Crathen
Death is my business
Why choosing Sektor?
Sektor in his core essence is the best reaction based punisher in the game along with a great zoning defence and a decent rushdown making him a fortress to approach. Sektor relies on the players skills to react fast and with timing to any zoning attempt making his zoning/anti zoning more than the overrated missiles barrage and when it comes down to jump distance Sektor rules it with the constant threat of anti airs / flamethrower wich forces your opponent to play good footsies , in short if anyone decides to jumpin against Sektor he’s taking the risk of a big combo and ( on the player choice ) to be sent back to fullscreen or kept close without any wakeup game.
His strings / pokes are not the greatest for a pressure game by themselves , but mixed up with his great specials makes him a constant menace to be recognized and respected.
Things I’d like to point out about the character are: needs good reflexes and nerves , punishing everything with the best damage output , great execution.
With that in mind he’s easy to pick up to play around with but at high levels he definitely needs a lot of work.
LEGEND:
IaTu = Instant air Teleport Uppercut ( l + , + , r + )
Aum = Above up missile ( )
Bum = Behind up missile ( )
Fum = Front up missile ( )
Sm = Straight missile ( )
Ft = Flamethrower ( )
Ll = Leg lift ( )
Special mid : a move that hits ducking opponents but can be blocked low
Deep Dash ( DD ) : performing a without cancelling it with another dash or by blocking
Hc : Hit confirmable move
Oki : ground games when your opponent has to get up wich can lead to setups
BEST NORMALS:
System Overload - : 6 frames , safe on block , are both highs ( special mids on large crouching hitbox characters ) while hits special mid , combo starter , allows frametraps , great string for punishes and good for pressuring , you can link any special after ( Ft or Aum being the best options since Sm can be ducked ) but it’s not something to do frequently.
Hard Crash - : 6 frames , safe on block , last hits overhead and it’s safe , the last also has a natural delay , sends the opponent midscreen on hit / sweep distance on block , you can link any special after the overhead wich can be used to either chip the opponent on block with a straight missile / flamethrower ( 7 % ) or start mindgames with Aum , right now you can’t cancel the string into Bum or Fum.
Fusion Force - : 6 frames , safe on block , hits special mid and has a big delay wich can be interrupted by any 6-7 move , doesn’t combo after hits , creates space sweep distance on block and midscreen distance on hit , you can cancel into any special , good for mindgames when the opponent is unsure to either lowpoke or crossjump you , Hard Crash is still a better string tho.
Malfunction - fp : not so fast , great range , punishable only by fast advancing specials on block , hits special mid and it’s safe on block , hits high and can be uppercutted on block it sends the opponent to jump distance on hit fullscreen , good offensive ranged poke you can link any special from ( Ft and Sm will combo ) , on hit gives slight frame advantage ( +1 or +2 i’m guessing )
Demolition - : the startup is fast at least 8-9 frames , safe on block , and hits special mid , is high , creates space sweep distance on block and midscreen distance on hit , TU can be linked after for a combo starter and has a nice delay wich makes the opponent doubt if you are gonna continue the pressure with another string / throw or let go wich cannot be interrupted , however after a blocked you are either -1 or -2 frames wich will not be respected most of the times since doesn’t do that big damage.
Drive Power - : safe on block , decent range , both hits are special mids , decent poke from sweep distance , you can cancel into any special , combo starter with into Tu but it’s not Hc so it’s best used as a punisher into your most damaging combos especially with meter , most used as a combo filler for his great damage and combo extender ability.
Run Down - : safe on block , good startup speed , the has a short range , hits low hits high , Hc into Tu combo starter , weird fact of this string is that even whiffing the you can still link a special without having to wait for Sektor to recover from the: bk ( never found much uses tho ) , you want to use this as soon your opponent starts ducking your frametrap strings such as wich starts high or throws , beware that is a high and can be lowpoked / uppercutted if your opponent blocks low ( and a good player will always block low against Sektor ).
Leg Lift - : stance that opens Sektor’s only overhead ( ) / low starter ( ) , startup is kinda fast but it’s not a move to use for footies , the low starter is Hc into Tu while the overhead isn’t Hc so you will either have to risk a full combo punish or link a :en Tu to make it safe , you can cancel out of Leg Lift with or into any of your strings or a throw ( this is usefull since when the opponent sees the stance he’s probably gonna block ) , anyway use this rarely because you’ll have few chances to go into the 50/50 since you will need great frame advantage ( blocked Jip or upmissile ) to even attempt this , on a last note it can be used midscreen / fullscreen and cancelled with dashes to bait a reaction from your opponent but it’s not gonna always work.
Afterburn - : good keepout move , good startup , great orizzontal range ( sweep distance ) , safe on block and on hit sends your opponent fullscreen opening your zoning , use it when you know the opponent is not gonna jump over you.
