So how substantial are the changes from the new patch? I´m less concerned with balance at this point and more interested in new combos and options. I might give it a whirl if Sagat is cool again.
Main overall changes may be that they nerfed Cammy and Abigail, the two characters people complained that were too good. They also adressed crush counters, moves with armor or invicible moves. But they also modified stuff for each character, see the S4 changes below. Considering the overal changes I think Sagat is now in a better position than before:
SAGAT
- Forward Dash:
- Overall movement changed from 21F to 20F
- Changed the animation
- Backwards Dash: Reduced the overall frames from 28F to 24F
- Standing LP: Expanded the hitbox that will hit crouching opponents in the forward direction
- Standing HP: Reduced the pushback on hit
- Standing HK:
- Increased the startup for the first hit from 7F to 8F. No change to the second hit
- The first hit can only be canceled into V-Trigger activation
- If the first hit connects and the second hit does not, cannot be canceled into V-Trigger
- If only the 2nd hit connects, damage decreased from 90 to 80
- If only the 2nd hit connects, reduced the pushback on hit
- If the 2nd hit is canceled into V-Trigger, increased the advantage frames by 5F
- Crouching HP:
- Reduced the startup from 11F to 10F
- Changed the recovery from 18F to 19F
- Note: No changes to the advantage/disadvantage on hit or block
- Reduced the pushback on hit
- Crouching MK: Reduced the recovery from 10F to 9F
- Crouching HK: V-Gauge meter gain from a Crush Counter increased from 100 to 120
- Jump MP: Increased the blowback on mid-air hit for the second hit
- Jump HK: Reduced the hurtbox at the torso
- Step Low Kick: Changed the timing window for a kara cancel from 15F-18F, to just 18F
- Tiger Shot:
- Decreased the blowback on mid-air hit
- Increased the blowback time on mid-air hit
- Increased the hitbox in the upwards direction
- Reduced the projectile nullification on startup in the horizontal direction, and expanded the upwards direction
- L, M only: Decreased the projectile speed
- Chip damage increased from 10 to 12
- EX Tiger Shot:
- Expanded the hitbox in the upwards direction
- Expanded the projectile nullification on startup in the upwards direction
- Grand Tiger Shot:
- Extended the projectile invincibility at the upper body by 5F
- Decreased the blowback distance on mid-air hit
- Increased the blowback time on mid-air hit
- L, M only: Decreased the projectile speed
- Reduced the pushback on block
- Tiger Uppercut (All Strengths): When performed as a kara cancel from Step High Kick or Step Low Kick, decreased the startup by 1F
- H Tiger Uppercut (Normal, V-Skill): Given invincibility to mid-air attacks from 1F-16F
- EX Tiger Uppercut (V-Skill Version):
- Increased the blowback on hit
- Increased blowback time on hit
- Reduced the landing recovery time on hit
- Increased the damage taken for an attack that hits during the move’s duration by 1.2x
- Tiger Charge (V-Trigger I):
- When canceled into from Tiger Shot, increased the advantage on hit/block from +25/+24F to +27F/+26F
- When canceled into from Grand Tiger Shot, increased the advantage on hit/block from +23F/+19F to +27F/+23F
- Tiger Cannon (V-Trigger I): Recovery on block changed from -2F to +2F
- Tiger Rush (V-Trigger II): Reduced the blowback on hit
Developer Comments: Sagat is all about taking control of the situation with his powerful projectiles and anti-air moves, so we've made adjustments to better reassert that aspect of his gameplay. Now there is a greater variation in projectile speed depending on the button strength for Tiger Shot and Grand Tiger Shot, which makes it easier to lock the opponent down, and he can get greater returns for mid-air hits.
Also, we've increased the anti-air functionality of his H Tiger Uppercut, so together with L Tiger Uppercut, he is better equipped to deal with his opponent's jump-ins.
In order to create more of a difference between his Step Low Kick kara cancel and Step High Kick, the Step Low Kick cancel can only be performed now at the last possible timing.
We've also revised his overall movements, including moves that were difficult to use and his dashes, leading to an overall improvement in the usage of the character.