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print. but of oourse it's au subject tod'!sr..go if
futuro patches aro rcloasod to addross potenti;)!
balanco lssuos. Changes to data con easily aHect
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to play eadl chatecter ancf their overau strategies

are unlikely to be affected. Just incase thoy aro.

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...
The group of players assembled to ma~e and .to pre~e(lt rt ai~Y,l ~ bea,~ljul, ~~s~ t~, use
this guide are to~ rnament winners in their
forma.t... But. th;1.;~~er volume of .C':l~.lerial
respective countries across Europe. Theyv,e open for discuss,k~9!is beyond the scope of
spent months playing and researching to un ; even a guide a~gig~htic as this. MuCh of the
~
cover as much as possible about the game.' delail containe'cr within can ..seem very technical, even bewildering, if you are unfam.iliar
ao\1 reach the level of expertise necessary
understand the characters and teach others
with its meaning and usage. But the point
Y'
how they are played.
:
I . of ihis book\ s n'o) to trans.form the playing
experience int'o a' series of 'rules and terms.
'
r
Every one of these players loves the' game Each,acronym,
every nu ~eri~a l value and all
dearly. Even JAG. But even for t~em, mas- of the technical phrases .used are there to

tering SOULCALIBUR V is a journey barely make understanding the garre easier and

begun. The game is an evolved beast. at first to allow us to squeeze in even more inforappearing simplified, but revealing a depth in mation. Ultimately, thougH. none of tht'lse
its systems that makes it a completely new things matter; they're just there to describe
kind of SOULCALIBU R. The layered network what happens when you pfay. Just take in as
of system mechanics that work together to much as you need to keep your own journey
form the game's core are intricate and chal
towards mastery enjoyable. We hope that
lenging even as individual elements. Taken
we've a least succeeded in making learn
together. they shape a game that could take
ing a complex fighting game a little less of
years to master.
a daunting proposition than it once was. And
we hopa that you'll have fun reading through
In making this book. our aim has always been
the many pages that follow. and that t hey
to show you as much ot this game as we can, help you enjoy SOULCALIBUR V even more.

. :

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Tho frame daw. comoos and suategies in this

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ABOUTTHe OATA IN THIS GUIDE

{{'

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'

TABLE OF CONTENTS

CHAPTER I - HOW TO PLAY

oo6

Getting Started ........................................008

The Game System ...................................012
Entering Training ......................................016
Training Modes ........................................018
Practical Uses ..........................................02 1
Playing against Human Opponents .........023
Online Play ...............................................031

\t

CHAPTER 2

SYSTEM GUIDE

032

Movement ...............................................034
Attacks & Properties ................................041
Defense ......... ..........................................052

CHAPTER 3 - GAME MODES

oss

Astral Home .............................................060

Offline Play ..............................................061
Arcade .............................. .... ...................067
Quick Bania ............................................. 068
Online Play ...............................................074
Story -1607 A.D.-....................................077
Creation ............. .. ................. ...................085
Colors. Patterns & Stickers ......................088
Shoot Picture ...........................................091

CHAPTER 4- VS PLAY

092

CHAPTER 5 - EXTRAS

424

\
\I

Unlockable Characters ............................. 426

Achievement & Trophy Guide...................440
Character Profiles ....................................444
Quick Reference Unlock Tables ................450
Credits .....................................................480

'

This section is aimed primarily at players new to the SOULCA LI BUR series. If you want to
learn the game and aren't sure where to start, then read ing through this section in order while
you have the game on will be a great idea. We'll take you through all of the basic controls
and explain exactly what each one does. Then we'll have a look at the core game mechanics:
attack, defense, and movement.

BUTTON CONFIGURATION
We will be using standard SOULCALIBUR terminology, as well as some general fighting
game terminology. Consequently, the terms will not match up with button names on the console controllers. For example. the @ symbol refers to the button assigned to the Horizontal
attack, and not the
button on a controller.

Below you can see the default button configuration.

Function

++
+
,t-..

0
0

Function

Playstation 3

button

(ID {Vertical)

button

1RJ (Kick)

e button

@ (Guard)

Right Stick

Cycle training
settings

Playstation 3

-----~ am

- - -4 1ml

++
+

--------~~------~

__

@button

,@ button

Movement.

Directional pad
(1:1.-&. ~.<?. I Left Stick
c::>.~. ~.~)

@ (Horizontal)
@ {Vertical)

@ button

@ (Kick)

button

@ (Guard)

Right Stick

Cycle training
settings

CHAPTEfl I HOW TO PL;<Y I GEITlNG STARTED

COMMANDS

@ = Horizontal
Pressing the @ button will trigger your
chosen character's most basic Horizontal attack. Horizontal @ attacks are
used to catch opponents who are trying
to sidestep around your other attacks.

=Vertical
The button is used for Vertical attacks. Vertical attacks are, in general, your stronger attacks. but can often
be sidestepped, leaving you open to
retaliation.

@=Kick
The @ button gives you access to all
of your character's Kick attacks. Kick attacks cover all kinds of body attacks, including punches and shoulder charges.
Each Kick attack will also be technical ly
classed as either Horizontal or Vertical.

@=Guard
Press and hold the@ button to Guard.
Knowing when to block is one of the
single most important aspects of
SOULCALIBUR V. It is the easiest and
most reliable way to defend yourself
from incoming attacks.

BASIC MOVEMENT
Understanding movement is absolutely crucial in SOULCALIBUR v.
You can dodge your opponent's attacks, move in and out of attack
range, or strategically place yourself near a wall or ring edge. In this
way, movement becomes a fundamental element of your playing strategy. You will want to put your opponent in disadvantageous situations,
for example by staying at a distance where your attacks are more effective than your opponent's, or by positioning yourself such that your
opponent is m ore at risk of being knocked off the edge of the stage.

8-WAYRUN
Pressing and holding any direction w ill cause your character to move
continuous ly in that direction. This is known as S-Way Run. You can
freely move around the fighting arena simply by holding different
directions. Hold+ to run towards your opponent. [-70 1]

..

SIDESTEP
Tap any direction sidestep in that direction. Sidestepping does not
give the freedom of 8-Way Run movement, but during the step your
character moves very quickly, allowing you to evade certain attacks
that cannot be dodged using 8-Way Run.

Every character has jumping attacks assigned to~. "1}, or ~ @; ~.

; and ~. 'if. or ~ @. For simplification, we w ill refer to
these as ~@. ~. and~@ unless otherwise specified.

"1}, or ~

CROUCH

A single tap of {r or ..(}. will result in a sidestep into the background

or foreground. Tapping ~ or ~ makes your character step backwards (away from your opponent) or forwards (towards your opponent).

QUICK MOVE
Double-tap "1}1( or..(),..(), to perform a faster step into the background
or foreground. A successful Quick Move is indicated by white motion trails and a brief swooshing sound. Quick Move allows you to
perform a step and then 8-Way Run (by entering "l}t- or
It also
is easier to perform from a crouching position than a normal sidestep
or 8-Way Run. [~0 1]

-&+>.

JUMP

Press and hold ~ to guard, and then while guarding, press ~. "1},
or ~ to jump backwards, straight up, or forwards . Characters also
have some attacks which cause them to jump. Once airborne, you
are invulnerable to Lows and throw attempts (other than air throws)
until you land.

HIT LEVELS
High (H)
High-hitting attacks can be guarded
standing, but can also be ducked under, either by crouching or using an
attack with Tech Crouch properties {for
more on those, see the System Guide
chapter). To make up for being th e
easiest attack type to defend against.
High attacks are often blessed with
other benefits. such as being very fast,
: or. hav.ing a. wide arc to prevent your
I opp'oner\tifrorri Stepping,

!
: .,

,
'

,
~

li '

Mid (M )
A Mid-hitting attack must be guarded
standing. It will hit you if you are blocking while cr9uched. Mid-level attacks
.are generaii.Y,your strongest attacks.

~ ,; '

'

''

'

'

Low (L)
Attacks tha1 hit Low can only be guarded while crouching, which means you
must press -&+~ (or!:?+~ or~+~).
These, along with throws, are your primary tools to break down defensive
opponents ..
'~~ ' ' t:'' I::.

While holding Cil to guard, press and hold ..(), (or t2 or ~). Your character will duck down. You can release @while holding tt,
or ~ to
remain crouching without guarding. High attacks and normal throws
will miss you while crouching. Guarding while crouching is the only
way to block Low-level attacks (see below).

+.

CHP..PTER 1 I HOW TO PUW I GETTING STARTED

Special Mid (SM)

Some attacks can be blocked whilst
either standing or crouching, but cannot be ducked underneath. These less
common attacks are referred to as
Special Mid-level attacks. Examples
are Natsu's c::>c::>@ and Ivy's ..0.+@.

Special Low (SL)

Special Low-level attacks share the
above properties of Special Mids,
but Special Low attacks can also be
jumped over. Many short range characters have a very fast Special Low attack executed by pressing ..0,.@.

THROWS
Throw attacks ca nnot be guarded. However, normal throws hit at the
High level and therefore can be avoided by crouching .You can 'break'
a throw by tapping the appropriate button within a set window of
time after your opponent's throw hits you. When you do this, you w ill
take asmall amount of damage (approximately 10% of the attempted
throw's normal damage).

CROUCH THROWS
A particular kind of command throw is the crouch throw. This will
wor'k on an opponent who is crouching, or in a Tech Crouched'
state. They can be escaped as with normal grabs; they will also miss
against a standing opponent.

GROUND THROWS

~)+@
All characters have access to a basic @+@ throw. To defend yourse lf
against this, tap @ immediately after your opponent grabs you to
break the throw. You can defend yourself against attacks and @+@
grabs by tapping@ while guarding (holding t!ll.

Ground throws are a fairly rare type of grab that can pick the opponent up off the floor, whi le they are in a downed position. These
can generally be escaped in the same way as normal throws, though
some, such as Voldo's 1::?0, can't be escaped at all.

@+@

The rarest throw type of all, air grabs w ill only connect against an
airborne opponent. Air throws can't be escaped at all.

AIR THROWS
As with @+@ throws, +@ throws are available to all characters,
and these can be defended against ('broken') by tapping after
being grabbed. You can defend yourself against attacks and +@
grabs by tapping while guarding (holding t!l).
...

COMMAND THROWS
Many characters have special grab attacks, performed by inputting
directions before pressing the throw command, (e.g., c::>c::>l~l+@) ,
These often do more damage than a standard throw, and are harder
to break. [ -)0 2]

ATTACK THROWS
The name Attack Throw is misleading in a technical sense, as these
do not share any of the throw properties described above. When specific attacks connect under certain conditions, they cause the attacking character to continue to damage their opponent with one or more
automatic additional attacks. Generally, they cannot t>e escaped, but
some can, such as Xiba 's t2 or~+. [-)0 3]

This section details all of the elements that make up SOULCALIBUR V's
basic gameplay. Th ese are essentially the choices you have while
playing, and the things you'll need to take into account when making
these choices.

WHEN TO ATTACK? WHEN TO MOVE?

WHEN TO DEFEND?

The core gameplay element of SOULCALIBUR V is making these

decisions quickly under pressure. There is never a universal answer
to these questions in any situation, and it will always come down
to reading your opponent and tailoring your choices to combat their
style of play. Nonetheless, a deeper understanding of the game mechanics will enable you to make better choices in the heat of battle.
This knowledge is the foundation upon which you build your skills. In
the long run, the more you know about the game, the better you will
be - more specifically, the better prepared you will be to deal with
the threat facing you.
The first thing we'll look at here is the basic strengths and weaknesses of attacks. The key properties of attacks are speed, range,
damage, tracking, and safety.

from the moment your character begins the move, to the first moment that it can connect w ith your enemy, and is measured in frames.
Aga inst aggressive opponents, you must know your fastest options to
stop them attacking you when you have the advantage. You can also
interrupt opponents using slower moves w ith your fastest attacks.
[ ~0 1)

RANGE
Try to learn the range of your moves. If your attack does not reach
far enough to catch your opponent, you will 'whiff and will be momentarily unable to defend yourself. You should always have in mind
which of your moves can hit your opponent at a certain range. If you
are overly dependent on short range moves, you will have to dash
in close to your opponent, who may be able to attack you first using
longer range moves. Conversely, characters with longer range can
compensate for slower speed by keeping the opponent at bay with
mid and long range moves, forcing t he otherwise faster character into
adopting a defensive position. By staying at a particular distance fro m
your opponent, where their character's options are not as effective
as your own, you can 'space' them and turn the match in your favor.

DAMAGE
SPEED
When both players are trying to attack, the one who connects first will
succeed, so knowing your fastest moves is essential when learning
your character. The character-specific move lists in the VS Play chapter
include the impact attribute. This represents the speed of your attack,

Player Health

240

GeQ.erally you'll be intending to use your most damaging attacks in

battle, as thi s allows you to finish your opponent off more quickly, giving them less chance of beating you. However, be mindful of the fact
that the most damaging option is not always the best option. We will
explore this further in the following chapters. Damage is measured
by a numerical va lue. w ith a full health bar for all characters set at
240. Therefore an attack w hich deals 24 damage will remove 10 %
of your opponent's health. When a character has only 25% health
remaining (60 points), their health bar will change from blue to yellow.
When down to 10% health, low damage attacks (20 points or less)
will do half damage. [ ~o 2)

TRACKING
Certain attacks w ill track in a particular direction, meaning that they
wi ll still catch an opponent trying to dodge sideways w ith a sidestep
or Tech Step attack. Horizontal attacks will usually, but not always,
track both sides, while many Vertical attacks can track as well. Sometimes the weapon trail which appears when an attack is performed
can give a clue as to which side it might track. Some attacks can also
track better than others, meaning that you can avoid some tracking
attacks w ith a sidestep, but may require more precise timing or a bigger step to dodge certain attacks.

SAFETY
After initiating any attack, you r character will need to recover before you
can block or attack again. When your opponent blocks most attacks,
they will recover faster than you do. For certain attacks, your opponent w ill recover fast enough after blocking to attack you back, and you
can not recover in time to defend yourself. This attack is considered
'unsafe,' and in this case your opponent can 'punish' your attack. [ ~0 3)
Every character has certain moves that are 'punishable' in this way.
W hen a move is not punishable by his/her opponent. that move is
'safe.' Taking calculated risks is advantageous in all kinds of gaming
and SOULCALIBUR V is no exception.
Punishing unsafe moves allows you to damage your opponent at no
risk, making it very importa nt in high-level play. If you want to enter tournaments. you should look into learning your own character's
safe and punishable moves at the very least, and when possible
learn which of your opponents' attacks are punishable. Many attacks
which seem very strong are often unsafe. so if you can punish them
consistently, you can deter other players from using th em. Learning
punishment is therefore a very important part of developing anticharacter strategies.

CHAPTE.R I I HOW TO PLM I THE GAi\1E SYSTEM

THE CRITICAL GAUGE

~t
~
10_001

The Critical Gauge is a new addition to SOULCALIBUR V .

It takes the form of a gauge that you can fill by performing different actions. and once filled it will reward you with
access to some powerful new techniques.

Uso

Cost

Command

Guard Impact

2 Sub stocks(~ bar)

<?@++@

Brave Edge

2 Sub stocks ( ~ bar)

Character-specific

Critical Edge

4 Sub stocks (1 bar)

.0. ~ ~!H::! o::t>@+IID+@

GUARD IMPACT
With two sub stocks available, you can press<?@++@ at the right
time to repel you r opponent's attack with a Guard Impact. They will be
unable to guard or retaliate for a short time, allowing you to follow-up
with an attack that they cannot block. If the opponent has enough
Critical Gauge, however, they can attempt a Guard Impact of their
own to stop your incoming attack. [ -+0 4]
A successful Guard Impact is indicated by a green wave and your opponent being knocked back. Guard Impact is ineffective against throws,
Unblockable attacks, and Critical Edge attacks. Some Critical Edge
attacks, such as Maxi's and Pyrrha's, have automatic follow-up attacks
when blocked. Guard Impact is effective against these follow-ups.

BRAVE EDGE
Again, at the cost of two sub stocks, you can press @++@ immediately after executing certain moves to perform a Brave Edge attack.
This is a powered-up version of the normal move. The effects depend
on the initial attack and could be more damage, more 'blockstun;
additional attacks, or a combination of these or other effects. Brave
Edge attacks are indicated by a fiery red and yellow glow emanating
from the attacking character.

CRITICAL EDGE
To execute your character's unique Critical Edge attack, input
{).~o::t>{).'i::!o::t>+!ID+@. These are accompanied by a.close-up of your
character announcing the impending attack, as long as you were not
interrupted during the 'startup frames.' The opponent cannot perform
any commands during this close-up.
Your ~ costs four sub stocks, so it's important to use it at times when

..

it's guaranteed to connect, to ensure that you don't w aste th e valubale

meter. Always be wary of your opponent's ~too, as these attacks can

be devastating and can change the course of a fight very quickly. You
can input a ~ more easily by pressing {).~...(7~@++@.

'

JUST GUARD
Tap and release @ just before an opponent's attack connects to
perform a Just Guard. When successful, a blue glow will appear and
your character will block the incoming attack without being knocked
back at all. When used against heavier-hitting moves, t his allows you
to recover much faster than your opponent and retaliate with a guaranteed attack. Which counter-attacks are guaranteed will depend on
which attack was Just Guarded. [-+ 0 5]

To Just Guard a Low-level attack. tap and release@ wh ile crouching.

Unlike the Guard Impact, Just Guard can be used to defend against
Unblockable attacks. Critical Edge attacks cannot be Just Guarded,
though some of them have follow-up hits that do allow for the possibility. It is still ineffective against throws, however.

COMBOS
When you hit your opponent, certai'n moves will leave
them vulnerable to furth er attacks, allowing you to 'combo' a series of attacks which your opponent cannot defend
against. Learn you r character's most useful and damaging
combos to make the most of your successful attacks, and
thereby increase your chances of victory.

STUNS
Attacks which 'stun' your opponent cause them to reel in pain, leaving them completely vulnerable. If you recover quickly enough from
your attack, you can continue with further guaranteed attacks. These
attacks may continue to stun the opponent, creating new opportunities for prolonged and damaging combos.
There are specific types of stuns which can be inflicted. If, during a
stun combo, the same type of stun is in flicted twice, the vu lnerable
character w ill recover faster and no further combo attacks w ill be
possible. We w ill describe some different stuns and t heir properties
in the System Guide chapter.

LAUNCHERS
A ' launcher' is pow erful attack that sends the opponent into the air,
leaving them vulnerable to further attacks before they land. After the

fi rst attack connects against the airborne opponent, they can then
'air control' to escape ensuing potential damage. Air controlling is
context-specific; some moves after certain launchers will be avoidable by air cont roll ing, and others wil l not.
Because of this, some combos which work against a training dummy
may not be guaranteed against a real opponent. Air combos will ideally be guaranteed after a given launcher, meaning that t he other player
will be unable to air control away from the further attacks. [ -+0 6)

CRITICAL GAUGE COMBOS

iij and C!l3 attacks are often more powerful than your normal attacks and can lead to some
spectacular combos. However, to execute a combo with one or more Iilli I C!l3 attacks, you
will requ ire enough meter to perform each of these attacks.

to perform a combo including a (!]3, you will need one full bar of Critical Gauge.
involving two lmls and a ~. you will need both bars fully-charged.
tailor your combos according to how much Critical Gauge you have remainyou want to keep. Bear in mind that you can build meter during a combo,
be able to fill the Gauge with enough meter to perform a special attack
short.

SELECTING YOUR CHARACTER

Selecting your character is probably the most important choice you will ever make in
SOULCALIBUR V . That being said, there really are no ru les in choosing the right one for you.
Some players are drawn to tshe character they t hink is the strongest; others like to identify
personally with their chosen character. You might prefer the one who looks the coolest, or
whom you find the easiest to use. We would recommend selecting the character you want to
use, no matter what your reasons are.
There is nothing stopping you from using multiple characters, though top players generally know
one character extremely well, rather than maf.ly characters fairly well. Learning how to overcome
your character's weaknesses is one of the m'ost enjoyable challenges in SOULCALIBUR V, and
one of the best ways to improve as a player; but, if a character isn't working out, you can
always switch to another. If you would like some help selecting the character that fits you
best, take a look at the following collection of character styles and traits .

...

Character Overview
Range

Spociality

Ease of Use

Poking

Medium I Close

Justice

Basic

Poking
Rushdown

Close

Style

Basic

Medium I Close

Quick damage

Moderate

I Medium
Medium

Ring Out

Basic

Knockdown

Basic

Long
Long I Close

Keep-out
Whiff punishing

Moderate
Complex

Close

Evasion

Basic

Long

Brutality

Moderate

Close
Medium

Mood swings

Moderate

Submission

Stance-based

Medium

Mix-ups

Moderate
Complex

Stance-based

Long I Medium

Powerful blows

Moderate

Poking

Long

Whiff punishing

Moderate

Projectile-based
Mix-ups

Long I Medium

Sitting down

Close

Unblockables

Moderate
Complex

Rushdown

Medium

Spacing

Long I Medium

Wolf assist
Domination

Moderate

High damage
Confusing

Medium
Medium

Guard Burst

Basic

Randomness

Complex

CH fishing

Medium I Close

Assassination

High damage

Medium

Firearms

Basic
Moderate

Medium

Breathes fire
Quick damage

Throw game
Poking

Rushdown
Poking

Medium I Close
Medium

Quick damage

Complex

Basic

'

CHN'lF 11 I ' H:"liN TC PL.t,y I THE GAME SYSTEM

CHARACTER STYLES

CHARACTER STRENGTHS

Each member of SOULCALIBUR V's distinguished cast fights in an individual way. Whichever
character you use, you'll be developing your own style, but it will be within the mold of that
character. Every fighter has certain strengths and weakness from different positions in the
arenas, and you will need to adapt your style to your character in order to make the most of
the attacks in their respective arsenals. [ ~0 1]

Ideally, each character's overall abilities

would be completely balanced; all the characters should have an equal chance of
winning in the hands of two equally skilled
opponents. However, it is just as important
for the characters to fight distinctively, so
that using a different character in battle is a
wholly different experience, perhaps even
akin to playing a different game. The fact is
that these varying playstyles contribute to
certain characters being stronger or weaker
overall at different aspects of the game, and
this can sometimes make some characters
seem much more difficult - or much easier
-to w in with.

The characters can loosely be described as being more effective when fighting with the simplified styles shown in the table. If you are unsure which character to t ry, have a think about
which of the following suits your preferences:
Poking I wears down opponent gradually with 1 or 2-hit attacks
High damage I always looks to land powerful hits and combos
Spacing I keeps the opponent at bay with ranged attacks
Throw game I uses advantage to go for grab mix-ups
CH fishing I baits opponents into attacking at the wrong time
Mix-ups I opens up defensive opponents with strong Low attacks
Projectile-based I uses projectiles to maintain offense at long range
Rushdown I attacks perpetually from the appropriate range

Each character's attacks make them naturally more comfortable at certain ranges, as shown
in the table. As a general rule, faster characters have smaller weapons and prefer to fight up
close where the bigger characters can't attack as quickly, while characters with larger weapons tend not to move so fast, but can attack opponents from distance and stop them getting
close. In practice it is rarely so simple, with many characters able to adapt to fight at differen~
distances. Others are simply unorthodox: Raphael can attack very quickly from range, whilst
Ezio fights well up-close, despite his relat ively slow speed.

Some characters will appear more or less

powerful as you learn about the game.
Highly damaging characters tend to be
more effective initially - think Siegfried or
Astaroth. Faster characters like Pyrrha and
Leixia then come into their own once you
learn to recognize the more powerful attacks, especially when those characters are
relatively simple to use and can punish well.
More complex characters then become a
threat, as players rea lize their true strength
by mastering the execution of Cervantes or
a Patroklos. Finally, when the players have
seen the cast's full capabilities, characters
like Mitsurugi or Yoshimitsu find streng th in
their abili ty to mix-up unreactable attacks,
keeping even the most experienced opponents guessing at all times. [ ~0 2]
But it's important not to read too much into
the theory of fighting. The matchup between
two characters can seem to favor one side
too well, but you can always find ways to
boost your character's chances of winning
against any other character. There is no doubt
that some characters are simply better than
others at certain aspects of the garrie, but
you can use strategy to try and keep any
match on your terms, so that your character has more chance of prevailing. Always
remember that you can always do something
in every situation, and that some things will
be more difficult for you whilst others more
difficult for your opponent. Whichever character you use, you should aim to find the best way
to play in different situations with that charac
ter, to make them as strong as possible.

KEY ATTACKS
When you've found the character you're
most comfortable with, the next thing to
do is establish your primary moveset. Each
character has far too many atrtacks for you
to remember them all at once, and many
of their attacks will simply be worse than
others or only useful in sped fic situations.
In the character-specific sections, we have
suggested some of the stronger moves to
use as a foundation for your f ighting style,
and we explore some preliminary strategies
and basic tactics to get the most out of your
character from the beginning. [ -70 3]

The SOULCALIBUR series has traditionally had a fantastic Training

Mode with wlnich to hone your skills, and SOULCALIBUR V has built
upon the past entries to present the most complete training system
to date. This mode allows you to learn your chosen character's key
moves or their entire move list; practice recommended combos or
develop your own; familiarize yourself with the layout of each of the

stages and devise Ring Out strategies or complex wall combos;

fight against the CPU at different levels of skill and playstyle; adjust
settings to study the Counter Hit or Guard Burst properties of your
attacks; and program the dummy opponent to use certain techniques,
helping you to devise anti-character strategies.

TRAINING BASICS

Training Mode is where you w ill cultivate

your own unique style of play, where you can
discover new facets of your favorite characters, and where you will learn to hone your
skills in preparation for the real-time battles.
Different players prefer to spend time in
training on different aspects of the game, but
everyone will benefit from using this mode in
various ways. We'll explain some of the most
valuable features and how they can be used
to quickly improve your game. We would recommend that once you become comfo rtable
w ith the main features, you go on to explore
the multitude of available settings to tailor
your own training requirements.
After selecting Training from the Astral Home
menu, you will be prompted to select your
character from the Character Select screen.
Choose your own character, and a second
character to train against. Finally, ybu can
choose a stage to train on, and adjust the
background score if you wish. [-+0 1]
Once you are in Training Mode you can select between five different sub-modes: Free.
Main Moves, Combo, Counter, and Check
Skill. Each of these allows you to test different aspects of either character that you have
selected for use. Press Back + 0 I Select +
@to cycle through them. We'll cover each of
these modes later in this section.
Within each of these modes you also have
a number of different states that you can
switch between to further refine the testing,
and change w hat the on-screen help window
displays. You can cycle through all of these
settings without using the Training Menu
with the shortcut commands shown at the
bottom of the screen

Quick Soloct

Xbox 360

PS3

Switch M ode

Back + 0

Select+@

Switch State

Back+ 0

Select+@

Sw it ch Win dow

Back+ Q

Select+@

You can also switch mode by pressing Up or

Down on the Right Stick, switch state by pressing Left or Right on the Right Stick, and switch
w indow by depressing the Right Stick 1 @).
Press the Start button to bring up the full list of
training options.

RETURN TO GAME
Closes the m enu and returns to Training
Mode where you are back in control of your

character. This can also be done by simply

pressing the Start button again.

Selling

MOVE LIST

Counter Hit

Lets you access the move list for the first

character you selected, but you can also
switch to the one for the second character by pressing either (i]) I @ or ~ I !@.
Press (i) I on any move or combo to w atch
the CPU demonstrate it. The 0 I @ buttQn
brings up a window detailing the move list
terminology.

SWITCH MODE/STATE
Lets you switch between .t):le different Training Modes, and the different states within
each of them.

I Possible Options
Off I Attack I Run Counter
(Side) I Run Counter (Back) I

Random
Guard Burst

On I Off

Critical Gauge

col 0% I 50% 1100%

Pra ctice with

Frame Delay

Off I On

SYSTEM SETTINGS
Lets you change a number of different settings that are not related to character actions.
By default they are set to the left-most option.

CHAPTER 1 I HOW TO PLW I ENTERING TRAINING

The Counter Hit setting defines the CH property of the first hit of
any combo you perform using the P1 character. The different settings
proportionally affect the damage done by the attack. All types of CH
lead to a different kind of hit property for certain moves. Setting this
to Random makes your initial attack sometimes an Attack Counter
and sometimes a normal hit; this can help you train to confirm a CH
for those attacks with special CH properties. [ 70 2]
Switching the Guard Burst setting to Off means that the P2 character's Guard Gauge will remain at full health and won't deplete at
all. Pl's Guard Gauge can still be depleted and Burst if slhe blocks
incoming attacks.
The Critical Gauge can be set for both characters to empty, 1 full
bar, or 2 full bars (the maximum). It will be set upon return ing to
the game, and then fi ll as normal as characters attack one another.
P2's gauge will fill to 100% if the mode is switched, or if the state is
changed to No. 1, 2, or 3.
The final option here creates a delay between your inputs and the
corresponding character actions on the screen. This can help to get
accustomed to the different timing when playing over Xbox Live or
PSN, as there will be some delay during online play while the consoles communicate.

RESET POSITION

Possible Options

Center I Ring Edge IWall

Default I Reverse

j Forward I Backward I Right Side I Left Side

No.1 I No. 2 I No. 3

.~ I [Select for new sub-menu]

[Select for new sub-menu]

Press frn+I@J J [iJJ+IillJ to reset the characters to their initial positions

at the start of a round. You can use the above settings to make this
command move the characters to a wall or ring edge instead. This is
especially useiul for practicing wall combos and testing which attacks
Ring Out, as it saves you having to manually and repeatedly move
the characters. Adjust the Position Settings to Reverse to swap the
camera angle to the other side of the cha racters, so that Pl will be
on the P2 side and vice versa, but the positions in the stage are
unaffected. Tlie Direction Settings let you choose where the wall or
edge will be re lative to the cha racter positions. [-70 3]
The properties of certain attacks can change near walls or ring edges,
or anytime you r opponent is at a different position or angle, so Reset
Position lets you quickly return to basic positions where the con ditions are simple. It is really useful when practicing combos or punishment for example, as the characters will often shift into awkward
positions during this kind of routine, while attacking, blocking, moving, and getting hit.

P2 SETTINGS
This allows you to adjust how the P2 character acts under different
circumstances in Free Mode.

CPU Character Settings I CPU I Record

Command I Controller
!Select for new sub-menu]
]Select for new sub-menu]
Record 1 I Record 2 I Record 3

The first setting modifies the state in Free Mode. CPU Character Settings is for state No. 1, 2, and 3. CPU and Controller refer to the
states of the same name. Record Command changes the state to
Record 1. 2, or 3. Choosing CPU Character Settings also gives you
access to the Control Settings menu:

Off I Front I Back I Right I Left I Random

Off 1Front I Front Right / Right I Front Left I
. Back I Back Right I Left Back Left I Random

You can predefine three different groups of CPU actions, labeled

No.1, 2, and 3. Each of these will allow you to make the P2 character
act in a certain way repeatedly, so that you can train against those
actions. Use the Settings Slots option to choose which of the three
to adjust.
For each slot, you can choose an initial action for the P2 character, and
then a subsequent action which the P2 character will perform after a
certain condition is met. Usually this will be after you land an attack
on P2 w ith the P1 character.
So, for example, in Slot No.1, select Moves Slot 1 and set the CPU
character to Stand I Jump. Press Start to exit the menu, and you will
see P2 jump up and down repeatedly. Now return to the P2 Settings
menu and select Moves Slot 2, then choose Attack I@. After pressing Start and returning to battle, P2 will still be jumping up and down.
Moving, blocking, or whiffing some attacks won't alter the CPU's behavior, but if you hit the opponent with an attack, P2 will recover,
perform a single @ attack, and then proceed to jump up and down
repeatedly as before. This will probably get annoying pretty soon. so
either change the state with Back+O I Select+@, or reopen the P2
Control Settings menu and select Default Settings to return Slot No.1
to normal. By default this is Stand I Normal for Moves Slot 1, while
Moves Slot 2 is empty (Off). [ -70 4]
This flexible setting is extremely helpful for all kinds of training applications, which we'll cover in detail later in this chapter. (See Training
Modes: Free.)
Change the Ukemi Settings setting to practice against an opponent
using an Ukemi to get up quickly in a particular direction (or random
direction if you set it so). When state is set to the relevant Slot (No.
1. 2. or 3), the P2 character w ill then Ukemi in that direction any time
they are put into a Techable knockdown. This is predominantly useful
to fi nd out which of your combos can be avoided using Ukemi, and to
search for and practice Ukemi Traps with your character.

The Aerial Control Settings work in a similar way. After being launched,
the CPU character w ill air control in the direction set once Air Cont rol becomes possible (normally after a second hit while P2 is still
airborne). This w ill also w ork after 2 hits if P2 w as initially caught in
midair while jumping. [--?0 1]

INSTANT REPLAY
This option lets you replay the last 5 seconds of action from within
training. It will be greyed out if the player positions have been recently
reset. The replay controls are the same as during the automatic replays
at the end of a round:

OPTIONS

Zoom out

Xbox 360

PS3

Left Stick

Left Stick

0 . Right Stick up
0 , Right Stick down

@. Right Stick up
@. Right Stick down

0.~.1&Il

@ , @),18?)

Switch focus to P1 I P2

Stan,

Exit

Start.

This takes you to the standard options for adjusting volume and controller settings, just as in other game modes:

SWITCH RING
On any stages that have two different sections, you can use this setting to switch betw een each one. This option will be greyed out on
most stages, save for Sinking Merchant Ship, Utopia of the Blessed,
Shrine of the Snake God Palgaea, and Penitentiary of Destiny.