Uppercut - : 7 frame uppercut , it hasn’t got a good vertical / orizzontal reach but it’s super fast and safe and can be used if you read a crossup or as an Anti Air ( but you still have better options ) , can be used even in between your opponent frametraps ( depending on the character )
: standard low poke , on hit it gives Sektor enough advantage to check the opponent with a ( they can try jumping away from it but they will be hit by the ) or a , when they start respecting it you can dash in and start your strings / throw pressure game , on block you can still link a flamethrower wich cannot be ducked/jumped , occasionally you can even try linking an upmissile ( do not use this much ).
Throws: Sektor throws are great , the opponent is sent at jump distance and they can’t techroll , you can check them with a Flamethrower in case they want to make a move , and if they wakeup attack ( depending on the character ) the active frames of the ft will catch them , when they start respecting it ( or even play dead ) you can go for an Aum pressure , dash in strings / throws or go back to your zoning.
SPECIALS MOVES:
Teleport Uppercut - : hands down Sektors best special , startup is slow when done on the ground but you will never need it because you can do it in air where the startup is faster especially if done instantly ( iaTu ).
It’s punishable by full combo choice on block so it’s not a move to throw out randomly trying to scare your opponent , what this move really does is shutting down ( by punishing ) a good 80% of the projectiles from fullscreen / ¾ screen , this is the reason why Sektor can rarely be outzoned since you will bait for projectile trades ( and a good player should know that you can’t zone Sektor ) so you will mix up your Sm and up missiles with small waiting moments watching out for the next opponent move , if he dares shooting a projectile you Tu on reaction leading to a 30% meterless or 42% 1 bar combo ( if you end it with Ft ) , and of course Tu is your combo filler special.
Flamethrower - : decent startup speed , punishable only by fast advancing special ( depending from what distance they block it ) , huge orizzontal / vertical range , reliable anti air for jumpins , negates wakeup attacks as a combo ender , on hit both players are at even frames ( maybe your are at +1 needs more testing ) wich means you can check them again with another Ft ( depending on the distance ) if they don’t block they will get hit again , if they block you can either go back to zoning or try to get in and start some pressure.
Straight Missile - : good startup speed , punishable only by fast advancing special ( at close distance ) , good recovery , on hit knocks down your opponent giving Sektor zoning advantage on most of the cast , use it a lot to build meter and mix it with Up missiles for space control.
Up Missile: decent startup speed , good recovery , a blocked upmissile gives you frame advantage and at certain distances ables a safe jumpin , on hit it can be Hc into Tu from fullscreen ( not gonna happen with good players ) upclose you can dash in / depending on how much time and distance you have , can be used for Oki situations after throws or combos.
The Up missile has 3 different versions:
- Above Up missile ( Aum )
- Behind Up missile ( Bum )
- In Front Up missile ( Fum )
The one you will be using mostly will be Aum since until patch 1.05 fixes the issue with Bum and Fum not linkable after any string , Fum can be used in anticipation to an opponent trying to dashing in to rush you.
:en SPECIAL MOVES:
:en Teleport Uppercut : slightly faster startup than standard Tu , it’s your best wakeup but use it carefully since it can be stuffed by lowpokes on startup / late frames , it’s safe on block but you are left at huge disadvantage giving the opponent free pressure , best used as a combo extender since it raises the damage by a good 7-12 % for just one bar of meter , it can be used to make the Leg Lift stance overhead combo attempt safe.
:en Straight Missile : hits crouching opponents , deals 13% damage , do not waste meter on this.
:en Flamethrower : slightly better startup speed , deals 12% damage , safe on block , can be used rarely as a wakeup attack , don’t waste meter on this for combo damage or anything else.
:en Upmissile ( Homing missile ) : slightly better recovery than up missile , shoots a homing missile that will follow your opponent , if blocked it doesn’t do any chip damage and the blockstun is minimum so no big frame advantage like the standard version , on hit it gives you the chance to start a combo ( rarely gonna happen ) , can be used to get in and start some pressure as a combo ender ( but when the 1.05 patch allows Sektor to cancel into any Up missile this is going get more situational ) or from fullscreen to close the distance since Sektor has the fastest dashing in the game along with Cyber Sub Zero.
Some don’t know that a blocked Hm even if blocked builds a little of bar.
MOVE:
Sektors’ should be avoided unless you need unbreakable damage to win a match / round , actually it’s not that bad since it’s his only armor move and players often forget about it and can be used to get out of frametraps but this is generally situational since you want to use meter for :en Tu , sometimes :en Homing Missile and Breakers.
ZONING:
Sektors’ zoning is really good , his Sm knocks down your opponents on hit , few zoners have that wich means you will always have the zoning advantage after a projectile trade ( exceptions are Kabal , Kitana , Noob Saibot , Cyrax , Subzero and Quan Chi ).
Tu psychologically scares the opponent to even try to start zoning , when the opponent starts ducking your Sm then you can start mixing them with your Aum / Bum / Fum ( Bum being the less usefull ) but don’t think you can shoot like that without restrictions since Up missile startup is kinda slow you still have to watch out what your opponent will do , is he trying to approach? Is he gonna try a special move? Wait for their next move and always look at what distance they are.
