Strategies

Overview

Work your entire game around the karakusa/landing the abare tosanami. Use standing jabs to poke jump-ins, dashing under after the hit. This sets up for low LK-hayate, throw/ techs, or karakusas. This will become predictable, so keep it fresh. Jumping MK is the all purpose air and anti air attack. Jumping HK is great for swatting down jump happy combatants.

Basics

Makoto is a medium weight, rushdown grappler character with the objective of being aggressive. From a simple crouching 2-in-1 LP Hayate to a Karakusa combo starter, she must charge a Super Art Stock as soon as possible and then land it for a high possible Stun combo.

She had good pokes but zoning her out due to her slow walk and bad dash animation can be an easy objective for poking focused characters like Necro and Twelve. Try to approach your opponent with Hayate and jumping on it

Kara-Techniques

LK kara HK Karakusa

c.HK kara MK Karakusa

HK kara any Hayate

HK kara any Fukiage

MK kara LP Hayate

Mixups and Okizeme

Makoto's okizeme and mixups are arguably the strongest ones in 3rd Strike, it does not mean they are simple and/or easy to grasp. For jump-ins it's easier to grasp them using j. (jump), nj. (neutral jump) and dj. (diagonal jump). Each option has its framedata, however, for making the list easier and shorter to read the framedata contains 'normal blockstun and hitstun ~ best meaty blockstun and hitstun'.

To start on okizeme, a meaty 5MP is the best way to begin. From there, Makoto can go into Karakusa for a throw, or go into other normals for a frametrap. 5HP is good for ensuring opponents cannot up-back, especially in the corner. On shorter characters, 2MP can work as well. If the meaty 5MP lands, going into 5LK>Hayate is the best combo option and goes into another knockdown. Other options, in place of the 5MP meaty, are a raw Karakusa, or a 2HP to catch those not blocking low.

For more advanced okizeme, a 5HP meaty is better, though it leads into harder hitconfirms and combos. From a 5HP Meaty into a charged MP Hayate, one can: Release the Hayate to catch a masher Cancel into 2HP Cancel into 2MP>LP Hayate Dash>Karakusa A tick throw Karakusa can also be done from a 5LK meaty.

NOTE: The order of the options listed is: Punches Kicks Type of the move (light, medium, hard) Tick karakusa (if possible) UOH (Universal Over Head) Ex moves (if possible) Instant air tsurugi (if possible) Super

Remember, these are the most optimal AGGRESSIVE options, but the master of war Sun Tzu once said: "Even the finest sword plunged into salt water will eventually rust.", meaning being aggressive all the time will lead you to defeat. Never understimate guarding and backdashing.

5lp

↳2lk
 ↳2hk
 ↳hayate
   ↳hit
   ↳feint
 ↳ex oroshi
↳tick karakusa
↳UOH

2lp

↳5mp
↳2hk
↳tick karakusa
↳UOH

5mp

↳5mp
 ↳hayate
  ↳hit
  ↳feint
 ↳5lk (char specific)
  ↳hayate
   ↳hit
   ↳feint
 ↳instant air ex tsurugi
 ↳sa1 (confirm)
↳5hp
 ↳hayate
  ↳hit
  ↳feint
↳2hp
↳5lk
 ↳hayate
  ↳hit
  ↳feint
↳2lk
 ↳hayate
  ↳hit
  ↳feint
↳2hk
↳tick karakusa
↳ex oroshi
↳instant air ex tsurugi
↳sa1 (confirm)

2mp

↳hayate
 ↳hit
 ↳feint
↳ex oroshi
↳sa1

5hp

↳hayate
 ↳hit
 ↳feint
↳ex hayate
 ↳2mp (vs cornered Ibuki, Dudley & Necro)
  ↳hayate
   ↳hit
   ↳feint
    ↳5lk karakarakusa 
 ↳5hp (vs cornered Alex & Hugo)
  ↳hayate
   ↳hit
   ↳feint
    ↳5lk karakarakusa 
 ↳6lk (vs cornered Yang & Yun)
  ↳5lk karakarakusa 
 ↳5mk (vs cornered Dudley & Necro)
 ↳lp hayate (vs cornered Chun-li, Elena, Makoto, Oro, Q, Remy & Twelve)
 ↳5lk or 5mk kara lp hayate (vs cornered Gouki, Ken, Ryu & Sean) 
 ↳mp hayate (vs cornered Alex, Hugo & Urien)
↳ex oroshi
↳sa1

2hp

5lk

↳whiffed 5lk 2mp
↳whiffed 5lk 5hp
↳whiffed 5lk 2lk
↳whiffed 5lk 5mk
↳whiffed 5lk 5hk
↳whiffed 5lk 2hk
↳whiffed 5lk hk karakusa
↳whiffed 5lk ex oroshi
↳hayate
 ↳hit
 ↳feint
↳karakarakusa
↳sa1

2lk

↳hayate
 ↳hit
 ↳feint
↳tick karakusa
↳ex oroshi
↳sa1

5hk

↳sa1 (confirm)

2hk

dj.hp (crossup-able)

↳5hp
 ↳hayate
  ↳hit
  ↳feint
 ↳ex oroshi
 ↳sa1
 ↳sa2(if cornered)
↳karakusa (doesnt combo)

karakusa (sjc-able)

ex oroshi (sjc-able)

instant air ex tsurugi

UOH

backdash

↳2mp
 ↳hayate
  ↳hit
  ↳feint
 ↳sa1
↳2mk
 ↳sa1 (confirm)

n.jump

↳j.hk (hit)
 ↳5hp
  ↳sa1
  ↳sa2 (if cornered) 
↳whiffed j.hk karakusa setup
↳tsurugi

parry guess

LK Kara HK Karakusa sweetspot after opponent's quick rise

Small note: Tests were done by forward throw while Makoto is in the corner

Character	Range
Alex	No
Chun-li	Yes
Dudley	No
Elena	No
Gouki/Akuma	Yes
Hugo	Yes
Ibuki	Yes
Ken	Yes
Makoto	No
Necro	Yes
Oro	No
Q	Yes
Remy	No
Ryu	Yes
Sean	Yes
Twelve	No
Urien	Yes
Yang	Yes
Yun	Yes