DISPLAY SElTINGS

CHARACTER SELECT

Lets you hide a number of different elements from the HUD, so that
you can see only those elements that you want to keep visible.

This option takes you back to the character select screen if you want
to stay in Training Mode but use a different character.

CANCEL CHANGES

RETURN TO ASTRAL HOM E

Choose Yes here to reset every single setting in Training Mode to the
factory default s.

This one takes you back to th e Astral Home menu after you confirm
that you want to do it.

There may be too many options in Training to take in at first, so we'll run through the main
ones in more detail here and explain what their primary uses are. It will help to experiment
with them a little yourself, alongside reading this chapter, to become more familiar with the
possibilities. The Mode setting governs the overall purpose of a particular practice session.
You can adjust the CPU behavior in each mode w ith the state setting, and the available state
settings are specific to the chosen mode.
The most important mode setting is Free. It is the most flexible and powerful mode, and
lets you adjust the CPU behavior in a huge number of ways. The possibilities are vast, as you

can program the CPU actions to do whatever

you want over an extended period of time using the Record feature . The other modes are
more streamlined, and are especia lly useful
when learning the basics about the game and
given characters. They offer more restricted
option s than those in Free Mode, letting you
concentrate on learning about a character's
main attacks, combos, and attack properties.

FREE

10_003

The different state settings were

covered earlier in the P2 Settings
section. The P2 Settings option in
the Training menu is for fine-tuning
all aspects of th e Free Mode. Let's
ta ke a look to see what each of
these states is for.

You can assign various instructions to the

CPU characte r using No. 1, No. 2, and No.
3. There are 3 slots so that you can save up
to 3 batches of instructions and switch between them, without having to re-enter all
the information again. Here you can set the
CPU to Stand, Crouch, perform various preset attacks, or even Just Guard your attacks.
(-?0 2]

Free Mode: Example 1

A good standard setting for No. 1 is to have Moves Slot 1 set to Stand I Normal, and Moves
Slot 2 set to Stand I All Guard. This is perfect for testing and discovering combos. The CPU will
try to guard continuously from the first moment you hit P2, so you will be able to find which
attacks are guaranteed from that point. If your combo involves a launcher o r knockdown,
adjust the Ukemi Settings and Aerial Control Settings to find out if th e opponent can escape
damage using Ukemi or Aerial Control. tvlake sure you set different directions for each or
these and try your combo again each time you set them, as many attacks after a launch or
knockdown can be avoided byTeching or ACing in a particular direction.
The Stand 1 Random A ll Guard setting can be used on its own to practice hit confirming your
attacks. For example, t ry to continue your combo only when the CPU doesn't block your initial
attack. This will help you to play more safely in real battles. The Standing Guard settings differ
from All Guard in that P2 will stay standing, so will be hit by Low attacks.
The Attack and 8-Way Run options can be useful when set to Moves Slot 2, to test what
options you can use after your initial attack hits or is blocked. For example, set Moves Slot 1 to
Stand I Normal, and then Moves Slot 2 to 8-Way Run I Right Step. Exit the menu, hit P2 with
a particular attack, and then try to hit P2 again to see which of your attacks can be stepped
right after the fi rst attack. [ 3]

No.1

Stand

Normal

Stand

All Guard

However, we would recommend using the Record function for these kinds of tests. Once you
are advanced and confident enough to use it, the Record function allows you to buffer any
attack or movemen t immediately, making it more reliable t han the pre-programmed settings
found here. After you have recorded command inputs to Record 1, 2, or 3, set them to the
Setting Slots w ith the Replay option in the tvloves Slot sub-menus.

The Record 1, Record 2, and Record 3 States

are for this purpose. You can begin recording P2's actions by pressing Back+Start I
Select+Start once in these states. Perform
as many actions as you like for up to 30
seconds. Usually you w ill want to cut the
recording short by pressing Back I Select. The
commands you input will be saved, and you
can watch the CPU perform them by pressing Back+ I Select+, whi le retaining control
of your own P1 character. You can simply
practice against your own recorded commands by using this feature.
Now let's use a recorded command in the
No. 2 State. First, switch state to Record 1.
Press Back+Start I Select+Start so that the
P2 Status section of the HUD says "Ready"
and record a simple attack like @@ or ~@ .
As soon as you input something, this wi ll
change to "Recording" and be highlighted
yellow. Make sure that the attack command
is the first thing you press after starting to
record, so that the attack comes out as fast
as possible during replay.
Free Mode: Example 2
No.2
Just Guard
Replay

Record 1

Now open the P2 Settings sub-menu.

Change P2 to "CPU Character Settings;' select Control Settings, and adjust the Settings
Slots to No. 2 (this wi ll automatically switch
the state to No. 2). Now set Moves Slot 1
to Just Guard, and then set Moves Slot 2 to
Replay I Record 1. Press Start to return to the
game, and attack P2 w ith various moves. P2
will retaliate each time with the attack you
recorded, so you can t ry to guard his attack
to see which of your moves are punishable
by the recorded command following a JG.
[70 4]
One of the most useful options in the whole
Training Mode is the Replay I Random setting. It is invaluable for practicing against
various characters. If you find certain attacks
hard to deal with, such as an Unblocl<able
attack or a slow knockdown Low, you can record that attack in the Record 1 State, and
then some other attacks in Record 2 and
Record 3. Then set the computer to perform
these attacks at random, and try to react
to each attack and counter it appropriately
(by say blocking, evading, or interrupting).
So, to illustrate. let's say you are having trouble blocking Nightmare's t?@ on reaction.
Go back to the character select screen and
select Nightmare as P2. Proceed to Training
and make sure it's set to Free Mode.
Switch state to Record 1, and record Nightmare doing t?@. Switch to Record 2 and
record a Mid-level attack, like ~@. If you
want, you can also record another attack
such as @@ in the Record 3 State. Make
sure the first input on each recording is the
attack command, or you might start reacting
to any movement you entered first (typica lly
@ or little steps) and you won't learn to re-

act properly to Nightmare's animation. Check

that each was recorded properly by pressing
Back+O I Select+ after you've finished
recording.

Free Mode: Example 3

State

No.3

Moves Slot 1

Stand

All Guard

IMoves Slot 2

Replay

Random

Now switch state to No. 3. Set Moves Slot

1 as Stand I All Guard, and then Moves Slot
2 as Replay I Random. When you return to
the game, Nightmare will be blocking. Hit
him with a single hit attack, and he' ll retaliate
with one of the attacks you have recorded.
Hold ~ and remain standing, thereby blocking @@ or ~@. and try to crouch only
when you recognize the early telltale signs
of Nightmare's t?@ animation. When you
can successfully block multiple attacks in a

CH;\P.. l'.l'l i I HOW TO PL.IIY I TRAI NING MODES

row without guessing, you will know you can

better react to this move. ( 7 0 5)
This kind of training method can really improve your defense and other skill levels for
SOULCALIBUR V matches. You can use similar ideas to train your timing on JG and autoGis, or to learn how to properly step or evade
some attacks. Your character may even have
unique ways of dealing w ith certain attacks:
for example, try recording some of Raphael's
options from his Preparation stance, and see
if you have any options that will work against
more than one attack. The Replay I Random
setting in Free Mode is in general a fantastic
asset for training against stances and other
mix-ups.
If you want to keep the settings you've
made in a Training session, be sure to select
Return to Astral Home from the menu once
you're finished. All of your settings will then
be saved for the next time you enter Training.

MAIN MOVES
Possible States

No Guard I Guard All

This mode is useful for some general tips

w hen using a new character. The Advice Window shows an example attack, and briefly describes the properties of the move and how
it can be used. Press Back+ ) I Select+@
to cycle through 10 attacks chosen for your
character.

Some of the advice contained therein can be

quite helpful, and it's a useful way to learn
a little about an unfamiliar character. The selected attacks are not always the same as
those found in the Main Moves section of
the move list for any given character. You can
switch the state w ith Back+O I Select+@
to see the effect of these attacks when they
connect, or are blocked. [-tO 1]

COMBO
Possible Stat&s

Post Recovery Guard I

Post Ukemi Guard

This mode highlights the five example combos found at the bottom of the Main Moves
section in the selected character's move list.
It is useful to see th e combo on screen while
you attempt it, rather than having to keep
opening and closing the menus.

Use Back+O /Select+@ to switch between

Post Recovery Guard State and Post Ukemi
Guard State. If you inflict a teachable knockdown on your opponent while practicing
these combos, the chosen state determines
whether the P2 character will Ukemi or
not. The CPU automatically blocks after the
first hit in either state, so you can use this
to make sure you're executing the combos
correctly, and can also test whether further
damage is avoidable using Ukemi, or experiment to whether you have any Ukemi Traps
available, by u sing the second sta te. (-tO 2]
For Counter Hit combos, indicated by (counter) in the move list, you' ll need to adjust
Counter Hit Settings to Attack in the System
Settings sub-menu, so that your attack w ill
gain CH properties when it connects. Use
Back+ ) / Select+@ to cycle through the five
example combos.

second or two.Ahe computer w ill begin the count again, so you don't need to keep count in
your head of how many t imes the computer has blocked if you want to try a new string.
Against Mid and High attacks, the CPU will cycle through @@, , and ~ . Against Lows,
the CPU cycles through FC @ . WR , and FC . Bear in mind that chara cters have very diffe rent speeds for th ese attacks. and often they may have faster or more powerful punishment
options. However, you can still use thi s mode to try evasive or auto-GI techniqu es against
these basic attacks after your initial hit is blocked.
This mode can give you a rough idea of how safe an attack is. Unlike the Attack setting in Free
Mode, the CPU will always attack as fast as possible. meaning a failed punishment attempt
should mean that your attack is always safe from the particular follow-up.

CHECK SKILL

COUNTER
Possible States

Possible States
After Phase 1 I After
Phase 2 I After Phase 3

You can use this mode to quickly test the

safety of some of your attacks. Change
the state using Back+O I Select+@ to see
whether the CPU can punish some of your
one, two, or t hree-hit strings.
The CPU w ill cycle through three attack
strings after blocking the pertinent number
of attacks. If you delay after attacking for a

Attack and Guard I Attack and Run

This is similar to the Main Moves Mode, but instead of going through attacks for P1, the CPU
demonstrates attacks for the character you have selected as P2. This time, the selected attacks are those from the Main Moves in the P2 move list. Press Back+O I Select+@ to switch
between the states. You can test which moves you can punish with Attack and Guard, or find
out which attacks are safe enough to allow P2 to sidestep your Vertical strikes after you block
or JG them. [ ~ o 3]
Hit Back+ ) I Select+@ to cycle through the P2 moves. The Advice Window displays the
name of the particu lar attack and the required input. The Check Skill Mode is mainly designed
to help you find ways to counter these attacks or strings, be it through punishment. evasion or
other means like Gl and JG. It's a good way to start anti-character training, until you become
comfortable enough w ith Free Mode to specify your own practice regimes.

Cl li\PTcn I IllOW TO PLI\Y I PllACl'lCAL USES

SOULCALIBUR V's Training Mode offers an enormous potential for honing your skills and discovering
the game's secrets. Here we' ll go over just a few of the more common applications of the various
settings. This w ill give you a fou ndation for getting the most out ofTraining.

WORKING OUT BLOCK PUNISHMENT

~ The first places to look for punish~:
i!i~

ment information are the character-specific strategy sections in

1o_oo4
the VS Play chapter and the move
lists contained therein, complete
with the releva nt frame data. However. there
are still reasons to use Training to work on
block punishment in this game.

Firstly, you wi ll wan t to practice punishing

particularly powerful moves that are giving
you trouble. You may also want to practice
executing more difficult punishment techniques, such as when your best punishment
attacks require a input.
You may also want to check that a certain
move is actually punishable. The frame data
does not tell you whether a move becomes
safe from pushback; some moves can also
sometimes whiff during the early active
frames, making them seem to come out
slower 'than you expect for punishment pur
poses. You ca rl! use Training to actively check
which of you r moves can actually punish a
given attack, rather than relying on the input
and block frame data. [-tO 41

If you want to test which of your own attacks can be punished by a single move, first record
P2 doing that move. For example, Pyrrha's AS is an excellent punishment attack, so you
w ill need to find which of your moves she can punish and try to avoid using them against her
unless guaranteed.
Switch to Record 3 andl perform ..(),~as fast as you can, then press Back I Select to stop
recording. Now en ter state No. 2 and, in the P2 Settings sub-menu, set Moves Slot 1 to Stand
I All Guard, and Moves Slot 2 to Replay I Record 3. Finally, return to the game and attack
Pyrrha w ith single-hit attacks. Try to block immediately afterwards. If she nonetheless hits you
despite your defensive efforts, she can punish your attack w ith AS .
To check the safety of your multi-hit strings, you can use Stand I First Hit Guard or Second
Hit Guard, though this wi ll only work if the string is not a Natural Combo. Alternatively, you
can try to make the early hits whiff, so that she just blocks the last hit. This requi res less fiddling about w ith the menus, but means you have to shuffl e your cha racter to the appropriate
distance every time. [ .,)0 5]
In general it is easier to check the punishablility of various attacks using the Frame Data fou nd
w ithin this guide, but sometimes it can be easier to learn by doing rather than by theory, so
give these exercises a try, even if just to familiarize yourself with the Training possibilities.

Lastly, you can test the actual frame data of

an attack yourself. For all of these purposes.
switch to Free Mode, and switch state to Record 1 (or 2 or 3). Now record P2 performing
an attack you want to try to punish, and then
immediately hold ~ for a second or two.
Now press Back I Select to end the recording, and press Back+e I Select+ to rep lay
your inputs. Block the incoming attack with
your P1 character and attempt to punish the
move. You must make sure that you recorded P2 holding ~ at the time your attempted
punishment connects.

PRACTICING COMBOS

l!lf'M
10_005

As mentioned earlier, you might want to set your starting Training Mode and state
as No. 1, Stand 1 Normal, Stand I All Guard. This w ill let you test which attacks are
actually guaranteed after a combo starter. The Combo Hit Counter, which displays
the number of hits in a combo after you end it, can be misleading, because it w ill
sometimes count attacks as part of a combo that in fact could have been avoided.
So using the above settings w ill ensure you r combo is guaranteed.

Free
No. 1
Stand I Normal
Stand I All Guard

Right

You should also set some Ukemi and Aerial Control parameters. Players will tend to Ukemi
either to the rig ht or left (if at all), and AC back and to either side, to avoid combo damage.

Back Left

By setting an Ukemi direction and Aerial Control, you should be able to q uickly identify
whether the combo you're performing can
be dodged half w ay. It is important to use
truly guaranteed combos in general, or you
could open yourself up to punishment, or at
the least. m1ss out on better damage. It IS a
good idea to adjust these settings for your
main combos. In particular, you should try
your combo with Ukemi set to Left, Right,
Back, and Off for any important combos, to
see whether extra damage can be avoided,
or indeed incurred, by attempting an Ukemi
in various directions. Front Ukemi is not so
important because, usually, a Front Ukemi
will only expose the grounded character to
more damage. [-+0 1]

ID
'

Enter the System Settings sub-menu and set

Counter Hit Settings to Attack or Run Counter in order to practice CH combos and determine the damage according to the different
types of Counter Hits. You can use the Random setting if you want to try to CH-confirm
your attacks. This is useful for practicing an
unsafe string w hich is a Natural Combo on
Counter Hit only {a NCC), such as Natsu's
@@. Try to press only w hen you recognize the different visual effect and sound
distinctive of a CH.

WALL COMBOS
The Reset Position ([l]]+(@) I !lll+@l)"can be
set to move you near a w all. as described
above. Use the Reset Position sub-menu to
easily realign th e characters next to the wall
at any time, so you can practice your wall
combos from different angles. You should
still use the Free Mode settings for practicing combos as described above.
The angle at which you begin a wall combo
can be crucial. Many wall combos w ill only
work from a certain angle or a certain distance. You may need to make little adjustments, by moving the characters, to work
on a given wall combo. The quickest w ay
is just to move P2 by shuffling close using P1 and nudging the CPU character over
to the desired position. To make the f inest adjustments, quickly switch to one of
the Record States and move P2 manually.
[-+0 2]
Different stage s have different types of
walls, including low walls. and adjacent walls
at different angles. Some combos w ill only
be possible in a corner against perpendicular
walls, and the same goes for more shallow
angles. such as on the Conqueror's Coliseum stage.

FINDING UKEMI TRAPS

I!J

Once again, you will w ant to use

. ~ ts the Free Mode settings for finding
i!J combos, as described above. Shift
the Ukemi Settings option in the
1o oo'6
P2 Settings I Control Settings submenu to Right, Left, and Back to determine
w hat attacks you can trap w ith after a par-

ticular knockdown. Return to the game, initiate your chosen knockdown on the opponent, and
then try to catch them with an attack during the Ukemi.
Ukemi traps can be devastating, because the damage scaling normally associated with combos is reset after and Ukemi. Therefore it's worth trying to fin d Ukemi traps in situations where
your opponentjs likely to tech, especially if teching in a particular direction will avoid otherwise
guaranteed damage following a knockdown.
Remember that some Ukemi traps can become more effective or less reliable near the ring
edge. Some may also lead into Ring Ou t or w all combos. Make sure that you are near the
edge only if you actually want to be when practicing Ukemi traps, or you may get some irregular results. Also bear in mind that some characters are able to avoid attacks that other characters cannot with an Ukemi. You may need to practice your trap against a specific character to
make sure it works against them. I -+0 3)

ANTI -CHARACTER PRACTICE

~

This is one of the most important aspects of Training. Playing against other players
is invaluable, but it can be difficult to deal with everything your opponent throws at
~~ you on the spot. Instead, try to remember the tactics or specific moves which are
giving you trouble in a matchup. Then, set some of them to the P2 player in Training
10 007
to learn how to deal with them outside of the pressure of an actual match. First you
will need to record the moves, tactics or strategies w hich are giving you troubl e. Let's take
Xiba's Critical Edge as a case in point.

~~"

Xiba can deal a lot of damage with his ~.

which also has good range and can auto-GI
your attacks. If you are not punishing this
move, your opponent can throw it out whenever they have 1 bar of Critical Gauge at no risk.
Record Xiba doing .!}~..(}~ @++@
using the Record 2 State in Free Mode. Press
Back I Select once he has finished the startup
animation. Be sure to stop recording once he
has actually hit your P1 character.

Example
Mode

Free

State

No.3

Moves Slot 1

Replay I Record 2

Moves Slot 2

Stand I All Guard

This kind of play is not spectacular, but it is the foundation that enables you to use your more
impressive moves when you need them. It will be d ifficult to get a chance to use your favorite
moves if the other player knows you won't use the more basic attacks.

SOLIDIFYING YOUR DEFENSE

One of the first things that new er players, and even some more experienced players, need to

Most of all, remember that whenever you

move, it should be for a reason. Random or
thoughtless movement makes you more vulnerable, as you cannot guard, and you can be
caught by Counter Hit attacks, which sometimes deal very high damage.

learn is how to block. @ is an absolutely essential command to use if you want to develop any
skill in battle. Relentlessly and recklessly attacking w ill earn you victories against weaker players who are more cautious, but against another aggressive player the outcome will be entirely
random, and against a player capable of defending properly and exploiting your mistakes, you
will have absolutely no chance.
To begin with, try attempting a basic poke, and then wait to see wh at happens. If you hit,
by all means try another attack. But if you missed, or your attack was blocked, or you were
hit yourself, your first instinct should always be to block. Then wait to see if your opponent
manages to hit you: if not, attack back, but otherw ise continue to block and wait for an opening.
This style of play can be counter-intuitive. Beginners will initially benefit from playing aggressively, especially against other novices. Also, expert players can often be found to repeatedly
attack even when they failed to hit their opponent. However, such players are using different
kinds of attacks to suit the situation. While you are still learning about the competitive environ
ment, try to remember that when being pressured, blocking is almost always the best overall
option. You w ill improve much faster with this in mind.

LEARN HOWTO MOVE

8-Way Run movement is a trademark of the SOULCALIBU R series. You can move wh erev~r
you want around the stage, and by moving in the right way at the ri ght time, you can dramatically increase your chances against your opponent. Move forw ard into range to make
sure your next attack hits. Back away from the other character to see if s/he misses. Use

the sidestep commands to dodge Vertical attacks. If you are near the ring edge, make it your
priority to get away from there, thus denying your opponent an easy Ring ~ut victory. Try to
move around in such a way that your opponent is caught in precarious positions. and try to
take advantage. [ -?0 1)

GETIING OFFTHE GROU ND

Many attacks will knock you down when they
hit. This is always a bad position to be in, as
your opponent can continue to attack, and
you cannot retaliate until you get up, which
takes time. The best general option is to
simply block, as you can do so even as you
are just beginning to stand, and you w ill be
protected against most attacks. You can also
w ait on t he ground, or roll to the sides to try
and avoid your opponent's next move. This
is more risky, but can save you from more
linear attacks, or attacks w h ich pass over
you while grounded. Another way to rise is
to Tech Roll. known as Ukemi. Sometimes
you will be slammed onto the ground forcefully: in this situation you can often Ukemi
forwa rds, backwards, or to the side to get
up much faster. This can be useful to fight
back as fast as possible, or to prevent your
opponent from pressuring you while on the
ground, but is also very risky against more
knowledgeable players. [ -?0 2]
Forward Ukemi is generally a bad choice, as
you won't evade much and wi ll most likely
take even more damage fro m any incoming
attacks. Back Ukemi is also ris ky, but can be
useful to try and escape from your opponent
and put some space between yourselves.
Left and Right Ukemi are usually the best
choices, as these can evade many powerful attacks and allow you to instantly counter. However, be aware that your opponent
may be able to punish you w ith very powerful attacks that catch you as you rise. These
setups are known as Ukemi Traps (or 'Tech
Traps'). Ukemi Traps will often deal more
damage than guaranteed grounded hits, so
against an experienced player. it is sometimes better not to Ukemi; instead just get
up and block, or wait on the ground for your
opponent to miss.

BASIC SPACING
Another trademark of t he SOULCALIBUR series is the great variation in range of the characters' attacks. As a weapon-based fighting
game, SOULCALIBUR V includes fighting
styles using a variety of different weapons,
from the small Jian to the giant Zweihander.
Range is a crucial factor for every attack.
You must always bear in m ind the overall
range of your main attacks. and try to stay
close enough to use them. Conversely, when
defending, you should try to move back out of
your opponent's range, in the hope that they
miss their next attack. Missing, or 'whiffing;
is really dangerous, as it leaves you open to
any attack while you recover from the whiff.
If you can make your opponent whiff, you can
then try your more powerful attacks, or just
use the advantage to hit them quickly at no
risk to yourself.
To begin with, you can try experimenting
against different characters and players to

C>-AP' I'H i

I HOW'fO !'t.AY I PLAYING AGAINST HUMAN OPPONENTS

see at w hat range they like to fight, and

see if you can make them whiff by choosing
th e right times to step in and out of range.
[~0 3]

PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT

Even if you are making good choices and
making your opponent make mistakes, you
still need to be able to attack effectively and
efficiently when the chance arises. To attack
with anything more than basic pokes, you
wi ll need to learn the numerous attacks, techniques, and combos available to your character. The more you play, the more you will
start to execute the moves you want without
having to think abou t how to do them. The
game can become really satisfying when you
are playing w ithout having to think about the
commands; that is w hen it ca n really start
to feel not just that you're in control of your
character, but t hat you are that character.

THE CRITICAL GAUGE

As you attack, defend, and hit your opponent
(and even sometimes when you get hit) you
w ill build meter. as indicated by the Critical
Gauge at the top corner of the screen. With

just 2 stocks you can execute a Brave Edge

attack, a powered up version of one of your
standard attacks. With 4 stocks you have a
full bar (indicated by the number 1 within the
Gauge) and can unleash your character's ultimate attack, the Critica I Edge.
These powered up moves can turn the match
quickly in your favor. In time you will get a
feel for how they can be best used. Some
characters w ill benefit from using their
Gauge attacks differently: Mits urugi and
Tira gain a real advantage by using their 1m!

attacks constantly, whereas Hilde and Pyrrha

Q might be better served accumulating meter for their powerful @lEI techniques. [ ->0 4]
You can build meter quickly, but try not to
waste your Critical Gauge: try to keep it for
situations where your Gauge attacks are really effective. or use them in combos w here
possible for extra damage, even though damage scaling will reduce their overall effect.
Head to the Vs Play chapter for details on
the best way to use your character's Critical
Gauge options.

IMPROVING YOUR GAME

Congratulations on making it to level 2. Now you can start getting into
some of the more technical aspects of the game, and combine them
with the some of the stuff you already have 9 grasp of.
Speed and range are the primary factors in determining w ho wi ll succeed w hen both characters strike. Basic movement enables cha racters to dynamically shift the situation and defeat dominance by speed
or range. Evasive maneuvers, fakes, counter-attacks, and anti-step
techniques further enrich the playing experience. Once you've come
to grips with a II the things your character can do, you then need to
work on how best to use them.

MIX-UPS
More advanced players will be familiar with your basic and most powerful attacks, and while defending, they will be primarily focusing on
protecting themselves f rom these attacks. To combat this, .you mi;ISt
learn to use attacks which your opponent can't easily defend against,
such as unpredictable or unreactable ones.
The key idea of a mix-up is to ascertain what your opponent is trying to
defend against, and then use an attack that beats t.Kis defensive position . The most basic is a throw mix-up. Every character has an+@
grab and a rnl+@ grab. If you use a throw within range, unless they
crouch, they must break either or(), but can't do both. So you must
decide fi rst which throw they will expect, and then use the other.
Even with something as simple as a throw, there are many other
mix-ups happening simultaneously even in this situation. For a start.
you must guess that you r opponent will not attack you first. Then you
must guess that your opponent doesn't expect the throw, or they
will duck. Then you have to decide whether your opponent is prone
to escaping throws: mariy weaker players will not even attempt to,
as they are focused on other aspects of the fight. Finally, you have to
consider how your opponent decides about throw escaping:
Do they always escape grabs?
Will they try to escape your most powerful throw?
Will they try to escape your Ring Out throw?
Will they try to escape the grab you used last time?

Another fundamental example is the Mid I Low mix-up. Mid-level

attacks must be blocked standing, w hile Lows can only be blocked
crouching. If you have moves fast enough that they cannot be re-

acted- to, you can force your opponent to guess which you will use.
This kind of mix-up is especially effective for characters like a Patroklos and Yoshimitsu, who can knock opponents down with fast
Low attacks. Because the most devastating attacks for every cha racter are generally Mids, your inclination is to block standing. But
you can't let your opponent hit you with Lows every single time. So
you must guess when your opponent is most likely to attempt a Low
attack, and thwart it.
You will be rewarded if you can guess correctly very often, but you
must also consider w hat the risk and reward of each option is. This
is absolutely crucial. A simple poke like ..(),@ carries little reward for
most characters. Most characters also gain little reward fo r successfully blocking it. So when an opponent is within range to use..().@. it
is usually better to block standing, even if they are using it regularly,
unless you are absolutely sure that they w ill attempt it. You may block
many Low kicks in a row, but if you guess wrong once and your opponent launches you w ith a Mid for high damage, you lost all the
advantage you gained from all your correct guesses. Here the risk
was not worth taking. [ ->0 5]
Mix-ups are at the heart of SOULCALIBUR gameplay. Because they
involve guessing games, mix-ups are important right UJP to the very
highest level, because there is no way to counter a complete guess.
As such, using mix-ups well and applying intelligent mind games is
something you w ill want to practice as early as possible, and continue for all the time you play the game.

MAINTAINING YOUR OFFENSE

Every attack yields a different amount of
frame advantage or disadvantage when
it hits. and also w hen blocked. The exact
amount w ill determine which options are
more likely to succeed afterwa rds. At large
advantage, you can press w ith almos t any
attack. or even try to punish. At lower levels
(say +5 to +10) you must be more careful,
as your opponent may be able to interrupt
or counter-attack you, or evade your attack.
At near neutral advantage, faster characters
have more option s, w hile others may consider moving o ut of range or just blocking. At
disadvantage, you w ill have to con sider w hat
your opponent is likely to do, and then make
an appropriate choice, such as using an evasive attack or a sidestep. [~0 1]

Earlier in the chapter we considered that

blocking is usually the best overall option
when at disadvantage. Every time you attack
or block, you and your opponent will have
to recover be fore either can attack again.
Whichever character recovers the quicker
is at advantage. This character will beat the
other character if they then try attacks at the
same speed. This is why blocking is a good
option at d isadvantage: because your attacks
are more likely to be interrupted by your
opponent's than vice versa.
Nonetheless, always attacking at advantage
and blocking at disadvantage can make you
very predictable, and w holly ineffective
against a skilled opponent. Once you can
attack and d efend effectively using basic
pokes at opportune times, you w ill easily
beat overly aggressive opponents. Now you
need to devise ways of attacking repeatedly
without putting yourself at unnecessary ri sk,
to increase the chances of hitting opponents
w ith better defense.
One way is simply to use your fastest attacks at disadvantage. Leixia and Natsu have
very fast @@@ strings designed to interrupt
opponents for a CH, leading to small damage but big annoyance. At low disadvantage,
many characters will have very few options
tha t w ill beat fast @ attacks, meaning the
risk is not actually that high.
A second way is to use attacks t hat give
advantage on block. The best examples are
Break Attacks, which are accompanied by a
blue visual and an electrified sound effect.
You can continue to attack relatively safely
after these attacks, making them excellent
options if yo ur opponent is affording you
the leew ay to use t hem, as they reward you
w hether they hit or are blocked. [~0 2]
A third w ay to maintain offense is to use evasive techniques. Astaroth can use his trademark Bullrush attack to move under any High
or throw attem pt. This can be very rew arding
for Astaroth in the right si tuations, such as
near the Rin g Edge, where connecti ng w ith
S>S>@ on CH w ill mean instant victory for
him by Ring Out, making the risk negligible.
Other characters w ill sidestep during some
attacks, like Valda's BT throws, and may be
rewarded by evading a Vertical blow. You can

II

also crouch or sideste p normally, in anticipation of an avoidable attack. and thereby gain
the opportunity to attack.

You can also use t he stage space to keep the

advantage. A long range character like Siegfried can use his huge weapon to persistent
ly attack from a distance. Characters without
effective long range attacks will be forced
to dash in before they can attack, meaning
Siegfried can continue to pressure them until
they succeed in running the gauntlet and get
close enough to hit him first.

EXPANDING YOUR OPTIONS

Often you will be able to beat some players using very few tools, but this can limit
you over time. Aim to constantly add more
ideas, tactics, and mix-ups to your game. Go
throug h your move list and see if you can find
uses for attacks that you don't often employ.
This will help when taking on better players;
if you stick to simple strategies, you can stagnate creatively, and even begin to develop
bad habits by abusing weaker tactics against
players who can't deal w ith them .
For example, you might find that your charac
ter has a side throw t hat can Ring Out. or a
Mid attack that resembles a diffe ren t Low attack during the startup, w hich could be used
to confuse more observant foes. You can
develop attacki ng styles that complement
your main style, using different groups of attacks to change tactics during a fight if the

need arises. You can always improve your

game w ith this kind of thinking, and it w ill
9lso help you to create your own unique style.

WHEN TO MOVE
The basic movement types are covered at
the very beginning of this chapter. It is again
mentioning that movement is one of the
three fundamental game me<:hanics, alongside attack and defense.
8-Way Run around the ring at a d istance, w hen
you (Ire relatively safe from your opponent's
attacks. You can move over to advantageous
positions, from where your character might
have more RO potential. Walk backwards or
run forw ards to change the spacing clynamic.
Sprinting at your opponent can also stop them
moving around to your sides. which is useful if
they are trying to roll around you while grounded, for example. Use these tools in conjunction w ith your attacks to zone your opponent,
as they may not be paying as much attention
as you, and could suddenly find themselves in
a hazardous position. [ ~0 3]
Sidestep and Quick Move can be used within
the opponent's attack range to try and bait
a w hiff. Usually you w ill try this at disadvantage. Look for opportunities to sidestep
Vertical attacks and counter with your own at
tack, especially if your opponent is overusing
them. Certain Vertical attacks require you to
step a certain way: if you're not sure which,
try to get an indication from the weapon

CHAI'fF.I'I I I H()W'I<.l I'! /WI PLAYING AGAINST HUMAN OPPONENTS

trail. Many characters' more effective Vertical

attacks will all track to one side, so remember to step to the other side in general, and
see if your opponen t adapts.
You will want to choose the right moments
to step away from a wall or ring edge. Try to
block an attack first, giving you a little more
time to step away from danger. Try to keep in
mind your opponent's most likely RO tools:
for example, Ivy might be trying to kick you
off the edge with @. which knocks you
down to her left, so try stepping further to
that side {your right) so that she won't be
able to RO wi'th @ unless she steps
sideways herself.
Backstep can be really useful to deal with
mix-ups at tip range. Punish with a launcher
or knockdown if you can, or with your character's <?<? 8-Way Run attacks, as many characters have very powerful moves assigned to
these commands. Use front step to advance
some distance while being able to guard at
any time, thus making your approach safer.