Once they are in the jumpin area stop firing missiles and switch to your defensive pokes ( , ) and specials ( Ft especially ) or to your offensive pokes ( , ) be also ready to Anti air them , the key here is being patient and be ready to retaliate quickly without making mistakes.
RUSHING DOWN:
Sektor rushdown is decent but not that great as many players think , main reason being the lack of a decently fast special mid move and not giving anything guaranteed on hit giving the opponent to blast through his strings by blocking low / ducking and lowpoke him accordingly.
His deep jumping kick can’t be HC into Tu or any other normal / string able to keep the pressure after being blocked so you have to pressure with his ( occasional or Aum wich can be risky) , ( ) can lead to frametraps making the opponent doubt when you are going to release the overhead ( however both hits high so they can be lowpoked / uppercutted ) and by linking a Sm after it the opponent is forced to standblock for a total of 7% chip damage on block ( wich builds almost half meter bar ) , if you link an :en Hm the opponent can’t get out without taking the missile hit wich deals 8% and a potential combo.
If are blocked high you can try if the opponent wants to lowpoke you ( he can jump tho ) or you can go for a throw or another if he wants to block the overhead , if he tries to jump out of -> he will get caught while jumping by the giving you a potential combo so watch out for the opponents habits.
will create some space to backdash and check the opponent if he tries to crossoverjump / downpoke with a Ft or your anti airs however if he starts to pressure advancing and starting a string you can go into a fast string like or and depending on the character you are facing even but all of those strings can be lowpoked after a , it’s all about reading your opponent , in fact you can even try to crossjump but he can watch out for it and punish you,
After a blocked Jip and if you really want to scare your opponent or you need a comeback you can go into your 50/50 Leg Lift mixup wich usually will make the opponent guess between blocking low or overhead almost making your throw attempt guaranteed because of the fear of a launcher , remember to use the overhead rarely and if you do , make sure you use a :en Tu.
METER BUILDING:
Sektor builds meter at a very good rate with his specials and his normals can rack up a maximum of 7% chip damage ( Ft or Sm but the latter is duckable ) and almost half a bar ( 2 Ft and a builds 1 bar ) .
Other decent normals to build bar are into Ft ( beware it's punishable by fast advancing specials ) , wich is safe , is safe too and it's good to throw out once in a while to create space ,
Also , i've tried chipping a full health bar with standing and it turns out that with 77 the health drops to 0 so it doesn't actually deal 1% chip damage but something like 1,29 , gonna test more of this weird things.
Blocked Normals / Blockstrings Meter Gain:
4 for 1 bar
4 for 1 bar
4 for 1 bar
6 for 1 bar
6 for 1 bar
6 for 1 bar
12 for 1 bar
12 for 1 bar
12 for 1 bar
12 for 1 bar
12 for 1 bar
12 for 1 bar
12 for 1 bar
12 for 1 bar
12 for 1 bar
12 for 1 bar
Basic Special Meter Gain:
17 Sm for 1 bar
17 Aum/Bum/Fum for 1 bar
17 Ft for 1 bar
17 Tu for 1 bar
Blocked Special Meter Gain:
7 Sm for 1 bar
7 Aum/Bum/Fum for 1 bar
7 Ft for 1 bar
7 Tu for 1 bar
UP MISSILES SETUPS:
I’ll wait after the patch comes out to fill this section , at the Um current state is almost useless unless in the corner.
AIR TO AIR:
Meeting Sektor in air is a big gamble for your opponent , your jumping kick can lead to a 30+ combo ending in a negated wakeup or upmissiles setups , some of his options are:
Jik , Tu , , Tu for 26 % and fullscreen distance
Jik , Tu , , Aum for 16 % and up missile setup ( techrollable but not punishable )
Jik , Tu , , :en Tu , Ft for 38% and sweep distance ( wakeup negated )
Jik , Tu , , :en Tu , dash Aum for 33% and up missile setup ( techrollable but not punishable )
Notice how Jik into Tu isn’t really Hc so it’s almost a guess , in case you meet in air with a Jip you can however Hc:
Jip , , Tu , OR Ft for 17%
Jip , , Tu dash Aum for 13% and upmissile setup ( techrollable but not punishable )
ANTI AIR:
Sektor has a good anti air game , he can choose to go for either safety with a simple Ft and his other options are standing ( jik beats it ) and standing ( wich has huge range but it’s a tad slower ) into Tu , some AA combos:
, Tu , , DD 12 Ft for 32% and jump distance ( negates wakeup )
, Tu , , DD 12 Ft for 31% and jump distance ( negates wakeup )
, Tu , , DD 12 Tu for 30% and midscreen distance
, Tu , , DD 12 Tu for 30% and midscreen distance
Those may need some practice to new players and in a heated moment of the match you want a combo that you can’t miss so here’s some standard ones:
, Tu , , Tu for 24% and fullscreen distance
, Tu , , Tu for 24% and fullscreen distance
, Tu , , Ft for 21% jump distance ( wakeup negated )
, Tu , , Ft for 21% jump distance ( wakeup negated )
BNB COMBOS:
Any Sektor combo deals big damage wheter meterless or with 1 bar , good wallcarry and you can switch position sacrificing a some damage , and are really fast punishers and easily reaches 40+ damage , is his most damaging starter used best as a heavy punish , is a fast low starter for 30+ damage , on top of that Sektor doesn’t need to sacrifice damage wheter he wants to send the opponent fullscreen for zoning or leaving the opponent at sweep/jump distance with his wakeup negated by Ft or for a Um setup , here are some basic Bnb.
