This guide will teach you how to play Sazabi and give you strategies to deal with different opponents and situations.
 

So you want Sazabi to play?

Whether a Sazabi fan or a tank, you have decided that Sazabi is the right choice. I will discuss Sazabi’s abilities in detail, how to use them, and the various strategies and tactics they can use. Before we get into the abilities, we must first cover his basic tools.
 
 

Sazabi Essentials

 
 
Sazabi's hp is 1400. He has his shield with him, which allows him to take extreme punishments before he gives out. But, don't let that stop you from using your shield. You can still be two-shot with the right weapon and ability even if your shield is down. Because of your large hp, it is vital to be aware of all medkit areas. As you will likely be able utilize the stronger med*ikits to its full potential, I'm sure that many of you can attest to how annoying it can be to have to fight an opponent heal midfight. But, that opponent with another 1k HP can be a game changer. This is why, regardless of whether you are pushing for a point or defending it, you need to have at least one medical kit you can reach with your dash. Based on the number of Harus, the haru Medkits restore a certain amount (or a combination thereof) of HP.
 

 
3 = 1000/ 2 = 750/ 1 = 500
 
 

Weapon

 
 
Next, we'll look at the Beam shot rifle. It is basically a glorified pistol, with 7 shots. You really have to make it count. First, range. This may seem obvious since Sazabi is using a shotgun. But in order for your shots be effective, you need to be very close to your opponent. With slight variance, you will deal between 350 – 450 to damage per shot at optimal range. This is enough for most MS units to be shot three times. I will be discussing the tactics further, but in general you want to wait until you get the right shot against the wildly dashing barractos or zakus. Rather than firing willy-nilly and being forced reload, this will make it difficult to keep your shield down. You should not jump and shoot when you are directly in the enemy's face. Jumping can cause your shots to scatter so you will only do minimal damage.
 
 

 
 

Mobility

 
 
For this section, we will talk about Sazabi’s mobility. Sazabi, who is tall and tanky, is slow and very slow. This is because he will always arrive last if your team is trying to rush to accomplish their objectives. Sazabi does have one ability that helps him mobility, but generally speaking, you should master the use of your single long run. The long dash can be used for two purposes. One is to quickly reach a medical kit which you are likely to be near. The other is to get close enough to your weapon to use it properly. This strategy can be risky depending on the situation. It is a good idea to save your dash in case you get separated from medkits, or become overwhelmed. Sazabi also benefits from disengaging, which will be explored further. Although it is not a common use, cancelling your dash can be done quickly enough to save half of your gauge. This is useful if you decide that your reason for dashing or just require a little movement.
 
 
 

Abilities

Sazabi's capabilities can be a huge game changer if they are used correctly. While I won't go into every ability's tactics, I will discuss how they can be used in the best way.
 
 

 
 
 

Shield

Sazabi’s Shield, Arguably, his best and most valuable ability. It is easy to see but has a lot of nuance.
 
 
To begin Sazabi’s shield has 1400 hp. It is the equivalent of Sazabi’s own HP bar. So if an enemy is forced into your shield they must grind through 2800 hp in order to kill you. That is quite a bit I'm sure. Sazabi’s shield when lowered (or broken) begins to regenerate after an delay of 2.5 seconds.
 
 
However, if you allow Sazabi to break your shield through damage or ability that stunned you, you must wait 12, whole, seconds for the shield to work again. The shield will then be at only 700 hp. You should avoid having your shield blown up unless you are dealing with damage or an ability that could kill you.
 
 
Your shield will block any direct fire. However AOE attacks or abilities will bypa*s your shield and cause damage to your HP. This could include grenades or DOM, Turn A Ut, ect.
 
 
The shield covers Sazabi as a 180 degree radius. This means if enemies are behind or to your left, they are fully able of still damaging your shields and bypa*sing your shields. It is vital to keep track of enemy positions so you don't lose your opponents when they rush around you.
 
 
Let's talk about shield use in combat. If you get into a skirmish with your shield damaged, you should avoid using your shield unless your engaged in a lengthy engagement. Additionally, avoid touching your shield as it activates the 2.5 second delay which stops any regeneration. This raises the question, "Is shield or HP more important?". Sounds easy right? You might be thinking, "Well, HP is more essential." It's not as simple as it seems. Remember all I said about staying close to medkits. HP becomes a resource equal or greater than shields if you are near a Menthus ally or a medkit. When engaging with enemies, it is important to remember that if the shield is damaged but there is a way to heal, you should tank some damage using your HP. However, you should use the shield if your life or safety is at stake.
 
 
Also, a minor point to remember is that if your shield has been up while you are using a dash, it will be put down until your dash is complete. So if you're being shot at while low in HP, don’t use a dash.
 