BOLSTERING YOUR DEFENSE

It is easy to assume that you can react to
certain moves, or by contrast, to always try
to guess your opponent's actions rather than
using your reactions. You can always improve
some aspect of your defense, and the more
options you can effectively deal w ith, the
more formidable you will become. If your
opponent cannot break you down, you will

become almost impossible to beat, so long as

you can back this up with good attacking play.
The fight is won not by doing a set amount
of damage to your opponent, but by dealing
more damage .than they do to you. It's no
good trying to do huge combos on your op
ponent if you can't stop them depleting your
life bar first. Bear this in mind as you work
on your offensive strategies, because you can
also strategize defensively too: aim to stay in
safe positions on the stage; continually practice against reactable attacks, like Lows and
useful unblockables; and learn to make defensive choices based on risk, such as breaking
RO throws, and blocking mix-up strings rather
than trying to interru pt or counter. [ -70 4]

play: they reduce the reward and increase

the risk of many attacks in the game, turning a match completely in the 'favor of more
practiced and knowledgeable p layers.
Take a gander at the character strategy sections in ths Vs Play chapter to find which
moves you can punish. Virtually no one will be
able to remember the best punish for every
unsafe move in the game, so concentrate on
the more powerful attacks of each character to
see if they are punishable.

WATCHINGTHE GAUGES
This is one of the things new players may
adapt to more quickly than the veterans, as
the Critical Gauge is a new addition to the
SOU LCALIBUR series.

PUNISHING YOUR OPPONENT

You can punish your opponent by attacking
quickly while they are still recovering from
their attack. As they are unable to block; Gl,
JG, or do anything else, you can deal damage
at absolutely no risk. This is one of the key
concepts essential for more advanced play~
Punishing unsafe attacks when you block
them will give you a huge advantage, as
you will be able to make your opponent pay
for taking risks, and force them to use less
rewa rding attacks. [ -70 5] .....

First of all, you will want to constantly monitor

your own meter. Keep an eye out for when
you fi rst get access to a Iilli or your ~. so
that you don't miss an opportunity to use
them. Maybe you just need a little sliver of
Critical Gauge to use your best fE attack, so
you could try to just get one little poke out
at your opponent, which may be enough to
f ill tha t second stock even if it was blocked.
Watch for a little golden flash on the meter to
confirm that your mJ is now available. [-tO 6]

If you can defend and punish well, weaker

players will find it almost impossible to beat
you. This is why good defense and consistent
punishmen t are hallmarks of competi tive

A well-timed Gl can save you from certain

death, or grant you an easy victory, especially
near the edge. Consider always trying to keep
at least two Critical Gauge sub stocks spare
in case you need a Gl. With 6 stocks, your~
will usually be guaranteed after a successful
Gl. Don't forget about your opponent's Criti
cal Gauge. Many players will be keen to use
their ~ once they have a full bar of meter,
so watch out for the 1 indicator. You'll need to
play more carefully to make sure you don't get
hit by many ~ attacks. Bait your opponent
into wasting meter by blocking predictable
Iilli and~ attempts.
A cunning way to manage your opponent's
meter is to use Guard Impact. Your opponent
will only be able to counter your Gl with a Gl of
his/her own. If you have more meter than your
opponent, you can enter Gl contests to waste
their Critical Gauge. Best of all, if your opponent
has less than two stocks left, all but the slowest
attacks after you r Gl will be guaranteed.

MIND GAMES
We began this section w ith mix-ups, which
are key to every decision you make against
a good player. You r attack and evasion efforts
w ill be more successful where they are unpredictable, so as you come to understand
more about the game. you'll want to put your
opponent in situations where they have to
guess between two or more very threatening options you have.
Once you know what your mix-up options
are, you'll need to out-think your opponent to
make them work. Mind games are the true
meta-game in a match between two skilled
and knowledgeable players, especially where
they have played one another before. You
won't be surprised by an unfamiliar attack or
new tactic very often when playing a match up
you know well against a player you've played

many times. Therefore you'll need to think about which attacks and
strategies they'll use, and how best to deal with them, whi le simultaneously out-guessing their defensive strategies and hitting t hem by
mixing up you r offense well.
It can really help to analyze your opponent a little. Good mind games
won't help much against a player who doesn't understand the mix-ups.
If the other player won't guard, just keep hitting him with quick attacks
once you gain the advantage. If he won't crouch, just keep using Lows
and throws. Some opponents won't react if you Gl, so you can attack
straight afterwards for free . Others will always re-G I straight aw ay, so
just use delayed attacks to deal some serious damage. [~0 1]
Against a less predictable adversary, you'll want to try and figure out
their mental habits. Many players follow predictable patterns at first.
Let's consider three fairly typica l types of player:

Basic Mind-Game Patterns

Player

Habit

Your Response

Player A

Always breaks @) grabs

Rinse @+@

Player B '

Breaks the throw you did last

Change to the other throw

PlayerC

Always uses her stronger grab

Break the stronger grab at

all times

A lways does (!)! after

a certain attack

Wait for the attack, then

block or evade as appropriate
Block the Low and punish

The table describes really simple situations against weaker opponents, but the key idea here is that you will benefit from constantly
watching your opponent for any predictable patterns of behavior. Even
the very best players can be prone torepetitive play, and they most
likely won't even realize, as it can be hard to effectively mix-up everything you do. For example, they may always step to the same side.
backstep after a particular move. or try throws in a certain situation.
Try to figure out how good your opponent is at adapting. If you keep
using a particular Vertical attack in a certain situation, your opponen t
may look to sidestep next time that situation arises. For example, you
might keep trying ~@) with Viola after you block an attack at close
range. Preempt your opponent's step by attacking with a Horizpntal

this time instead, such as cl>c::(>@@. thereby punishing your opponent for actually reacting properly. The key is to decide how your
opponent will react to different situations; the above tactic is no good
against an opponent who just blocks all the time. [ ~o 2]
You also need to consider what your opponent thinks you will do.
If you keep using Low attacks on wakeup, he may be tempted to
crouch after being knocked down. Try to guess the right time to use
a Mid launcher instead for a big combo. You could try using the same
grab over and over, and then when near the edge of the ring, switch
to the other throw which will ring your opponent out.
This is not pure guessing games. It is all about on one hand, getting
a feel for your opponent's like ly choices, and on the other, making
choices that are less risky and more rewa rding. Balancing the two is
the crux of mastering mind games.

ADVANCED PLAY
Playing fighting games is ultimately about pitting your wits and skills against those of your
opponent. Your reactions and execution skills will improve over time up to a point, but the core
of the fighting experience is making decisions to try and beat th e other player. Better decisions will increase the chances of you hitting your opponent and not getting hit yourself, and
this then increases your overall chances of victory.
The important thing to gather here is that you are not making decisions simply about your own
character's strongest attacks, but also about your opponent's character, your relative positions
in the stage, the distance between the characters, the vicinity of walls and edges, the amount
of health each character has remaining, and the amount of time left on the clock. You will also
need to take into account your human opponent: his/her state of mind, tendencies, preferences, habitual mistakes, strengths. and weaknesses. Gathering all this information, and using it to formulate effective strategies under pressure, are the key skills tested by each match
you play. This is the top tier stuff, once you get here you're probably doing all right.

READING YOUR OPPONENT

Gather as much information as you can about your opponents during the fights.
Watch for which moves they tend to use at certain ranges, or after certain attacks.

See if they tend to try Ring Out tactics often.

Observe whether they tend to attack recklessly, or defend and backstep a lot.
Test their reactions to see how th ey deal with slower attacks, variabl e strings, and throws.
Think about their patterns in th e throw game, and in particular how they respond to
getting thrown, or what they do when you break their throw.

OKIZEME
When one of the fighters is knocked down,
the game temporarily changes. The standing character can press with ground-hitting
attacks, or use the advantage to go for a rewarding mix-up, such as Mid I Low I throw.
They might also use slower attacks which you
can't avoid, as these might to a lot of damage, and otherwise damage the Guard Gauge
or preserve advantage when they're blocked.
When attacking a grounded opponent, try to
use options that are universally rewarding,
such as Guard Burst or Break Attack tools.
Get a feel for how your opponent reacts to
being knocked down. Use faster powerful attacks against those who get up and attack.
Dash up to players trying to roll out of harm's
way, and hit them at the end of the roll, or
use Low-level Horizontals that hit grounded if
your cha racter has them. Press with throws,
Lows, and Guard Burst tools against players
blocking straight away. [ 70 3]

CHAPI'f' f11 , ilOVVfO Pi.Nf I PLAYING AGAINST HUMAN OPPONENTS

If you have been knocked down, you'll need to bear in mind the above
options and try to out-think your opponent. Getting up and attacking
is extremely risky, but can be useful to frustrate opponents who hesitate during Okizeme. Consider this tactic especially when you have
been knocked down some distance from your opponent.
The Ukemi is a really important part of Okizeme. You'll need to learn
what options you r opponent has after a knockdown. Some characters can do great damage after a knockdown, but you may be able to
Ukemi in a certain direction to evade all of their options. Others have
extremely powerful Ukemi Traps that w ill severely punish Tech Roll
attempts. Ever y character has very different Okizeme options, so this
w ill be one of the harder parts of the game to master. Learn any Ukemi
Trap options for your character, and observe your opponent's Ukemi
habits to see if you can apply them in combat. Bear in mind that some
Tech Traps will leave you very open if your opponent chose not to tech.

ANALYZING MOVEMENT
Seek to use your opponent's movement tendencies against them.
Short range characters will need to dash in when further out. so
frustrate their efforts with mid range pokes. Spacing cha racters may
often try to backdash, so catch them w ith advancing attacks for CH
and extra damage. Watch to see when your opponent tends to step:

maybe after particular moves are blocked, or when you enter a stance.
Also watch which side they step to. You can then use your best tracking attacks at the given range. Similarly, watch out for trends for when
your opponent crouches or uses TC attacks. [ -70 41
You need to consider your own movement too. Though you need
to avoid being predictable, there may be some basic strategies to
adhere to against some cha racte rs . Raphael and Viola, for example,
can attack you from long distance, bu t don't have many threatening
options if you just keep sidestepping at range. Some characters may
have several attacks that track to the same side, so you can step
mainly the other way to increase you r chances of making your opponent whiff. Backstep often against cha racters w ith weak range, or
those who profi t from throws and close range mix-ups.

RING CONTROL
Movement and spacing are essential in trying to zone you r opponent.
Use attacks with pushback to knock your opponent near the edge of
the ring, while keeping yoursel f more in control in the center. Use
sidestep and 8-Way Run to maneuver away from the edge and press
your opponent closer to it, bearing in mind thei r tracking options.
Learn which attacks you can use to knock your opponent into a
wall or out of the stage. You may have many moves that knock you r
opponent to the left or right, so try to stay in a position where you
have more options by placing you rself at a more advantageous angle.
You can also use throws to reposition yourself and your opponent,
and you should t ry to break any throws that would leave you in a bad
position. [ -70 5]
Good ring control strategy w ill improve your chances of winning any
round, and is especially rewarding when your opponent has a big
life lead. Ring control has no effect on the infinite stages, other than
giving longer range characters to opportunity to continually backstep
out of danger.

COUNTERING & EVASION

Appropriate use of you r counter-attacking techniques will improve
your ability greatly. First you must learn what your character can do.
Auto-Gis only counter certain kinds of attack: some combination of
Highs, Mids, Lows, Horizontals, Verticals, stabs, kicks, and weapon attacks. TC moves evade any Hig h-level attacks and throws. TS moves
can evade some linear attacks. TJ attacks will dodge throws and Lows.
Some moves may have combinations of these, and some may even
crouch so low (STC) or jump so high (STJ) that they can evade even
more attacks.
These counters won't bea t the associated attacks outright. There will
be a specific, usually very short duration during which the aggressor's strike will be defeated. Don't assume for example that just because you tried a TC attack, you are invulnerable from all Highs from
the moment you executed the attack. Your character will only actually
be crouched for a small amount of t ime, so you w ill still get hit if you
are too early or too late.
There are two main ways to use these attacks. One is to specifically
counter your opponent's attack on reaction. Pa troklos can counter all
Mid weapon attacks using @+, so if Hilde is using a delayed Mid
like ~rJ. Pa troklos can charge @+ to beat Hilde's attack no matter when she releases it. Using TC or TS moves in a similar way can
be really effective against some stance mix-ups, where the fastest
stance attack is linear or High. [ -70 6)
The second way is to improve your chances of hitting your opponent.
You can't always know what your opponent will do, but if you are in
a situation where either player could conceivably attack and succeed,
using an attack with evasive or auto-G I properties will shift the odds
in your favor by beating some faste r attacks, as well as being satisfactory if your opponent doesn't attack at all, or attacks too late. When
used in this way, safe attacks are preferable, though you can still use
an unsafe counter-attack if the risk I reward is still in your favor.
For example, you might consider using a TC attack against Astaroth
in a situation where he is likely to go for his powerful throws. He
may use a Low grab or a M id and counter you, but you will take less

up this kind of player is to confuse them by shifting the rhythm of your at

a simple delay.3Nai~ a.fraction of a second longer to see if you can bait an
"'"rinr,.'>'ont and catch him out! You can also initiate your basic@, and@ attacks
<iri'tkinnmi>rli;,tpf\J
them witti @,to again force a mistake; some unblockable attacks can
r effect, and some opponents will instinctively crouch or step w hen they see
vjs~al indication of an i~coming unblockable. This is the opportune moment to strike.
~<11 ''"*""',.."""',..."'"' can vary Hie ~iming of basic strings, delay some slower attacks, or ca ncel
..,,..,,P.;++~-L

into another with aifferent timing. Z.W.E.I. for example can employ his faithful partcrime E.I.N. in this way, call ing him into the fight to attack at an unexpected moment. or
his strikes w ith different timings. This can cause your opponent to release
or counter+<'""L at the wrong time. ( -70 1]

The central idea here is rhythm. You may f ind w ithout noticing that you are constantly attackwith the same rhythm. Your opponent can then also get into th e same rhythm, simply
blbckifla your one or two-h it strings at the sam e time after each of his own attacks; this will
real
for him to halt your offense. What you need to do against really good de,,'lt,>:::...a.~"-h''"'i" "hift
rhythm to make it awkwa rd for your opponents, as w hile they are waiting
it is har0er for them to quickly shift into an attacking mentality. Thi s can give
and nn' ""'"
extra fraction of a second to gef your attack in first.
. you'

a,

\I

about rhythm can be really beneJicial when you're not playing well. Playe rs often sink
~into predictab le patterns of play when frustrated. Have a think about whethe r you are con\ stantly ~oin9.Jor the same kind of mix-up, or repeatedly trying to throw, w ith exactly th e same
timi mJl~aft~r"Vou regain advantage. Sometimes just slowing down a little, or equally, attacking a
little more often at disadvantage, can be the catalyst for completely turn ing the game around:
your opponent may have become complacent and be slow to adapt to this shift in strategy.
:1< '

RISK VS. REWARD

Every aspect of the gam e described in this chapter is based on the overall risk I reward ratio
of competing actions. The goal of every round is to do more damage to your opponent than
s/he doe~ to yoy. You can't react to or predict everything your opponent does in a fight, but
this doesn't make it a pure guessing game. In any decent games of any kind, whether sports,
chess, or video games, the best players are the ones who can best manage the risks andrewards of the situations that arise in the game, according to the rules and the ul ti mate goal of
the game. In SOULCALIBUR V, the match's outcome is in fluenced by the rela tive rewa rd for

C'YA ' I'R

each successful choice made. Therefore you will need to make decisions that increase your overall chance of winning the match, ra ther
than simply focusing on getting a particular guess right, or reacting
well to a single attack.
Ring Out is a classic example. You can completely out-class and outguess your opponent for the whole round, but still lose because you
were knocked off the edge of the ring. Some novice players can feel
cheated when this happens, but Ring Out is one of the most effective
winning strategies, especially when the other player has a significant
health advantage. This is why when you have a life lead, it's advisable
to move to a safe position in the center of the stage as a priority: this
way your opponent has no easy method of stealing the round, and is
forced to come to you and earn victory the hard way. r~o 2]
Proper assessment of the current situation is really im portant bu t also
very difficult. The next step is to try and foresee potential situations
around the corner. This level of play will only come with experience,
and by actively thinking about the possible actions and consequences
in your battles. As you improve, you will find yourself applying good mix-

I HOW ro Plt\Y I ONLINE PLAY

ups and ring control automatically, and you w ill really start to get a sense
of the right times to attack, defend, and move.
Once you have learned how to avoid taking unnecessary risks, and
how to impose yourself on your opponent with your most rewarding
attacks, strategies, and mix-ups, you will then be able t o engage your
opponent purely using mind games. Some examples to consider:
With your back to the ring edge, focus on defend ing and
escaping.
With a significant life lead, use low-risk tactics and stay away
from the edge.
Avoid using unsafe attacks against defensive opponents who
can repeated ly or severely punish them.
Refrain from crouching much unless your opponent is v ery
predictable.
Try to goad or maneuver your opponent over to the edge of
the stage.
When you are close to losing the round, use more aggressive
and risky tactics to try to even the odds.

This section covers the practicalities of playing online. For a fu ll breakdown of the va rious
modes and game types, see the Online Play section in the Game M odes chap ter on page 74.

CONNECTION STATUS
Playing online differs from playing head to
head on a single console. The main factor affecting gameplay is the speed of the internet
connection between your console and your
opponent's. Information about the battle is
continuously passed between the consoles,
and consequently there will be a slight delay
between your inputs and the onscreen events.
In general, your connection w ill be stronger
when playing w ith others from the same
world region. The world map on the Xbox
Live I PSN menu shows the concentration
of players from each region currently playing
SOULCALIBUR V online. Stronger connections will have less impact on the gameplay,
when compared to playing offline. Worse
connections will increase the delay between
your inputs and the response of the on-screen
characters. The strength of the connection between you and you r opponen t is indicated using a 5-bar format: more bars means a better
connection, and less input delay.
This input lag can affect the general gameplay chiefly by limiting how easily players can
react to the events in battle. Larger delay will
make it more difficult to react to slower attacks, or to attack at the earliest opportunity
after blocking or evading an attack. This can
make the fights more of a guessing game.
and reduce the effectiveness of punishment
and defensive strategies.

RESPECTYOUR OPPONENT
In general, try n9t to focus too m uch on t he
end resu lt or your overall battle record. This
can cause you to lose focus in a battle. Concentrate on how you and your opponent are
playing, and how you can adapt to your opponent's tactics. Fighting games are competitive and both of you are trying to win, so respect your opponent, and try not to become

aggravated. It can help to treat all players the

same irrespective of their skill level. and torespond to defeat objectively. There is normally
something you can learn from a match, even
against an opponent who doesn't appear to
be using much variety in his gameplay.
Although most players tend to finish their
matches, some can be tempted to quit or disconnect the match before it ends, usually either to preserve their statistics or to attempt
to punish their opponents when frustrated.
These players will ultimately hinder thei r own
learning process for vi rtually no gain, so don't
be too concerneCI when it happens.

ADJUSTING TO FRAME DELAY

Because the Connection Status between
consoles can modify the in-game experience. you may find that the game feels different when playing online: perhaps a little
sluggish. You may find it harder to block or
dodge some attacks for example. It can become very difficult to use techniques that
require precise timing, such as successfu lly
implementing Just Guard or some auto-G is.
You can prepare for t he difference in Training. Open the System Settings sub-menu
and switch Practice with Frame Delay to On:
this will simulate online battles by inserting a
small delay between your inputs and the subsequent on-screen actions. Bear in mind that
the actual amount of lag in an online battle
w ill vary depending on the Connection Status between players during a battle.
Players respond to the effects differently.
While many will play the game as normal
and may not even notice the difference, others m ay change the way they approach the
game. There are two extremes in terms of approach. At one end of the scale, players will

look to do their best to win all matches, irrespective of the conditions. Because reaction
times diminish when playing with a weaker
connection status, you can play more aggressively, because it will be harder for opponents
to interrupt your frequent attacks; you can also
afford to use more risky attacks, such as slow
or unsafe attacks that become harder to counter or punish.
At the other end, players will aim to recreate the conditions of an offline match by refraining from using slower attacks. especially
unblockable attacks and Low attacks that
knock the opponent down. Th e idea is that
the battles w ill then better resemble lag-free
offline matches, because these moves are
very risky when your opponent can react to
them properly. Such players ;;ilso tend not to
attack repeatedly, but rather wait until their
opponent loses the frame advantage.
There rea lly is no right or w rong way to play.
Playing aggressively can limit the game's diversity, because certain attacks will become
more effective and others less so, but it is a
more natural way to play the game. Striving
to make the matches more authentic can also
make the game more enjoyable. but has the
less desirable effect of making matches convoluted. and dampens the competitive edge.
We would recommend playing the game in
the way you feel most comfortable, the way
wh ich enables you to enjoy your battles the
most. You w ill be able to find many other players w ith a similar outlook. From a competitive
standpoint. there are things to be learned
by playing in a number of different ways,
including the examples illustrated above.
Above everything else, have fun! That's what
SOULCALIBUR V was designed for.

M ovement is what made the SOULCALIBUR

series unique. and in SOULCALI BUR V it's
been refined to the ma ximum. You can freely
move in 8 different direction s at different

speeds. which gives you very precise control of your position w ithin the ring . It's crucial to
master all of the possible w ays to move. because you use movement at all times. either for
repositioning yoursel f, closing the gap between you and the opponent, creating distance, or
simply for evading attacks.

SIDESTEP

DASHING

Sidestep is a s ingle movement to one side that wi ll evade most Vertical attacks. You won't be
able to guard against attacks for a short time (around 20 frames) w hen performing a sidestep,
making you vulnerable to Horizontal attacks and some Vert ica l attacks that track to a specific
direction. Every Horizontal attack that connects during a sidestep will register as a Counter Hit, which makes sidestepping a risky choice and not something you can do repeatedly.
[-70 1]

There are two types of dash: backdash and

forward dash. Backdashing is used to create
distance for zoning characters, or to retreat
at times w hen you're trying to keep the life
lead. It's also used to try to make your opponent w hiff. Forwa rd dashing is used to close
distance to an opponent for short-range
characte rs, or to go into mix-ups and throws
when the opponent remains defensive. The
forward dash is generally a lot faster than a
backdash. Getting hit while backdashing will
resu lt in a Counter Hit. Keep in mind that all
characters are not equals when it comes to
dashing speed and distance. For example,
Pyrrha 's backdash is faster and covers more
distance than Siegfried's.

A sidestep can be canceled any time during the animation by regular attacks, throws, or even a
Guard Impact, but not to guarding . The fact that you cannot cancel sidestep w ith guard means
that you do lose some fi ne control over your position, since you're forced to use a full sidestep.

QUICK MOVE
Quick Move is basically an enhanced step. It's done by tapping {!r or'\} twice in a row quickly
(within 6 frames, or one tenth of a second). It covers more distance than a normal sidestep,
and if you buffer a Quick Move into the recovery of an attack, you can cancel it very quickly
with guard. Yo u'll still see the motion trai ls, but the distance the character travels w ill be very
short. It w ill not only evade normal Vertical moves. but w ill help you to evade some Vertical
attacks that track to one d irection. [ ~o 2]
Hold down the second directional input in a Quick Move (with {!r,. o r '\}.fl to immed iately
enter 8-Way Run. You ca n string multiple Quick Moves together by tapping a direction in a fast
rhythm. It is also possible to evade some Horizontal attacks when using sidestep or Quick
Move, th ough usually only by moving in the one direction to w hich th e attack doesn't track.

8-WAY RUN
8-Way Run is a state where you can move
freely around the ring by holding down any
direction. You will also gain access to moves
that can only be performed while in S-Way
Run and you'll be able to eva de a lot of
attacks if you move in the right direction. To
enter 8-Way-Run, simply maintain the directional input during step, Quick Move, or dash.
While 8-Way Running, you can utilize any
of you r 8-Way Run attacks quickly by shifting to the appropriate direction and pressing the attack button. For example, w hile
movi ng to the side w ith -t. you can shift to
and press @ to perform your -=t>S> attack;
alternatively, shift to tt and press @ to use
1::21:2@. This is really useful for executing you r
8-Way Run commands w ithout having to key
in more awkward commands like 1::21:2@, and
this in itself is a benefit to using S-Way Run
while outside of your opponent's range, especially if your character has strong 8-Way
Run attacks. [ -70 3]

To access regular moves while in 8-Way Run,

you have to release the direction before pressing an attack button. 8-Way Run's effectiveness
has been increased in SOULCALIBUR V; it's
now quicker and easier to make use of. Getting hit by a Horizontal attack during 8-Way
Run w ill still result in a CH, however.

CROUCHING (FC)
By pressing and holding ..@. you enter a
state ca lled Full Crouch. You w ill instantly
evade all High-level attacks and High throws
until you leave FC. Release @ and hold ,. to
remain in FC w ithout guarding . Some attacks
w ill automatically place you in a FC position as
you recover, and you can hold,. in exactly the
same way to remain fu lly crouched. [ -70 4]
While holding ,. in FC, you can use some attacks not accessible w hen standing neutrally.
FC @. FC . and FC @ are available to all
characters, whi le some can use ext ra moves

CiN'TCR 2 i SYSTEM GUIDE ! MOVEMENT

like Nightmare's FC ~ or Yoshimitsu's

!::?@@@@@. Some attacks share the evasive properties of the FC state during some
part of the animation. These are known as TC
attacks, during which your character is Tech
Crouching (TCJ,
Any time you are considered crouched (FC or
TC), you become vu lnerable to Low throws
(see below). You cannot guard against Midlevel attacks while crouched. Inputs like S>@
or >@+@ will cause your character to perform the standard c::> or<? attack as if standing. You can also execute jumping attacks
and 8-Way Run attacks from FC using the
normal commands.

WHILE RIS!NG (WR)

To leave the FC state, simply release ...
You will temporari ly be in a state called While
Rising (WR). You can be caught by High attacks and High throws, but will evade Low
throws. After a small amount of time, you w ill
return to the normal neutral standing position.

During the temporary WR state. you have

access to a small number of unique attacks.
Input an attack button before return ing to the
neutral standing state to execute a WR attack. All characters have WR @. WR . and
WR@ attacks; there are a few additional variations like WR @+with Patroklos. Because
you return directional inputs to neutral (*) to
execute WR moves, you cou ld for example
describe WR as FC *@. [ 70 5]
If you hold@ during a WR state, you will be
able to guard Mid attacks instantly, though
Lows w ill catch you. This allows you to react
properly to M id and Low attacks by holding
..~ or ~ on its own at the right time.

JUMPING
You can execute a basic jump by pressing ~.
"\r. or~ while holding~ . This is called a neutra l jump; you are put into an airborne state
until you land, and can evade Lows, Special
Low attacks, and most throws. Although you
can avoid Lows and throw attacks by doing
so, jumping is far less important than standing or crouching. A simple jump will leave
you completely vulnerable to High and Midhitting attacks, and you cannot cancel a jump,
meaning your movement is restricted until
you land. [ -70 6]
That is not to say jumping is useless: when
you are holding ~ to guard incoming attacks,
it is quite simple to press ..~ to quickly
react to Low attacks. and technica lly not so
much harder to press -t in the same situation, though it's much less intuitive. However,
because jumping leaves you more vulnerable, and doesn't protect you from Highs. it
is better to simply switch between ~ and
..~ while defending you rself, using a jump
only when it is essential, such as when your
opponent tries a Low unblockable attack like
Natsu's -&+. It's also easier to whiff
punish a throw or High from FC than after a
jump, because there is no recovery time associated with crouching. Some attacks have
the evasive properties of a jump at some
point in their duration. These are known as
Tech Jump (TJ) attacks (described below).

ff you can see your opponent going for a Low

or Throw, you can preemptively punish them
by using a jumping attack.
Every character can use ~. {(, and ~ @. ,
and @.These attacks make you airborne after
only 3 frames, meaning you can use them to
react to some attacks if you're really fast. Such
attacks negate th e need for whiff punishing
and can be really useful, though they don't
generally do as much damage as you might
get w ith a whi ff punish combo. Neutral jump
can then be better, especially against Lows
that have slow recovery, as you can use much
stronger punishing attacks when you land.

BACKTURNED (BT)
There are a number of ways in which characters can find themselves facing away from
their opponent. You may be struck forcefully
enough that you are spun arou nd, and some
knockdowns can also send you reeling and
leave you facing the wrong way. Your oppo-

nent may move all the way around you, more

likely at very close-range. Some characters
can also use attacks wh ich leave themselves
exposed to the rear. When this happens, your
character is considered Back Turned, and the
available controls are modified slightly.
Basic button presses wi ll execute BT attacks,
such as BT @. You can perform special BT
moves which leave you in FC by pressing the
-& direction at the same time, such as with
BT {).@. Most of the cast have a particularly
potent BT +@ attack, while t he other attacks tend to be lacking, but this is not universally the case. [ ->0 7]
You cannot access your normal attacks from
BTwithout turning around first, by pressing@
or the directional inputs. You can block straight
away from BT but won't turn fast enough to
use normal attacks instantly. You are unable
to jump or Guard Impact from Bl; and your
movement is limited as well.

SPECIAL MOVEMENTS
Som e characte rs have special movement options that will help them to cover som e distance,
either by advancing, backdashing, or sidestepping while Tech Crouching or Tech Jumping.
We'll go through t hese here and explain what the possible uses are for each type.

Character

Mftsurugl

Siegfried
(from neutral
or any stance)

Nightmare
Cervantes

Pyrrha

Pyrrha Q

Patroklos
i

. a Patroklos

Movomont Nomo

Comnumd

Properties

Silent Step

.(!,~

TC

Mist Dash

TC

Len Seven Stars, Right Seven Stars

'lr or

Caliostro Rush

.(!,~

Mantis Fire Da nee

During Man tis Crawl

Chief Hold

'lr or ..(lr + @

TS

Base Hold

+@

TC

Side Hold

<? +

Back step

Reverse Side Hold

~+

Forward dash

Grim Stride

.(!,~

Night Side Stance

+ or FC +

Backstep

Dread Dash

Du ring Dread Cha rge '

Fas t dash

Preparation Parry

Du ring Preparation

<?

Backdash 1 Au to-GI

Shadow Evade

During Preparation

..(lr

TC I Backstep

Oamar I'i<lil

<? t?4.~c:l>

TJ

Angel Step

.(!,~

TC

Angel Side Step

During Angel Step

Angel Step

FC -..(lr~

Nemesis Sfep

.(!,~

Nemesis Side Step

During Nemesis Step

Double Nemesis Step

.(!,~~

Justice Step

.(!,~

TC

Dawn Haze

,0,1:2<?

TC

Twilight Haze

.(!,~

TC

11'+

TJ

Ring of Heaven

Natsu

Lelxia

Aeon

..(lr +

TS
TC
TC 1 Fast dash

TC

1f or -..(lr

TC,TS
STC
TC

1f or -..(lr

TC,TS
STC

Stalker

Possession Rush

During Possession

Hover

During Possession 11'

STJ

Silent M ist

During Possession -..(lr

Fake hover

Weasel Run

During Possession ++@

Wind Roll

c:(> +

Distorted Breeze

.0. or 1f +@

Hou Lee

+@

Bea Her Hua

,0,-..(lr or 11'11' +@

Retreating Bear Her Hua

<?<?+@

Yann Divide feint

FC -..(lr@+@ @

TJ

Sand Winger

STJ

Sanddrake Catapult

During Sand Winger +liD+@

Fly

Spinning Evade

<?+

TS

Warp

During Indian Stance -..(lr+

Indian Stance

.0.+ (free movement)

IC

Flea

liD+ (free movement)

TJ

Manji Dragon fly

'lr+ (free movement)

TJ I Fly

Super Dragonfly

During Manji Dragonf ly 'lr+@ (free movement}

STJ I Fly

Fly

11'+

Fly

Advanced Step

c:(>-..(lr~

TC

Devil Jin

or <? or ~ or z;J + @

STJ
TC 1 Fast dash

Teleport Dash
TC
TSI TC
TC
Auto-GI
Backstep I Au to-GI

Telepon

CHAPi ~H? I SYS i l'Jvi GUi D;: I MOVEMENT

allow ing them to successfully evade most

incoming attacks. Pyrrha Q's Double Nemesis Step can even crouch under some stabbing attacks, ../}@s, or Horizontal Mid-hitting
attacks, while Pyrrha can manage the same
by using Angel Step from FC. [ 7W 1]

Most forward Tech Crouching dashes can be

done by pressi ng-.!}~. but th ere are a few
exceptions, such as Leixia's Hou Lee (@+@),
or Natsu's Possession Rush ( during
Possession}. This type of forward movement
is often a great tool for close-range charac-

ters attempting to pass through enemy

High-hitting attacks to get closer. Pyrrha and
Pyrrha Q have among the best such movements with their Angel and Nemesis Steps,
because they can both crouch and have
the option to sidestep by pressing it or -.!},

Nightmare's Grim Stride and Leixia's Hou Lee

are also very useful special movements because they allow quick access to their strong
While Rising attacks at the end of the motion, such as Leixia's WR Iii Iilli. or Nightmare's powerful WR . There are also some
Tech Jumping special movements, such as
Algol's <?t:Z-.1}~ or u Patroklos's it+.
and these will generally cover much more
distance.

ATTACK & DEFENSE STATES

This is a brief explanation of the states you can be in outside of

movement. W hen simply standing or crouching, you are in a neutral
position. Each attack you initiate has three main elements during the
full. uninterrupted anima tion: startup, impact, and recovery. When an
attack makes contact the defending character is trapped temporarily, either by blockstun (if they successfully guarded the attack) or by
hitstun (if th ey were hit).