Midscreen:
, , Tu , Ft for 36% and sweep distance ( wakeup negated )
, , Tu , for 36% and jump distance
, bk , Tu , Jik Tu for 34% and ¾ screen distance
, Tu , , dash Ft for 34% and jump distance ( wakeup negated )
, Tu , , Tu for 35% and midscreen distance
, Tu , , dash for 34% and fullscreen distance
( Sektor recovers slowly after than Tu though )
, Tu , , Tu for 27 % and ¾ screen distance
, Tu , , dash , Ft for 28% and jump distance ( wakup negated )
, Tu , , Ft for 26% and sweep distance ( wakeup negated )
, Tu , , dash , Ft for 37% and jump distance ( wakeup negated )
, Tu , dash , Tu for 36% and midscreen distance
, Tu , , dash for fullscreen distance
Tu , , , Tu for 31% and ¾ screen distance
Tu , , dash , Ft for 30% and jump distance ( wakeup negated )
Corner:
, backdash , , Ft for 42% and contact distance ( wakeup negated )
, Tu , dash ( switch sides in case you start this combo while your opponent is cornered ) , , Ft for 32% and contact distance ( wakeup negated )
Tu , dash ( switch sides in case you start this combo while your opponent is cornered ) , , Ft for 27% and contact distance ( wakeup negated )
, Tu , dash ( switch sides in case you start this combo while your opponent is cornered ) , , Ft for 32% and contact distance ( wakeup negated )
, , , Ft for 34% and contact distance ( wakeup negated )
Notice how you can change the last Ft to an Aum for a safe ( especially after only one string ) upmissile setup.
:en Tu combos:
, , Tu , Jik :en Tu , , Ft for 44% and sweep distance ( wakeup negated )
, Tu , , Tu , Jik :en Tu , , Ft for 39% and sweep distance ( wakeup negated )
, Tu , , :en Tu , , Ft for 37% and sweep distance ( wakeup negated )
Tu , , :en Tu , , Ft for 34% and sweep distance ( wakeup negated )
( you can use instead of Ft to create a jump distance and Jik Tu for midscreen distance )
combo:
, for 39%
, Tu , , for 43%
, , for 46%
, Tu , , for 40%
Harder combos wich can be practiced to use as BnB:
, instant jump back kick IaTu , , DD , Ft for 41% and jump distance ( wakeup negated )
– this is his most damaging meterless combo but it’s hard to get consistently , nonetheless it can be attempted with minor damage loss ( 3 % , if don’t get Ft this combo does 33% ) if you don’t plan on using :en Tu to extend the combo.
, Tu , , , Tu for 35% and ¾ screen distance , with some practice this is not hard to do at all
, Tu , , dash , Ft for 34% and jump distance ( wakeup negated )
, Tu , , DD , Ft for 34 % and jump distance ( wakeup negated )
- this can be tricky to land the first times , the best advice i can give you is to watch out for your opponents head & body after , wait a split second and when he’ll turn his entire body towards the floor you input and deep dash into Ft , don’t rush it as the second will whiff if you don’t deep dash properly , with some practice you will get this 70% of the time in a real match and in case you get the timing too late you will still deal 26%
Tu , , dash , Ft for 30% and jump distance ( wakeup negated )
- this is not hard to do at all and should be a staple combo of yours
Tu , , , Tu for 31% and midscreen distance
- same as above
, Tu , , , Tu for 38% and midscreen distance
- same as above
, Tu , , dash , Ft for 37% and jump distance ( wakeup negated )
With one bar:
, Tu , , , :en Tu , , Ft for 46% and sweep distance ( wakeup negated )
, Tu , , , :en Tu , Jik Tu for 44% and ¾ screen distance
, Tu , , , :en Tu , , Ft for 49% and sweep distance ( wakeup negated )
, Tu , , , :en Tu , Jik Tu for 47% and ¾ screen distance
( you can use instead of Ft to create a jump distance )
This is still an “in the making” guide since the next patch is gonna allow Sektor legit Up missiles setups in open field and i want to write some good setups for that , also there are many other things and styles to play Sektor so this isn’t a “how you must use Sektor” but more of a general effective uses of his tools so any feedback , advice , strategy is warmly welcome and will be given credit.
Work in progress: Meter Building , Tu reacting projectile distance , Upmissiles setups.
