Kan-Ra on my wakeup and I have no shadow, etc.
@STORM179 @Marbledecker
Hey guys, is your Hisako similar to the one played in the vid? Can you tell if it’s a veteran Hisako player or someone just having general KI knowledge and skill?
Speaking for myself, your answers are no and yes!
This is a veteran Hisako player - it’s @TDBKi4Life and he’s been playing Hisako for some time now - but his Hisako would not be considered similar to mine. @STORM179 can vouch for my Hisako not uhh… being quite normal LOL
I do like KI4Life’s Hisako though.
1 Like
No and yes, as Marble said. KI4Life uses very different setups than the ones I do, and his general neutral play and the way he manages wrath is pretty different from mine. We also use Hisako’s instinct in very dissimilar manners.
KI4Life’s Hisako is definitely high level though, and he’s been playing her for a decent amount of time I believe. His setups certainly aren’t generic or from general KI knowledge - he’s put time into the lab for most of that stuff.
1 Like
Real talk - that mid-combo taunt @ 1:54-ish is so awesome, LOL
7:24 - TJ’s Last Breath pushes Hisako back within Shadow Influence range if she’s point blank when he ground pounds.That’s pretty delicious. 
Lol. Yeah, I was actually watching that set live. I saw it and was like “we’re stealing that”. 
I also stole his wallsplat reset - gives me another reset in the corner that will beat jump out or throw tech, and doesn’t need any meter.
But since this is the beginner Hisako tips thread, here’s a tip for beginner Hisako’s: if TJ uses advantage ender or flips you out (but especially the advantage ender), mash counter. TJ is +4, and when people are +4 they tend to want to push buttons. You’re going to have to guess anyway - might as well make it dangerous for TJ as well.
That strategy can be beaten in many, many ways, but you at least need to make the TJ think about using those other options - trying to reaction block the shenanigans he’s got in these situations is a losing proposition.
1 Like
Speaking of TJ flip-outs - once he knows you’re going to counter his buttons he will likely go for flip-out into shoot-toss.
Correct. Which is what we want, because shoot toss is bloody slow and a hell of lot easier to see coming than some random meaty normal. It is also considerably more punishable.
Hisako doesn’t have a DP for an all-purpose “get off me” move, so instead you (generic you, btw) need to utilize the options you do have to try and get him to go for riskier/sub-optimal follow-ups to his pressure. Make him play the guessing game right alongside you.
1 Like
I think I have to rename again to “beginner Hisako tips for advanced KI players”. I thought just knowing your own character’s strengths and weaknesses was enough, but I had absolutely no idea about what TJ could do. Reset monster.
Thanks for the answers, by the way. I guess you both are pretty awesome too.
I have been looking into the question from Storm about shadow air ORZ but I haven’t found anything in any of the vids I have been watching that’s not mentioned already in that thread.
I’m going to vote against that - we don’t really want to turn a beginner away from this advice, as it’s not particularly difficult to apply.
Bro I owe you like 1,000 answers for you giving us the opportunity to read about the Japanese scene.
My Hisako is decent - but STORM’s… take my Hisako, wrap it up in a shroud of cloth woven from pure awesome, then shoot it out of an awesome cannon filled with confetti and money and cheeseburgers - and that’s how awesome STORM’s Hisako is.
2 Likes
I just realized @TDBKi4Life is from my country!
( I’m a foreigner in Japan, not an American in Japan. Sorry, @FallofSeraphs76 I totally misread your question in the DS3 thread about me being American, lol.)