Tiger Needs: Bonchan Speaks About His Experience With Sagat, And What The King Lacks
If there’s anyone who can speak to how Sagat is as a character, it’s Red Bull|Bonchan.

The professional player history with The King, playing the scarred fighter in Street Fighter 4 and its various editions. No matter the buffs or nerfs, the Bonchan was steadfast in his character loyalty. Now that Sagat has finally made his debut in the Street Fighter V cast list after a few years of absence, Bonchan is finally complete.

But Sagat, like many DLC characters that come out at the tail end of the game’s seasons, feels as if he’s lacking compared to others. After countless hours of practice, matches, and tournament results, Bonchan illuminated me to how he currently feels about Sagat’s strengths and weaknesses in a recent interview:
Note: Translations for the questions and answers were done by Jamal Seto (@jamalseto).
Ryan “Saint Cola” Collins: “Why did you select Sagat against Fujimura’s Ibuki at the E-Sports Festival Hong Kong 2018 event?”
Red Bull|Bonchan: “Because I thought I had more chance to win that match with Sagat. No other reasons.”
R: “Do you plan to use him at any other events?”
B: “I’d like to actively use Sagat for non CPT events.”
R: “How has Sagat worked for you in the Topanga League?”
B: “We are still half way through the first stage in the league, but I don’t think I can excel much.”

R: “What are Sagat’s worst matchups currently?”
B: “There are some matchups that Sagat is fair match against, but he’s unfavorable against most characters.”
R: “Best matchups?”
B: “I think he has the advantage against Kolin. I haven’t played enough matches but I think he’s pretty viable against her.”
R: “Do you like this version of Sagat over his Street Fighter 4 iteration?”
B: “It’s always more fun to have more tools to work with, for sure. Don’t make me say it. [Laughs]”
R: “What do you feel Sagat needs to be better in the next season?”
B: “To start with, Knee Crash (Tiger Knee) is too weak so it’s impossible unless you change it somehow. EX needs to be -2 frames even in close range. Crouching light punch should also be 3 frames if its range will stay that short. It’s also sad that you can’t reach with light punch after you do crouching light kick.
I think his character concept is that he has to await patiently for his opponent, so I think it will be hard for him until some tools to react to the opponent’s attack are installed. Right now, his movement and normals are too slow, so it becomes hopeless once the opponent has life lead. Once the opponent has life lead and starts waiting, you have nothing to do.
One of the reasons for that is because there’s not much difference in ground shot pacing.
Also, if he’s this weak of a character, I think he could have been saved with a little more life, but I understand how hard it must be to patch him as he’s a character that has been released mid-season. But I’m hoping a little bit more for the next season.”
R: “Tell me how you practice with Sagat.”
B: “I’m only playing online matches for now. Anti-airing is difficult so it’s hard to get used to it.”
R: “What advice would you give new Sagat players?”
B: “Don’t try to win and enjoy playing him. I think he’s a good character.”
You can follow Bonchan and his endless love of Sagat on Twitter (@katitagaribon).
— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
Extra Battle: AuttoMattock On How To Learn A New Character
Learning a brand new character can be a frustrating endeavor. Finding a starting point for training is difficult, as is trying to set appropriate goals for growth. I spoke with AutoMattock about his learning process with new characters in Street Fighter V.
Ryan “Saint Cola” Collins: “When a new character comes out, there’s a lack of structured information or guides in the first few days (or months, even). How do you suggest players get started?”
AutoMattock: “The best thing to suggest, because of the lack of meaningful tutorials, is to watch other people. Watching somebody play isn’t enough. You really have to analyze and understand the intention of why EACH player is making the decisions that are happening. Just keep asking ‘Why?’.”
R: “When you break down new characters, what are the first few things you look for?”
A: “In SFV? Anti-Air. Mid range tools. Tic Throw. Hit confirm from lights. Crush Counter conversions. Basic v-trigger mechanics.”
R: “What are the biggest hurdles that stop new players from sticking with newer, fresher characters?”
A: “Probably losing and not having guidance or the tools to solve the problems in front of them. Some characters like Falke, while not a bad character competitively, might not be appealing enough to continue playing.”
See when AutoMattock goes live with his informative fighting game streams on his Twitter (@AutoMattock).