Sektor in his core essence is the best reaction based punisher in the game along with a great zoning defence and a decent rushdown making him a fortress to approach. Sektor relies on the players skills to react fast and with timing to any zoning attempt making his zoning/anti zoning more than the overrated missiles barrage and when it comes down to jump distance Sektor rules it with the constant threat of anti airs / flamethrower wich forces your opponent to play good footsies , in short if anyone decides to jumpin against Sektor he’s taking the risk of a big combo and ( on the player choice ) to be sent back to fullscreen or kept close without any wakeup game.
His strings / pokes are not the greatest for a pressure game by themselves , but mixed up with his great specials makes him a constant menace to be recognized and respected.
Things I’d like to point out about the character are: needs good reflexes and nerves , punishing everything with the best damage output , great execution.
With that in mind he’s easy to pick up to play around with but at high levels he definitely needs a lot of work.
LEGEND:
IaTu = Instant air Teleport Uppercut ( l + , + , r + )
Aum = Above up missile ( )
Bum = Behind up missile ( )
Fum = Front up missile ( )
Sm = Straight missile ( )
Ft = Flamethrower ( )
Ll = Leg lift ( )
Special mid : a move that hits ducking opponents but can be blocked low
Deep Dash ( DD ) : performing a without cancelling it with another dash or by blocking
Hc : Hit confirmable move
Oki : ground games when your opponent has to get up wich can lead to setups
BEST NORMALS:
System Overload - : 6 frames , safe on block , are both highs ( special mids on large crouching hitbox characters ) while hits special mid , combo starter , allows frametraps , great string for punishes and good for pressuring , you can link any special after ( Ft or Aum being the best options since Sm can be ducked ) but it’s not something to do frequently.
Hard Crash - : 6 frames , safe on block , last hits overhead and it’s safe , the last also has a natural delay , sends the opponent midscreen on hit / sweep distance on block , you can link any special after the overhead wich can be used to either chip the opponent on block with a straight missile / flamethrower ( 7 % ) or start mindgames with Aum , right now you can’t cancel the string into Bum or Fum.
Fusion Force - : 6 frames , safe on block , hits special mid and has a big delay wich can be interrupted by any 6-7 move , doesn’t combo after hits , creates space sweep distance on block and midscreen distance on hit , you can cancel into any special , good for mindgames when the opponent is unsure to either lowpoke or crossjump you , Hard Crash is still a better string tho.
Malfunction - fp : not so fast , great range , punishable only by fast advancing specials on block , hits special mid and it’s safe on block , hits high and can be uppercutted on block it sends the opponent to jump distance on hit fullscreen , good offensive ranged poke you can link any special from ( Ft and Sm will combo ) , on hit gives slight frame advantage ( +1 or +2 i’m guessing )
Demolition - : the startup is fast at least 8-9 frames , safe on block , and hits special mid , is high , creates space sweep distance on block and midscreen distance on hit , TU can be linked after for a combo starter and has a nice delay wich makes the opponent doubt if you are gonna continue the pressure with another string / throw or let go wich cannot be interrupted , however after a blocked you are either -1 or -2 frames wich will not be respected most of the times since doesn’t do that big damage.
Drive Power - : safe on block , decent range , both hits are special mids , decent poke from sweep distance , you can cancel into any special , combo starter with into Tu but it’s not Hc so it’s best used as a punisher into your most damaging combos especially with meter , most used as a combo filler for his great damage and combo extender ability.
Run Down - : safe on block , good startup speed , the has a short range , hits low hits high , Hc into Tu combo starter , weird fact of this string is that even whiffing the you can still link a special without having to wait for Sektor to recover from the: bk ( never found much uses tho ) , you want to use this as soon your opponent starts ducking your frametrap strings such as wich starts high or throws , beware that is a high and can be lowpoked / uppercutted if your opponent blocks low ( and a good player will always block low against Sektor ).
Leg Lift - : stance that opens Sektor’s only overhead ( ) / low starter ( ) , startup is kinda fast but it’s not a move to use for footies , the low starter is Hc into Tu while the overhead isn’t Hc so you will either have to risk a full combo punish or link a :en Tu to make it safe , you can cancel out of Leg Lift with or into any of your strings or a throw ( this is usefull since when the opponent sees the stance he’s probably gonna block ) , anyway use this rarely because you’ll have few chances to go into the 50/50 since you will need great frame advantage ( blocked Jip or upmissile ) to even attempt this , on a last note it can be used midscreen / fullscreen and cancelled with dashes to bait a reaction from your opponent but it’s not gonna always work.
Afterburn - : good keepout move , good startup , great orizzontal range ( sweep distance ) , safe on block and on hit sends your opponent fullscreen opening your zoning , use it when you know the opponent is not gonna jump over you.
