GBVS/Katalina/Starter

Key Moves

Grounded Moves

c.LGuardMidStartup5Recovery6Advantage+2 is Katalina's fastest normal. It sets up a Frame trap An offensive technique where the attacker leaves a small opening in their offense, goading the defender into performing an attack. This opening is designed such that the attacker can easily counter the defender's attack with their own. with c.MGuardMidStartup6Recovery13Advantage-1 on block and can also link into itself, 2LGuardLowStartup6Recovery6Advantage+2 or c.MGuardMidStartup6Recovery13Advantage-1 on hit.
f.LGuardMidStartup6Recovery6Advantage+1 is your fastest far button that stays active the longest, used for Abare An attack during the opponent's pressure, intended to interrupt it. and many block punishes. It's a good poke option for checking an opponent who's coming in. It can link to c.MGuardMidStartup6Recovery13Advantage-1 on counter hit except at max range.
f.MGuardMidStartup8Recovery18Advantage-6 is Katalina's longest-reaching normal. Its speed and range make it useful for interrupting your opponent's gameplan, but it can be low profiled or punished on whiff. It's a great counterpoke against your opponent's whiffed moves.
2MGuardMidStartup7Recovery15Advantage-5 is slightly shorter than f.MGuardMidStartup8Recovery18Advantage-6, but also comes out faster, making it useful for abare An attack during the opponent's pressure, intended to interrupt it. and punishing moves that f.MGuardMidStartup8Recovery18Advantage-6 is too slow to. Its low hitbox makes it a strong option for punishing rolls.
2UGuardLowStartup8Recovery21Advantage-11 is the longer of Katalina's two low moves and is very useful for catching opponents trying to walk back to get out of her range.

Anti-Airs

2HGuardMidStartup10Recovery23Advantage-12 is your main anti-air normal that leads to very damaging combos using 5U or 214LGuardMidStartup16Recovery18Advantage-7 (at worst)/214MGuardMidStartup20Recovery21Advantage-8 (at worst).
f.MGuardMidStartup8Recovery18Advantage-6 and f.HGuardMidStartup9Recovery23Advantage-10 are useful for catching midair opponents that fall into their respective spaces.
623LGuardMid→AllStartup9Recovery30Advantage-23, 623MGuardMid, AllStartup9Recovery34Advantage-27 and 623HGuardMidStartup9Recovery35Advantage-28 are Katalina's dedicated anti-air special move. All have startup invulnerability, the L and M versions are only air unblockable in the earliest frames of the move while H is fully air unblockable. She reaches very high but doesn't move forward very much.

Aerials

j.LGuardHigh/AirStartup5Recovery0Advantage- is a very fast crossup button and is good for punishing the opponent threw out after you jumped.
j.MGuardHigh/AirStartup6RecoveryUntil LAdvantage- and j.HGuardHigh/AirStartup7RecoveryUntil LAdvantage- are great air-to-air and jump-in options, with j.MGuardHigh/AirStartup6RecoveryUntil LAdvantage- reaching a bit further out.
j.UGuardHigh/AirStartup13RecoveryUntil LAdvantage- is Kat's most useful jump-in button due to its low hitbox that can also hit behind her as she's crossing up an opponent. It can beat a lot of late anti-air attempts.

Light Wall

Katalina's Unique Action is Light Wall. When you press 5U, Katalina raises a shield and begins charging for as long as you hold U.

The shield can absorb 1 hit of armor, with any further hits putting Katalina into hitstun. The damage on any armored hit is reduced by 40%, but your opponent is still able to use any of their usual cancel options.

When U is released, Katalina will step forward with a slash. The slash has multiple levels of charge that affect its damage and followup potential. You charge it by holding 5U. Lv1 and 2 are used in some combos. Lv3 is very rare to land, but leads to a full combo on hit.

Both the shield and the follow-up slash can be cancelled into a forward step with 66 or a backstep with 44. While these both leave you minus when the opponent is blocking, this is where Light Wall really shines, as these step cancels allow Katalina to continue combos off of Light Wall slash hits, attempt to reset her pressure, or set up advantageous spacing where she can trap an opponent trying to escape the corner with a button.

Special Moves

Frozen Blade (236X)

236X is Frozen Blade, Katalina's ice sword "Fireball A projectile which usually travels slowly across the screen in a horizontal path above the ground.". All versions have the same startup, with 236LGuardAllStartup16RecoveryTotal 45Advantage-9's projectile moving slower than 236MGuardAllStartup16RecoveryTotal 45Advantage-9's. 236HGuardAllStartup16RecoveryTotal 48Advantage+2 moves as fast as 236MGuardAllStartup16RecoveryTotal 45Advantage-9 and has slightly more recovery, but hits 3 times and allows for followups in combos or continued Pressure To attack the opponent continuously and leave little room for counter attacks. on block. As a Katalina player you will be canceling your pokes into Frozen Blade often to make yourself more safe or extend your pressure.

Enchanted Lands (214X)

214X is Enchanted Lands, Katalina's thrust special. You can cancel any grounded normal into 214LGuardMidStartup16Recovery18Advantage-7 (at worst) on hit for a push towards the corner, or 214HGuardMidStartup16 [17-76]Recovery19Advantage-8 (at worst) [+4] for a hard knockdown. You can use 214MGuardMidStartup20Recovery21Advantage-8 (at worst) after an auto combo for a little more damage and a soft knockdown. The launch from 214HGuardMidStartup16 [17-76]Recovery19Advantage-8 (at worst) [+4] will cause a wallbounce if the opponent is close enough to the corner. This wallbounce is where most of Katalina's big damage comes from so this cooldown is a bit more valuable to her than the others. 214MGuardMidStartup20Recovery21Advantage-8 (at worst) causes a wallbounce on a Counter A move wherein your character pre-empts the opponent's attack, and attacks if hit by the opponent. hit, essentially allowing you an extra 214X in the corner combo.

