Noob Saibot is a zoning character who relies on using his shadows to control space. His Seeing Double variation gives him an aerial teleport for increased mobility and an additional shadow Special Move to hit opponents at long distances. In his Dark Sabbath variation, Noob Saibot’s offense is enhanced with higher damaging combos and the ability to restand the opponent while leaving himself at an advantage. Noob Saibot’s Pitch Black variation gives him more control over the air with projectiles that hit from above.

Key Moves

+,+/+,+, – Fast 9 frame mid, restand, triggers a Krushing Blow if it is a Kounter or Punish
,, – High, hit confirmable, -4 on block
+ – Advancing mid, Armor Break
+/+,, – Advancing high, hit confirmable, staggerable
(Shadow Tackle) – Mid projectile, triggers a Krushing Blow if you have connected with at least 10 Shadow Special Moves
(Rising Shadow Kick) – Fast 8 frame anti-air
(Tele-Slam) – High teleport, unsafe on block

Combo Starters

Noob Saibot is able to combo in his Dark Sabbath by using his Tele-Slam () and Amplifying it. In his other variations, Noob Saibot relies less on combos and more on zoning. In his Seeing Double variation, Noob Saibot can combo in the corner by Amplifying Shadow Slide ().

Combo Enders

There are many ways Noob Saibot can end his combos. Ending with Tele-Slam () will deal a good amount of damage and leave the opponent fairly close. Combos can ended with Shadow Tackle () for maximum damage while sending the opponent away. To switch positions with the opponent, use +,+. Alternatively, combos can be ended with +,+ for a restand. Although Noob Saibot’s restand is 0 on hit, it is much stronger in his Dark Sabbath variation as he can use Spirit Ball () afterwards which will leave him at +5 on hit. In his Seeing Double variation, combos can be ended with Shadow Slide () and Amplifying it for maximum damage while increasing the number of shadow Specials Moves used. In his Pitch Black variation, ending combos with Sickle Snag () will deal maximum damage and leave the opponent close.

Evil Within

Noob Saibot’s strongest move to use in footsies is his Evil Within (+,,) string. +,, is an advancing high attack. + is -1 on block and can be staggered for pressure. Once blocked, Noob Saibot will then be able to attack or throw the opponent. Using a quick attack such as + after + can be very strong as it can whiff punish opponents trying to interrupt with a poke. +, is -6 on block while creating a decent amount of pushback. +,, is -3 on block but will leave Noob Saibot up-close. Using a + after this string will beat any attack that is slower than 10 frames. When using this string, it is usually best to stop the string short with + or +, as they will leave Noob Saibot in a much better position than +,, on block.

Tormented Souls

Tormented Souls (,,) is a high attack that is best used up-close. Because this string is punishable at -8 on block, it is best used in Noob Saibot’s Seeing Double variation and using Amplified Shadow Slide () to make it safe. In Noob Saibot’s Dark Sabbath variation however, it can grant high damaging combos by using Tele-Slam () afterwards.

It’s important to note that because ,, is -8 on block, it is completely safe against characters without a 7 frame attack.

As One

One of Noob Saibot’s best moves to use at close range is his As One (+,+) string. +,+ is a fast 9 frame mid attack. Although it is -17 on block, it creates a substantial amount of pushback making it difficult for many characters to punish or even safe on block. Since Noob Saibot attacks with his shadow, it can be troublesome for opponents to hit him out of this attack. Additionally, +,+, triggers a Krushing Blow on Kounter or Punish. When using this string, it’s essential to be able to confirm into +,+, for the Krushing Blow.

When used at the end of combos, +,+ will restand the opponent. If in Noob Saibot’s Dark Sabbath, it can be linked into Spirit Ball () which will be +5 on hit. After the restand, using a quick microdash forward into +,+ will create a frametrap. If the opponent tries to attack or escape, they will be hit. Once conditioned to block after the restand, Noob Saibot can then dash forward and throw the opponent.

Resurrected

Noob Saibot’s Resurrected (,,) string is a high to low attack that is primarily used up-close. , leaves Noob Saibot at -5 on block while having a good amount of pushback. ,, is -4 on block and can be hit confirmed into a combo. This string is best used when mixed with throws as it can be difficult for opponents to block ,, and defend against being thrown.

Sinister Silhouette

Sinister Silhouette (+,+) is a low attack with very good range. It will trigger a Krushing Blow if the opponent was stand blocking and not in block stun. Because it is unsafe on block, +,+ is mainly used as a combo ender to switch positions with the opponent. Using Special Moves such as Shadow Slide or Spirit Ball after + can also be a great tactic as it will allow Noob Saibot to attack safely from a distance.

Pokes

Noob Saibot has very strong pokes to use at close range. His + is a 7 frame mid attack that is -4 on block. + is a 9 frame low attack that lowers Noob Saibot’s hurtbox, allowing him to avoid enemy attacks. Using consecutive +s on block can be a solid strategy as Noob Saibot will low profile underneath the opponent’s attacks. Noob Saibot’s + is a 9 frame low attack. Since + is a weapon attack, Noob Saibot will be able to attack from a distance without putting himself at risk.

Throws

Both Noob Saibot’s Toward Throw and Back Throw send the opponent away, allowing for him to start his zoning game. Additionally, they both trigger a Krushing Blow if the opponent failed to Throw Escape the previous throw. Mixing up which direction to throw the opponent can be a good way to trigger the Krushing Blow. Noob Saibot’s throws are great when mixed with ,,,,, and ,,.