AITACK STATES
The startup frames are the first part of the attack, where your character begins to swing his sword or extend her limb. If you are hit during
these frames. your opponent's attack will count as a CH. The fewer
startup f rames your attack has, the faster it w ill connect.
Your attack makes contact during the active frames. Some attacks
have just a single impact frame, but most w ill have more. In the character move lists in this guide, the earliest active frame for each attack
is shown under the Impact column. Usually the first frame will be
the one that makes contact, but very occasionally you may hit on a
later frame if t he earlier ones missed, such as if you were in FC and
stood up into a High attack before it was finished. It can also happen
when an UkemiTrap catches a player risi ng from th e floor, which can
make some attacks have unexpected effects when they hit during an
Ukemi. [70 2]
....
Only one active frame w ill actually hit the opponent; the remainder
become recovery frames. The only exception to this is Tira's JS +@:
she actually takes damage for each active frame tbat passes through
her body while she is absorbing damage. You still take CH damage
when struck during the active frames of your own attack, therefore,
when the characters trade attacks, both w ill suffer CH penalties.
The final frames are your recovery frames. as your character returns
to a neutral state. You will not take CH damage during recovery
frames. Punishment usually involves hitting the other cha racter during recovery frames. Attacks which recover quickly are more difficult
to whiff punish.

ated whilst the other is still recoveri ng, and so beat the other player's
similar speed attacks. Normally the defending character will recove r
before the attacker: when this is not the case (after many Break
Attacks for example), the attack yielding advantage on block is known
as a frame trap. [70 3]

DEFENSE STATES

After a character is hit. it takes some time for him or her to recover
from the subsequent state called hitstun. Normally the attacking
character will recover fi rst. but not always; for example, some attack
strings leave the opponent on advantage when you don't finish the
string, even if you hit. There are also special types of hitstun. After
launching your opponent, they become airborne, and can use Aerial
Control after they are first hit in this state. There are also various kinds
of stuns in the game, as described later, where the attacked character
reels in pain, sometimes falling down, doubling over or otherwise
recovering more slow ly than normal. There are more specific types
of aerial and grounded stun, but they do not influence the gameplay
enough to be explored in depth.

When you block an attack, you are temporarily immobilized, and can
only stand or crouch to block further attacks. This state is called hitstun. The guarding character must recover from hitstun, just like the
other recovers from his or her attack. Whoever recovers first is said
to have the advantage, because their ensuing attacks can be initi-

If you are able to hit an opposing character whi le they are still in hitstun, these hits become a combo, along with any other subsequent
guaranteed hits. If you block an attack and recover fast enough to hit
the opponent in recovery frames, the attack is punishable on block.

Attack properties such as TC, TJ, and auto-GI are rarely useful unless
they occur during your startup frames: any later, and they will only
defend you when you have already wh iffed your attack. There are
rare exceptions, such as when Leixia uses <?<?<? to protect herself from Vertical punishment by adding an auto-GI to the recovery
of her move.

You can input commands during blockstun, hitstun, or the recovery

frames of an attack so that they will start up at the very moment you
recover. This is known as buffering an attack. and is really importan t
when trying to execute more complicated commands (like 8-Way
Run attacks o r command throws) at the earliest opportunity. You
will need to buffer your commands during the later frames of recovery. Note that some commands cannot be buffered. such as Guard
Impact and Just Guard.
lncide(ltally, the effect that Just Guard has is to set blockstun to a specific amount. This amount is smaller than the blockstun inflicted by almost
every attack in the game, which is why attacks become more punishable after a JG, and any with long recovery become extremely unsafe.

ADDITIONAL TERMS
HITBOX

Although the on-screen characters are animated with beautiful precision, the game simulates their actual position in the stage with
simpler shapes that dictate where they are and where their weapons are. These invisible 'hitboxes' enable the game to quickly decide
which attacks will connect and which will miss. They also give the
characters a presence so that they can't walk right through each other.
Full exploration of the various hitboxes and their effect on game play is
not necessary here. It simply helps to understand the terminology, so
that if a character is described as having a small hitbox, it means that
they may not .get hit by attacks that would hit other characters in the
same situation. If an attack's hitbox is described as large, it means the
attack can hit opponents within in a large area. Some Vertica ls may
track to one side if the attack's hitbox actually extends to that side
of the attacking character. Finally, some attacks can have multiple
hitboxes: Siegfried's ~liD has a hitbox in the middle of the sword,
causing it to launch normally, and a ~eparate hitbox at the end of

the Zweihander, causing a stun at tip-range: Cervantes's >liD+ has

a hitbox for each of his blades as he strikes both in front and behind.
[-70 1]

HIT-CONFIRMING
This is a very important skill to acquire. You hit-confirm your attack by
waiting to see if your previous attack was successful before deciding what to do next. Consider Hilde's c:>IIDIIDIID. At range she can
use this to zone her opponent. Input c:>IIDIID first, and then observe
whether these attacks connect. If they do, you can choose whether
or not to use the third. as the opponent will be forced to block it.
But if c:>IIDIID is blocked, Hilde's opponent can duck the third hit and
advance or punish her, so she would be better off ending the string
there. Another example is Pyrrha's ~~liD. If she hits, she can followup with AS liD for a combo, but if the launcher was blocked. she will
usually want to choose a defensive option or risk taking serious CH
damage. [ ~o 21
Counter hit-confirming is similar but often more difficult. Here you
will need to check not only that your hit was successful, but also
whether you caught your opponent out of an attack or step. A CH
is visually indicated by a red and blue color burst where the attack
connected. as distinct from the pale yellow equivalent on NH, and a
heavier hit sound effect. To take the above case, Hilde's c:>IIDIIDIID is
guaranteed on CHr. so you can always follow @@ with the third
strike without any risk. Only execute the full string once you have
reacted to the CH effect.
There are similar methods you can use to attack more precisely
wilbout needing to confirm your hit. If you see your opponent whiff
a move with very poor recovery, you can quickly attack and judge
whether they w ill be able to recover in time to block. If they have
no chance, you can continue your offense on the assumption that
your attack will succeed. After you block a punishable move, you can
guarantee hitting your opponent if you use a suitable attack quickly
enough to connect before they recover. You can also attack without
hit-confirming after you Gl an attack, because
your hit w ill connect unless yo u are re-Gied.
If this happens, any buffered inputs will have
no effect. so you can react to the re-GI and
then decide how to respond.

TRACKING
When you try to avoid attacks with a sidestep, some attacks will still hit you even if
you managed to step to your opponent's
side. These attacks 'track' to that side, and
although Horizontals are the purposive tracking attacks, many Vertical attacks can track
too. Normally Verticals will only track in one
direction if at all: some Horizontals may also
track only in one direction. Attacks can and
do track better than others. with some catching all kinds of lateral movement, and others only ca tching very slow movement at
close-range. You can examine the colored
weapon trail effect following various attacks
to get an idea of their tracking properties.
[-70 3]
Note that tracking only applies to lateral
movement. Low attacks cannot hit an airborne opponent, even if the weapon makes
contact with the jumping character. Hitboxes
still matter when determining whether High
and Mid attacks will connect. as these can
sometimes be avoided by very High jumps
like Natsu's Hover or Patroklos's 'iJ>+.
The same principles apply to STC attacks.
But because jumping and crouching movements are more restricted than th e 8-Way
Run options, attacks don't track up or down.

CHAPTEH 21 S'YSTI:M GUi-:JE I MOVEMENT

REDIRECTING ATTACKS

STANCE TRANSITIONS

This concept is distinct from tracking, in that the attacking character

will actually turn towards a side-on opponent during the attack, while
a tracking move incidentally catches a character to one side if the
weapon passes through them. Mitsurugi's <? illustrates this: he
draws back and then lunges forward with a linear stab, but he re-aligns
before the lunge, catching any opponent who doesn't move quickly
enough as he thrusts forward. The attack is steppable to both sides,
but you must t ime your step to avoid the actual stab part. [ -?0 4]

Although most stances can be entered passively, there are often

many ways for characters to shift into their stances after attacking.
These techniques are known as stance transitions, and can have a
number of benefits. Firstly, transitions can hand you the initiative for
enforcing your stance mix-up. After an attack that norm ally leaves you
at disadvantage, transitioning into a stance may enable you to attack
again and beat your opponen t's most likely retaliations, if the transition or your stance attack is fast enough.

Some attacks don't redirect at all, such as Cervantes's <>;:]<>;:]@), Maxi's

'<?, and most Unblockable attacks. Attacks in stance vary: Siegfried's attacks won't redirect at all in Chief Hold. but Voldo will redirect
with any inpu~s during Mantis Crawl if you try to step around him.
8-Way Run movement is particularly vulnerable to redirecting attacks,
so you:ll need to step them with more precise timing.

Secondly, stance transitions can be used to dynamically change you r

position after an attack. If your opponent doesn't anticipate this, they
may attack the empty space where you would normally have recovered, allowing you to punish the whiff whilst in the stance, ideally
leadihg to big damage.

STANCES
Many characters can enter a stance, which gives them access to a
unique set of moves, which are often faster and/or stronger than their
basic attacks. A good stance will have a variety of options to keep
the opponent guessing, at the expense of being unable to guard.
Recovering from stances will usually take time, meaning that you will
be unable to guard straight away when vulnerable, so stances often
increase the risk and reward of the situation.
A classic example of a stance is Mitsurugi's Mist ( or ' +@).
Mitsurugi has very fast pokes I and @liD) and devastating strlt<es
(@+and liD+@) available from Mist He can also move forward and
backwards, dash in and out, and even jump and crouch in this stance.
This makes it one of the more versatile stances in the game, but as
he cannot block, he still pays a price for the speed, range, and power
that he gains. Pressing @ will cancel the stance, but too slowly to
block any incoming attacks. You will often have to defend yourse lf
with your pokes and evasive techniques from a stance. [-70 5]
This essentially turns attack and defense into a mix-up. Another
example is Siegfried with his multiple stances. By having four distinct
stances and being able to switch between them at will, Siegfried can
put pressu re on his opponent to react properly to his offense. Characte rs like Mitsu rugi and Siegfried can force a mix-up on their opponent
by entering stance, which allows them to dictate the flow of a match
more easily by giving th.e other player no choice but to play the high
risk high reward game.
Yoshimitsu's stances are special in that he can move around the stage
w ith the directional inputs whilst permanently in a technically evasive
state. With so many stances and options therein, he can really use
these tools to flabbergast his opponent, who may then freeze or
make a mistake. Voldo's Mantis Crawl serves a similar purpose. and
his Blind Stance is unique in allowing him to remain in the BT state
while retaining the ability to move around freely and guard attacks.

To illustrate, take a look at Nightmare's stances. He can move into

Grim Stride after many attacks, some unsafe, and beat retaliations
with his GS @ counter-attack. Alternatively, he can enter GS and delay; Nightmare will then remain TC, and thus evade any High attacks
that the opponent might utilize to beat GS @. Night Side Stance has
similar applications, whereby he can interrupt his opponent's punish
attempt after a transition with NSS @, or use the NSS transition to
cause an attack to whiff, and t(Jen punish with NSS @+or:@. He
can even enter GS from NSS to try to counter other options. Intelligent use of these tools may stop his opponent from trying to punish
him at all, giving him more leeway for different strategies and mind
games. [ -70 6]

STANCES AND CRITICAL EDGE

Stances become overly risky to use against cha racters w ith appropriate SEt attacks. Because a number of these are fast, powerful. and
long-range, and'even have some invincible frames, they can be a universal option to defeat a stance mix-up, because the clharacter in the
stance cannot block. Judge your opponent's ability to react to your
stances and punish w ith those kinds of SEt attacks, and keep an eye
on the Critica l Gauge. A capable adversary with a fast SEt could get
guaranteed massive damage with at least four Critical Gauge stocks
available. You will need to alter your strategy completely under those
conditions.

GROUNDED POSITION
There are four positions possible when lying on the ground, as you
can see in the table here. With your face down and your head towards
the opponent, or with your face up and feet towards the opponent,
you are considered to be facing your opponent. As you attack from
the ground yo u can use While Rising moves. FC moves, and attacks
that have c::> and <? in their initial inputs. as w ell as jumping attacks.
These attacks w ill be much slower, though, because your character
wi ll need go through a "getting up" animation before launching the
attack. W ith your head tow ard the opponent w hen face up, or feet
toward the opponent wh en face down, you are technically Back
Turned. Get up from here into the standing Back Turned state by
pressing @+@+@. This can be quite usefu l for characters w ith a
fast and damaging +@ attack from BT. such as Astaroth or Maxi.
You can attack directly from the ground w ith BT attacks, but not w ith
multi-button attacks like +, meaning you w ill need to get up BT
first before executing BT +from a downed position. [70 1]
WRAttacks Possible

Technically facing

Face down, head t ow ards

Yes

Forwards

Face down, feet t ow ards

Backwards

Face up, head t owards

No
No

Face up, feet t owards

Yes

Forwards

Position

Backwards

POSITIONING
Positioning is how your character is positioned in direct comparison with your opponent. Ideal positioning greatly differs between
characters and match-ups, but generally, as Hilde for example, you
don't want to be too close to your opponent. w hile Pyrrha has to
stay nearby to be effective. Spacing and zoning are directly related
to positioning.

SPACING
Spacin g is about using moves to close in safe ly, and in some cases. to create more space or put yourself slightly to your opponent's
weaker side. This can be more effective than mere movement because the threat is immediate and the opponent cannot react to this,
only anticipate. Spacing w ell requires you to know your oppoJJ ent's
arsenal of attacks and their ranges and to watch which of these t hey
actually use and w hen. You want to place yourself in the exact spot
that's most likely to draw out a specific attack, yet also leave you with
the room to evade it when it comes. [70 2]

ROLLING
Rolling simply involves tapping ..!} or "\)' when grounded to roll up or
down. You can only do three consecutive rolls before g etting up automatically, but you can pause between rolls to allow for more. Staying
on the ground like this is useful to avoid immediate mix-up situations.
but makes you completely vulnerable to ground-hitting moves that
can track your roll. It's also a good idea to roll to re-position yourself
away from a dangerous place like the edge of the ring. Note that
some characters ace weak at tracking a specific direction of rolling,
such as Maxi against opponents rolling to the right w hile others can
easily stop any rolling in a damaging fashion, such as Yoshimitsu.

...
ZONING
Zoning is a way to fill the space between you and th e opponent
w ith moves, most of the time to stop them from moving in or sidestepping. This is a crucial part of the game for long -range characters
such as Hilde or Astaroth, but can be used by all characters when
defending a life lead or controlling the game clock. When zoning,
you're not trying to hit the opponent or bait a w hiff, you're simply
trying to attack safely to force the opponent to deal w ith something
that leaves you in a position from w hich you have more options,
including retreating back to the range from which you used the move.

WHIFFING
Last but not least, positioning is about making the opponent w hiff
t heir attacks and making sure that your own attacks don't whiff.
A whiffed attack should mean immediate punishment, and all characters can capitalize on that, but some for far greater rewards than others. Mastering positioning is probably the single most crucial t hing to
do in SOULCALIBUR, but is also the hardest
part of the game to learn, because knowing
every attack of every character in th e game
and reacting accordingly every time is quite
the feat. [ 70 3]

RING CONTROL
Ring control adds a third important element
to the positioning game. Ideally you'd want
your back far from any wall or edge, and
push the opponent's close to it . The obvious
advantage is immediate pressure due to the
extremely high damage that wall combos
can deal, and the immediate loss of a round
a Ring Out provides. It can also prevent longrange and zoning characters from backdashing anymore, allowing a close-range or pressure character to fully unleash th eir arsenal.
Usually the better characters for ring control
are also the better characters for Ring Out
and w all combos. but this is not always true.
Astaroth is the best example of how crucial
ring control can be for a character.

Clll\f)l'Efl 2 i SYSTi:M loU IDE! ATTACKS & PROPERTIES

In SOULCALIBUR V you can use various types of attacks, each of

which serve a specific purpose within the game's overall balance.
This means using Horizontal attacks to track a sidestepping opponent, Verticals to hit grounded opponents, or punish a crouch state,
or kicks, w hich are often weaker but can counter some auto-GI
attacks and can serve either a Vertical or Horizontal purpose. The

properties that each of these types of attack can have on top of this
can differentiate them even further. As an example: Vertical attacks
can be either a stab attack, downward or upward, and each of these
can be more or less useful in different situations. We'll go through
each type and the possible properties here and then detail the systems that take advantage of them.

ATTACK TYPES

Horizontal
Horizontal attacks can be of all heights
and are mainly used for countering
and preventing every type of sidestep.
Getting hit by these attacks during any
sidestep will result in a Counter Hit.
When a move is both Mid-hitting and
Horizontal, it's generally either quite
slow, very unsafe, or a primary tool to
use, since there's little the opponent
can do to evade it.

Downward Vertical
Generally, downward Vertical attacks .
are M id-hitting, but not always. These
are Vertical slashes, where the opponent swings their weapon from their
head towards the ground. Sometimes
they are ground-hitting moves, but this
is not a ge~neral rule. They can also often knock t he opponent down or lead
to advantage when blocked. Opponents can sometimes avoid the early
.active frames when in a FC state.

~ ;: ." ..

:i.f

:< :. ,.' .

' Body Attack

Generally a kick but not alWays, body
attacks are those that don't make use
of the character's weapon(s) at all.
These attacks can counter many autoGI moves.

Ground-Hitting
These are attacks that can hit a grounded opponent. preventing them from
., rolling or staying down to avoid your
f. ,:' .n;#:~psy .i ~a~ing g.ooq ground-hitting
moves is generally a sign 'of strong
' Okizeme game.

I!

Attack Throw (AT)

Attack throws are attacks that switch
to .? throw-like animation upon hitting
;the ;,:.6P,poqent. Good examples are
Yoshirnitsci 's' CH @@ and Astaroth's
..(),tZ<?@. Most attack throws cannot
be escaped once they've been triggered. There are exceptions, like the
FC attack grabs used by Siegfried and
Nightmare, which can be blocked like
normal attacks, and hit both standing
and crouching opponents, but can also
be broken.with@ or. Xiba's ~+
,.. ar)d: t1+ share these properties.
You :must break these rare attacks
within 11 frames of being struck.

Throw
Throws are High-hitting attacks that
Cflnf:lot . be guarded, but can instead
.:' be 'sscaped to avoid most of their
damage. Being High, they can obviously be ducked as well, but they're
necessary to pierce a defensive opponent's guard. so use them whenever
you think the opponent will hesitate.
Throws can be escaped by pressing
the . corresponding attack button to
:that which was used for the throw; so
.if.'arHAI+@ throw w as used then you'll
need to press @ within a certain window of time after the throw connects
in order to escape it, and if a +@
throw was used then you'll need to
press.

You have a 13-frame window to break

normal throws from the point of im
pact,.'and9 frames to break command
throws, such' as Aeon's {J.tZ<?+@.
Astaroth's ~-.(),tZ<? @+@. and Algol's @+@.

;:HAP"! f': H? S'! s; !')f. GJi De ' ATTACKS & PROPERTIES

Side:J"hrows
When you throw your opponent you
can get access to different throws depending on which side of their body
you grab. Grabbing them from their left
or right sides will lead to special side
throws that often deal more damage
than regular throws and are slightly
harder to escape. Throwing opponents
during their attacks can sometimes
lead to side throws, since attacks will
often turn the opponent to one side.

Back Throws
Throwing an opponent while they are
Back Turned w ill resu lt in a back throw.
Back throws are usually very powerful
and can't be escaped, which allows
them to be used in sorne combos as
guaranteed attacks (since there's no
chance of escape). Voldo, Astaroth, .
and Z.W.E.I., however, can escape
back throws in the usual way.

Crouch Throw
Crouch throws can be considered
Mid-hitting throws that will catch only
crouching opponents. They will whiff
against standing opponents. leaving you open to punishment. Only
Astaroth has access to these, and they
can be escaped in the same w ay as
regu lar throws.

Projectile
Projectiles,.such as Ce~va ntes's gun at,. t~ck i'or Algp l's e n ergy.balls. will ,c.oy~r'a..
dista(ice th at's usually' greate'f than the
stage size. These are almost always
linear but very fast attacks, and often
High-hitting. They can be guarded, but
there are a few, such as Cervantes's
(iJ3 that are unblockable.

ATTACK RANGES

Close-Range
Close-range attacks are used when up
close.and in situations where t hey canncit b.~ 'ai;oi,d.ed, since their short-ra nge
c~m make ' them easy to backdash.
They're generally fast, but not necessarily damaging unless you land a CH.
Yoshimitsu's -&(!)@ is a perfect example of a close-range attack.

Mid-Range

Mid-range is generally considered to

be the distance between the characters at the very beginning of a round.
Some characters can apply Zoning
at mid-range effectively and fish for
Counter Hits. Siegfried's ~@ is an
iconic mid-range move.

'

Long-Range
Long-range is a distance from which
you cannot use mix-ups and there's no
immed.iate danger from the opponent.
~orre characters can apply Zoning and
V'{n!ff punishing at this range, and look
for a Counter Hit. Ivy's o:t>mis a typical
long-range move. Some characters,
such as Hilde and Astaroth, can fight
effectively from long-range due to the
strength of their tools to push the opponent back and punish whiffs.

PROPERTIES

Attack Cancels
Some attacks or strings can be canceled during or after an initial hit, either
togciaid or to a stance. An example
of this is M axi's @+, w hich can be
@ canceled to RC stance. These can
be great for confusing defensive opponents.

GHAPH':R 2 ! SYS"EM GUIDE 1ATTACKS & PROPERTIES

Attack Fakes
Attack fakes are moves that you can
cancel before they actually hit. !!very
character can cancel their regular @.
, and @ w ith @. but some characters have slower attacks that can be
fakes. such as Mitsurugi's ~'*+.
@. These ar e a great way to get a reaction out of hesitating opponents.

Attack Delays
.
Some attacks can be delayed, or
charged so that they hit slower than
they normally would by holding down
the attack button. This can sometimes
lead to the attack gaining Break Attack
or unblockable properties. Some attack strings can also be delayed, generally after the fi rst hit, w ith the purpose being to throw the opponent's ..
timing off. Maxi's RC @ is a good
example of this.

Tech Crouch (TC)

Tech Crouch is a move property that
allows you r character t0 be effectively
crouching during an attack. It makes certa.iri attacks completely avoid High-hit
ting.attacks and throws. This allows you
to use Tech Crouch attacks as a form of
defensive measure, even though v.ou're
attacking. These attacks usually doQ't
Tech Crouch during their entire anim,ation. so you need to learn when and
how long they Tech Crouch to use them
effectively given the situation.

Super Tech Jump (STJ}

~ le.s s common type of jumping attack

.i'. ~,h.?r.e:, the-. cbarac;t!'lr< '!.e~ps ,;vE3rw ~ ig~

into.'the air. sometimes hi.9h er\Ough '
to ao'dge Mid or even High' attacks.
Examples are Natsu's Stalker and Yoshimitsu's Super Dragonfly.

Tech Step (TS}

.
:Tei:b ,.,$t~p i~ .another .rno:v~ : p~operty .
that makes your character eva,de attacks during a move. In this case it's
with a built-in sidestep. Depending
on the move, this can avoid some
Verticals effectively, and can often be
better than mere movement against
attacks that recover very fast even
when whiffed. Again, very few attacks
w i!.l Tech ,Step throughout thei r entire
'anh-ria.t ibo .'
' ..

'

COUNTER HIT
When you hit your opponent while they are attacking or moving you'll see a red
visual spark at the impact point that indicates a Counter Hit (CHI. There a.re differ
ent types of CH situations, but in som e cases it will lead to your attack gaining new
properties, such as stunning th e oppon ent. launching higher in the air, or knocking
the oppon ent down. Also, your opponent w ill take more damage while backdashing
(the damage of your attack will be 120% to 130% above normal) or attacking (120%)
than they would wh ile sidestepping (only 105%) or in a stun combo .

Damage lncrcoso

Counlcr Hil Type

Attacking

120%

Sidestep or S-Way Run

105%

Backdash or S-Way Run

backwards

120130%

STUNS
There are quite a few different types of stuns that your attacks ca n inflict upon
the opponent. Some attacks always inflict stuns, whi le other require a CH to do
so. Wh ile stunned, the opponent is vu lnerable and can't take any action, w ith the
exception of recoverable stuns, which allow them to hold @ to guard earlier than
they would otherwise be able to. All other types of stun generally lead to furthe r
guaranteed attacks being possible, often resulting in huge compos.

Stun Type

Opponent Stato

Crumple
stun

Slowly falls to
the ground

Spin Stun

Spinning for a
moment

STUN COMBOS
The stun combo system is important in SOULCALIBUR V , because landing a CH is
a frequent occurrence, and very many attacks can lead to stun combos when this
happens. When you stun you r enemy, a visual effect like yellow electricity surrounding their body will indicate that th ey are vulnerable, and they w ill be caught in the
animation for the particular type of stun. All guaranteed attacks that you land after
this initial stun will count as a CH and have their CH properties applied.
This will allow you to chain multiple stuns within a combo, since further CH stuns
can occur as each attack connects. However, to avoid the possibility of infinite stun
combos, the system will authorize you use do each type of stun only once in the full
combo. You cannot use the same type of stun, or the same moves to continue your
combo. If you do this, your enemy will be able to guard immediately. That why it's
important to know each type of di ffere nt stun that your character has, to use them all
and find the best damaging combo possible. [ ~ o 1]
Within each of the stun categories listed here there are actually different types of
stun. som e of which are specific to only a single attack. while some are inflicted by
many different attacks. This especially applies to crumple stuns, as they are the most
common type of stun and there are many slight variations of this type of stun that
allow stuns that might look almost identical to be used within the same combo. This
means you have to experiment when coming up with stun combos and try not to
rule out a stun based on how it looks.

Recoverable Stun

Quake Stun

Disoriented
by ground
impact

Wall Stun

Falling to the
ground after a
wall splat

Ground
Stun

Stunned
whilst lying on
the ground

CRUMPLE STUN
When you land an attack that inflicts a crumple stun, your opponent will start falling
to the ground slowly, allowing you to usually get a guaranteed follow-up. If you can't
hit your opponent while falling with another stun attack. you will still at least be able
to hit them with a ground-hitting attack. These types of stuns are usually the best for

Briefly
stunned and
can recover
by pressing

Imago

Ci :;\P I f:f\ 2! SYSl.")/1 GUIDE I ATTACKS & PROPERTIES

combos, so ensure that you know your best

options after each crumple stun attack to deal
the best damage possible depending on the
si tuation. [ -?0 2]

SPIN STUN
Hitting your enemy with an attack that inflicts
a spin stun w ill leave the opponent spinning
on the spot briefly. This leaves you with the
advan tage to continue attacking, and will
sometimes give enough advantage for fast
attacks to be guaranteed as a combo. The
main difference between the crumple stun
and the spin stun is that your opponent will
not fall to the ground, which can allow even
High-hitting attacks to connect if you have
enough advantage. If you don't have time to
connect guaranteed attacks, you will be able
to force your best mix-up on the opponent
with no fear of a CH. [ -?0 3]

RECOVERABLE STUN
When a recoverable stun is inflicted, your opponent will briefly crumple, so High-hitting at

tacks w ill usually miss. The opponent will be

able to recover and guard again by pressing
@. which means that no attack you follow-up
with w ill be guaranteed to connect. If the opponent does not hold @. they will be vulnerable for much longer, allowing you to start a
combo. This type of stun is usually very brief,
and you'll often only be able to use it to apply
a mix-up. [ -?0 4)

QUAKE STUN
Some attacks, such as Cervantes's -&+@.
can cause a quake stun, which will stagger
opponents caught w ithin the immediate area
around the point where the attack strikes the
ground. Attacks that cause quake stuns w ill
always be Special Mid if you are close to the
opponent, allowing you to guard them while
crouching or standing. If you're further away,
however, the quake from the attack will have
to be guarded Low. If you don't manage to
guard it in time, your character will be dis
oriented and vulnerable for a few moments,
sometimes allowing for a combo. [70 5]

WALL STUN
A wall stun occurs when your attack knocks
the opponent against the wall. The opponent
will then start falling towards the ground.
If the opponent is launched high enough before they are thrown against the wall, they
w ill slide down first, permitting more time for
possible follow-ups. You can have up to two
wall splat stuns in a combo, which makes it
the only exception to the stun combo rule
that prevents the same stun occurring twice
within a combo. After landing a wall stun, you
can combo w ith other attacks, all of w hich
will hit as CH. [ 70 6)

GROUND STUN
Some attacks slam the opponent to the
ground for a ground stun that can sometimes
guarantee a follow-up attack. Some groundhitting attacks can also cause a ground stun
when the opponent is already on the floor.
[-)0 7]

RING EDGE
Being near the edge of the ring is usually a
bad position to be in. It exposes you to Ring
Out pressure, one of the greatest dangers in
the game. Some characters are much more
of a threat than others near the ring edge, so
for those it can be an advantage to be near it.
Also, some combos that normally send you
sliding on the ground can work d ifferently
near the ring edge, as you'll be left much
closer to the grounded opponent, allowing a
more damaging move or combo to connect.

RING OUT

Ring Out happens when a character's attack

ejects the opponent from the ring, instantly
ending the round. A Ring Out attack is, in
effect. a one-hit kill, so it's a crucial concept
to grasp and to use. Some characters are better at Ring Out than others for a variety of
reasons. Characters w ith great ring control
ability also tend to have good Ring Out tools.
Having at least a throw that can Ring Out is
also a good sign of Ring Out capability. Ideally you want moves that knockdown far away
when they hit, and if possible in multiple different directions. If some of these happen to
be Low attacks then that will vastly improve
the character's Ring Out game, as it makes it
much harder to defend against.[ 7 0 1]
Focusing on Ring Out as a style is entirely
possible as long as you don't entirely neglect
the other aspects of your game. Opponents
pressured with the threat of Ring Out can
very easily make mistakes, and capitalizing on
these can gain you a round almost as quickly
as a Ring Out itself would. Finding and testing
your character's moves for Ring Out capability is a good thing to do, as it's not always
obvious w hich moves are effective at first
sight. Siegfried or Astaroth are good examples of characters with great Ring Out games.

WALLS
As with the ring edge, being against the wall
is a bad position to be in. You can't backdash
to create any space, and you're prone to be
wal l splatted for very damaging combos. A
wall splat happens when a move knocks you
against a wal l. Hitting the wall deals 20% of
the damage attack used to wall splat would
deal. so it basically adds 20% to that attack's
total damage and then puts the victim in the
wall stun state, allowing you to continue with
a wall combo. [ 7 0 2]
Wall combos can be very long and powerful, with some characters able to strip away
almost an entire health bar with one combo.
Having a strong wall game is dependent on
having good moves that allow for wall splats,
both in terms of how far they wall splat from
and how useful and safe the move is in general. A good ring control game also helps a lot
in walled rings, so pushing your opponent towards a wall is well worth doing, especially for
characters w it h hugely powerful wall combos.

GUARD BURST
The Guard Gauge is a hidden gauge that gets
depleted every time an attack is blocked.
Each blocl<ed attack will reduce the gauge

by its own amount, but generally, slower,

heavier attacks will wear it down much quicker than blocking fas t. weak attacks would.
As your opponent's gauge gets worn down
their health gauge will begin to flash yellow
and then red to indicat e its diminished state.
When their health bar is flashing red, this
means that a Guard Burst is imminent. most
likely after blocl<ing one more heavy attack.
When the Guard Burst happens, the screen
wil l become green and the attack used to
Guard Burst wil l take place in slow motion.
At this point. your opponent's ability to guard
will be disabled for 60 frames (1 second), allowing you to inflict a guaranteed follow-up.
Your next attack will have the Counter Hit
property, so you will be able to land your
heaviest stun combo starters. [ 70 3]
This is an important part of the game, beca use knowing how you can safely deplete
your opponent's Guard Gauge and optimizirfg
your combo after a s uccessful Guard Burst
can be a central part of the strategy for some
characters such as Astaroth. Maxi, or Z.W.E.I.
It's also important to know exactly by how
much you damage the Gucl'i'd Gauge with ev-

ery move, because depending on the recovery frames of the move you used to deliver
a Guard Burst you'll be left with less time in
which to begin your combo. This means you
should make sure to use your best move in
terms of both recovery and Guard Gauge
damage when you have the bar flashing red.
Sometimes, if your health bar is low and
flashing red, but losing the round won't mean
the loss of the match, then it can be worth
letting the opponent land their Guard Burs t.
Doing so may cost you the rou nd, but you
won't have to worry about the Guard Burst at
the start of the next round.
Another strategy that applies t o Guard Burst
is to use your heaviest Guard Gauge-depleting
attacks, even if they're highly unsafe, at times
when the oppon ent's health bar is flashing red
and they have their back to the ring edge. You
can also take advantage of the pressure of
the red flashing bar to force the opponent to
make mistakes. This can mean using pokes,
fakes, and Gls instead of your heavier attacks,
since the opponent is less likely to wait for
you to attack them, and may themselves be
looking to Gl your slower attacks.

ATTACKS & PROPER'JlES

Finally, you should remember to avoid using

attacks or strings with multiple hits when
the opponent's health gauge is flashing red.
If one of the first hits of the string causes the
Guard Burst you lose out on your chance to
land a powerful combo because the following hits of the string will continue after the
Guard Burst. Some attacks can't burst the
Guard Gauge at all, and this can be a good
thing, since you can use them to try to finish
your opponent off while saving your potential
Guard Burs t for the next round.

11

JUST ATTACKS
Just Attacks are often variations of standard
attacks with modified properties, though
sometimes they are unique moves that can't
be executed in any other way. The main
characteristic they all share is the difficulty
required to perform th em. They are generally
much harder to input than standard moves
for several different reasons. Some require
very precise timing of when you press a button or directional input. Others are dependent on how fast you slide from one button
to another, releasing the former very quickly.
Some require just very fast execution of the
whole command. A successful Just Input
is signified by a full-body white flash. and
smaller green flash above your character's
forehead. [ ~o 4]
For normal attacks that have Just Attack version, there are multiple possible upgrades
that the Just Attack can add to them. Some
just add damage, others add another hit for a
follow-up, and some add properties that can
lead to better combo potential. When you successfully do a Just Attack, your character will
fla sh white for an instant, showing you did
it. Some characters (for example a Patroklos
or Yoshimitsu} are more dependent on Just
Attacks than others. Mastering Just Attacks
can be crucial for them, and only time spent
in Training Mode will make you proficient.

