The Complete Killer Instinct Guide by Infil

Ragged Edge is safe on block if you use the lighter versions, but it is always a 2-hit attack and can be identified by Sabrewulf's claws glowing blue. If you use it late in your block string pressure, it will be relatively easy to shadow counter, so it is better to try and hit-confirm your combo openings, typically by using Overwhelm or chained crouching jabs. Sabrewulf has a strong high-low game by canceling any normal into Run, then immediately performing Hamstring (low) or Jumping Slash (high). They are potent as mixup and reset tools, especially when combined with his forward dash which passes through opponents, giving Sabrewulf a five-way mixup including left-right options and throws. Hamstring and Jumping Slash are both unsafe on block, so Sabrewulf will need to take a risk to use them. If your opponent does not convert a blocked mixup into big damage, continue to use these tools liberally. While difficult, you can watch for Sabrewulf's pouncing animation to try and more reliably block Jumping Slash on reaction.

Shadow Ragged Edge has exceedingly long range and starts up very fast, making it an excellent whiff punishing tool or as a reversal for marginally unsafe on block moves. Shadow Jumping Slash is Sabrewulf's primary way to go through strong mid-range projectiles or stop opponents from jumping away (due to its recapture properties), but you need to be relatively close to use it. If you dash from around half screen and then use it on reaction to an opponent's action, they will be nervous to use those options in the future, which will allow Sabrewulf more liberties on offense in the future.

All of Sabrewulf's primary offensive tools are openers, and thus activate traditional Killer Instinct grounded combos, but in some situations he is able to start a juggle combo. Running Uppercut is a great move to use in the neutral game to check your opponent from moving forward too much, and if one of them lands, you can begin a juggle combo, or immediately use a sweep or flipout attack for a knockdown or reset attempt. Standing heavy kick causes a stagger state, which means fishing with this normal during pressure, and then reacting to the hit to continue your combo, is not a bad idea to sprinkle into your offense.

Like Jago, Sabrewulf's linkers are the same as his openers. Hamstring (LK after Run) and Jumping Slash (MK after Run) are unique linkers; holding down LK for a heavy linker will cause a three-hit Hamstring attack, while holding down MK for a heavy linker will cause a three-hit Jumping Slash attack. Light and medium perform one-hit and two-hit versions of Hamstring and Jumping Slash, respectively, as expected. This means if you see a Jumping Slash linker, for example, it is limited to being either a medium or heavy attack. Ragged Edge linkers often look rather similar to Sabrewulf's auto-doubles, which can make him difficult to combo break. Shadow Jumping Slash as a linker piles on the damage very quickly, and is great to throw in during surprise lockout situations because it finishes so quickly.

Sabrewulf has no battery ender, so when he is mid-screen, he should opt for either his Eclipse damage ender, which cashes out hard but ends Sabrewulf's offense, or his Running Uppercut launcher ender, which sets up a safe jump, a juggle, or a sweep, each of which allows Sabrewulf to continue pressure. Unlike many other enders of its type, shadow Eclipse does good damage and allows for a juggle afterwards, which means Sabrewulf can finish with a shadow ender and still cause a flipout if he chooses. In the corner, you should probably use the Ragged Edge wall splat ender often, because Sabrewulf gets more reset potential than other characters after a wall splat due to his ability to dash through opponents.

Sabrewulf can choose to spend a bar of shadow meter to recapture during his relatively rare juggle combos (for example, after a Running Uppercut or shadow Eclipse), but his primary use for this move will be to react to backwards jumps during his pressure and convert into a large grounded combo. He does, however, make excellent use of flipout, due to the strength of his launcher ender and his ability to dash through opponents and threaten from all sides. If you are playing a Sabrewulf player who likes to use flipout, you will need to combo break light attacks after you've been juggled and force him to use other attacks or take a risk on a counter breaker.

Perhaps the star normal of his arsenal is Overpower, a command normal (+HP) which lunges Sabrewulf very far forward and generates advantage on block. It is fast for a heavy attack and has a hitbox that is difficult to contest. Mixing in Overpower after crouching light attacks will bring Sabrewulf back in after being pushed out, while keeping his frame advantage high. In order to stop this, opponents have to try to jump, shadow counter after blocking Overpower, or perform an invincible reversal, but many of these ideas become difficult if Sabrewulf holds HP to charge Overpower, which keeps Sabrewulf in a leaned back pose for longer, out of the reach of attacks, and alters the timing of his pressure significantly. If you're feeling bold, you can even hold HP for a long time until Sabrewulf automatically attacks; this makes Overpower unblockable. While risky, you can catch tentative opponents with a deer-in-the-headlights reaction more often than you might expect.