Uppercut - : 7 frame uppercut , it hasn’t got a good vertical / orizzontal reach but it’s super fast and safe and can be used if you read a crossup or as an Anti Air ( but you still have better options ) , can be used even in between your opponent frametraps ( depending on the character )
: standard low poke , on hit it gives Sektor enough advantage to check the opponent with a ( they can try jumping away from it but they will be hit by the ) or a , when they start respecting it you can dash in and start your strings / throw pressure game , on block you can still link a flamethrower wich cannot be ducked/jumped , occasionally you can even try linking an upmissile ( do not use this much ).
Throws: Sektor throws are great , the opponent is sent at jump distance and they can’t techroll , you can check them with a Flamethrower in case they want to make a move , and if they wakeup attack ( depending on the character ) the active frames of the ft will catch them , when they start respecting it ( or even play dead ) you can go for an Aum pressure , dash in strings / throws or go back to your zoning.
SPECIALS MOVES:
Teleport Uppercut - : hands down Sektors best special , startup is slow when done on the ground but you will never need it because you can do it in air where the startup is faster especially if done instantly ( iaTu ).
It’s punishable by full combo choice on block so it’s not a move to throw out randomly trying to scare your opponent , what this move really does is shutting down ( by punishing ) a good 80% of the projectiles from fullscreen / ¾ screen , this is the reason why Sektor can rarely be outzoned since you will bait for projectile trades ( and a good player should know that you can’t zone Sektor ) so you will mix up your Sm and up missiles with small waiting moments watching out for the next opponent move , if he dares shooting a projectile you Tu on reaction leading to a 30% meterless or 42% 1 bar combo ( if you end it with Ft ) , and of course Tu is your combo filler special.
Flamethrower - : decent startup speed , punishable only by fast advancing special ( depending from what distance they block it ) , huge orizzontal / vertical range , reliable anti air for jumpins , negates wakeup attacks as a combo ender , on hit both players are at even frames ( maybe your are at +1 needs more testing ) wich means you can check them again with another Ft ( depending on the distance ) if they don’t block they will get hit again , if they block you can either go back to zoning or try to get in and start some pressure.
Straight Missile - : good startup speed , punishable only by fast advancing special ( at close distance ) , good recovery , on hit knocks down your opponent giving Sektor zoning advantage on most of the cast , use it a lot to build meter and mix it with Up missiles for space control.
Up Missile: decent startup speed , good recovery , a blocked upmissile gives you frame advantage and at certain distances ables a safe jumpin , on hit it can be Hc into Tu from fullscreen ( not gonna happen with good players ) upclose you can dash in / depending on how much time and distance you have , can be used for Oki situations after throws or combos.
The Up missile has 3 different versions:
- Above Up missile ( Aum )
- Behind Up missile ( Bum )
- In Front Up missile ( Fum )
The one you will be using mostly will be Aum since until patch 1.05 fixes the issue with Bum and Fum not linkable after any string , Fum can be used in anticipation to an opponent trying to dashing in to rush you.
:en SPECIAL MOVES:
:en Teleport Uppercut : slightly faster startup than standard Tu , it’s your best wakeup but use it carefully since it can be stuffed by lowpokes on startup / late frames , it’s safe on block but you are left at huge disadvantage giving the opponent free pressure , best used as a combo extender since it raises the damage by a good 7-12 % for just one bar of meter , it can be used to make the Leg Lift stance overhead combo attempt safe.
:en Straight Missile : hits crouching opponents , deals 13% damage , do not waste meter on this.
:en Flamethrower : slightly better startup speed , deals 12% damage , safe on block , can be used rarely as a wakeup attack , don’t waste meter on this for combo damage or anything else.
:en Upmissile ( Homing missile ) : slightly better recovery than up missile , shoots a homing missile that will follow your opponent , if blocked it doesn’t do any chip damage and the blockstun is minimum so no big frame advantage like the standard version , on hit it gives you the chance to start a combo ( rarely gonna happen ) , can be used to get in and start some pressure as a combo ender ( but when the 1.05 patch allows Sektor to cancel into any Up missile this is going get more situational ) or from fullscreen to close the distance since Sektor has the fastest dashing in the game along with Cyber Sub Zero.
Some don’t know that a blocked Hm even if blocked builds a little of bar.
MOVE:
Sektors’ should be avoided unless you need unbreakable damage to win a match / round , actually it’s not that bad since it’s his only armor move and players often forget about it and can be used to get out of frametraps but this is generally situational since you want to use meter for :en Tu , sometimes :en Homing Missile and Breakers.
ZONING:
Sektors’ zoning is really good , his Sm knocks down your opponents on hit , few zoners have that wich means you will always have the zoning advantage after a projectile trade ( exceptions are Kabal , Kitana , Noob Saibot , Cyrax , Subzero and Quan Chi ).
Tu psychologically scares the opponent to even try to start zoning , when the opponent starts ducking your Sm then you can start mixing them with your Aum / Bum / Fum ( Bum being the less usefull ) but don’t think you can shoot like that without restrictions since Up missile startup is kinda slow you still have to watch out what your opponent will do , is he trying to approach? Is he gonna try a special move? Wait for their next move and always look at what distance they are.