CLEAN HITS

...

Clean Hit is a random possibility

attached to some specific moves.
This feature makes those attacks
Rating Type
Probability
more valuable in a sense, though _A_.::..__:.,____JL___--'H-ig-h--'--only at random. There are three
8
Medium
>
different Clean Hit probabilities.
with A being the highest and C
c
Low
the lowest. When an attack con- - - - - - ' -- - - - - nects as a Clean Hit. its damage
will be increased by 25%, and a blue visual effect flashes on the
attacking character.
It can be sometimes worth using a move that can Clean Hit over
another in combos or punishment, especially if the attack's Clean Hit
rating is A and the damage is high. The attacks that have Clean Hit
versions are shown in each character's full move list in the VS Play
Chapter, along with their probability. [ -? 0 5]

BREAK ATTACKS
Break Attacks are usually fairly slow attacks that sometimes must
be charged in order to gain this property. They always have a blue
lightning effect around them, and wi ll often cause heavy damage to
the Guard Gauge. Their purpose is to leave you at advantage even if
they are guarded. You must know your opponent's Break Attacks in
order to react quickly and adapt to an offensive or defensive strategy.
1~0

6]

Break Attacks have also the ability to disable the opponent's guard for
a short moment, and if you can connect a fast enough attack before
the end of this period, you will get a guaranteed hit and potentially a
combo. depending on your character. This makes Break Attacks very
strong, so you should always try to defend against them in ways other than blocking. Aim to either sidestep, backstep, Gl, or Just Guard
them. [ -?0 7]

COMBOS
Every character has at least a few standard combos that you' ll need
to get used to using in order to deal decent amounts of damage.
Knowing your best combo follow-up is a first step to master, but you
wil l have to go deeper if you want to win against experienced players.
Stopping your combo at a certain point, to take advantage of better
Okizeme or to attempt an Ukemi Trap. can give you better reward to
w in the round, but doing so means that you'll have to guess right one
m ore time. gambling with your combo's guaranteed damage.
You should also try to learn which moves or combos assist you for
Ring Out, wall splat. or positioning purposes. Sometimes a basic kick
follow-up after a launcher can be much harder to air control for the
enemy near the edge of the stage, and can help you win the round
more easily than a complicated combo.

DAMAGE SCALING

Every hit of a combo after the first has its damage recalculated by
the damage scaling system. The more hits your combo contains, the
lower the percentage of its total damage each hit will deal. For ex-

ample, the second

hit of a stun combo
Hit1
Hit2
Hit3
will be reduced to
100%
100%
100%
only 80% of its usu
75%
65%
100%
al damage, and third
hit will be reduced
Stun Combo
100%
80%
70o/o
to 70%. The fifth or - - - - - - - - - - - - - - higher hit w ill deal
only 50% damage. This is a system designed to prevent very big
combos from becoming too powerful and make shorter combos still
relatively rewarding .
Damage scaling also affects air combos. The first hit that connects
after your launching attack will deal 75% damage of its normal damage, the second 65%, and the third or more will deal 55% damage.
It's also important to know that your attack w ill be increased to 105%
if you catch them while they' re jumping. Also, a crouching opponent
suffers 105% damage from an attack, but only 90% if they were
trying to guard Low while being hit by a Mid-hitting attack.

CRITICAL EDGES
Your Critica l Edge is the strongest attack that
you can perform w hen you have one full meter of Critical Gauge. With your Gauge full,
input ..(lr~S>..()..~S> ++@ to use it. There
w ill be a special time stop effect, and you
will then see your character performing their
move. The reason why these attacks are so
valuable as to require a full Critical Gauge
is because they have priority over regular
attacks. due to some frames of invincibility
as they begin, and they are generally fast.
non-Giable, w ith good range and damage.
[ -,>Q 1]

Some cha racters will be able to punish otherwise safe moves w ith their Critical Edge,
such as Maxi or o. Patroklos, since these
Critical Edges are so fast. Some others can
use their Crit ica l Edge after a launcher in air
combos {e.g. Pyrrha, Patroklos) or can combo after their Critical Edge (like Astaroth and
Z.W.E.I.). Some Critical Edge attacks have auto-G Is built-in. which allows them to be used
as very powerful defensive tools to make the
opponent scared to attack you. Astaroth and
Ivy's Critical Edges are throws, but unlike
regular throws there's no possibility to escape them once they've grabbed you.
Depending on your Critical Edge's specialty {speed, air combo, range, priority, stun
combo), you can build your strategy around
it whenever you have a full Critical Gauge.
Very fast Critical Edges. such as Maxi's, will
be best used to punish safe guarded moves
or stance transitions, or even used in disadvantage situat ions like using it while getting
up from the ground to interrupt your opponent's Okizeme. Some Critical Edges can
connect their entire combo even when they
hit in mid-air, such as Patroklos's. In this case
it means a character like Patroklos will more
often try to launch his opponent in order to
combo into his full Critical Edge.

Oon1ago

Character Name

Propertios

Mitsurugi

i16

~20

60

Catches grounded opponent

Maxi

i14

-24

88

Ring Out, Clean Hit possible

Voldo

i19-

-2

100

Voldo enters Mantis Crawl

Siegfried

i17

-22

93

Hits Air and Ground, Huge range

Ivy

i26

80

Inescapable

Nightmare

i62

80

Gl all except UN and Throw. does double

damage at lull charge

Astaroth

i26

Throw

50

Inescapable throw, combo possible after

Cervantes

i10

.Raphael

i12

-20

75

Tira

i13

-20

57 (JS), 91 (GS)

Hilde

i1 6

-20

95

Algol

i18

-19

15 (+ 12.5)

Throw

High unblockable projectile attack

,.

Dampierre

Mid-Air combo possible

Doing in JS will end in GS, Doing in GS will
do an additional attack
Very long range
Can perform a follow-up by using a second
CG bar

80

Auto-Gis all attacks except unblockable attacks

and throws

36

Launcher

11

Prolonged hitstun I blockstun

Z.W.E.I.

i22

Viola

i23

Pyrrha

i13

-17

85

Mid-Air combo possible

Pyrrha Q

i13

-21

90

Attack Throw

Patroklos

i13

-20

96

Mid-Air combo possible

a Patroklos

iB

-20

55

Invincible from i4

Natsu

i21

82

Launcher

Xiba

i19

-17

65 {a-GI: 114)

AutoGi all H & M, TC, TJ

Leixia

i12

-20

70

Mid-air combo possible

Aeon

i13

-20

71

Mid-air combo possible

Yoshimitsu

i16

-20

110

Hits Low/Ground

Devil Jin

i16

-1

90

Mid-air combo possible

E.zio

i13

-18

90

He tried to warn you

-31

CHAP i :. H7. ! SYSH'M C>U UF: I ATTACKS & PROPERTIES

Some Critical Edges simply deal massive
damage, and these are usually the ones that
are best used as whiff punishers or after a
successful Guard Impact. Using your Critical
Edge after a Guard Impact is a very powerful
tactic, since the opponent will not be able to
re-GI it. This means that any time you have
enough meter, a simple Gl will guarantee
that your Crit ical Edge connects. If you're
behind in a round, it can be worth using your
Critical Edge to surprise your enemy, such
as after a blocked poke. This is a very risky
tactic with most characters, however, due
to many Critical Edges being highly unsafe
when blocked.

rg
U

BRAVE EDGES
Brave Edge attacks are activa ted by pressing
@+@+@ shortly after inputting a standard
attack command. They are only available for
a lim ited selection of moves per Character.
Each consumes 50% of a Critical Gauge
bar {4 stocks), so you can only use them so
many times in a fight. However, the bene fits
bestowed by a Brave Edge are always good
and worth using .
Activating the Brave Edge can add some
powerful properties to your regular attacks,
like Maxi's S>@+@ or Cervantes's <?@; they
will do more damage and w ill become Break
Attacks, increasing the frame advantage on
block. Other types of Brave Edge will add
additional powerful attacks: for example,
Z.W.E.I. gains an additional launch attack
after his normal attack with 1:1@ ~. and Ivy
gains the same by using S>S>@ ~ . [ -?0 2]
Some Brave Edges have to be done immediately after the regula r command, wh ilst
some others can be activated very late,
like Z.W.E.I.'s ~~@ ~. allowing you to
hit-con firm your launcher before spending
the meter.

Character

Bravo Ed go Command

Applications

Mitsurugi

Mix-up, Air Combos

Maxi

Fast Interrupter, Punishment

Vol do

Combos, Punishment

Siegfried

During Chief Hold @ @+@+@

Ivy
Nightmare

Astaroth

Air Combos, Pressure

GS@@+@+@

Wall Combos, Ring Out

Combo Re-launch
Air Combos, Pressure

Cervantes
Raphael

Air Combos, Pressure

During Preparation @@ @+@+@

CH Combos. Pressure
Combos, Okizeme
Throw, Ring Out. Combo with ~
Combo, Pressure
Launcher, Pressure

z.w.E.I.
Viola

Depending on the properties of your Brave

Edge moves, identify the situations where
the risk/reward ratio favors a Brave Edge
attack more than a Critica l Edge or a Guard
Impact. Leixia's WR @ ~for example is a
During Channeling Kick@+@+@
really strong counter-attack which leads into
relative ly damaging combos, and unlike her
~. this Brave Edge attack is completely
safe on block. Th erefore instead of using four
stocks of Critical Gauge in a launch combo
that deals moderate damage. you can keep
it for an attack that is a great defensive tool,
and just as rewarding on hit {or perhaps more
so) with far less risk in open play. This kind of
assessment will change for each character,
and will also depend on the time, the positioning, the life bars, and
your meter levels in any given match.
Brave Edge attacks can rea lly boost your character, but don't be
tempted to unleash them too recklessly. Consider how much you
need the Brave Edge effects at that moment in time. While you w ill
usually want to press w ith your strongest attacks, you might consider
reserving them if you are already close to victory in th e round for
example. Using three ~ attacks in a row can pu t your opponent
under real pressure in the short term, but may leave you exposed in
the next round, or if you suddenly need a Gl to escape a precarious
situation.

Combo Re-lau nch, Ring Out

Whiff punish, Blockstun
Launcher, Pressure
CH Tool, Pressure
Air Combos, Pressure
Combos, Pressure
Combos, Whiff Punish
Damage, Pressure
Counter-attack, Wakeup
Launcher, Ring Out
Combos, Pressure
Combo, Ring Out
Combos, Punishment

GUARD IMPACT
Vulnerable Durat ion

27 Frames

Guard Impacts are one of the most well known

defensive systems in the SOULCALIBUR
universe. In SOULCALIBUR V they have
changed a little from previous iterations.
There is only one Gl command: <?@+@+@.
It w ill Guard Im pact all levels of attack, leaving your opponent vulnerable for 27 frames
after you recover. [ -70 1]

The downside is that it consumes two sub

stocks of Critical Gauge, so you won't be able
to execute it too often. You are completely
vulnerable for a short time if you attempt a
Gl and miss, and you w aste meter, so you
should try to use it in more profitable situations. One is near the edge of the ring: a
well-timed Gl could give you a free round if
you can knock your opponen t off the stage
afterwards. Another wou ld be where the
Gl would allow you to finish your opponent
with your follow-up, especially where you are
close to losing.
Guard Impacts can also be used defensively,
to counter Mid I Low mix-ups, or to stop your
opponent inflicting a Guard Burst. If you can
react to your opponent's attack and time it
properly, you can ensure your Gl will connect
properly, removing the risk. Just make sure
you've got enough Critical Gauge to perform
the Gil Pressing @+@+@with less than
two stocks means you'll just get hit; the
command@+@+@ is read as nothing when
the inputs are simultaneous, and th e<? command will cause you to backstep, most likely
causing your opponent's incoming attack to
hit on CH.
Your opponent must re-GI to parry while in
the vulnerable state. There are two situations
where your Guard Impact will be followed
by a totally guaranteed hit: if your opponent
doesn't have 50% meter, he won't be able to
re-GI you; and if you have 150% meter, you
can use your Critical Edge, which is a nonGiable attack. [->0 2]

Generally using a throw after a Gl is the safest choice, but it can still be Teched. Searching for your most damaging move or launcher
under i27 for the Post Gl game is a must as
well as finding a slower yet safe and damaging move to fight re-GI attempts. Then it's
all about out-thinking your opponent! Fast attacks w ill catch opponents who like to w ait
and try to react to your choice, while slower
attacks and cancels can bait a miss-timed
re-GI, rewarding you with damage and costing your opponent two Critical Gauge stocks.
Try to bait a re-GI with your most powerful
combo starter to maximize the advantage of
your Gl. Near the ring edge, you have a 50/50
mix-up as to whether to go for a quick (unreactable) RO attack or a delayed one. If your
opponent guesses wrong, he loses, making
Gl especially potent near the edge. The same
theory holds near walls too, so have your
strongest wa ll combos in mind when using
Gl in that position.

....
Don't forget that your opponent can't stop
your faster follow-ups if he has no Critical

1J

POSTGI
The Post-GI game is simple by nature but
can lead to great mind games and tricks.
There're only two options for the victim of
a Gl: do nothing, or try to Gl back. Doing
nothing makes him vulnerable to any attacks
fast enough to hit in the vulnerable state.
Re-Guard Impacting costs Critical Gauge just
like a normal Gl, and can be risky because
several options will beat it. Throws cannot be
Gled, so they naturally bea t a re -GI attempt
(but can still be broken as normal). Critical
Edge attacks cannot be Gl-ed either. Faking
an attack, doing a slow move, or delaying
before attacking are all great options against
an opponent that tries to Gl back. [~0 3]

11

Gauge rema1n1ng. Be aware of the levels

of both players' Gauges as much as possible.
When your own attack is Guard Impacted,
consider the above in reverse. The safest
approach is to wait and try to react to your
opponent's follow-up. Hold @ to block at the
earliest opportunity, so that only i27 attacks
or less can hit. If you see an attack coming,
try to re-GI at the right time to reverse the
situation. Your opponent may well have spent
his remaining meter on the first Gl, giving
you a guaranteed counter. Be prepared to
break any throw attempts.

AUTO-GI
Auto-Guard Impacts are some of the more
stylish counter-attacks in the game. They
rewa rd you for reacting to your opponent's
specific type of attack, or at least for guessing which type of attack is coming. Unlike
Gls, which repel all kinds of attacks and give
an opening for your chosen counter, auto-G is
each repel a speci fic set of different moves,
based on the general properties of the incoming attack.They are consequently harder to use

Ci/,PTcrt 2 ! SYSl l. lvl C:lJIOi.' ! DEFENSE

~

Character

Attack Command

Maxi

During Stance +@

M ids except I< icks

Auto follow-up

Bacl<Turned +@

M ids except k icks & stabs

Built-in

During Death Roil @+@

AIIMids

Auto I Revenge

'*'*(8)

Horizontals except kicks

Built-in

+@

M id & Low Horizontals except kicks

Manual follow-up

BT @+@

All except kicks & stab

Manual follow-up

WR @+@or BT @+@

All

BUilt m

Mid Horizonta ls except kicks

Built-i n

+ or ST +

Absorbs Highs & Mids <25 damage, then Guard Impacts

all levels

Revenge

Grim Stride (8)

High & M id Verticals incl. Kicks

Built-in

C!1EI

All

Built-in I Auto

All Mids

Built-in

@+

Horizontals except kicks

Auto follow -up

+@

Verticals except kicks

Auto follow-up

~~or ~~(8)

M ids except I< icks & stabs

Built-in

,(),-,(),- or 'lf'lf@

All Horizontals

Built-in

Dread Charge (8)

M ids except kicks & stabs

Built-in

All Verticals

Auto follow-up

High & M id Horizontals & stabs but not kicks

Built-in

High & Mid Horizontals except kicks

Auto follow-up

Highs & Mids except kicks & stabs

Auto I Manual

Absorbs Highs & Mids <20 damage, then Guard Impacts

all levels

Revenge I Manual

GS @ + @

All Mids

Auto follow-up

GS BT @+@

Highs & Mids except kicks & stabs

Built-in

Mids except kicks & stabs

Built-in

~,(),-~@

All Mids & Lows

Built-in

1:2@

Highs & M ids except kicks & stabs

Built-in

All Mids

Auto follow-up

All M ids

Auto follow-up

All Lows

Auto follow-up

AII M ids

Auto follow-up

Mids except kccks & stabs

Buil t-in

AII Mids

Auto follow-up

All Horizontals

Manual follow-up

All Highs & Mids

Built-in

High & M id Horizontals & stabs

Built-in

High & Mid Horizontals & stabs

Built-in

Highs & M ids VerticaIs except kicks

Manual follow-up

High & Mid Horizontals & Vert icals except kicks & stabs

Manual follow-up

High & Mid Horizontals

Auto follow-up

All Verticals

Auto follow-up

All

Auto follow-up

All Highs & Mids

Auto follow-up

Absorbs a High or Mid <30 damage, brief invincibility

Revenge

Absorbs a High or Mid <30 damage, very brief invincibi lity

Revenge

rVoldo
'

Siegfried

'

I .

Ivy

Nightmare

Cervantes

During Preparation
Raphael

Attack Types Repelled

<?

'lf@+

~ <?@+
@+ or BT @+
' JS @+@

. ~@+

Pyrrha

@+
j <?@
@+
@ +@

5:

@ +
; +@

:' ' C!1EI

i During Super Dragonfly@ @ (just)

Gi Type

than the generic Gl, but are advantageous

for two main reasons: most will guarantee
damage against your opponent, and they cost
nothing to use. Gls on the..other hand can
be re-Gied, and deplete your Critical Gauge.
Knowing all. of the auto-GI moves in the game
and mastering their f.unction will give you a
significant advantage in every match-up.
There are four main types of auto-GI attacks.
They all counter specific types of attacks during their unique active windows; the difference between them lies with the follow-up.
Some auto-Gis like Xiba's C!l3 attack will continue with the follow-up regardless of what
happens: these can be ca lled attacks w ith
built-in Guard Impact frames. Other moves
like Z.W.E.I.'s @+B or Pyrrha's @+ will
only lead to a follow-up if the auto-GI is successful. Moves like Xiba's +@ or Leixia's
~~@+@ will let you choose what move
you want to use after a successful auto-GI.
r ~o

the success of the auto-GI, and on whether

you want to attack or defend yourself afterwards.
There is a last type of counter-attack that can
take damage, called Revenge. These moves
have an invincible property, or a further autoGI follow-up, after you absorb low-damage
strikes. They don't initially have a Guard Impact effect, but can be used quite similarly,
to defend against pokes. They are the highest
risk type of counter-attack, allowing you to
intentionally gamble damage to yourself for
a return of higher damage to your opponent.
The Revenge attacks have seriou s weaknesses if your opponent knows they are
coming: Nightmare's @+@ is very unsafe on
block. so your opponent can deal chip damage with a fast recovery poke, and then block
the auto-GI follow-up for even more punishment damage. [ -+0 2]

11

These first three types serve different purposes. Attacks w ith built-in Gl frames have
the advantage of performing an automatic attack regardless of the situation. This means
they can be thrown out in offensive or defensive situations, and even if you fail to connect, they can only cost you where they are
slow and reactable (like Patroklos's @+@) or
unsafe on block (Nightmare's GS @).These
kinds of attacks can still interrupt slower
moves, even if you didn't counter the right
type of incoming attack.
On the other hand, auto-Gis with automatic
follow-ups only attack on the condition that
your auto-GI attempt was successful. If
your auto-GI recovers quickly, you won't be
punished by an opponent who waited, but
will still be beaten by some slower attacks,
or attacks with the wrong properties. AutoGis with manual follow-ups are the safest to
throw out. because they recover in a state
that lets you attack immediately afterwards.
They can also be very rewarding, because
you will be able to choose exactly what
attack is best to use, depending on the range,

Tira's JS +@ takes enormous amounts of

damage against even basic pokes, because
she takes damage for every active frame
tha t makes contact with her. Even though
damage is scaled down for revenge attacks,
damage to Tira is multiplied by the number of
active frames that pass through her, meaning she can often take more damage than her
opponent even if they fall for the auto-GI trick.
Voldo's DR @+@ changes to an unblockable
High and is easy to react to even after you
successfully absorb your rival 's hit, meaning
you can risk simply handing a more experienced player free damage a lot of the time.
Mitsurugi is invulnerable for only a very
short time after absorbing damage with Mist
@+@. His attack comes out very slowly and
is easily interrupted or stepped.
Astaroth cannot stop himself from charging
ahead full power when @ Iilli absorbs
damage. With your opponent backed against
the ring edge, there is a high chance you will
ring yourself out if you are hit by a low-dam-

ngc poke.

CHAF'7'ER 21 SYSTEfvi GUDE i I>EHNSE

JUST GUARD (JG)

Just Guard is a new skill-based defense
mechanic in SOULCALIBUR V. Just Guard
works on all attacks in the game except for
throws. You can use it to defend against
unblockable attacks and even Critical Edge!
It works by normalizing blockstun after any
attack. but leaving your opponent with the
standard recovery of that attack. It can make
some usually advantage-giving Break Attacks
suddenly easily punishable by launchers, like
Astaroth's <? fi), but has little effect on attacks with quick recovery like a generic ..(J.@.
Attacks which recover more slowly are more
punishable following a Just Guard.

for a grounded opponent to guard against powerful follow-ups, so players wi ll often adapt
to this by pressing wi th Lows and throws. If you do the Tech Jump quickly enough, you can
evade these standard Okizeme options, taking th e initiative back, and even interrupt some
slower attacks.
TJ pokes {like '1} or ~@) can be really helpful when trying to fi nish off a weakened opponent. You r opponent may be desperate to bring your health down quickly before the round's
over. and these TJ attacks deal w ith the big-hitting options you're likely to meet. Throws will be
evaded, wh ile big combo starts and launchers won't connect properly while you're in the air,
enabling you to limit the potential damage you could receive. Be sure to mix this up with basic
defensive options to ensure that your opponent can't get easy damage from your vulnerable
state. [70 4]
One other very useful evasive property is Tech Step. Rather than guessing at potential incoming Vertical attacks. you can instead attack your opponent and simultaneously give yo urself
a chance of evading some of the attacks s/he might use. Rare t reasures indeed are attacks
blessed with both Tech Sidestep and Tech Crouch properties, as these abusable tools have the
potential to annihilate all manners of spacing or zoning, forcing your enemy to use Horizontal
Mid attacks that are usually slow or unsafe. [7 0 5]

To do a JG, tap@ for only 4 frames or less,

and then release it. If you time the release
just before an attack hits you, you'll Just
Guard the attack and your character will flash
blue. There are several limitations to Just
Guard, the main one being that you can't
attempt it just after releasing the @ button. This entails that you can't achieve easy
JGs by repeatedly hitting @ very fast. It also
makes using a JG against some strings (such
as quick strings) very difficult, as you
must block a string hit, and release @ early
enough to attempt the JG in time before the
next string attack hits you. [70 3]

ESCAPING THROWS
The basic throw game will involve you using either your or throw, and breaking either
or . guessing which throw your opponent will use. As a starting point, decide which of the
other character's throws is the more threatening in a given situation, and break that first if you
don't have a read on your opponent.
M ind games are obviously at a premium here. You will have to analyze your opponent's habits,
and their responses to their successes or failures in the throw game so fa r. For example,
normally you are left a little disadvantaged after you break a throw. and the other player
will use this to attempt a new mix-up. Frustrated players will often close in for another grab
attempt. Track the little clues to try and understand what your opponent is thinking, as this will
help you to read the next meve. Every throw can have a good reason to be used at a specific
situation. Knowing what every throw does can often save you r round. Side throws are usu-

Get the most out of Just Guard by applying

it against Guard Crush attacks, Unblockable
setups, or slow and heavy blows that yield
advantage on block. Some strings can be
Just Guarded easily too. where the time gap
between the string attacks is larger; try to
identify those strings and apply it in matches.
Just Guard is harder to do than Guard Impact, but doesn't cost any Critical Gauge and
can guarantee a punishment depending on .
the move. Guard Impact on the other hand
is easier to implement, and gives an identical situation after success against any attack. Because your options following a Just
Guard will differ for every attack you use it
against, and will vary based on your timing,
Just Guard is .a far more advanced tool which
will require patience and practice to use to
fu II potentia I.

II

lnput:Dura~i~n

: 4 Frames

EVASION
Some of your attacks have evasive properties
that can help you pass by your enemy's attack. and stay aggressive even at disadvantage. It will allow you to take an offensive
strategy when you know that a certain type
of attack is incoming.
Tech Crouch moves are usually good for
close-range fighting to evade throw attempts. They also help to approach an area
defended by an enemy trying to space you,
because he will often use High-level Horizontals to protect his side.
A Tech Jump is useful versus a throw. but it
will be more va luable when you expect a fast
Low or Special Low interrupt like ..(J.. It's
also sometimes a good option to jump after
being knocked down. The default reaction is

Throw Type

Escape Window

Standard Throw

Normal (13 frames!

Side Throw

Normal (13 frames)

1 None (exceptVoldo, Astaroth and Z.W.E.I.)
! Shorter (9 frames}

Attack Throw

Normal {11 frames)

Unbreakable Attack Throw

None

Crouch Throw

Shorter

Ground Throw

Shorter

Mid-Air Throw

None

Break Timing

Resulting Player Slate

Early

Advantage

Normal

Disadvantage

Late

Fall down with big disadvantage, Ukemi possible

ally stronger, some have Ring Out properties, and some bring advantageous positi ons for Okizeme, but it's difficult to land side throws
frequently. Standard throws give less advantage, and you will be able
to decide which one is safer to break. For example, lots of +@
throws in the game will Ring Out or wall splat, like Nightmare's or
Astaroth's throws, while on the other hand their @ throws give
them better Okizeme or positioning. (-tO 1]
You should learn the strongest throw options for each character, especially those that can ring you out from certain angles. It can be

hard to focus properly on a match if you are struggling to remember

which throws you must be wary of in a fight. If you can keep in mind
the strongest throw options for both characters at all times, knowing
which one to break or to use depending on the situation, you will find
it easier to stay in control of the match and one step ahead of your
adversary.

UKEMI
After several attacks that knock you down, you will be able to wake
up in a specified direction by Tech Rolling to the side, instead of recovering naturally. This is called an Ukemi. It's basically a faster way
to w akeup and avoid some ground combos. but you're temporarily
unable to defend yourself as you roll. Tap the @ button while holding
the desired directional input to quickly roll to you r feet in that direc
tion. [ -70 2]
Most of the time you should try to Ukemi right, left. or back, to evade
ground-hitting attacks, or to get some distance from your opponent.
If you do a front Ukemi you will be more exposed to attacks on wake
up, but you will be able to attack sooner. Over time you will learn
what the best choice is in every situation. In general, Ukemi is possible after a hard knockdown, when you are slammed into the ground
somewha t. but it is not always easy to tell.

UKEMITRAPS
Unless you are tryi!l'g to avoid a particular attack, or trying to steal the
advantage back with a surprise wakeup, you may be better served
simply holding @. which will allow you to safely guard at the earli
est opportunity. Some characters can adjust their Okizeme to use
specific attacks that will hit you as you rise. These Ukemi Traps are
particularly devastating techniques which allow the aggressor to initiate a new combo after a knockdown, by catching the grounded foe
out of his Ukemi during the vulnerabl e frames. [ -?0 3]
In this situation, you have to know what your
enemy's character can do: which side they
can catch your Ukemi with powerful punish
ment. and to which side you can Ukemi with
less risk. Sometimes versus strong Okizeme
characters, it may be better to not Ukemi at
all; even if they can damage you with grounded attacks options after the knockdown, you
vyill most likely take fa r less damage than
if they are able to catch you with multiple
Ukemi Traps tracking in the various directions. It should come as no surprise to learn
that match-up knowledge is key here. [ -+0 4]
Ukemi Traps are initiated by using Low or
Mid attacks that hit the opponent during the
Ukemi animation. You should experiment
with your own character's tools to see which
ones can be used in this way. High attacks
will pass over the opponent's head, as the
character is in a FC state while using Ukemi.
Ideally your Ukemi Trap attack will be Hori
zontal, as this has more chance of catching
side Ukemis. However. some Horizontals can
miss in a certain direction, while some Verti
cals track very well. You'll need an attack fast
enough to hit during the Ukemi after your
knockdown , and also enough range to reach
the downed opponent. How fast and how
much range will depend on the knockdown
itself, and how your character recovers after
the knockdown attack.
You may take too long to recover after your
knockdown attack to follow with anything, or
knock th e opponent too far away. Ta ilor your
choice of Ukemi Trap to your opponents, by
noting in which direction they rise. The most
valuable traps are those leading to stun or

CHN"TE 'l 2 I SYSTI:.IV Gl.il D". DEFENSEX

As a general ru le, most 'characters can hurt

you badly if you crouch at the wrong time.
and some characters like Siegfried and Nightmare really want you to duck, as it opens up
their damage potential. When unsure, take
the safer option, using standing guard and
breaking throws instead. But you will need
to vary your blocking strategy at least a little:
if you are playing defensively yet refusing to
duck, your opponent will always have the option of free damage with quick Lows, and
also have a chance to land a throw if you
don't break it correctly.
If your opponent has powerflll throws it can
even be relatively safe to crouch, but be carefu l not to be too predictable. It can be too
risky where your opponent can deal severe
damage to you in a crouched state, even if
you are confident that a throw attempt is
coming.
This tactic is more rewarding against certain characters. Astaroth has really powerful
throws, while his fast Mids aren't as form idable as some others in the game, so you could
profit from crouching more often against him
w ithin his throw range. Raphael has good
Mid poking options, but won't get huge damage without CH unless he uses ~~@ li!il,
so you are less at risk if you crouch when
expecting a throw. [ -+0 6]
If you want to optimize your defense during
guessing games, you can try another technique: fuzzy guard. By pressing ..C.S briefly
before returning to a standing state, you will
be able to block faster Lows or duck early
throw attempts, and then stand . again to
block slower Mid-level attacks. It can help to
reduce the reward of these mix-ups .
Fuzzy guard is especially effective against
some string mix-ups, where there is no flexibility to vary the timing of the attacks. For
example, a string may end with either a quick
High attack or a slightly slower Mid hit. By
crouching initially and then quickly standing,
you give yourself the chance of ducking the
High and earning a quick whiff punish, w ithout the risk of eating the Mid. [-+0 7]

CLOCK MANAGEMENT

launch combos. and also those which can be used on situations where your opponent can
escape grounded damage by using an Ukemi. While some characters are lucky enough to
have attacks that hit after all kinds of knockdowns and track every Ukemi direction. most will
have to use follow-ups depending on the situation. [ -+0 5]

CROUCHING
Crouching manually is also a good way to defend versus some characters, especially if you
have strong moves that you can do While Rising. You can benefit from crouching and punishing any whiffed Highs or throws immediately with your best WR option.

Last but not least, clock management is often overlooked even by seasoned players.
but it can be a decisive factor in close rou nds.
When you have the life advantage, it can be
a good tactic to back off a bit, create distance
and protect that lead by zoning. Even if you
don't look to win absolutely by time-out, the
simple fact that your opponent has to rushin to try and regain that life advantage can
mean they're going to become careless. and
your zoning will be more frustrating and more
effective. When you're about to win by timeout, using moves that take time to complete,
eating time off the clock, like an attack throw,
can be a nice trick. The startup animations for
Critical Edge attacks pause the action but not
the timer, meaning you can use this to waste
valuable seconds too if you have the meter.
[-+0 8]

You can access all of SOULCALIBUR V 's various content through this
main m enu screen. It is the hub of the game, and you can return here
at any ti me from any of the ingame m odes. These modes are split
into five overall selections:

OFFLINE PLAY
The Offline Play tab allows you to access all of the main game modes
for getting straight to the fight. [Page 61)

XBOX LIVE I PLAYSTATION NETWORK

This option provides access to all of the game's online features. This
option is only available when your console is connected to the inter
net, and with th e necessary privileges associated with online functionality. [Page 74]

STORY -1607 A .D.The game's Story Mode has you take on the main story of
SOULCALIBUR V. You will begin as Patroklos and assume control
of some other characters as you progress along the way. [Page 77]

CREATION
Creation Mode enables you to custom ize regular characters' color
schem es and clothing, and to create your own original character.
You will unlock additiona l content for this mode, such as hairstyles
and items of clothing, as you play through the various game modes.
[Page 85]

OPTIONS
This takes you to a menu where you can adjust all of the ingame
settings, including control setups, and display and audio settings.
You can also assign any of the available ingame m usic to any of the
stages in the game you have already unlocked. including some pieces
from past entries in the SOULCALIBUR series.
ADVICE WINDOW
Each time you return to the Astral Home from the various game
modes, a window will briefly appear in the bottom-right corner of the
screen detailing some hints about the different game modes.

PLAYER LICENSE
Controls are available while on Astral Home relating to your Player License. This is a compact
summary of your achievements in the game to date, and it can be tailoredto your personal
preferences. From the Astral Home or Offline Play main menus, press 'Start' at any time in
order to create and edit you r Player License.