Emerald Sword (623X)

623X is Emerald Sword, Katalina's . All versions have an invulnerable startup. and are air unblockable for the first two active frames, while is air unblockable for all of its active frames. This special (often input with the simple input 6S!) is a great option to escape during gaps in your opponent's pressure or challenge some special moves on reaction. It's also a quick, high-reaching, and fairly consistent anti-air. The opponent can score a big counter hit if they block 623X, even if they block in the air, so don't use it predictably. Emerald Sword is also Kat's usual meterless combo ender, with granting a on hit. builds a lot of meter, so it's preferable to use it as an anti-air or combo ender early in a round.

Combos

Midscreen

Miscreen, Katalina generally wants to cancel her long normals (f.LGuardMidStartup6Recovery6Advantage+1, f.MGuardMidStartup8Recovery18Advantage-6, 2MGuardMidStartup7Recovery15Advantage-5, f.HGuardMidStartup9Recovery23Advantage-10) or autocombo into 214X or 623X in order to push the opponent towards the corner and knock them down. Ending in 623H builds a lot of meter for Katalina in addition to the hard knockdown, so it's good to use this earlier in rounds.

You can cancel any of Katalina's normals into Rush, which can then be cancelled into 214X or 236X midscreen. This will carry the opponent even further across the screen.

Corner

Avoid using autocombo in corner combos as it will reduce the damage significantly.

Near the corner, hitting with 214HGuardMidStartup16 [17-76]Recovery19Advantage-8 (at worst) [+4] or counter hit 214MGuardMidStartup20Recovery21Advantage-8 (at worst) will cause a wall bounce, after which Katalina can link a c.MGuardMidStartup6Recovery13Advantage-1 or 2MGuardMidStartup7Recovery15Advantage-5. Then she can use 236HGuardAllStartup16RecoveryTotal 48Advantage+2 and link a c.HGuardMidStartup9Recovery21Advantage-8 or 2HGuardMidStartup10Recovery23Advantage-12 followed by her choice of ender.

A typical corner combo looks like:

... > 214HGuardMidStartup16 [17-76]Recovery19Advantage-8 (at worst) [+4] > c.MGuardMidStartup6Recovery13Advantage-1 > 236HGuardAllStartup16RecoveryTotal 48Advantage+2 > c.HGuardMidStartup9Recovery21Advantage-8 > Ender

Enders:

623L (okizeme)
623M (damage)
623H (okizeme/meter gain)
236236H/236236U (closing rounds)

What to do After a Knockdown ()

Katalina is equipped with various safe jump A very well-timed jump attack on a character who is rising from a knockdown. Your goal is to attack extremely close to when you land so that, if the character performs an invincible reversal attack, you will land and be able to block. The opponent is then forced to block your jumping attack, since reversaling doesn't work, which will give you some nice pressure and hopefully an opening. J.U and meaty 2L/c.L safejab setups. Practice these by entering Training Mode and setting your training dummy to DP on wakeup. When done correctly, you should be able to block the DP after the last attack button you input.

By knockdown:

Forward Throw

After a forward throw...

...at Midscreen

66 j.HGuardHigh/AirStartup7RecoveryUntil LAdvantage- - do a short dash forward, jump with 9, and press j.HGuardHigh/AirStartup7RecoveryUntil LAdvantage- as you land while holding 1 or G.

High jump(9) j.UGuardHigh/AirStartup13RecoveryUntil LAdvantage- - High jump forward and press j.UGuardHigh/AirStartup13RecoveryUntil LAdvantage- as you land while holding 1 or G.

...in the Corner

9 > 2LGuardLowStartup6Recovery6Advantage+2 - forward jump, press and hold 1, press L when you land.

High jump(9) j.UGuardHigh/AirStartup13RecoveryUntil LAdvantage- - High jump forward and press j.UGuardHigh/AirStartup13RecoveryUntil LAdvantage- as you land while holding 1 or G.

214MGuardMidStartup20Recovery21Advantage-8 (at worst) - Simply input 214MGuardMidStartup20Recovery21Advantage-8 (at worst) (or 4MS) as soon as possible after the forward throw, then hold 1 or G.

Back Throw

After a back throw...

Roll (6G) > 2LGuardLowStartup6Recovery6Advantage+2 - Roll towards the opponent, hold 1, and press L as soon as possible.

623H

After 623HGuardMidStartup9Recovery35Advantage-28...

...when the opponent is grounded at midscreen

9 > 2LGuardLowStartup6Recovery6Advantage+2 - forward jump, press and hold 1, press L when you land.

...when the opponent is grounded in the corner

9 > 2LGuardLowStartup6Recovery6Advantage+2 - forward jump, press and hold 1, press L when you land.

High jump(9) j.UGuardHigh/AirStartup13RecoveryUntil LAdvantage- - High jump forward and press j.U as you land while holding 1 or G.

Spending Meter

Katalina can use Rush (6M+H) to cover more of the screen after a poke, allowing her more corner carry.

Rush can be a useful confirm off of a f.LGuardMidStartup6Recovery6Advantage+1 whiff punish, as it's easier than confirming directly into 214X.

Canceling Rush into 236HGuardAllStartup16RecoveryTotal 48Advantage+2 is also an alternate way to get a knockdown or launch option to begin a corner combo when 214X is on cooldown. Do note that if 214X comes off cooldown during a Rush corner combo, using it will reduce its potential damage a lot. You should save it for the next combo where you can get the most out of it.

Backshift (4M+H) can be useful on wakeup to escape an opponent's pressure and set Katalina back up at her strong range. You can use it to escape certain characters' setups on your knockdown, but the recovery on Backshift can be punished.