Once they are in the jumpin area stop firing missiles and switch to your defensive pokes ( , ) and specials ( Ft especially ) or to your offensive pokes ( , ) be also ready to Anti air them , the key here is being patient and be ready to retaliate quickly without making mistakes.
RUSHING DOWN:
Sektor rushdown is decent but not that great as many players think , main reason being the lack of a decently fast special mid move and not giving anything guaranteed on hit giving the opponent to blast through his strings by blocking low / ducking and lowpoke him accordingly.
His deep jumping kick can’t be HC into Tu or any other normal / string able to keep the pressure after being blocked so you have to pressure with his ( occasional or Aum wich can be risky) , ( ) can lead to frametraps making the opponent doubt when you are going to release the overhead ( however both hits high so they can be lowpoked / uppercutted ) and by linking a Sm after it the opponent is forced to standblock for a total of 7% chip damage on block ( wich builds almost half meter bar ) , if you link an :en Hm the opponent can’t get out without taking the missile hit wich deals 8% and a potential combo.
If are blocked high you can try if the opponent wants to lowpoke you ( he can jump tho ) or you can go for a throw or another if he wants to block the overhead , if he tries to jump out of -> he will get caught while jumping by the giving you a potential combo so watch out for the opponents habits.
will create some space to backdash and check the opponent if he tries to crossoverjump / downpoke with a Ft or your anti airs however if he starts to pressure advancing and starting a string you can go into a fast string like or and depending on the character you are facing even but all of those strings can be lowpoked after a , it’s all about reading your opponent , in fact you can even try to crossjump but he can watch out for it and punish you,
After a blocked Jip and if you really want to scare your opponent or you need a comeback you can go into your 50/50 Leg Lift mixup wich usually will make the opponent guess between blocking low or overhead almost making your throw attempt guaranteed because of the fear of a launcher , remember to use the overhead rarely and if you do , make sure you use a :en Tu.
METER BUILDING:
Sektor builds meter at a very good rate with his specials and his normals can rack up a maximum of 7% chip damage ( Ft or Sm but the latter is duckable ) and almost half a bar ( 2 Ft and a builds 1 bar ) .
Other decent normals to build bar are into Ft ( beware it's punishable by fast advancing specials ) , wich is safe , is safe too and it's good to throw out once in a while to create space ,
Also , i've tried chipping a full health bar with standing and it turns out that with 77 the health drops to 0 so it doesn't actually deal 1% chip damage but something like 1,29 , gonna test more of this weird things.
Blocked Normals / Blockstrings Meter Gain:
4 for 1 bar
4 for 1 bar
4 for 1 bar
6 for 1 bar
6 for 1 bar
6 for 1 bar
12 for 1 bar
12 for 1 bar
12 for 1 bar
12 for 1 bar
12 for 1 bar
12 for 1 bar
12 for 1 bar
12 for 1 bar
12 for 1 bar
12 for 1 bar
Basic Special Meter Gain:
17 Sm for 1 bar
17 Aum/Bum/Fum for 1 bar
17 Ft for 1 bar
17 Tu for 1 bar
Blocked Special Meter Gain:
7 Sm for 1 bar
7 Aum/Bum/Fum for 1 bar
7 Ft for 1 bar
7 Tu for 1 bar
UP MISSILES SETUPS:
I’ll wait after the patch comes out to fill this section , at the Um current state is almost useless unless in the corner.
AIR TO AIR:
Meeting Sektor in air is a big gamble for your opponent , your jumping kick can lead to a 30+ combo ending in a negated wakeup or upmissiles setups , some of his options are:
Jik , Tu , , Tu for 26 % and fullscreen distance
Jik , Tu , , Aum for 16 % and up missile setup ( techrollable but not punishable )
Jik , Tu , , :en Tu , Ft for 38% and sweep distance ( wakeup negated )
Jik , Tu , , :en Tu , dash Aum for 33% and up missile setup ( techrollable but not punishable )
Notice how Jik into Tu isn’t really Hc so it’s almost a guess , in case you meet in air with a Jip you can however Hc:
Jip , , Tu , OR Ft for 17%
Jip , , Tu dash Aum for 13% and upmissile setup ( techrollable but not punishable )
ANTI AIR:
Sektor has a good anti air game , he can choose to go for either safety with a simple Ft and his other options are standing ( jik beats it ) and standing ( wich has huge range but it’s a tad slower ) into Tu , some AA combos:
, Tu , , DD 12 Ft for 32% and jump distance ( negates wakeup )
, Tu , , DD 12 Ft for 31% and jump distance ( negates wakeup )
, Tu , , DD 12 Tu for 30% and midscreen distance
, Tu , , DD 12 Tu for 30% and midscreen distance
Those may need some practice to new players and in a heated moment of the match you want a combo that you can’t miss so here’s some standard ones:
, Tu , , Tu for 24% and fullscreen distance
, Tu , , Tu for 24% and fullscreen distance
, Tu , , Ft for 21% jump distance ( wakeup negated )
, Tu , , Ft for 21% jump distance ( wakeup negated )
BNB COMBOS:
Any Sektor combo deals big damage wheter meterless or with 1 bar , good wallcarry and you can switch position sacrificing a some damage , and are really fast punishers and easily reaches 40+ damage , is his most damaging starter used best as a heavy punish , is a fast low starter for 30+ damage , on top of that Sektor doesn’t need to sacrifice damage wheter he wants to send the opponent fullscreen for zoning or leaving the opponent at sweep/jump distance with his wakeup negated by Ft or for a Um setup , here are some basic Bnb.