EDIT LICENSE - START

Your Player Card is a small picture associated with your profile.
Choose your Player Card from the Profile Thumbnails you've created
for each of your edits in Character Creation mode. You can select
'Country/Region' next in order to register which area of the world
you are from, eg. Oceania, and then which Country/Region you are
from in that area, eg. New Zealand. Finally select 'Map' and, using
the cursor, plant it on the location of the world map you are or wish
to be from. [ -:l-0 1)

VIEW LICENSE -@ (PS3) I

(XBOX 360)

Use this option to take a look at how your Player Card will appear to
other players viewing it using the online features .

SOUL LINK
The righthand side of the Astral Hom e display is dedicated to an overview of your Soul
Link. The first slot shows your profile name,
current online rank, and a thumbnail of your
Player Card. The next three slots are dedicated to any Rivals you have registered while
playing over Xbox LIVE/PiayStation Network,
which contain the sam e information for
comparison w ith your own. The additional
text shows a statistic related to the game
mode you are currently highlighting on the
Astral Home menu. So for example, to check
who's been sneaking in those extra hours of
practice. hover over Options to compare your
Total Play Time with that of your Rivals, or
over the Offline Play/Training item to compare th e total time spent by each player in
Training Mode.
The window beneath this display shows your
current Player Level and progress towards
ranking up. You can press @ !PS3) I 0 {Xbox
360) from Astral Home to get a more detailed

look at your Soul Link, which is an itemized

list of your records in the various modes. This
is the fastest way to see your fastest Arcade
times. overall battle record. and Creation
Mode equipment collection side by side with
your Rivals' records.

Global Col osseo Tou rna ments, as w ell

as details of your replay management;
Offline displays more detailed statisti cs of you r accomplishments in Arcade
Mode, Quick Battle, and elsewhere.

SOUL LINK - @ (PS3) I

0 (XBOX 360)

You can increase your level by playing

SOULCALIBUR V battles in th e different
modes. As you level up, you are rewarded
with extra equipment items for use in battle;
equip them in the Character Creation Mode.

PLAYER LEVEL
The leftmost column is dedicated to your
own records, with the three subsequent
columns displaying your Rivals' details. Use
the directional pad or left Thumbstick to
scroll through the various statistics. Use (iJ)
or @) (PS3) I (biD or ~ (Xbox 360) to switch
between the three ava ilable screens:

Points Required to Advance Per Level

level Range

1-9

General contains stats for overall battle

records and play times in th e d ifferent
modes;
Xbox LIVE/PiayStation Network covers
you r overall records in the Online
Modes such as Ranked Match and

Points Required

1019

600
720

20-34

960

35-59

1200

60-98

1800

C! i.<\PTCfi :l : GMvl [ MODCS I OFFLINE PLAY

Outside of the Story Mode, this is where you'll access all of the single -player
gameplay Soulcalibur V has to offer, including modes where you fight against
the CPU and against other human players offline.

LEGENDARY SOULS
Warning: this mode features characters and
description that will contain spoilers for the
Story Mode.

Legendary Souls is a special single-player

mode designed to test more advanced
players. You can unlock Leg endary Souls by
completing Story -1607 A.D.-. This mode is
included as a welcome surprise for players
familiar w ith the Soulcalibur series, and especially Soulcalibur IV players. You fight through
7 stages, each against an opponent with
some link to the history of the game.

LD

OVERVIEW
This mode can be very challenging, even for
the most experienced players. To stop you
from beating you r head against the wail in exasperation at the difficulty of some of these
fights, we present an assortment of hints
and advice to get you through each stage.
Your choice of character will have a great effect on the diificulty of each fight. The strategies here are formu lated to help you deal
w ith each of the opposing characters, and
as such are mainly defensive strategies. You
may find it more difficult to implement these
strategies if your chosen character struggles
to adequately punish some of the CPU opponents, or if they are not suited to a defensive
style of play. Your own style of play will be a
factor as well, of course. As offensive strategies will be very different for every character, you will still need to apply offense in an
effective manner without depending on the
information here. However, the dedicated
character-specific sections in this guide can
help you to determine your character's most
potent tools and tactics fo r aggression.
Because this mode requires some advanced
play, we w ill use terms that assume a reasonably thorough understanding of the game
system and command terminology. In particular, the text below refers to specific attacks
that the CPU characters will use, so you may
need to refer to th e character-specific strategy sections of this guide to identify these
attacks if you are not fami liar with the opponent in question.

[II

[II

The computer w ill react to certain Low-level attacks most of the t ime. It is generally the slower
ones, but not necessarily, so test the CPU w ith some of your Lows to see which ones it won't
block automatically. You will need Lows and throws because the CPU can defend very effectively at times, but don't keep using the same Low attack or your opponent will start to block
it and punish you. It rarely crouches random ly, so you can often use simple, fast Low pokes
like basic {!.-@or 1::1 attacks (depending on your character) to finish the CPU when its health
is nearly depleted. ( -?0 3]
The CPU can punish very well, but doesn't punish perfectly every time. You should use this to
your advantage by throwing out unsafe moves every now and then where they are sufficiently
rewarding. You will have to balance this with the risk of doing so in each match, depending on
the opponent and the situation.

GENERAL TACTICS
The Artificial Intelligence used by the CPU
characters in Legendary Souls does a good
job of simulating skilled real-life players, so
you'll need to adjust you r game plan andespecially your habits accordingly. [ ~o 2]
You will need to pay attention to the CPU's
throw habits and your own. Remember to
mix-up you r throws, but more importantly, to
break different throws as wel l. The CPU will
abuse the alternate grab if you're only breaking w ith one button.

You will want to use frame traps and Break Attacks wherever possible, as this is one area t he
CPU doesn't deal with especially well. Try to ascertain the situations in which the cu rrent CPU
character tends to block and wait, and use these opportunities to use your slower attacks that
leave you with enough advantage (or at least a sufficiently small disadvantage) to continue
to press with a quick poke, or an attack w ith powerful CH properties. Even if the CPU blocks
your frame trap follow-up at one point, it's still worth trying it again later. Combining your Break
Attacks and other frame t raps with intelligent use of Lows and throws at the right times is
crucia l; this is one of the only reliable ways of dealing damage to the CPU in Legendary Souls
when on offense. [70 4]

Nevertheless. defense is really important.

You need to guard at the right times, because
all Legendary Souls characters can and will
deal serious damage if you do not respect
their tools when at a disadvantage. If you
are not familiar with any attacks mentioned
below. try to observe them in use in the
Legendary Souls Mode so you can learn to
counter them effectively. You can also go into
Training Mode and select the relevant characters to become accustomed to the animations of some attacks; this can help you to
react to them in the right way w hen taking
on this challenge.

KILIK
History I Kilik w as one ofthe main protagonists in the series since his first appearance
in the original SOULCALIBUR. He wielded
the Kali-Yuga, an ancient treasure of the
Ling Sheng-Su t emple of martial arts, and
alongside his friend Xianghua he defeated
Nightmare and Soul Edge at the end of
SOULCALIBUR. Xiba is the successor to
Kilik's rod style in this game, and in this
fight, Kilik will only use Xiba's style, with
the exception of one additio nal attack.

STRATEGY
Xiba's Mid-heavy style forces you to block
while standing most of the time. Don't
crouch unless you see a Low coming; if you
try to guess, Ki lik can land really powerful
combos with his Mid attacks. These attacks
really crush your Guard Gauge and are most
ly either safe or only slightly punishable, but
it's simply not worth the risk to get hit by his
combos as they can end you very quickly. The
chances are you w ill get Guard Burst against
Kili k, so fac tor this in to your strategy. Try to
let him Burst your gauge w hen the consequences are not so bad, such as w hen you
are about to lose the round anyway, or when
you have plenty of health remaining.
Kilik will utilize a number of irritating Low
pokes. but they don't do too much damage
and most (like ~~@@) leave him at disadvantage on hit. If you really need to stop
him from taking the chip damage, pay close
attention when you are knocked down or
low on health, as he is more like ly to go for
~~@ or ~t:l@@ in these situations. Try to
react to this and also to 1:1@. which can catch
you after a knockdown at mid-range if you're
not watching him.
Watch for his multi-hit strings, like ~~.
..()...().@@, and ..()...().@@@ (Kilik's unique attack distinct from Xiba). These last two he can
mix-up after ..!}..().@; stay blocking standing,
and watch to see if he shifts to the Low attacks instead, as they are slower and easier to react to. He w ill vary ~~@@ with
~ @@@ ; the first is completely safe
while the second can be hard to punish because of the pushback. With all such strings,
wait to see if he completes the stri ng rather
than attacking halfway through: the risk you
take is too high when attacking early, due to
the damage he can generate.

The most important th ing versus Kilik is to keep it simple. Stay aggressive when you have
the advantage, as he doesn' t have much speed to stop you. Conversely, be sure to defend
at disadvantage, because he can do so much damage, especially w hen he hits you on CH.
Remain patient at all tim es, and wait for the right opening to attack. He is especially w eak to
frame t raps and anti-step attacks.
/

KEY ATIACK I CHANNELING KICK

Kilik can use this feint kick after c::>, ~@. and @+@ @. If he catches you, he can deal
enormous damage using his Critical Gauge by using the ~ version, Kong's Head Slam.
With a single CH combo, Kilik can change your insurmountable lead into a losing position,
so be absolutely sure to remain blocking when he uses one of the starting attacks, or
use an interrupt or d efensive technique like Gl, auto-GI, or Just Guard if possible. [ ~o 1)

NIGHTMARE
History I Nightmare is the series' iconic antagonist , along with his evil blade, Soul Edge,
since the original SOULCALIBUR. Tho ugh he is currently Graf Dumas in SOULCALIBUR V,
the man under the armor has taken vari ous guises, first appearing as the brainwashed,
murderous Siegfried. Thi s version in Legendary Souls imitates the Nightmare from
SOULCALIBUR IV, which w as merely the shell of th e Azure armor, reanimated by the
Machiavellian puppeteer Zasalamel.

STRATEGY
Nightmare is a highly unsafe rushdown character, so if you are familiar w ith his style, you'll
know exactly w hat to expect. His main mix-ups come from varying his transitions into his two
stances, Grim Stride and Night Side Stance, and then using different attacks and different timings out of the stances to try and bait mistakes. The key thing to remember is that once he
eventually commits to his faster stance attacks, he is unsafe and can be punished. You must
remain calm in the face of his aggression and wait for him to make the first mistake. [ ~0 2]

CHAPTER<.! ; GAfVL'. MODES I OFFLINE PLAY

Nightmare wil l try to stop you playing defensive against him by using
a great deal of throws. One tactic he will use is to enter Grim Stride after a blocked attack, and simply move to close-range while TC without
actually attacking. This puts him in the perfect position to attempt his
'flapjack' FC throws. FC @+@ Rings Out forwards while the (ID version Rings Out behind Nightmare and can also wall splat, so always
break the more dangerous grab. Try to get him to throw you toward
the center of the ring if neither throw presents an immediate danger.
Always punish him where possible. Nightmare will often use NSS @
after you block an attack on transition, but ra ther than risk damage by
crouching, simply block th is High as it is still quite punishable. If he
uses ~~@. wait to see if he does the second @ before attempting any punishment, as he can hurt you a lot if you make the w rong
choice. When he uses GS to approach you, continue to block standing in case he tries WR l!l. It is always safer to try to break the FC
grabs than to risk eating this formidable attack. [ -70 3]
If your character is better suited to spacing than close-range punishment, you can punish his stances from range by attacking as he whiffs.
He is unable to block and can only parry Vert icals, so any ranged Mids
or Lows will be guaranteed in this case. Having a long-range (! can
be especially effective against his stances, as you can simply wait for
him to use a transition and then punish for guaranteed damage.
Nightmare can adapt his strategy to a f rame trap and Guard Burst
game with @ and @:@:@. Don't be afraid to attack him w ith
quick pokes or TC attacks afterwards, as the advantage following
these moves is negligible. You should always respect him by the open
side of the ring however; stay at the walled side where possible,
unless you need a RO yourself to make a comeback.
Finally, keep an eye on his Critical Gauge, as he may at any time
release his(! w hich will au to-GI any normal attack for big damage.
Stick to throws, and otherwise cautiously bl ock and step when he is
capable of unleashing it.
KEY ATTACK I GRIM FANG (GRIM STRIDE@)
Nightmare really prevents anti-stance abuse with this powerful
counter-attack. He can TC under Highs while in Grjm Stride, and
auto-GI any Vertical attack. using GS @. meaning that for some
characters t he only safe option is a low damage poke like ~@
or ~@ . This can tip the risk/reward in his favor, so pay serious
.attention to his transitions and watch for GS to avoid using the
wror:1g mov~ at the wrong time, as Nightmare is capable of win'ning the fight from nothing if you do. GS@ has the added'.bo- .
nus property of causing a spin stun on CH, me~ning that if yott~
anticipate a different action or different timing and get eaught,
Nightmare can follow-up with <?@@ for big damage, or :a RO.
Do[l't say y.ou werEln't warned. [ ~041

SIEGFRIED
History I Siegfried was a member of the original roster in the
Soul series' opening chapter, Soul Blade. There he was a freakishly strong young man on the brink of insanity, before he
became a puppet to the evil sword Soul Edge as the original
Nightmare. This version of Siegfried, clad in crystalline armor,
is from SOULCALIBUR IV, during the events of which he had
already regained control of his mind, and was seeking to make
amends for his past deeds by pitting the holy sword Soul Calibur
against his former blade, Soul Edge.

STRATEGY
Siegfried is the traditional heavy tank-type character, and you will
need to break him down while taking minimal risks. He generally attacks slowly and in patterns. but can catch you f rom a distance with
very heavy blows, meaning you must respect him from anywhere
even if you are using a ranged character yourself. His (! can whiff
punish you from extremely long-range.

Stay defensive at range when he has the advantage, being wary of

~~(ID(ID. As he advances to mid-range he becomes very dangerous.
adding@@@,@, (ID, ~@.and of course ~(ID to his arsenal. Be
absolutely sure not to whiff at this range as he can and will hit you
hard for it. [ -70 5]
Giving him this much respect means that you spend a lot of time
blocking and poking, and Siegfried doesn't have any great answers
to th is. His throws are fairly weak (just remember to break@ when
backed up against the side of the bridge), and the same goes for his
Lows, which are either low-damage or very slow. Wa tch out in particular for the SBH @I@~ mix-up after he knocks you down with~@.
..(7@+. Simply block while crouching, and attack him afterwards
whether he commits to the Low or uses the fake.
He has one faster knockdown Low which he can use while stancedancing if you are really turtling up, using the SSH @ /13 mix-up.
Try to react and step in time if you can, but don't fear the mix-up too
much, as both moves are very punishable if you guess correctly. You
can beat Siegfried w ith a simple poking game but must be absolutely
resolute in your defense. Give him nothing for free .

CERVANTES
History I The infamous pirate captain was
the Soul series' very first boss character,
fought at the conclusion of Soul Blade.
Twisted into hatred by the death of his
beloved father, Cervantes was the first
character to wield Soul Edge in-game,
which was originally in the form of two
deadly blades. During the events of Soul
Blade he was killed by Natsu's master,
Taki, after a brutal battle with the holy
warrior Sophitia (Patroklos and Pyrrha's
mother). As Siegfried later approached his
corpse, Soul Edge revived him as the In
ferno for one last battle, consuming him
in flames, and it is in this form that you
battle Cervantes here.

STRATEGY
Cervantes can deal incredible damage and
there is no easy way to stop him doing so.
He is capable of wrecking your life bar in the
blink of an eye if you're not careful, and has
tactics tailor-made to breach defensive opponents as well. Cervantes will never miss
an iGOR, whid1 means he will maximize his
combo damage at every opportunity. You
will need to watch him carefully and exploit
his weaknesses to give yourself a fighting
chance.
Cervantes can deal excellent damage even
with his throws. His @+@ grab is less
threatening without Critical Gauge, soit may
be better to break using . therefore forcing Cervantes to use his meter in order to
deal serious damage to you. The damage on
@+@ mEl, however, is very serious.
His best poke at mid-range is ~. a fast
launcher that is only slightly unsafe. Punish
it if you can, b ut don't expect to use this as
a primary tactic. It's pretty fast, so be careful
when stepping back and forth. Try to maintain
your guard as much as possible, because the
combo from this simple move is really strong.
Attack him with anti-step moves, launchers,
and throws when you get the chance. He
doesn't defend himself as well as some of
the others so you really need to be aggres
sive when you have enough advantage. Don't
be tempted to attack at disadvantage unless
you're sure he cannot stop you, because he
will use his basic launchers a lot. You can try
to space him, but be aware that he can catch
your backstep from anywhere other than
long-range, again for huge damage.
When he enters the Dread Charge stance,
block while standing and watch him intent
ly. He will sometimes do the Mid-level Geo
Da Ray here, but will also use the @ Break
Attack and the sliding @combo, both of w hich
you will need to crouch on reaction. [~0 1]
When he knocks you down, he will often at
tack you with ~~.This deals good damage, but is also really effective when you
block it, as you are pushed back and forced
into a crouched position, giving Cervantes
enough time and space to evade your followups or even attack again. This attack also

depletes your Guard Gauge significantly. Short-range characters can have an especially hard
time dealing with this, so you may need to continue to defend afterwards. Typically he will either
step or use his anti-Mid autO'-GI, so quick horizontals with good range are your best bet here.
KEY ATTACK I GEO DA RAY CONCLUSION ({l-!:2<?:@)
Also known as GDRC, this lightning-fast attack allows Cervantes to intimidate opponents
from any distance short of long-range. He can combo with two more GDRC attacks (during which he will spin upwards rather than across the stage) for 100 damage minimum,
or more with Clean Hits. He'll use it to increase combo damage after ~ and +@
as wel l. Make sure you get up immediately when grounded, even if your Guard Gauge
is close to bursting, because Cervantes can use GDRC to deal massive damage while
you're grounded too. Avoid using 8-Way Run complacently at range because he can catch
you so quickly from a surprising distance. Fortunately this move is incredibly unsafe, so
unleash your. best launch combo any t ime you block it. You can also use a back throw, but
beware that you may grab him from the side if either of you were turned by the impact,
giving him a snance to escape. [~0 2]

EDGE MASTER
History I Mystery and intrigue cloak this ancient warrior's past. Edge Master's main appearance was as a special bonus character In the original SOULCALIBUR. Little is known
about him, except that he was a master at the Ling Sheng-Su temple where Kilik trained
before it was ravaged by violence. He has mostly appeared only behind the scenes in
the fight against Soul Edge, and came to be Kilik's mentor. Edge Master's visual appearance is faithful to his initial portrayal in SOULCALIBUR. He uses the fighting style of
a Patroklos throughout the fight.

STRATEGY
Edge Master's attacks are relentlessly fast with the Quick Draw style. To shut him down, you'll
need to optimize your defensive techniques by not only blocking appropriately, but also stepping and punishing at the right times.
He's not here to play chess. Departing from the traditional notion of a wise old warrior, Edge
Master has no qualms about attacking recklessly and repeatedly, irrespective of the match
situation. He will attack at the most unexpected times when disadvantaged, so you must
stick to quick attacks in his vicinity. If you're attempting to space him, be extra selective about
when you step away from him, as he will often pay no heed to your advantage and try to
catch you even when it seems foolhardy. Be especially careful not to whiff, as he w ill punish
immediately with his Just Input tools. Unlike Cervantes however, he w ill occasionally miss
these, meaning he won't always catch you with his fu ll combos. Because he is so aggressive,
you can try to catch him with powerful launchers and strong CH moves with the advantage,
but be aware he will sometimes punish for big damage. It may be worth simply poking him
cautiously instead.

CHAf>TEF: :J i GAfvl~ MODES I OFFLINE PLAY

To get more damage and even the odds, try to step him as much as possible. Many of his big
combo starters are linear, such as'}::!'}::!@ and FC '}::!@:,while his anti-step attacks are not so
threatening. React to any whiffs as fast as possible and hit him with all you 've got. Don't step
so much when up close at high disadvantage, because his Mids are so fast and will still catch
you if you don't have time to get out of the way. He is quite prone to stepping himself when
he decides not to spam, so use anti-step tools when you can't be interrupted. Use throws on
the rare occasions that he actually defends, but avoid using even semi-unsafe Lows against
him, because he will punish you mercilessly. [ -?0 3]
Edge Master m ixes up his throws quite well and gets good damage from them, but you must
not be tempted to duck. He can damage you too quickly and too easily if you try to out-guess
him like this. Try simply to mix-up your grab breaking w ell. If you can react to t?t? this will
help, and some cha racters can punish him quite well. If t?t? hits, he keeps the advantage,
so don't try to interrupt him.
Use left Ukem i after some of his knockdowns to avoid further damage. Also remember that
you can Ring Out after some wall splats when the peripheral windows are smashed; Edge
Master will often cry out "Good strategy! " as he plummets to his doom, and he's right.

ELYSIUM
History I Although she is a new character in the Soul series, Elysium is modeled
on Sophitia; the woman who, symbolically, first succeeded in smashing the evil
sword Soul Edge as it was approaching
full strength in the hands of Cervantes, at
the conclusion of the series' debut Soul
Blade. She now appears as the physical
manifestation of the holy sword, Soul
Calibur, in the mind of her son, Patroklos.
Elysium will use Pyrrha Q's style in these
fights, because it is the style that most
closely resembles Sophitia's own in the
previous games.

STRATEGY
KEY ATIACK I SAKURA TWISTER (FC '}::!:OR .(!.t?<?'}::J:@)
If you weren't familiar with this move before, you'll become fully acquainted w ith it before this fight is over. Edge Master wi ll use this attack for pressure, combos, Oklzeme,
interrupt, whi ff punish, and just random ly because he feels like it. You caR fully expect
patterns like .(!.@, .(!., FC '}::!: throughout this match, and there is a reason: it's the
fastest Mid in the game outside of Cii attacks. This is why you must never attack at
disadvantage here. In fact, a good way to turn Edge Master's strategy against him is to
obstinately guard, waiting for him to get impatient and perform the attack. Almost every
character in the game can launch after blocking this attack. Playing like this gives him
more opportunities to pressure w ith throws and Guard Burst, so you 'l! need tobreak well
and try to let him burst you when your round is alreadylost. [70 4]

Fighting against Elysium can resemble your

battles with Cervantes, because she can kill
you so quickly that you will often feel like you
did everything right, yet still find yourself unconscious on the floor. Unlike Cervantes, she
doesn't need flashy combos to deal damage;
her basic tools and punishers do that for her.
Elysium will attempt to pressure you with her
main unsafe pokes, Nemesis Step and NS
. Each leads to huge damage and is very
fast, and her NS stance allows her to move
across the screen in a fully-crouched sta te.
From longer range she w ill use Double Nemesis Step , which is fast, very long-range,
and has great pushback, making it mostly
safe. She backs these attacks up with strong
basic pokes like.(!., . and her jumping
Low t?@ on wakeup.
When defending, watch specifi'cally for NS
and NS , and punish them as well as you
can. If you can react to t?@ you can punish
that too. It leaves her disadvantaged when
she hits you, but beware of her abundance
of defensive options at close-range : she will
often follow with fast attacks like .(!., try
to anticipate and jump you r .(!. attempt
with 'It@, or use her+ auto-GI to counter your Mids. She really has an answer for
everything, so you'll need to play guessing
games against her. There is no easy strategy,
so just be sure to mix-up your attacks: don't
get caught repeating the same responses
over and over or she will take full advantage
and crush you.
Defense is generally a good option, despite
her Guard Burst game, because you can punish her DNS attacks, and she will persist with
them. Her throws are good but not as strong
as the rest of her game; mix-up your grab
breaks, opting for if you're unsure which
is coming, as her grab gives you a second
chance to break when she jumps on your
shoulders. You can also try to space her, because most of her attacks are short-range, so
you don't have to deal with so many options
if you can get away. [-70 51
Sophitia was a classic block and punish character in the previous installments, and Elysium will play extremely defensive at times,
blocking for long periods of time while wait-

ing for a chance to get a free stab, or stepping freely. Exploit this by using Break Attacks and
-~throws to get through her defense. You should aim to really pressure her when she is in a
defens~e position, especially after knocking her down. She doesn't always punish perfectly,
often opting for @@ instead of her demoralizing stab punisher. Because of this, you should
still go for higher-risk attacks like launchers, so long as the reward is good. [ ~D 1]

After you descend to the smaller stage, she will con stantly push you over to the edge. trying
to trap you. Pick a moment to try and step around her and quickly knock her out of the ring, if
your character can do this. It's a very risky stra tegy, but you will need to play [ike this somet imes against Elysium, as her pokes, punishment, and defense are simply too strong for most
characters to take her on safely. Watch out for any launchers, as she can ring you out easily
with DNS @. She can do the same from the ground w ith both stab attacks, but there's no
easy way to stop this other than completely turtling up; try not to get too disheartened when
she hits you, and instead just look for easy ways to score damage with combos, punishment,
and RO. If you can guess correctly often enough, you will win.

KEY ATTACK ISTYX CANNON(~~@)

Elysium would already be incredibly strong with only the options listed above, but she
has one last tool that may drive you insane. ~~is a launcher with great range, but its
true strength lies in the fact that it works in her favor when you block it as well. This attack
drains your Guard Gauge significantly and leaves Elysium at negligible disadvantage, allowing her to use the same mix-ups as after she connects with t?@. The pusbback allows
her to also press with her mid-range attacks, because they're so quick.
~

After you block ~~. you w ill often have to defend again. This is deleterious to your
Guard Gauge, but will help you regain control of the match, as her follow-up is often
unsafe. Watch out for her pressuring you with <?, as this also crushes your guard and
actually leaves her at advantage on bloc!<. Use fast pokes after either attack if you can
reach her to try to slow Clown her aggression. but do not be tempted to step, as NS @
will penalize you in an unforgiving manner.
Styx Cannon also hits grounded, making it her primary choice for Okizeme. This is where
it becomes most devastating, especially in the later rounds, because she can force you
into a corner where there is no escape and apply more pressure to your poor Guard
Gauge. To stop her obliterating you with this tactic, be sure to roll to your left, as this is
the only way to avoid the attack. She will use it repeatedly until you stand up, so watch for
the telltale signs of the attack and then time your roll precisely. Get up immediately afterwards and defend against her next attack, as she recovers really quickly after the strike.
Elysiuf!l may feel compelled to go for this attack when she is more limited at long-range.
Tr.y to step her from here. If she gets close enough to catch you with NS , it's still worth
the risk to mix-up step with TC attacks; just remember not to step after you block ~S>@ .
The crucial thing at all times is to not panic; like a startled tarantula, she's just as scared
of you as you are of her. [ ~0 2]
.

CH\PTEf< :; i G1\MC ~AODCS! ARCADE

ALGOL
History I The Hero King, Algol, is the first person recorded in
Soulcalibur folklore to have wielded Soul Edge as a true Sword
of Salvation, uniting lands far and wide. His presence in 17th
Century Europe is rather phenomenal, as he was born in an
ancient time long gone. He was responsible for the creation of
the spirit sword Soul Calibur, forging it to exist as an opposite
force to Soul Edge, in response to the death of his son. Algol first
appeared as the final boss in Soulcalibur IV.

STRATEGY
Algol's fighting style is so unorthodox that it can be difficult to keep
track of all the different options he has at his disposal. You'll need to
keep a cool head in this fight and, most importantly, don't be afraid
of him. He can be very powerful. but fights less defensively than the
other characters in Legendary Souls. meaning you w ill find it easier
to land hits on him.
First and foremost. use you r quick pokes against him. He has some
quick moves but overall he is uncomfortable playing a fast poke-based
game. Many of his standard pokes can be punished by fast pokes as
well, making speed a really great asset for attack and defense in this
fight. Don't forget that your throws are reasonably fast too. He has an
anti-everything option w ith ~..&'i:l to beat the rushdown approach,
but won't use it too much until the end of the round. [-70 3)

Slower characters can space Algol instead. Watch carefully to make

sure you don't walk straight into his projectiles. Remember that he
can punish a backstep at any time, though fortunately he doesn't
abuse this tactic. He can reign supreme at mid-range, because his
pokes are optimized for it, being very fast for the reach they have.
Be wary of him as he comes in for the kill. because his 8-Way Run
attacks are some of his best, covering great distance and being really
fast. Wait for your moment to either confront him up close, or strike
outside of his poking range.
Watch out for 'i:l, another attack wi th great speed and range. He
will sometimes only use the fi rst hit, but don't try to attack him until
his opportunity has gone to throw out the second. If Algol knocks you
down, he can cause real problems with 'i:l again and ..&+@
. Get up straight away and block his Okizeme choice, as trying to
roll away is likely to get you hurt, and you'll still be grounded, which
suits him nicely. Keep an eye out for t1@ as well. because it will hit
grounded. and knock you back down if you stand up but fai l to block
it. Algol moves low and widens his stance quite distinctively before
,.
this Low comes out. [ -70 41
When near the stage border, pay attention to whether the edge is walled
or not. Algol has a number of ways to catch you unexpectedly and ring
you out including his command throw~~+@ . ,A.Igol dominates the
center of the stage, so you can find yourself pressed back against the
edge quite often; make sure you don't give him an easy victory.

Unlike the usual side-on camera position that rotates as you move
around the stage, in this Extra Mode the camera is fixed at a diagonal
perspective.
In Arcade Mode you will be able to fight against six randomly selected CPU opponen ts along a number of different routes in an attempt to try and defeat them as quickly as possible to record the
best time. Choosing the different routes can give you a very different
experience as they all draw from different pools of characters, such
as along the Asia route, you w ill only fight characters that originate
from somewhere in Asia. The Extra route gives you a little something
extra by totally altering the perspective at which you view the fight.

The Leaderboard route is exactly as it sounds, in that the times you

record whi le playing on this mode will be uploaded to the leaderboards, so that you can check your times against other players of this
route. On the Leaderboard setting t he difficulty is locked to normal
to make sure the battlefield remains fair and even for all contenders.
Along the other routes, however, you are free to adjust the difficulty
to make things easier for yourself if you are struggling, or increase
t he setting to have a tougher cha llenge.

In Quick Battle you can select your own regular or original character and fight against CPU
opponents of various ranks. The status diagram gives you a basic idea of how to play
each charac ter; this will be useful if you are
not fam iliar with the character at all.
Select an opponent to fight against using the
Left Stick or directional pad. There are four opponents displayed at a time to choose from .
Each one's name, rank, and Title is shown. The
rank (from E5 to A 1, as with the online Ranking Mode) gives you a good indication of their
skill level in battle. When you beat any opponent, you obtain that opponent's Title. [?0 1]

Your opponent's name is separate from

their chosen character's. These names were
submitted by the public, and many represent real players from around the world.
Some opponents use regular characters, but
most will use an original Character Creation
equivalent. You can see where the four currently displayed opponents originate from as
shown by the colored markers on the world
map image above. When choosi ng someone
to fight against, the details of the currently
selected opponent are displayed down the
right-hand side of the screen, alongside his
or her unique Player Card.
'N ame

The name of your CPU

opponent

Style

This is the move list avoilable

to the CPU's character

Battle Record

Number of wins and losses

this opponent has against you

Area

The opponent originates from

this area of the world

Country/ Area

More precise place of opponent's origin

The opponent's fighting habits are revea led

by the four statistics shown underneath their
details. These are measured by a slider, with
the lower values found at the left (-) side, and
higher values to the right (+):
Attack Type I Opponents with a high ra ting
w ill attack more often. and move in as often
as possible. Mid-level ratings imply that the
opponent will play more passively. Low ratings indicate a tendency to block a lot and
backdash where possible.
Close Combat I High valu es indicate a preference for close-range attacks and throws.
Opponents rated at the lower end stick to
longer-range attacks.
Impact I The higher the rating, the more often this opponent will attempt Guard Impact
and au to-G I techniques. At the highest rating,
the opponent w ill use th eir Critical Gauge for
Gl almost as soon as it becomes available.
Opponents with lower ratings reserve their
meter for Crit ical Edge attacks.

Horizonta l Movement I Opponents with higher ratings have a propensity to sidestep more
often, and use the Quick Move technique. Those with low er ratings will attack and defend
more directly, favoring linear movement and strategy.
Quick Battle Interface Controls
Action

)(box360

PS3

Description

Title List

View the titles you've obtained so far, and select one for
your Player License. You must beat every Quick Battle
opponent to acquire them all.

Search Criteria

You can limit the pool of possible opponents available for

your next battle. Specify thei r area of origin and approximate
skill level, and select whether or not you have played or
beaten them before. These filters are applied w ith a new
search by pressing START.

Search Again

Selects four new players at random based on the Search

Criteria chosen. If no criteria are se t, the enti re pool of
players is searched.

Exit Mode

Exit Quick Battle M ode and return to the character select

screen .

