Uzuki from UNDER NIGHT IN-BIRTH II Sys:Celes recently released, and I knew I needed to share my impressions after spending some time in the game! Whether you’re here looking for a new character to learn or trying to see Uzuki’s strengths and weaknesses, you’ve come to the right place.
Disclaimer: There will be notations I will use in this guide to describe certain attacks. If you find yourself confused at any of these points, use the guide below as guidance:
Big Buttons and Big Damage
One of the most noticeable aspects of this character are her pokes, anti-airs, and damage. Her pokes, 5C, 2B, and 2C, are amazing. The hitboxes for them are extremely disjointed and long, with most of them hitting at round-start range. But not only do they pressure opponents from afar, they also net really good damage. Here are some great combos you can get from each poke below:
- 5C Combos: 5C > 214B > 4A > 22C > 66B > 6C > j.C > j.B > j.C > j.2C > 6C > 236B
- 2B Combos: 2B > 2C > 236A > 66B > 3C > 4C > 214A > 4B > j.C > j.2C > 2C
- 2C Combos: 2C > 236A > 66B > 3C > 4C > 214A > 4B > j.C > j.2C > 2C
Ending her combos with a j.236A or j.236B can also poison the opponent. This poison will steal GRD from the opponent for 5 seconds if you hit the opponent with an attack that poisons. This is a great way to show a character uniquely interacting with the system mechanics.
Additionally, her 22A and 22B spears can also be considered as nice pokes to catch people standing. While all of these pokes can lead to great combos, most of them are punishable on whiff. This can be considered a weakness of hers, as opponents can just jump or whiff punish her buttons easily. Uzuki players need to pay attention if the opponent is showing these options, then adjust from there.
Anti-Airs
For her anti-airs, 3C is the main one you want to use. It’s pretty fast and has a large vertical hitbox. There are high-damaging combo routes you can go from there too, so lots of experimentation can be done.
Large and Diverse Toolkit
Uzuki’s command list contains many interesting tools, which I think is really good. A character’s diverse toolkit only means that players can use them in different ways. Take Uzuki’s Force Function, for example. She just straight up melts into the ground and can move around very fast, cross through her opponent, and low-profile some pokes. This move is a great way to buy time when there are a few seconds on the timer, and you are winning. Alternatively, you could just not use this and use your long-range pokes, anti-airs, or movement to keep your opponent away from you. Ultimately, the choice is yours to make.
Moreover, the way how you play okizime can be different too. Uzuki’s 2B+C makes her go into her bag and throw an item. There are three items in total, following a cycle of Poison > Bomb > Rabbit. The poison bottle will explode upon impact and steal the opponent’s GRD. The bomb will explode in 2 seconds, and Uzuki can use normals to push it further. Lastly, the rabbit will hop and eventually attack the opponent, allowing the Uzuki player to start a nice combo or start safe pressure if the opponent blocks. Every time you knock the opponent into a hard knockdown, you can toss out these items and use this as a way to apply your okizime. After tossing out an item, you can even go into j.214B and mix up the different follow-ups.
Alternatively, your okizime game can just be doing 214A > 4C after the opponent is knocked down. the 4C follow-up is really plus on block, meaning that you can safely continue pressure afterward. At first, though, you want to apply the 4A follow-up before you do the 4C one, as you will make the opponent block more and set up the 4C. Keep in mind that you can do 214A and not do anything afterward, allowing you to bait potential reversals.
Mediocre Defense
While I think a lot of her offense and neutral are very strong, her defense is not good. Uzuki lacks a meterless reversal, so she has to take huge risks to play well on defense. While yes, you can indeed block incoming attacks, you can’t really do it all day. Eventually, you will have to use Guard Thrust, Shield, Veil Off, and 236C. All of these options can get the opponent away from you, but they carry risks and must utilize meter.
Having said that, developing good defense with Uzuki requires the player to test how the opponent is reacting to their defense and adjust from there. If you plan on playing Uzuki, you will find yourself having to take many risks on defense, so choose options wisely. Having a layer 1 on defense can help with this process.
Final Impressions: Uzuki is a Very Powerful Addition to Under Night In-Birth II Sys: Celes
Overall, I think this character is cool! She excels with her strong pokes, diverse toolkit, and high-damage combos. While her lack of meterless defensive options makes her vulnerable under pressure, it only means that the Uzuki player has to play more solid. Uzuki is a fantastic start to the roadmap of Sys:Celes, and I look forward to seeing how Oger and Izumi play in the future.
UNDER NIGHT IN-BIRTH II Sys:Celes is available now for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and PC via Steam.