 
 

Homing Boost

The boost is a great tool to help alleviate mobility problems. The boost can lock on an ally, or the beam hawk. However, I strongly advise against boosting towards allies. Their constantly changing location will often impede your intended boost route. If they are downed, and you think you have a good chance of fixing them, then I would only recommend boosting towards teammates.
 
 
One thing I notice a lot of Sazabi’s doing is tomahawking their opponent and using their boost to move closer to them. This can seem like a good idea. Your dash is saved, you move closer to your opponent and you can use your shotgun. However, while a Sazabi's boost may seem like the fastest thing in all of the world to them, to their enemies it is incredibly slow. Your are slowly boosting towards your teammate in straight lines, but no one would be willing to give up that chance for a free kill.
 
 
The best way of using the boost is to use it as a beacon. As shown in these examples, you can get to higher areas much quicker than you ever thought possible.
 
 

 
 

 
 
Finally, while the boost is virtually limitless in range, it is quite short. As shown in the screenshot below boost would cover only 1/3 of the distance.
 
 

 
 
 

Beam Tomahawk

This section will not be very long because the beam tamahawk is not an ideal ability. The hit box of the tomahawk's can is very small and it can be difficult to hit. Due to its nature, the tomahawk can only be used for a short time. You will not be able shoot or raise your shield for several seconds. The stun function of the tomahawk is limited to 2 shots, provided they can respond well.
 
 
In general, there are two primary uses for the tomahawk: using it together and the boost for mobility to deal with enemy who also have a weapon.
 
 
As the first section is short, it will be explained briefly. However, you want your tomahawk to be used for mobility when you are not in a direct combat situation.
 
 
The second is also very straightforward. Most players who play MS unit with shields will shield aggressively next to your face, especially GMs since they have a Shield Bash. Tomahawks should be used when you see a player whip their shield out. Most players will devote least 2 seconds to holding their shield. The tomahawk deals 350 damage which is approximately 1 of your shots.
 
 
A few other minor issues: The tomahawk has dropped. How much? (thrown in the middle of crosshairs)
 
 

 
 
The tomahawk only has a 6 second cooling down. So, you could theoretically fire them quickly, but given how finicky it can become, it is better that you spend that time either shooting or repositioning.
 
 
It is discouraged that you try to trade abilities between MS units with stuns. However, many other MS units like Turn A have hyper armor during stun abilities or better hitboxes.
 
 
 

Enemy Search

Enemy search (or scan), I just refer it to as scan. An odd ability, it doesn’t seem to fit with most of the Sazabi’s equipment at first and works a little differently to most other scans.
 
 
The scan works as follows: you must be looking at your enemy while the ability activates, and after looking at them for less than a second, your enemies will appear to you and your friends for 8 seconds. The scan is on a collective cool down if you scan an enemy. 1 second into you ability , or 3 seconds into it. Both will be scanned for same duration.
 
 
However, scanning enemies can be quite easy. It has an apparent unlimited range of scanning and you only need to see a portion of the enemy's model to actually scan them.
 
 

 
 
Let's get to the actual uses. Sure, you could scan at the start and let your team know about enemies, but there is a way I like to use it that ties in with the ability I have been discussing.
 
 
That is, disengaging. I am sure that you have all tried to disengage but have been met by one persistent player, who will follow your three laps around the match just for you. This is why your scan should be used as soon you feel it is time. (it doesn't have animation so you can pop the item at any time. Also, it is shielded) Then, stop. If an enemy is chasing you, try to get into a corner or behind walls and take 2 shots to eliminate them.
 
 
 

Funnels

Now we have reached the ultimate, the devastating funnels. But they do have one flaw, you. As tanky as Sazabi might be, funnels make him a target and tell every enemy to fire you. Also, unlike other ultimates, there is no damage reduction. Your base kit will protect you.
 
 
The Funnels have huge pros to balance these cons. As any Sazabi veteran would tell you, a well-used funnel could easily demolish an entire group. This is due in part to two reasons.
 
 
The first is that funnels are based on line-of-sight, but not yours, but rather an omnidirectional line placed on yourself. The second is that the funnels can attack opponents even when they are not looking at them.
 
 

 
 
The second advantage to funnels is their deceptively large range, as illustrated in the screenshot below.
 
 

 
 
These two factors will mean that as long you are alive and could have vision of your enemy, the funnels can quickly reduce them to size. The funnels should be used only when the entire team is involved in a push. If the enemies focus on you, you will likely destroy the rest. Or, you could use the funnels while flanking an opponent. Even if they emit a large sound notification, not being immediately visible to their opponents will buy them the precious seconds to end them.
 
 
 

Strategies

This section will not be repeated much, but will discuss strategies and tactics that will help you win.
 
 

Defense

 
 
Sazabi can be a threat when it is forced to defend.
 
 
Unless your team is not planning to play an offensive defense during a match, it's best to bunker down in a choke point where enemies will arrive.
 