Once you 've made your choice and know who it is you want to battle again st. simply press
OK to start the fight. To defeat your opponent you will need to best them in a first to 3-rounds
bout as per tradition, and if you w in, you w ill be awarded the loser's title to add to your collection. Battling against the different warriors in this mode is also a very good way to earn Player
Points and raise your level, which will allow you to unlock more parts to use in the Creation
Mode. [?0 2]

CHA"TE!~:; I Ci1tvlt

vlODF.S I QUICK BATTLE

list of Warriors
Style

Lucalily

lido

Unlock Condition

when 'Edge Master" is unlocked

Edge Master

O ther

Other

King of 100 Swords

Europe

Russia

legendary Swordsman

Japan

Japan

Hero ofTurmoil

Europe

Germany

Katana Master

Europe

France

when fl Patroklos
is unlocked

"player level 12" &

"3 wins in a row'

The Murky Eyed

Japan

Japan

10

Rough Giant Star

Japan

Japan

Executioner

Japan

Japan

Cerva ntes

Pillager of the Seas

N and S
America

.United States

' Dampierre

lying Dreamy King

Japan

Japan

Master Assassin

Europe

Italy

Dawn's Victory

Japan

Japan

Cursed Bloodline

Japan

Japan

Kilik

Red lotus

Japan

Japan

Leixia

Stream Dance

Europe

France

Maxi

Flower of Dark Night

Japan

Japan

Mitsurugi

Strong Sword Villain

Nand S
America

United States

Swift Sealing Knife

Japan

Japan

Nightmare of the End

Europe

France

2
2

New Generation

Europe

Czech

Soul Successor

Japan

Japan

Serenade of Madness

Nand S
America

United States

Flash of Conviction

Japan

Japan

1~~------------~~----~~----~----~-----------------------------------

Pyrrha Q

: Siegfried

Cheo

Tira

Death Bird of Ring

Other

Taiwan

Aris

Voldo

Puppet of loyalty

Nand S
America

United States

10

Supernova

Japan

Japan

Mishima Style Master

Japan

Japan

Ezio Auditore

Master of Grappling

Europe

Romania

Hilde

Moonlit Dancing

Europe

Austria

Baffling Sword Dance

Other

Vietnam

Master of Mist

Japan

Japan

Eternal Pursuer

Japan

Japan

Awakened Soul

Japan

Japan

Aeon

Jet-Black Tempest

Europe

Germany

Astaroth

God of Destruction

Other

Other

10

Devil Jin
;. (Tekken)

M itsurugi

:'-

. Lobo

when "Pyrrha Q '

is unlocked &
.,3 wins in a row"

____________ ________________

., i Elysium

Mitsurugi

; Yoshim itsu

when "Kilik"
is unlocked

Phoenix

OUher

Egypt

Tenpu -Kosai Master

N and S
America

United States

Major

Europe

France

Hold Master

Europe

Ireland

ling-Sheng Su Master

Other

Hong Kong

Master of Range

N and S
America

Ca nada

Lord of the Sea

Other

Other

__

when ' Elysium '

is unlocked
_.::....:._.;..;._;_;_

5 w ins in a row

locality

Titlo

Unlock Condition

Name

Style

Ramon

Devil Jin
(Tekken)

Grappling King

Europe

Slovakia

Ezio Auditore

White Death

Nand S
America

United States

Nightmare

King of Destruction

Nand S
America

Canada

MinSeRin

Pyrrha

Angel's Dance

Other

Korea

Trelll

Xiba

Pole Successor

NandS
America

United States

ll Patroklos

Master of Sheathing

Europe

France

Astaroth

Hands of Destruction

Other

Bangladesh

Zenkar

Astaroth

Unrelated Link Adept

Other

Turkey

FilthieRich

DeviiJin
(Tekken)

Blade Sealer

Other

Philippines

Hwang

Devil Jin
(Tekken)

The Golden Leg

Other

Korea

Edge Master

Master of the Sword

Other

China

i Mitsurugi

Master Muichimonji

Japan

Japan

Christina

Siegfried

Firepower is Best

Europe

Italy

RTD

Z.W.E.I.

Black Wolf

Nand S
America

United States

LostProvidence

a Patroklos

Squall Blow

Japan

Japan

....

j Cervantes

Expert Fighter

Europe

France

Cervantes

Black Knight

Europe

Spa in

Valhran

Cervantes

Captain

Europe

Bulgaria

Stella

Hilde

Piercing Lance

Europe

Hungary

Malek

Ivy

Trembling Cage

Europe

France

SwitchBlade

Ivy

Aloof Whip User

NandS
America

United States

Kristle

Natsu

He Who Teases

N and S
America

Canada

Laurana

Pyrrha

Steel Shield

Europe

Norway

Docvizzo

a Patroklos

laoshi

Europe

Germany

Eduardo

Aeon

Green Scales of Rage

Nand S
America

Colombia

Runebook

Cervantes

Combo Master

Other

Indonesia

Phoenix:

Kili k

Runaway Train

N and S
America

United States

Mick

Leixia

Ultimate Aiki Skill

Nand S
America

United States

10

Hakim

Patroklos

Impact Master

Other

Yemen

10

Laurel

Pa troklos

Rep. My Country

Nand S
America

United States

. Pyrrha Q

Point-Blank Fighter

Japan

Japan

Ramon

Pyrrha Q

Matchless in Force

Nand S
America

United States

Abigale

Raphael

Alluring Swordsman

Europe

France

Dream killer

Viola

Evading Master

NandS
America

United States

10

Fantom a

Vol do

Death Roller

Europe

Fra nce

Yoshimitsu

Initiation to Manji

Nand S
America

Mexico

Alice

Z.W.E. I.

New Type

Europe

United
Ki ngdom

Ll quidlmpact

Z.W.E.l.

Key to Returns

NandS
America

United States

~ l.olo . ::.; .

when 0. Patroklos
is unlocked

when "Edge Master" is unlocked

when a Patroklos
is unlocked

w hen a Patroklos
is unlocked

when "Kilik'
is unlocked

when 'Pyrrha Q"

is unlocked
w hen "Pyrrha Q '
is unlocked

CH;\PTEC: 3 ! G;\:vlC MOD[ S i QUICK BATTLE

'

S1ylo

I Rank I i.~~k

I Area

11illc

I Localily

Attack
Type

Close

Combat

I I Hori~onlal I
Impact

Movement

Unlock Condition

when Ct Patroklos
is unlocked

.
Rellda

Ct Patroklos

Seizer ofTime

Nand S
America

Brazil

Xavier

Dampierre

Wizard of Knockdowns

Europe

Belgium

Dwelta

Devil Jin
{Tekken)

Weaponless

Ill and S
America

Argentina

Aria

Elysium

Demon of Close Range

Europe

United
K1ngdom

10

WaterMoon

Europe

France

M itsurugi

Simple and Sturdy

Other

Ta iwan

Natsu

Phantom

Japan

Japan

Pyrrha

Angel's Blow

Other

Nigeria

10

Viola

lmpenitrable Domain

Europe

Croatia

Viola

Uncrowned Emperor

Nand S
America

United States

10

Yoshim itsu

Breaker

Other

China

Ct Patroklos

Aiki Heart

Japan

Japan

Saitoh

Astaroth

Bull Rush Committee

Europe

France

WINGHILL

Astaroth

Reckless Fool

Other

Iran

10

Caleb

. Cervantes

Crusher

Other

United Arab
Emirates

X.A KI

Cervantes

Perfect Geo Da Ray

Nand S
A merica

United States

Grappling. Master

Japan

.- Japan

Ivy

Beautiful Calamity

Japan

Japan

Nightmare

Soul Explosion

Japan

Japan

Raphael

Voila! Mermet de Vee

Europe

Spain

Siegfried

Stancer

Europe

Germany

Tira

Shriek Noise Dance

N and S
America

United States

10

Xiba

Breaker

Other

Korea

i Aeon

c
c
c
c
c
c

Grappler

Japan

Japan

The Grim Reaper

Eu rope

Greece

Japan

Japan

Raving Eagle

Europe

Romania

Faraway Demon

Europe

France

Low ~ttack Breaker

Nand S
Arne rica

Brazil

magicdolphin

Devil Jin
~ (Tekken)

Cervantes
Shadowhatchi

Devil Jin
(Tekken)
. Ezio Auditore

Soaring Wings

...

9
when 'Elysium'
IS unlocked

4
9

c
c

Angry Kicl<boxer

Other

Ch ina

Shaver Fest

Japan

Japan

Nightmare

Spoiling Flap Jack

Europe

Netherlands

Nightmare

c
c
c
c
c
c
c
c
c
c
c

Unrestrained Spirit

Europe

Italy

Stop Consecutive-Win

Europe

United
Kingdom

Vertic aI Flash

Japan

Japan

Circular Magician

Japan

Japan

Anticipated Newcomer

Europe

Poland

Blade Player

Nand S
America

Mexico

10

Loyal Knight

Other

Saudi Arabia

Mantis Crawler

Europe

Spain

Mantis Chiropractic

Other

Australia

Reversal Magician

Other

Philippines

Match Expert

Europe

Slovakia

when Ct Patroklos
is unlocked

after '3 wins

in a row"

after "3 w ins

in a row"

Attack

Name

Style

Woahhzz

Z.W.E.I.

attacke,rM20,

Aeon

Gari~ora '

Cervantes

Mr.Moustache

Cervantes

Beck

Dam pierre

lille

c
c

c
c

loco lily

Type

Closo
Combat

Unlock Condilion

Fantast ita

Nand S
America

United States

Earth Crawler

Japan

Japan

Mercenary Captain

Europe

Por tugal

Sturdy Beard

Europe

France

Le Bello's Bluff

Europe

Portugal

Dancer

NandS
America

United States

Shreds

Europe

Russia

Taste Justice!

Japan

Japan

Wise Beast

Europe

Germa ny

10

Berserker

Europe

Germany

10

Brazil

Oliva

Leixia

M ooshywooshy

Natsu

Kamonegi3

Patroklos

Sale~ . ..:.: .,

Patroklos

Helena

Pyrrha Q

c
c
c
c
c
c

Puxenana

Tira

Double-Edged Ring

Sined

Viola

Long Range Fighter

Other

United Arab
Emirates

TERAMQS

Algol

Split Second Watcher

Europe

Italy

10

go2sleep

Astaroth

Old Type

Nand S
America

United States''

tetubusi

Astaroth

Wild War Cry

Europe

United
Kingdom

Julia

Elysium

Reflector

Europe

France

10

Leonel

Ezio Auditore

Sniper

N and S
America

Dominican
Republic

Ghost

Kil ik

Advanced Soldier

Europe

Russia

Thamires

Leixia

Seductive Swordsman

Japan

Japan

Agbayani

Maxi

c
c

Guillotine Dance

Other

Philippines

Midajah

Natsu

Side Step Demon

Other

Britsprzt

Pyrrha

Angel Walker

Eka

Xiba

c
c

, Xiba

SafaraDiadem

Xiba

Worse I

NandS

America

when 'Pyrrha U"

is unlocked

'player level 12' &

"3 wins in a row"

when 'Elysium
is unlocked

India

10

Europe

Sweden

Going Strong

Other

Thailand

5
5

5
4

Impact Barrier

Other

China

4,

Crane's Range

Other

Egypt

Z.W.E.I.

c
c

Seizing Fangs

N and S
America

United States

BoaMorte

C1 Patroklos

Lieutenant

Nand S
America

Brazil

Tsubo-G

Leixia

Call Me Master

Other

China

MaDuShl:

:HotRodDave
.....
GaiiSilvermoon

M axi

Catalyst Legend

Japan

Japan

Pyrrha

Parry Aim

Europe

Germany

Gr oovy

Pyrrha

Alluring Step

Nand S
America

Chile

Vincent

Raphael

Romantic Swordsman

Europe

France

Ozanius

Siegfried

5
5

Heavy Infantry

Other

Turkey

Out Fighter

Japan

Japan

Acrobat

Europe

Germany

Solid Man

Japan

Japan

Nand S
America

United States

Heaven

Viola

Erika
, Gicchi

Z.W.E. I.
Z.W.E.I.

c
c
c
c
c
c
c

GLIDE

Astaroth

Entertainer

LJ

Astaroth

Apprentice Grappler

Tho rkild

Astaroth

Raging Bull

Natasha

Ivy

.Cold84Darkness

Leixia

Fatih

10

3
4

10

United States

Europe

Denmark

Leg Shearer

Europe

Ukraine

3
4

Tricky Fencer

Other

Korea

M axi

Beauty

Other

Turkey

DreadKnight

Nightmare

Pure Soul Wave

Europe

United
Kingdom

Adrianna

Raphael

Performer

Europe

Romania

10

vonCorra

Xiba

Horizontal Flash

Europe

Hungary

0
2

Nand S

America

w hen "Kilik"
is unlocked

when a Patroklos
is unlocked

CHN' l'i;'F 3 1\i1\M f.' MODL'.S! QUICK BATTLE

Style

Kotone

Devil Jin
{Tekken)

Elizabeth

Elysium

Speed Lancer

Hilde

Kusanagi

Ivy

TormentorCIP

Ivy

Mishima Style Pupil

Brazil

Rampant Spirit

Europe

United
Kingdom

Spear Soldier

Europe

Finland

Ordinary Person

Japan

Japan

Ruffian

Europe

Germany

10

Brazil

10

MysthMoon

Pyrrha

Great Heaven's Rider

Von Coso

Raphael

Narcissist Swordsman

Europe

Italy

Globine

Tira

Vampire

Europe

Switzerland

5
5

Mr. HARAKIRI

Yoshi mitsu

Gambler

N and S
America

United States

Kerrigan

Astaroth

Leg Crusher

Nand S
America

United States

Abigail!

Hilde

Efficiency Counts

Europe

United
Kingdom

Saki

Natsu

Wild Woman

Japan

Japan

ShadowGX13

Pyrrha Q

Hurricane

Nand S
America

Ecuador

10

Going for Ring Outs

Other

Saudi Arabia

Japan

Japan

Ghulam

Siegfried
Tira

GloomyTira

Tira

JollyTira

Japan

Japan

5
5

KazuneAya

5
5

. Rundlescunder

Voldo

Close Range Fighter

Other

Algeria

' LuXun

Yoshimitsu

Door Knocker is Back

Other

China

Kilik

Fake Edge Master

United
Europe
Kingdom

Natsu

In Fighter

Other

Indonesia

Patroklos

Rep. MyTown

N and S
America

M exico

Kisa

Pyrrha

AdjacentType

Japan

Japan

Amaya

Viola

Master of Charm

Japan

Japan

Aerine

Z.W.E.I.

Light Infantry

Europe

France

M exico

, Z.W.E.I.

Beast's lntincts

Nand S
America

..Viktor.

Oampierre

Farting Baron

Europe

Russia

DiamondJoe

Hilde

Kind-Hearted

Europe

Spain

2
0

Shazraile

M itsurugi

Peaceful Man

Other

Malaysia

KooPaVeLLi

Patroklos

Training Soldier

N and S
America

United States

Erieysa

Pyrrha

Copper Shield

N and S
America

Canada

Joseph

Siegfried

Old Soldier

Nand S
America

United States

10

Oatif.

Siegfried

Fake Genius

Other

Iraq

Retiree

Nand S
America

Brazil

...

>

Yafu:i:i.

when ' Kilik'

is unlocked

~~----~--~~~~------~~--~~~--~--~~~--~----------

DiegoUmeharez

Rozaya

when ' Elysium"

is unlocked

when "Pyrrha Q'

is unlocked

Hi nata

ZoaH

Unlock Condition

locality

N and S
America

Nand S
America

Alistair

Title

Name

Aeon

Low Attacker

Japan

Japan

10

Champion of Ruin

Europe

Italy

Hip Swordsman

Other

Chi na

Shearing Technique

Other

Iran

Raphael

Aims for Low Attacks

Nand S
America

Canada

Voldo

Drunkard

Other

Egypt

Little Scoundrel

Nand S
America

Canada

10
0

Leixia

Spoiled Brat

Other

China

10

Cerva ntes

Waiting Man

Japan

Japan

7
7

Ezio A uditore

Assassin Trainee

Nand S
Am erica

United States

when ' Pyrrha Q"

is unlocked

Viola

when "PyrrhaQ'
is unlocked

when "Kilik"
is unlocked

when 'Pyrrha Q"

is unlocked

Name

Stylo

litle

Locality

Van

Lei!<ia

Just Kidding !

Hong Kong

MiGaOh

M itsurugi

Broken Fanged Tiger

Other

Philippines

Mitsurugi

Unforgettable

Japan

Japan

Natsu

Escape Artist

Nand S
America

United States

Melrose

Raphael

Wild Dancer

Nand S
America

Cuba

hurimaru

a Patroklos

Trainee

Japan

Japan

Bruce

Aeon

Strongest in Town

Other

Austra lia

Beil.adona

Dampierre

Frivo lous

Europe

Pola nd

unica

Mitsurugi

Wooden Shield

Japan

Japan

Natsu

Field Runner

Japan

Japan

3
0

3
2

MysteriousBudo

3
3
3

3
2
1

10

Eig ht

Nightmare

Impatient

Other

China

10

ZerO

Pyrrha

3
3

Bad Boy

Other

China

T110

Voldo

Stalker

Japan

Japan

Canada

Hrist

,.

BIRD
WellcooK

Unlock Condition

Hilde

Battle Debut

N and S
America

~ Maxi

Hermit

Nand S
America

United States

Xiba

Amateur

Europe

Spain

9
w hen a Patroklos
is unlocked

LINE PLAY - XBOX LIVE/PLAYSTATION NETWORK>1l~l"

Once you have learned all of your character's attacks and combos
through the Training Mode and builtup your skills against CPU op
ponents, the next challenge lies in testing your mettle against human
opponents. Once you enter the world of Online Play you are able to
choose from a number of d ifferent modes, much like in Offline Play,
but the main choice revolves around whether you want to play more
casual Player Matches, or serious Ranked Matches.
In Ranked Matches players earn points after every match that go towards increasing their overall rank, much like in the Offline Mode,
Quick Battle. The bigger the difference between yours and yoi,Jr opponent's rank, the more points you can potentially earn, and 'this is

used as an incentive to make you seek out stronger and stronger

opponents. Similarly, if you play a match against an opponent significantly below your rank, you will earn considerably less points. You can
use these ranks to get a rough gauge of how good an opponent is,
making it easier to find players of similar skill level to do battle with.
To try and ensure that all matches play ou t fairly, and that nobody tries
to leave a match before it is concluded, any interruption to a match
{including network error) will result in a loss of points. Any matches
that you do play online are also automatically saved on the server and
you can view the replays at any time, and then choose to save them
if you wish to keep a permanent record of your victories.

ONLINE PLAY
You can compete with other players fro m all over the
world on Xbox Live (with a Gold Membership) or PSN.
Although it is not the pure SOULCALI BUR V experience, playing online offers significant benefits. It is
the fastest and most convenient way to meet other
players, test your skills, and gain matchup experience.
Tailor your o nline experience to suit your preferences. You can compete to become th e highest-ranked
player, practice against other players, or take a more
casual approach. Use the various search functions
to find other players with a similar mindset. When
conn ected to the internet, you can choose between a
number of o nline modes.

Online modes
Key leo lUres

Modo

Online top menu

Select online mode

See players that are available to play against
Check other players rank and other stats
Check available number of players in any lobby

Ranked Match

Get into a serious fight I

Affects you r battle record

Player Match

Knockout tournament mode w ith up to 6 players.

Battle record is not affected.
Create rooms or search for rooms
Text and voice cilat possible

Global Colosseo

Chat & fight in the lobby with a large number of players

Players are represented by their Player Card

Lead erboerds/Ranking

Score Leaderboa rd/Ranking for the Arcade Mode

Ranked Match ranking (total and weekly basis)
Competition rank of Global Collosseo

Replay

View own or other players replays

Upload own replays or create .mp4 videos (PS3 only)

Ct- Al''il'.H 3 ! GAME: f.tiODF.S I ONLINE PtAY

ONLINE TOP MENU

When you enter the online mode, the game
accesses the servers to find out the number of players in the lobbies. The icon colors
change depending on the number of available players. A lso, the player level of Astra l
Home changes to the online ra nk.

D Mode Title
B World map and online lobby information
II Opponent's information

IIi Mode select

Eli Player information

Iii] Online rank

RANKED MATCH
Choose this o ption to compete against players from around the
world. Search for other players based on their geographica l location,
current ran king, and connection status. After findi ng a player, both
players have to confirm the match before it begins. W inning or losing
in this mode wi ll change your ra nking points. Reach a ce rtain number of points to raise your rank. Depending on your rank and ranking
points, you'll be enlisted in t he online Leaderboard/Ranking.

THE RANK SYSTEM

Each player starts w ith the lowest rank E5. Players can reach the next
higher rank by w inning. If you gather a certain amount of ranking
points whi le you are at rank D or E, your rank will immediately ri se
after the w in. If you are at rank A, B or C, however, you will have to
w in a special " Rank Up Match" first, before your ra nk goes up. This
also applies to the other direction, where you have to'lose a "Ranked
Down Match" before you go down a rank. There are 5 ranks, divided
into 5 levels = 25 ra nks altogether.

Rank up/down conditions

Necessary value

5000
5000
5000

Default value
alter Rank Down

1000
1000

2000

5000

1000

5000
5000

1000
800

5000

'

Default value
alter Rank Up

Default value
alter Rank Down

600

none

600

none

600

none

600
600

none

none

Chalfcngc number

LEGEND
Necessary value: Reach this value and you can challenge battles for rank
up (no challenge battles on rank D/FI
Default value after Rank Up: This is the default points you have :after Ran k Up
Default value after Rank Down: This is the default points you have after
Rank Down
Challenge number: W hen you challenge the Ra nk Up match {by reaching
the necessary value), you must win the battle within this number to reach
the higher Rank

PENALTY FOR GOING OFFLINE

Default value
alter Rank Ur>

1000

'

Necessary value

Chalfenge number~

2000
2000
2000
2000

2
2
i<

2
2

2500

800

2500

5000

800

2500

5000

800

2500

5000

800

3000
3000

500
500

2500
1500

3000

500

1500
1500

3000

500

1500

3000
1000

500
200

1500

500

none

1000
1000

200

500

none

200

500

none

1000

200

500

none

1000

200

500

none

3
3
3

If a player exits a game during the match by disconnecting from the

network, they receive a penalty in form of a reduction in points or a
rank down respectively.

PLAYER MATCH
Search for a small group of players to play against. Your battle record
won't be affected by these matches, so this mode is suited to traini ng
against other players, or playing casually. You can co mpete with the
same players in rotation, making Player Match rooms ideal for getting to know players, learning about the game w ith others, or simply
playing just for fu n. You can also create your own room so that other
players can join you. This way you ca n also adjust the m atch settings,
and set criteria that players must meet to join your room. Each room
can hold up to six players at once. [~0 1]

Player Match Rules

Souinus

Rule

Room name

Name your room with up to 20 letters

Play Style

Select between ~11 Welcome'; "Serious Business';

casual Game" and "Beginners' Room: Note that
this setting doesn't pevent higher level players joining

Region

Select the region you want players to join from

Language

Select your language

Voice chat

Enable or disable voice chat. Note that voice chat

may affect your connection status

Here you can compare your progress in Ranked Match battles. Tournaments in the Global Colosseo, and the single player Arcade and
Legendary Souls modes, w ith other players worldwide. Rankings
are displayed in order, and show each player's online rank and th eir
progress towards the next rank. You can either scroll through player
ranking lists one page at a time or switch filters to skip straight to
the ranks of your friends or the top-ranked players. Some Ranking
leaderboards show total ranking from the beginning, while others are
reset weekly. [70 1)

Ranked on

Details

Best time

Total ranking: World & Region

Total ranking: World & Region

Other settings include battle count, time, max. number of players and
private slots. Text chat is always possible in the room and during play
for any spectators. Players who fight can't see the text chat.

Total ranking: World & Region

Weekly ranking: World & Region
Global Colosseo/
Competition

Wins

The Competition ranking within

Global Colosseo

GLOBAL COLOSSEO

This is a huge lobby for large numbers of players to congregate. You

can join one of these lobbies based on geographical location, and
challenge the players there. You are represented in the lobby by your
chosen Player Card, which is one of any thumbnails you have created
for a character in Creation Mode. The position of your player card on
the screen is determined by your player group and online tendencies,
so you can single out players that like to play similar match types, for
example, using this.
The large central sections of the lobby let you play a match against
any other players in the same section, chosen at random; or compete
in online tournaments, which are held bi-monthly.
Global Colosseo Mat ch Types
Typo

Free Match

Details

Fight against another player

VIEW LICENCE
You can view the License of any player on the leaderboards, including their Player Card, and filter the location of players by region. This
also allows you t.i:ie option to add players from the Ranking as rivals,
to view their gamercard or profile, or to download and watch their
replays.

REPLAYS
Your last eight online matches are automatically saved here. You can
also save your favorite replays permanently, keeping up to 16 of your
own battles, which other players will be able to access via your Li
cense. You can also download and keep other players' recorded match
es by selecting them via their own Licenses. These are kept separately
from your own replays, and again you can save up to 16. [~0 2]

LOUNGES
Smaller lobbies can be created within this mode. These are called
Lounges and allow smaller groups of up to 16 players to fight and
chat among themselves. A Lounge can be named by the player that
creates it, and it allows for the Free Match and Random Match types
to be played.

RANKING
Players

Delnils

My Battles

16

Watch replays you've saved of your own matches

Other Player's
Battles

16

Watch replays of other players downloaded

either from their player license or from the
Ranked match leaderboard list

Battle Log

These are automatically saved replays of your

recent matches and will be overwritten by
newer matches as you keep playing

REPLAY OUTPUT
You can choose one replay to upload for other players to always be
able to view. You have one slot for this, and one slot for an automati
cally uploaded replay. The PS3 version of the game allows you to out
put your replays as .mp4 files, which you can then save and view on
the XMB or transfer to your PC and upload to the internet.

C l<\f'lTH 3 i GA.~-!1'.=. tv~O;)ES! STORY - 1607 A.)).-

Select 'Story -1607 A.D.-' from the Astra l

Home front end to begin SOULCALIBUR V's
Story Mode. Here you w ill finally get to experience the long awaited adventures of the
series' new m.ain hero. th e young, noble, and
skilled Patrokl-os Alexandra, son of the legendary Holy Warrior Sophitia Alexand ra and
her husband, the blacksmith Rothion, as he
embarks on an epic quest for justice across
17th century Europe to find his lost younger
sister Pyrrha. Along this great journey spanning twenty episodes he will encounter deadly and fearsome foes, meet new allies, and
make new friends and experience treachery
tha t w ill make him question the true price of
justice.

Ill

SPOILER ALERT!
This section of the guide w ill also reveal to
you storyline details, character relationships
and their fates, as well as the existence of
hidden characters. If you w ish to experience
the story for you rself w ithout any spoilers
then do not read on.

HOWTO PLAY
Entering the Story Mode w ill take you to the
world map screen. Pressing left or right on
the D-Pad or Left Stick w ill take you to each
previous or next episode as you unlock them,
or press '@' (PS31 or '0' (Xbox 360) to go to
the newest episode. The playable character
for that episode will be displayed along the
top of the screen above the world map with a
short written introduction along the bottom.
Pressing Start during the episode ba ttle will
bring up the usual pause menu options to
return to game, view your character's move
list and game options with t he added option
to return to the story menu or return to the
Astral Home.

PLAYABLE CHARACTERS
Throughout the course of the adventure, you
will be required to use a number of different
characters as th e story unfolds. For a detailed
breakdown of how to play these characters,
please refer to their main sections in the VS
Play Chapter, but to get you started we'll give
you a few tips here.
Patroklos I When playing as Patroklos in Sto-

Z.W.E.I.IWhen playing as Z.W.E.I. during Story Mode, attack w ith@@ and tiiD most often,
and use @. ti and his throws to deal with the opponent's movement. Launch your
opponent with WR @. comboing into BT @+@, @+@ for good damage. ( -'>0 5]

ry Mode, attack your opponent w ith @@ often and then use ~@ to track the opponent's
sidestep and beat their throws. Use @
often at times when you have enough Critical Gauge so that you can land the followup @+@, C!lll 'Justice Combo' when it
connects. [ -'>0 3]

throws, and ti@:@:@. If you have a f ull stock of meter you can combo into his C!lll whenever
you hit with ..().-@. Launch the opponent wi th ~~@(or ..().-~~@for an alternate input) and
combo with liD. [ -'>0 6]

Pynha I When you take control of Pyrrha in

to land @, which also hits grounded and leaves you in a good position when it's blocked.
Once you have launched your foe with@. combo with DNS@ or wait for them to fall a
little to land her C!lll.

the main story, utilize@@ and throws often.

You can launch your opponent with @
and combo into either AS@ or her C!lll if you
have the necessary meter. ti@@ can also
get you an ea sy Ring Out w hen your opponent is near the edge of a stage, or you can
use~~@ at times when your own back is
to the ring edge. [ -'> 0 4)

a Patroklos I Close the gap with @ or @ so that you can pressure with @@.

Pyrrha Q I Pressure y-our opponent w ith @@and t hrows while looking for that opportunity

OPENING
View the history of the events at th e end of SOULCALIBUR IV back in 1590, where Siegfried,
wielding the spirit sword Soul Calibur during the siege on Ostrheinsburg Castle with the aid of
the Wolfkrone Kingdom, finally defeated and destroyed the physical manifesta tion of his own
dark side made flesh, the Azure Knight. Nightmare, wielder of the cursed blade Soul Edge,
devourer of human souls.

EPISODE 1
Location Setting

Royal Hungary, Odenburg 1607 A.D.

Story Synopsis

The story begins with young Patroklos Alexandra

working as a retainer for Lord Graf Dumas. These
are troubled times indeed with the lands under
siege by the 'Maifested.' Patroklos adopts his mother's mantle of 'Holy Warrior' and the fight begins .

Character U sed

Patroklos

Opponents

Rebel Scum

Stage

Free Imperial City: Old Qua rter

Battle Tactics

Defeat the three malfested 'rebels; one after the

other. Each enemy only requires a single round and
can be easily defeated, as they w ill rarely guard nor
attempt to sidestep your attacks. Rebel1 fights
w ith the Soul of Hilde, Rebel 2 will do battle w ith
the Soul of Astaroth, and Rebel 3 w ill be using the
Soul of Raphael. Each round will reward you with a
full health bar and one f ull stock of Critical Gauge.
Show these malfested vermin that they have no
right to live I

i. '

EPISODE 2
Location Setting

Klausenberg

Story Synopsis

On orders from Lord Dumas to wipe oo t the

malfested scourge and the chance that he may find
Pyrrha here, Patroktos meets the enigmatic Z.W.E.I.
Who is this man and what of his mysterious past?
And why does he accuse our Holy Warrior with the
cry of jus tice in his heart of being a mass murderer?

Character U sed

Patroklos

Opponent

Z.W.E.I.

Stage.
'

Battle Tactics

Free Imperial City Centre

Defeating Z.W.E. I. shouldn't be too much of a problem. His attacks are slow er tha n Patroklos's so it .
should be easy to overwhelm him with simple
and attacks. Use this battle as practice for your
combos as Z.W.E.I. doesn't seem to like to block.
Show him how weak he is.

EPISODE 3
Location Setting

Hungary, Lord Dumas's Underground Chamber

Story Synopsis

After being asked to question his beliefs by

Z.W.E.I., Patroklos confronts Lord Dumas about the
w hereabouts of his sister and his duties to him.
Displeased by such impert inence, Dumas reveals
his treachery and decides to have Patroklos killed ...

Character U sed

Pa troklos

Opponent
1

Stage

~r-,

1JC,...

Voldo
Torture Chamber
Defeat Lord Dumas's loyal servant Voldo. Do not let
the fact that the 67 year old contortionist is blind
and mute fool you, as he can still put up a fight.
However. Voldo does have difficulty blocking. Rush
him down and pressure him at the w all so you can
finish him quickly w ith a damaging wall combo.

C~/.>PTEF1

:>!GAME tv'O:)ES ! STORY- 1607 A.D.-

EPISODE 4
Location Setting

Citadel

Story Synopsis

A fter losing track of Dumas and escaping his castle.

Patroklos meets Z.W.E.I. Seeing that the young warrior has learned the price of justice the hard way, he
takes him to meet Lord Siegfried at the gates of his
castle . Now an aged and battle hardened veteran,
Siegfried calls the young challenger to arms to test
his mettle.

Character Used

Patroklos

Opponent

Siegfried

Stage
Battle Tactics

,l-i{-?{7
r

~v.>Zt

[F~'I~

Ancient Citadel: Peacetime

Siegfried has very good range, can inflict massive
damage, and can be deceptively fast. However.
none of his attacks track particularly well to his righ t,
so stepping left after a block string from either him
or you will cause his counter-attack and sta nee options to whiff allowing you to launch him easily.

EPISODE 5
Location Setting

Northeast Bavaria

Story Synopsis

Here begins the story of Pyrrha. We find her lost.

alone, and in danger. Not just from the angry
townsfol k willing to kill her. but from the malfested
one who wields the ring blade: Tira, and kidnapper
of Pyrrha.

Character Used

Pyrrha

Opponents
Stage
BattleTactics

Angry Townsfolk

J;:rrz 1
(i f'f.J?.../ )

Free Imperial City: Old Quarter

Taking control of Pyrrha you will have to take down
the three angry townsfolk seeking vengea nce for
the carnage and mayhem that has been in flicted
on their home. However. the rage in their hearts
has caused them to forsake their defense, making
it easy to take them out one at a time with simple
@s and s. Marcel fights using the Soul of Xiba,
Jan battles with the Soul of Natsu, and Erik uses
the Soul of M itsurug i.

...

I itc?C':

,....-f?~Jll

#d'~

t7J '1?/.

(:!/~J~1
......_._..
EPISODE 6
Location

~ettlng

MoonIit Battlefield
l ira's wicked machinations continue as she takes
full advantage of Pyrrha's memory loss, finally
revealing to her that she has a brother so that she
can manipulate her into killing more people on her
path to find him. W hy does she want so many to
die? Could it be that the puppet master is having her
own strings pulled?
Pyrrha
Schwarzwind Mercenaries
Tranquil Wasteland
These three mercenaries won't put up too much of a
fight. but unlike the angry townsfolk that Pyrrha had
previously slain, these well-trained warriors will be
defending your attacks a lot more. Start stepping in
order to force their attacks to w hiff so that you can
launch them for massive damage. Norbert w ill fight
using his master Siegfried's Soul, Ina fights w ith the
Soul of Leixia, and The odor battles using the Soul of
the Hilde. the Mighty Warrior Woman ofWolfkrone.