Midscreen:
, , Tu , Ft for 36% and sweep distance ( wakeup negated )
, , Tu , for 36% and jump distance
, bk , Tu , Jik Tu for 34% and ¾ screen distance
, Tu , , dash Ft for 34% and jump distance ( wakeup negated )
, Tu , , Tu for 35% and midscreen distance
, Tu , , dash for 34% and fullscreen distance
( Sektor recovers slowly after than Tu though )
, Tu , , Tu for 27 % and ¾ screen distance
, Tu , , dash , Ft for 28% and jump distance ( wakup negated )
, Tu , , Ft for 26% and sweep distance ( wakeup negated )
, Tu , , dash , Ft for 37% and jump distance ( wakeup negated )
, Tu , dash , Tu for 36% and midscreen distance
, Tu , , dash for fullscreen distance
Tu , , , Tu for 31% and ¾ screen distance
Tu , , dash , Ft for 30% and jump distance ( wakeup negated )
Corner:
, backdash , , Ft for 42% and contact distance ( wakeup negated )
, Tu , dash ( switch sides in case you start this combo while your opponent is cornered ) , , Ft for 32% and contact distance ( wakeup negated )
Tu , dash ( switch sides in case you start this combo while your opponent is cornered ) , , Ft for 27% and contact distance ( wakeup negated )
, Tu , dash ( switch sides in case you start this combo while your opponent is cornered ) , , Ft for 32% and contact distance ( wakeup negated )
, , , Ft for 34% and contact distance ( wakeup negated )
Notice how you can change the last Ft to an Aum for a safe ( especially after only one string ) upmissile setup.
:en Tu combos:
, , Tu , Jik :en Tu , , Ft for 44% and sweep distance ( wakeup negated )
, Tu , , Tu , Jik :en Tu , , Ft for 39% and sweep distance ( wakeup negated )
, Tu , , :en Tu , , Ft for 37% and sweep distance ( wakeup negated )
Tu , , :en Tu , , Ft for 34% and sweep distance ( wakeup negated )
( you can use instead of Ft to create a jump distance and Jik Tu for midscreen distance )
combo:
, for 39%
, Tu , , for 43%
, , for 46%
, Tu , , for 40%
Harder combos wich can be practiced to use as BnB:
, instant jump back kick IaTu , , DD , Ft for 41% and jump distance ( wakeup negated )
– this is his most damaging meterless combo but it’s hard to get consistently , nonetheless it can be attempted with minor damage loss ( 3 % , if don’t get Ft this combo does 33% ) if you don’t plan on using :en Tu to extend the combo.
, Tu , , , Tu for 35% and ¾ screen distance , with some practice this is not hard to do at all
, Tu , , dash , Ft for 34% and jump distance ( wakeup negated )
, Tu , , DD , Ft for 34 % and jump distance ( wakeup negated )
- this can be tricky to land the first times , the best advice i can give you is to watch out for your opponents head & body after , wait a split second and when he’ll turn his entire body towards the floor you input and deep dash into Ft , don’t rush it as the second will whiff if you don’t deep dash properly , with some practice you will get this 70% of the time in a real match and in case you get the timing too late you will still deal 26%
Tu , , dash , Ft for 30% and jump distance ( wakeup negated )
- this is not hard to do at all and should be a staple combo of yours
Tu , , , Tu for 31% and midscreen distance
- same as above
, Tu , , , Tu for 38% and midscreen distance
- same as above
, Tu , , dash , Ft for 37% and jump distance ( wakeup negated )
With one bar:
, Tu , , , :en Tu , , Ft for 46% and sweep distance ( wakeup negated )
, Tu , , , :en Tu , Jik Tu for 44% and ¾ screen distance
, Tu , , , :en Tu , , Ft for 49% and sweep distance ( wakeup negated )
, Tu , , , :en Tu , Jik Tu for 47% and ¾ screen distance
( you can use instead of Ft to create a jump distance )
This is still an “in the making” guide since the next patch is gonna allow Sektor legit Up missiles setups in open field and i want to write some good setups for that , also there are many other things and styles to play Sektor so this isn’t a “how you must use Sektor” but more of a general effective uses of his tools so any feedback , advice , strategy is warmly welcome and will be given credit.
Work in progress: Meter Building , Tu reacting projectile distance , Upmissiles setups.