 
As the match nears its climax, you will need to be present at the objective. This holds true for both defense or offense, but is more common in defense. This may seem obvious but it is not a good idea to defuse yourself if you are the one who is planting/defusing a bomb. You cannot shield yourself . You can however stand in front of an allies defusing and act as a ma*sive 2800 HP steel shield for them. You can also place a funnel to capture bomb locations and capture points in tight rooms.
 
 

Offense

 
 
While Sazabi is a tank, most would argue that the tank should lead the charge. However with a menthus at your side or armor boosted, this can often fail if the enemy has a good range sniper and dommines. Sazabi is an excellent flanker thanks to your boost, which allows for you to maneuver quickly to otherwise inaccessible spots. Even though it can take some time, having a Sazabi behind your team is something you do not want to see. Long range combatants have tunnel vision which allows them to see their flankers, giving them an unobtainable tomahawk.
 
 

Matchups

 
 
Sazabit, despite all this, can still face certain opponents. These include, but are not limited to, himself.
 
 

Sazabi Vs Sazabi

 
 
Two Sazabi's meeting turns into a fight over mind games. It ultimately comes down to two questions: when is he throwing the tomahawk? and how many shots does it have. Sazabi, a large slow tank makes him a great target for his shotgun. If he has all seven shots and can lands your tomahawk, the Sazabi next to him is dead. But, the problem is that you have to land your tomahawk. Sazabi knows the tomahawk well, and you know that you want to throw the tomahawk at a shielded enemy. If you do meet another Sazabi you should have a trigger finger on the dash key. So the mind games begin. Sometimes the Sazabis just shield up and start shooting. Sometimes you gamble and sprint behind the Sazabi to try and get a lucky shot at his back before the Sazabi turns around. You could place yourself in front of a medkit but he could be thinking the exact same thing and take it first. Or maybe you just shield up hoping a teammate comes to break the tie.
 
 
If you don’t want your mind to wander, wait 2 seconds after the Sazabi is seen. If he doesn’t run tomahawk his, or if it takes two seconds for him to dash, then you can pray you are reloaded before you meet him.
 
 

Turn A

 
 
Turn A is a pain for Sazabi. They grapple will hard counter you in all senses. If you are at close range, your an easy target. The grapple also has a large hit box so even if it seems like you are trying to run away, you almost always get hit. Tomahawk the turn. Their grapple grants them super armor, allowing them to ignore stun or damage.
 
 
The best advice that I can offer is:
 
 
You should immediately throw your tomahawk when you spot a Turn A. DO NOT CLOSE IN This tomahawk serves as a bait. Once you have used your weapon, you can use your boost and make it appear like you intend charging them. If you get lucky, you can cancel the boost immediately and sprint away. If you are lucky, the grapple will have been evaded and the turn A will be an easy target.
 
 

Asshimar

 
 
His transformed mode can make it difficult to land a decent shot against Sazabi. I recommend you try to get away with his napalmgrenade as it goes through your shield. You also need to body block him. It can be very difficult but the satisfaction in blasting an Asshimar from the air is unrivalled.
 
 

Zaku 2 Ranged

 
 
Zaku 2 ranged's large number of dashes combined with his immunity smoke makes him difficult to handle. You will likely run low on ammo and have your life ended. I usually deal by placing my back against a wall to force them to attack my shield. Then, I wait for them not to run out of dashes to shoot.
 
 

Zaku 2 Melee

 
 
Another tough matchup. This time, it is much easier if it is 1v1. The melee zaku builds his rage from the damage he takes and deals, so many allies can shoot him while he remains invincible. It is risky to fight him in a 1v1 situation. You can then land a Tomahawk to quickly kill him.
 
 

Barbatos

 
 
It's easy, just use your dashes well to avoid his abilities. You can quickly kill him.
 
 

GM Sniper

 
 
If you can't or he's too far away to allow you to flank, avoid his sight lines. You have another option: Throw a cheeky tacky tomahawk at him.
 
 
 

Closing Notes

Here are some random things.
 
 
Comment if you think I've missed something
 
 
– You are never immortal, even if Menthus ults in you.
 
 
– It's so sucky fighting Turn A
 
 
– I recommend that you get a recolor Sazabi. Most people who only see a Sazabi of a color other than yellow or blue are not likely to recognize them as Sazabi.
 
 
– I want more tomahawk hits
 
 
A Zeon soldier is left in tears every time your shield comes crashing down.
 
 
– An emulator can be used to emulate the Sazabi power fantasy Playing dynasty warriors

 
 
Here we come to an end for the Sazabi: A guide on truly becoming the Red Comet – GUNDAM EVOLUTION guide. I hope this guide has helped you with your gameplay. If you have something to add to this guide or believe we forgot some information to add, please let us know via comment! We check each comment manually by approving them!