Anti-airs

Noob Saibot has a variety of anti-airs to prevent opponents from jumping at him. His + serves as a great anti-air due to its vertical hitbox. Another strong anti-air tool is Rising Shadow Kick (). When used, Noob Saibot will launch a shadow diagonally upwards. Rising Shadow Kick has a start-up of 8 frames making it a very good anti-air to use. In his Pitch Black variation, Noob Saibot is given Sickle Snag (). With a start-up of 9 frames, Sickle Snag allows Noob Saibot to counter airborne opponents and when Amplified, will launch the opponent for a combo.

Ghostball

In Noob Saibot’s Seeing Double variation, he gains Ghostball (). Ghostball is a slow 42 frame unblockable projectile that decreases the opponent’s Offensive Meter and Defensive Meter. Although it is rather strong on hit as it takes away 1 bar each of the opponent’s Offensive and Defensive Meter, it can easily be avoided by ducking on reaction and should rarely be used. Ghostball can be used at the end of combos after +,+, which can work occasionally against ill-prepared opponents.

Shadow Slide

Aside from zoning, Shadow Slide can be used up-close as well. Since Noob Saibot’s ,, ends in an overhead, Shadow Slide can be used for a 50/50 mix-up. This mix-up however can be blocked on reaction or fuzzy guarded due to Shadow Slide having a start-up of 18 frames and the overhead in ,, having a start-up of 26 frames.

Shadow Slide can also be used after blockstrings such as ,, and +,, to counter opponents attempting to attack. If Amplified, Shadow Slide will leave Noob Saibot at -8 on block, which is completely safe due to pushback. Additionally, Shadow Slide is great when used after ,,,+ and + making them safe on block.

Zoning

Noob Saibot’s greatest strength is his ability to zone with his shadows. Shadow Tackle () is a mid shadow attack that is mainly used in zoning. Having a rather slow start-up of 24 frames, it’s best to use at far distances. When Amplified, Shadow Tackle will deal increased damage and can trigger a Krushing Blow if you have connected with at least 10 shadow Special Moves. It’s imperative to always keep count of how many shadow Special Moves that have hit the opponent, then Amplify Shadow Tackle for the Krushing Blow when the time is right.

In Noob Saibot’s Seeing Double variation, he gains an additional shadow attack called Shadow Slide (). Shadow Slide is an 18 frame low shadow attack that reaches halfscreen. Due to its quick travel speed, Shadow Slide is an amazing move for controlling space and stopping the opponent’s movements. What’s great about Shadow Slide is that if it’s Amplified, it will count as 2 shadow Special Moves, making it easier to access Noob Saibot’s Shadow Tackle Krushing Blow. A good strategy is to mix up the regular and Amplified Shadow Slide. If the opponent tries to move after blocking the regular Shadow Slide, they may be hit by the Amplified version.

Noob Saibot’s Dark Sabbath variation acquires Spirit Ball (). Spirit Ball is an 18 frame high projectile. When zoning, an effective strategy is to mix up both Spirit Ball and Shadow Tackle. Opponents attempting to duck underneath the Spirit Ball will be prone to being hit by Shadow Tackle.

Noob Saibot is given a couple of new zoning tools in his Pitch Black variation. Sickle Toss () is an overhead attack that can be directed close, mid or far. Sickle Toss attacks from above and has a very large hitbox, allowing Noob Saibot to hit airborne opponents. If Amplified, Sickle Toss will launch the opponent up for a combo. Noob Saibot can convert off of this by immediately using Tele-Slam after Sickle Toss. At closer ranges, Noob Saibot can combo after Amplified Sickle Toss by dashing forward and using +,,.

While in the air, Noob Saibot will be able to zone with (Air) Shadow Dive () in his Pitch Black variation. When used, Noob Saibot will launch a shadow diagonally downwards. (Air) Shadow Dive is mainly used while jumping backwards to hit advancing opponents. When jumping forward, (Air) Shadow Dive can also be used to counter anti-air attempts. Once the opponent respects the (Air) Shadow Dive, Noob Saibot can then freely jump at the opponent without being anti-aired.

Counterzoning

As well as having a strong zoning game, Noob Saibot has the ability to counterzone with teleports. Tele-Slam () is a high teleport that can be used to counter enemy projectiles. Against slower projectiles, Tele-Slam can be used on reaction to punish the opponent. Amplifying Tele-Slam will deal additional damage, and can launch the opponent up for a combo in Noob Saibot’s Dark Sabbath variation.

In his Seeing Double variation, (Air) Tele-Slam () allows Noob Saibot to teleport while in the air. (Air) Tele-Slam boosts Noob Saibot’s aerial mobility as he will be able to jump and teleport at any given moment. This makes punishing projectiles much easier as Noob Saibot can jump and teleport on reaction to thrown projectiles.

The Dark Sabbath variation gives Noob Saibot another teleport called (Air) Sickle Port (). (Air) Sickle Port is a teleport that can be used to approach opponents from the air. This can be used to counter projectiles while airborne and when Amplified, will launch the opponent up for a combo. Amplifying (Air) Sickle Port will leave Noob Saibot at -9 on block, but can be difficult to punish especially against characters with an 8 frame attack as they will only have 1 frame to punish. It’s a good idea to mix up the regular (Air) Sickle Port and the Amplified version to keep opponents guessing on how to punish.