EPISODE 7
Deep Dark Forest
Teaming up with Z.W. E.I. and Viola under the orders
of Siegfried, Patroklos journeys further east. where
he finally encounters his sister's abductor, lira. Having enough of her taunts. Patroklos reveals to her
his new weapon, Soul Calibur, and takes her on.
Character Used
Opponent
Stage

Patroklos
l ira
Unknown Forest: Dark Night
Things w ill start to get a little more challenging here
and Ti ra can prove to be a very tricky opponent to
fight. She is prone to throws and stay ing down on
the ground, which is where you can easily inflict
most of your damage. Alternately, as the stage is
rather small, show her the price of justice w ith an
easy Ring Out.

EPISODE 8

....
l ocation Setting
St ory Synopsis

Taking the bait. Patroklos follows t he fleeing lira

to the battlefield where he finds an unconscious
Pyrrha. Demanding his sister's safe return, Patroklos
angers the foul harbinger of destruction by calling
her a simple pawn for Soul Edge. It's time to finish
her off once and for all.

Character Used

Patroklos

Opponent

(/-jp)(1'/ t!f

~ ::_!;t, !

Moonlit Battlefield

St age
Battle Tactics .

l ira (rematch)
Tranquil Wasteland
Both Patroklos and l ira will start this battle w ill two
fuWstocks of meter. On one hand this means .you
will have to pay a little more attention to l ira just in
case she lands a (!lEI on you. on the other it makes
defeating her with a (!lEI Justice combo that much
quicker as she's just as susceptible to throws and
Ol<izeme.

EPISODE 9
l ocation Setting

c;

Endless Forest

St ory Synopsis

Reunited w ith Pyrrha at long last. Patroklos chooses

to ignore the warnings of the seer Viola and leaves
Schwarzwind to live a peaceful life w ith his beloved
sister swearing to protect her. However, their lone
journey back through the forest is cut short by an
ambush from the giant golem Astarolh.

Character Used

Patroklos
Astaroth
Unknown Forest

Battle Tactics

Astaroth can inflict heavy damage w ith his powerful

throws if he gets too close. not to mention the range
of his axe. His attacks are slower than Patroklos',
however, and because he likes to rush straight in it is
possible to intercept him with the
'Justice
Strike' easily into a damaging combo

c::>c::>

CHAP-ER :; I GAv1E MO~lES I STORY- 1607 A.D.~

EPISODE 10
Location Setting
Story Synopsis

Endless Forest
After Patroklos is wounded in battle by Astaroth and
a chance meeting with Ivy, the siblings continue
on with their journey through the forest. For the
fi rst time, Pyrrha is happy to be w ith her long lost
brother and fina lly smiles . But her momentary
respite is cut short by the arriva l of Voldo ...
Pyrrha
Vol do

1/

Unknown Forest

Having learned his lesson after his beating at the

hands of Patroklos, Voldo is a bit more tricky to fight
this time round. Be sure to use Pyrrha's sidestep
tracking tools to stop Voldo f rom going anywhere.
This will allow you to pressure him w i th P_yrrha's
solid in order to launch him w ith ~lru for a
quick Ring Out.

\ __...

EPISODE 11
Location Setting
Story Synopsis

Port City
Their journey back to Athens is cut short by Dumas,
w ielding Soul Edge, who reveals himself to be the
new Nightmare. Patroklos is unable to fight after the
revelation that Dumas was using him not to kill the
ma lfested but to murder innocent 'p eople. However
before Nightmare can finish off his dupe, Pyrrha
gets in his way ...
Pyrrha Q
Nightmare
Free Imperial City: Old Quarter
Unable to conta in her sadness and rage any longer,
Pyrrha transforms into Pyrrha Q in order to do battle
w ith the new Nightmare. Despite t he threat t hat
Nightmare presents. PYUha Q is incredibly powerful,
so sustained use of ~lru. c:(>c:(>(ID, and NS :~
w ill be enough to defeat him.

3)
EPISODE 12

Citadel
Sadly Patroklos's fea r and prejudice causes him to
run away from his poor malfested sister, leaving
her once more feeling rejected and alone and at
the mercy ofTi ra's w hims and dastard ly schemes.
After return ing to Siegfried's Citadel, Patroklos has a
vision of his mother. Now no one can stop him from
relinquishing Soul Calibur.
Z.W.E.I.

A)

Patroklos
Ancient Citadel: Peaceti me
Take control of Z.VV.E.I. and stop Patroklos from
fleeing the Citadel with Sou l Calibur. Easier said
than done as Patroklos has the edge i n power and
speed . However, havi ng two full stocks at the start
of the battle should make your task much easier
if you are inexperienced w ith Z.W.E.I., as your
opponent seldom will guard.

EPISODE 13
Citadel
So it was all a test to bring out Patroklos's true
potential?! As he attains his true potential not ~mly
does his fighting style change, but so does the form
of Soul Calibur. Z.W.E.I. challenges him once more
so that Patroklos can show him what he is truly
capable of now.

a Patroklos
Z.W.E.I.
Ancient Citadel: Peacetime
Now that you have become a Pat roklos, you have
access to his 'Quick Draw' fighting style. Use this
fight with Z.W.E.I. to practice your new arsenal
of moves on him. Starting with two full stocks of
meter, you can also practice -.!).@ into I!IEI.

.f

.:tz
EPISODE 14
Austria

After recalling her talk of the 'Three Sacred Treasures: Patroklos's travels end in Austria to seek the
mysterious ageless woman named Ivy, armed with
her living sword 'Valentine; to seek more answers
on his quest to find and rescue his sister Pyrrha. Not
forgetting the rude, young upstart, Patroklos must
first prove his skill~ to her in battle.

a Patroklos
Ivy
Free Imperial City Cent re
Ivy can control the fight well from long-range but

a Patroklos can easily press the advantage in closerange with his fast er attacks. Rush her down with
S>S> or la unch from afar with ~~and conti nue to pressure her w ith tools such as FC ~!AI
so that you can quickly ring her out as her back is to
the edge of t he ring on this stage.

EPISODE 15
City of Dijon
Ivy sends Patroklos on a quest to find the other
two of the Three Sacred Treasures. Kali-Yuga and
Dvapara-Yuga. As luck would have it. Patroklos, on
arriving in the French City of Dijon, discovers both
in the ha nds of Leixia and Xiba. The two young Far
Eastern warriors are traveling the lands with their
companions Natsu and Maxi in tow. Before they
will help our just hero, he has to defeat them in a
friendly sparring match.

a Patroklos
Leixia, Natsu, Maxi, Xiba
Free Imperial City Centre
You only need to beat each fighter once. Beat Leixia
with a Patroklos's pokes and staple launch combos.
doing the same for Natsu. Do not use your meter
for the fi rst two fights; instead, save it for Maxi and
Xiba so that you ca n finish them off quickly and easily with a quick -.!).@ into NS combo.

CH!1PTER 3 I GAME MODES I STORY - 1607 A.D.

EPISODE 16
Location Setting

Bohemia

Story Synopsis

Returning with the Three Sacred Treasures to Ivy,

she combi nes their powers for Patroklos to receive
another vision from the one claiming to be his mother. She tells hi m that the malfested are the scourge
of this world and that the only way in which to stop
them and save his sister Pyrrha is to fulfi ll Soul
Ca libur's duty and kill his sister in order to destroy
Soul Edge. Obeying the vision, Patroklos journeys to
Denever Castle and confronts his sister ...

Character Used

a. Patroklos

Opponent
Stage
Battle Tactics

Pyrrha Q
Denever Castle: Eye of Chaos
Use~~ to evade Pyrrha's @and launch
her, comboing into@ for easy damage, as the AI
will attack you with this move rather frequently. Use
@ to rush her down and stop her from leading
w ith . Once you are right up close, pressure her
w ith [! to stop her from ducking or using
any TC attacks and throw her once you know she
isn' t going to move.

-(

EPISODE 17
Astral Chaos
Realising that defeating his sister was the wrong
choice, Patroklos with the aid of an otherworldly
force travels back in t ime to t he moment where Ivy
joins the Three Sacred Treasures. This time Patroklos
confronts the vision of his mother, refusi ng to do
Soul Calibur's bidding. His effrontery angers the
vision and he is banished to Astral Chaos, where
he meets the legenda ry Edge Master and receives
perhaps the highest level of all his teachings
Character Used
Opponent

r
(J;) .

a. Patroklos
No Battle

Stage
Battle Tactics

-zc
_..,

EPISODE 18

_)

Raging Battlefield

;:

Our tale now takes us to the grjlat Siegfried, his

squire Z.W.E. I.. and their heroic band, the mercenary group Schwa rzwi nd, as they charge into battle
against the malfested horde. Charging forward with
his great sword, Siegfried clears a path for Z.W.E.I.
to go forth towards Denever Castle alone.

r-

Z.W.E.I.

lil

(>

Battle 1 I Malfested
Warriors

Battle 2 I Nightmare
(Lord Dumas)

Battle 1 I Last Rites on

the Battlefield

Battle 21 Denever
Castle: Assault

Taking control of Z.W.E.I. once more you will have to

engage three malfested enemies one after the other on
the battlefield. [NAME] fights with the Soul of Astaroth,
Odor fights with the Soul of Aeon, and Murk fights w ith
the Soul of Cervantes. Using the basics with Z.W.E.l.
such as @. , and throws should cut these
foul malfested miscreants down in no time.
W hen facing off against Nightma re you will stan the
battle with two full stocks of meter, so use these for
either his lmJ or [! combos. Use @ to TC
Nightmare's @@@and Z.W.E.I:s +@throw to
pressure him with more attacks

~/t'' r {/

7-'

EPISODE 19
Denever Castle
Patroklos returns from the realm of Astral Chaos
in the midst of the battle for humani ty's salvation.
Not pausing for a single moment. our hero charges
straight for Denever Castle, where he confronts Pyrrha Q again. This time around, Patroklos has learned
the price of justice. This time he will save the life of
his precious ma lfested sister and liberate her from
the grasp of the dread blade Soul Edge.

a Patroklos
Pyrrha Q (Redux)
Denever Castle: Eye of Chaos
If Pyrrha Q lands '*'* Ol)_yOU she will net major
damage with either her NS lru or [.! combo followups. However, much li ke your previous fight w ith
her, using ~~ to evade her'*- and launch
her into a combo with @ will work the same
along with using Patroklos's '*- to close the
gap into more pressure with 1:2@:@::@. and
throws . Save your meter and punish Pyrrha n with
your [.! when you block her NS and this fight
will be over quickly.

EPISODE 20
Locatio11 Setting

' (\'0
__ ./J

- #11\.

"" .

Denever Castle

Story Synopsis

Pyrrha awa kens, free f rom the thrall of Soul Edge

to find her dear brother Patroklos frozen, a cruel
pu nishment for defying the will of Soul Calibur. As
she takes up Soul Edge once more to free him from
his prison, Patroklos meets the vision once more in
the heavenly realm. No longer deceived by the lie
that she is his mother, the vision of the false Soul
Calibur must be destoyed. This time, w ith the aid
of his sister on the other side of reali ty, Patroklos,
like his mother Sophitia before him, will fight for hi s
family and justice.

Character Used

a. Patroklos

Opponents
Stage
Battle Tactics

Elysium
Utopia of the Blessed
Elysium fights using Pyrrha Q 's fighti ng style.
Because of this__you should be wary of attacks such
as~. '*'*USJ. and NS . Launches into NS
become even more of a threat after the second
round when the stage begins to crumble, transforming it from an infi nite stage, to a sma ll RO stage,
and Elysi um will be able to ring you out quite easily
if you get too close to the edge.
Elysium has her own unique ~!IE! that is not only
highly damaging, but she can also combo into it in a
Jot more situations than Pyrrha can, so treat this as a
sepa rate character. Use ~~ to launch into@
and '*'* to close the gap and pressure Elysium
w ith and throws. Use ..(l.-@ to q uickly interrupt
her attacks, hit-confirming and comboing into
a Patroklos's ~!IE! if you have enough meter. With
this st rategy, Elysium will go down in no time.

CHA.i'-ER 31 GAMF. \KlOSS CREATION

CHARACTER CREATION
Want to add your own sense of fashion style
to your fighting style? Tired of seeing th e
same P1 and P2 outfits all the time? Want to
edit your main character, dressing them up
as your all-time favorite hero/heroine? Or do

you want to go the w hole nine yards and create a brand new character using the fighting style
of one of the regular characters? Selecting 'Creation' in the Astral Home front end will take
you into Soulcalibur V's character creation 'Character Da ta' menu so that you can get started.
Please refer to t he Extras chapter for a complete list of all unlockable parts and items that can
be used in Creation mode.

CHARACTER DATA

CAMERA CONTROL

In th is menu you have up to 50 free data slots with which to customize the game's regular characters by changing their colors, weapons,
or by creating entirely new outfits for them. Or you can create a brand
new, original cha racter using the 'Soul' of an existing character. This
essentially lets you assign this character's move set, such as Cervantes's for example, with the ability to freely custom ize them from
the ground up including their gender, height, build, and the sound of
their voice. Each customized/created character w ill take up a single
data slot and can be edited, copied to another slot as a backup, or
deleted at any time. The highlighted character's name, style, weapon,
and date of creation are all listed in the window to the right of the
data slots. [~0 1]

SELECT TYPE
Once you pick an empty data slot (of which you will have many) you
w ill get the choice to either customize a regular character or to create
your own character. Customizing regular characters is more limited,
and you won't be able to select every single playable character.

CONTROLS
Menu Controls
Xbox 360

PS3

Confirm Selection

E.xlt Menu/Tab

View Character/Mock Battle

)START)

)START)

Undo last cuStomization action

)BACK)

)SELECT!

Action

'

Click the
Lett Stick

Click

Pressing Start will give you the option to 'View' your character using
the camera w ithout the Creation Home menu onscreen. Selecting
'Mock Battle' will set up Training Mode in the creation area wi th all its
usual options readily available, so you can test out your new character
and see how they look in action. Select (PS3) or Back (Xbox 360) will
undo/redo your last customization action, for example changing hair
color, and restore your character's appearance to how it was before
that choice was made so that you can remove any mistakes.

CUSTOMIZING REGULAR CHARACTERS

When customizing the regular cast. you can only edit the colors of P1
and P2 outfits and change their weapons. Some characters can't be
freely customized; Ezio Auditors and Dampierre can't be edited at all,
though you can shoot a new picture of them for use on the loading
screens. Aeon can only have his weapon style and colors edited.
Selecting Freely Customize gives you a blank version of the cha racter.
When freely customizing a regular character the only options unavailable to you will the ability to edit that character's phys ical statistics in
the 'Body' tab such as body and body type, face, eyebrows, and voice.
In the 'Weapon/Style' tab you wi ll not be able change their fighting
style and in the 'Colors/Patterns/Stickers' tab you will not be able to
change thei r skin color, face paint, facial hair, or eye color. Who wants
to see Leixia with a beard?! [70 2)

,.

Remove Equi,pment from

higHlighted area

Use the Right Stick or hold down '@' (PS3) or '0' (Xbox 360) ancj
then use the D-Pad of your PS3/Xbox 360 controller to control the
camera, rotating it around your character. [g) I (Q) w ill zoom in and
IBID I(@ are used to zoom the camera out on your character. Holding
[g)+ IBID/ (Q) +(@allows you to use the D-Pad/Right Stick to move
the camera up and down vertically.

IQI

CREATING AN ORIGINAL CHARACTER

...

Camera Controls
Xbox 360

PS3

Right Stick/

Right Stick/

Ot D-Pad

@ + D-Pad

ITIJ + IE!1 + D-Pad"

IE!1
ITil

(Q) + @) + D-Pad
@)

(Q)

This is where the real fun and creativity begins! When you choose to
create an original character you w ill be taken to the character selection screen, where you will get to choose you r preferred fighting style
from a regular character or the 'Soul' of that fighter. (Note that Ezio
and Algol's fighting styles are the only unavailable exceptions.)
Creating an original character will also allow you to access the Soul of
Devil Jin w ith his Tempered Fist 'Mishima Fighting Style' once you have
unlocked it. Once you have chosen your preferred fighting style you will
then get to choose the gender, height. and 'base body type' of your
character. There are five different height variations to choose from and
two base body types which are lean or heavily built.

BODY SETTINGS
In the Body settings t ab you can edit your character's physical statistics in the five available sub-tabs. This is the section where you
can adjust every different facet of your character's body and head
settings. It's also where you will need to go to give your character a
new hairstyle or adjust their voice.

BODY AND BODY TYPE

This section controls every aspect of the physical proportions of you
character, allowing you to change everything from simple height and
mass settings, to choosing just what level of muscle tone you want.
Many of the settings are controlled through the use of a slider that
has a range from -20 {smallest/thinnest) to 20 (largest/bulkiest) so
you can be extremely precise when trying to get any part of the body
looking exactly the way you want it to. [ ~0 1]
Body and Bod y Type Options
Soning

Reset

Ellect

Here you can always reset your character back to their

initial physical settings when you chose them should you
find yourself unhappy with your results.

Random

, Leave it to fate to conjure up a fat Soul of Leixia or an out

; of shape Soul of Patroklos.

Height

i You can re-adjust your character's height here. Note that

l height does aHect your fighter's status in the context of
their reach and power as displayed ir'l the Status window
on the bottom right of this screen.

Base BodyType

You can change your character's base body type between lean and heavy and built here.

UpperAnns

This option allows you to increase/decrease the size of

your character's upper a(ms and shoulders.

Foreanns

Increase/decrease the size of your character's forearms.

Pectorals

Increase/decrease the size of your character's pectorals,

neck. back, and latisimuss dorsi.

H.lps

Adjust the sl iders from -20 to 20 for buns of steel.

Thighs .:!

Increase/decrease the size of your character's thigh

. muscles.

Calves

Increase/decrease the size of your character's calf

muscles.

Stomach

Increase/decrease the width of your character's stomach

for those washboard abs or that more sensual pot belly.

Chest

Adjust the size of your female character's breasts here.

Waist

Adjust the sliders for that ideal 'V' Shape, or more

pronounced obliques.

Muscle Mass

Increase/decrease your character's muscle tone from

zero to fou r, zero being very little muscle definition to
four bei ng totally ripped.

-.

FACE
Want the face of a fa ir young maiden? Or perhaps a bronzed Adonis?
Or how about the rugged, wise face of a bearded manly man? Well,
now you can choose! Males have 23 face types, females have 11.

HA IRSTYLE
Choose your preferred hairstyle for your created character or just simply keep it real and go bald. Females have 28 hairstyle options while
Males have 31, including the bald option. Some of the hairstyles are
original while others already belong to the regular cast of characters.
r~o

21

EYEBROWS
Match the appropriate eyebrows to the appropriate face and hairstyle; that and no eyebrows just looks creepy! Both males and females have the same 25 choices, including the one for no eyebrows.
[ ->0 3]

VOICE

Reset I Reset the voice settings back to default if you are unhappy
w ith your voice configuration.
Voice Type I Both females and males have different voice types to
choose from depending on their gender. such as 'Upbeat Girl' or 'Main
Bad Guy,' choose what seems the most appropriate or will bring the
most comedy.
Pitch I Adjust the pitch slider from -50 to 50 heighten or lower the
pitch of your created character's voice.
Tone I Adjust the slider from 50 to 50 to increase/decrease the tone
of their voice- yes, it is possible to create a big red giant demon that
sounds like he has just sucked on a helium-filled balloon!
M alfestation Level I Malfeasance. It is everywhere in the world of
Soulcalibur V. If your created character has been malfested, choose
from none, light, or serious to adjust their afflicted level of malfestation.

CHA.f'-ER 3 1GAME VlODcS I CREATION

EQUIPMENT
In the Equipment Parts menu selecting 'Change All' wi ll allow you to randomly dress up your
character, remove all their clothing down to their undergarments or chose a preset outfit in
the style of either a Samurai, Ninja, Western Knight. Warrior. and last but definitely not least.
Pirate. These outfits are made up from parts that you can select yourse lf individually, but if you
just want a base to start from they can save you a lot of time. [ ->0 4]
There are customization slots and unlockable equipment available for Head, Face, Undergarments, Upper Body Equipment, Upper Body Covering, Lower Body, Hip, Neck and Back,
Arms, Shoulders, Ankles, Legs, and Feet. Some of the available customization items are

gender specific but in some cases it is possible to dress your man up in a frilled crop
top and pleated mini skirt to show off those
well-defined and developed washboard abs
and quads. Head Equip makes no distinction
between the sexes of your character, so no
matter which gender it is, you can equip any
of them. [ ->0 5]

SPECIALIZED EQUIPMENT
You have three slots for 'Specialized Equipment: and you can place either a different
one in each slot, the same one three times,
or any mixture in between. These unique
items can be placed anywhere on your character by selecting ;tl,djust Equipment' on its
allocated slot once you have already placed
it, or 'Change Equipment' if you w ish to alter
it. The most important option in this area is
Equipped Location, as that allows you to select where on the body you want to place the
item, allowing you to put it anywhere from
the top of t he left shoulder, down to the right
foot if you wish.

Adjust Equipment Options

Setting

Effect

Reset

Undoes any changes that you have made to either the positions or angle
of the equipment.
Places your selected equipment part into a random position around t he
body.
Allows you to select which area gn the body you want to place the equipment. Your possible options are: Head, Collarbone (Right), Shoulder {Right),
Arm {Right), Hand {Right), Collarbone (Left), Shoulder {Left), Arm (Left), Hand
(left), Hips, Thigh (Right), Knee (Right), Feet (Right), Thigh (Left). Knee (Left),
Feet (Left), and Chest.

~=,~~iii:

As w ith adjusting the body size of your character, there are a number of sliders you can
use in this area to get the item looking exactly the way you want. Most of the positional
sliders have a scale from -50 to 50, so you
get an incredible amount of versatility. You
can also adjust the axis of the item and these
sliders have a range from -180 to 180, so you
can place it at any angle you w ish. Through
the use of these sliders you can drastically
change the positions and dimensions of the
different parts, allowing you tailor fit them to
any potential design. [ ->0 6]

Move the equipment part along a horizontalli ne in front of the area of the
body it's placed on.
Move the equ ipment part along a vertica l line in f ront of the area of the
body it's placed on.
Move the equ ipment part either towards or away from the area of the
it's
on.

Adjust the length of the equipment part from very short to very long .
Adjust the depth of the equipment part from very thick to very th in.
Allows you to rotate the equipment part on a ver tical axis.
Allows you to rotate the equ ipment part on a horizontal axis.
Allows you to rotate the angle of the equipment part both clockwise
and counter-clockwise.

WEAPON & STYLE

This section of the Creation area is focused
on the offensive tools and effects of your
character. You can do anything from changing
the fighting style to that of a different character, to picking a d ifferent weapon for your
character and adding a number of different
effects to both it and your attacks.

FIGHTING STYLE
You can change or edit the fighting style of
your created character by choosing one of
the other regular qharacters from the available list in the quick selection box this option
brings up. [~0 1]

ID
.

..

EQUIPPED WEAPON

Select one of eight w eapons that belong to

each regular character that you wish to use
in battle for your created character or customized regular character. The differences are
purely cosmetic, ranging from variations on
the Soul Calibur weapon, to weapons with a
slightly more comedic tone, but they do not affect gameplay or balance in any way. Note that
Devi l Jin, Dam pierre. and the 'random select'
characters Elysium, Edge Master, and Kilik do
not have any selectable weapons. Since you
cannot access the Soul of Algol when creating your own character, you can only change
his weapon when you choose to edit a regular
character. [ ~o 2]

In t his section of the Creation area you can

use the different settings to alter the color
of any aspect on your character, from their
equipped parts, to the color of their skin. You

CUSTOM EFFECT
Located directly under the change weapon option, this final option allows you to choose fro m
different visua l Custom Effects that appear when landing an attack. These range from th e
Comic Pack's 'POWI' and 'BAM!' effects when you hit your opponent, to the Cute Packs,
fi lled with bright shiny star "S ffects. Bringing up the Start Menu and going into 'Mock Battle'
will allow you to view these straight away to see if they match your character. If you decide
you do not want to use one of these effects, you can select the blank box on the top left of
the select screen. [ ~o 3]

can also pick from a selection of different patterns and stickers that you can apply to any area
of the body or equipment to further customize the appearance of your character. When you
first enter this section it defaults to the Body Color editor, and from there you can use [iJ) I frn
or (fij) I (@) to cycle through the other editors.

BODY COLOR
The color editor allows you to edit the colors of your chosen equipment, skin, pattern. and weapon parts. For example, simply highlight
an available color slot for one of your facial or body features, and the
area available for you to color edit w ill briefly flash white letting you
know that is the area you can re-color. Pressing OK will open the color editor window, showing you the available spectrum of colors. You
have a range of 31 x 63 colors, which can also be changed by adjusting the saturation from 0 to 9 using Cbill !ill and (B1) 1IBI). Your chosen
color for a highlighted part will be displayed in real-time. so that you

can see your results immediately. In this section you also have the
Face Paint option, which allows you to add anything from simple eye
shadow to elaborate tattoos. Once you have selected your desired
Face Paint, you can then select it again to bring up a slightly different
menu that allows you to alter the color of it, or switch to a different
design. A lot of these options are rese rved for characters that you
create yourself; even if you choose to freely edit a regular character,
you will still be unable to change skin tone or add Face Paint, for
example. [-tO 4]

CHAPTER 3 ! GA.:vJE [\liODES I COLORS, PATTERNS & STICKERS

EQUIPMENT COLORS/PATTERNS
On this tab you can freely edit t he color of
any piece of equipment that you have on
your character in the same manner that you
used for the Body Color. Once you have selected the piece of equipment you want to
edit, you'll be able to choose between simply
changing the color or changing the pattern.
Selecting fl.ll Equipment' wi ll allow you to
give all equipp ed items {excluding patterns)
the same color if you want to save time by
not coloring them all separately, or want to
use a common color as a starting point.
Patterns are an extra texture layer that you
can apply to any piece of equipment to further change its appearance, and these can
range from simple horizontal lines and polka dots, to ornate European designs. Once
you've selected the pattern you want to use
and applied it to the piece of equipment you

STICKER
It is possible to attach stickers to almost every
piece of equipment that you can put on your
created character, and like patterns, they can
allow you drastically change how the equipment looks. Original created characters can
also have stickers attached to their skin. Stickers act as a decal that gets placed on the top
visible layer of the piece of equipment covering any coloring or pattern. Each body part
slot can have up to four stickers attached from
the available Motif. Scar, Number, and Chinese Character lists, and each sticker placed
will overwrite t he one below it. [ -)0 6]
Thanks to all the available options in the
sticker editor, it's possible to layer the stickers on top of each other, so you can get very
creative. At any time while you're using this
group of menus you can press iB] I IBm to get
a better look at your stickers. Try combining

Using the Pattern Editor

Seing

Change Pattern

Efteel

Allows you to select another pattern f rom those that are available.

Color

Edit the individual colors that make up the pattern you have selected.

Remove Pattern

Simply remove the pattern if you are not happy w ith it to revert back to the
basic design of the Equipment.
Increase or decrease the size of the design on the pattern to alter its appearance.
Adjust the slider to rotate the angle at which t he pattern is displayed
, either clockwise or counter-clockwise.

Flip Horizontal

,--------------------------------------------Choose either Off or On to flip the design on the pattern horizontally.

Flip Vertical

Choose either Off or On to flip the design on the pattern vertically.

Reset

Restore the pattern to its default settings.

w ill get access to another set of options that allows you to further augment the pattern.
Patterns are not just reserved for Equipment parts either, and you can also add them to some
weapons in the game to create a truly unique look. [ -) 0 51

the available stickers and alteri ng their size

and perspective and come up with your own
design! [~ 0 1]
Place by View I Selecting this option will
allow you to use the camera to control where
you want to attach the sticker over your
chosen area by keeping it centered on your
character. This method of application is easier
to get to grips with at first. but the rotating
camera does limit where you can apply the
sticker. Holding @ (PS3) or (Xbox 360) and
using the D-Pad allows you to move the sticker horizontally and vertically without having
to rotate the camera. The one benefit of this
option is that the sticker decal will be applied
directly and not have its shape warped by the
surface, making this option best suited for
jacket motifs and logos, for example. [-70 2]
Place by Axis I Using this option wifi allow
you to fit the sticker to the contours of the
character model's form or the form of that
particular item of equipment they are wearing. This means that the sticker decal will
either stretch or shrink, becoming a natural
part of the item you are attaching it to. This
makes it ideal for tattoos on bare skin, for
example, or designs on tight-fitting outfits so
that they seem to be a part of them. When using the Place by Axis option you can freely use
the camera to view your character from any
angle you need to attach your sticker to. as you
will be able to alter the Vertical and Horizontal
axis from the Sticker Editor menu. [~0 3]
Weapon Color I In the f inal tab of this section you have two more options through
w hich you can customize the visual aspect
of your w eapons: Weapon Color and Weapon
Trail. Not all w eapons are compatible with
the Weapon Color option, so you will need
to find the ones that are with your character.
Once you find a weapon that you can change
the color of and select this option, you will
be able to pick which part of the weapon
you want to change the color of, and from
there you can use the usual color select palette. The Weapon Trail option is available for
all weapons, and changes the color of the
trail your weapon leaves behind as it moves
through the air while you are attacking. Like
with weapon color, you can use the normal
color select palette for this. [ -70 4]

Using the Sticker Editor

Setting

EHcct

Change Sticker

Select your preferred sticker from the list of designs available to you .

Color

This will bring up the Color Editor window which you can use to freely edit
the color/s of your applied sticker.

Remove Pattern

Select this to get rid of your unwanted design and start again.

Select Locatio n

I The locations here will depend on what body parts you have equipment placed
on, and whether or not those items can have stickers applied to them. Once
you have chosen that location your sticker will be made visible over it. If it is not
visible then you will need to use the camera, and/or hold@ I 0 D-Pad function if
you are placing by view, or use the VerticaVHorizontal axis subtabs in the Sticker
Editor menu if you are placing by axis.

Change Application This will allow you to change the way you placed your s1iekar by bringing up the
'Place by View' and 'Place by Axis' options you are first given when you choose
Method
a new sticker.
Vertical

, Move the sticker up and down over your character's allocated body part so that
you can place it w herever you wish on you r character's person. This option is
made available when you choose 'Place by Axis.'

Horizontal

Move the sticker side to side around your character's allocated body part so that
you can place it anywhere you wish on your character's person. This option is
made available when you choose 'Place by Axis.'

Size

Increase/Decrease the size of your selected sticker to fit your cha racter as
your so desire.

Rotate

Rotate the sticker 360 degrees so that you can apply it at the appropriately
desired angle to your character. .

Flip Horizontally

Use this option to 'mirror' or 'reverse' the image of your sticker.

Flip Vertically ,.

Use this option to 'invert' the sticker image making it appear upside down.

Reset

Reset any changes made to your applied sticker restoring it to its original
location on your characters body.

Reset

Restore the Pattern to its default settings

CIIAIY

All of the regular characters in the game have their own unique artwork on a card that gets shown on the character select screen and
during loading. so it's only fair that your created character has this
same perk. Once you enter this section you will see your character
posed in the middle of the screen on a default b<~ck.ground with a
green box around them; it is this box that acts as the boundaries of
what will be shown on the card.

u; 3 I GMJ.f MODi'S i SHOOT PICfUR

To the right of the screen you will also see two smaller boxes: the
top one acts as a real-time viewer, showing you exactly what would
be displayed on your card, and the bottom one is where the most recent thumbnail you have already taken will be displayed. To make the
picture more interesting, there are a number of different backgrounds
and frames that you can adorn it with in the manner that best suits
your character. [ -+0 5]

....
Controls
Action

Options
Setting

Elfeel

Shoot Picture

Press OK to take a picture of the current frame setup.

Look at Camera

Allows you to choose between whether or not your character is looking at the
camera when you take the photo.

Pose

Select what kind of pose you want you character to assume for the photo. Poses
1-3 are weapon style based, Pose 4 is a generic customization pose. and Poses
6-7 are gender specific.

Click~

Background

Select which type of Background you want in the picture.

0 + D-Pad

@+ D-Pad

Back Frame

Select from a number of different objects and frames that will be placed in the
background of the picture.

(iJ)/0

(i]/IIDJ

Front Frame

Select from a number of different objects and frames that will be p laced in the
foreground of the picture.

XboK 360

PS3

Right Stick/

Right Stick/

0 + D-Pad

@+ D-Pad

!L!l+IB!l+

[il+l!:i]l+

D-Pad

D-Pad

!L!l/l

[il/@1

Click Left
Stick in

Move Frame
Zoom Frame
In/Out

Rotate Camera
Move Camera
Zoom In/ Out
Take Thumbnail

THE FINISHINGTOUCHES
When you have gone through the creation
process and are happy with your cha racter,
the final step in its creation is to give it a
name. You can do this by selecting the Input

Name option on the Creation Home page. After naming your creation. you should then select
Finish Edit at the bottom of the menu, from which you can choose to either return back to
the Astral Home, or go back to the Data Slot Selection screen if you w ish to create another
character.

This is a gigantic chapter, filled to bursting with information about all of the game's characters.
To make sure you get everything out of it we recommend th?t you read th is short section
first, or refer here when anything you come across w hile reading is the slightest bit unclear.

II Character Bi o
This box details all of the character's vital statis
tics and reveals some story points about them,
such as their age and place of birth.

,a: Capability Chart

This chart lists a variety of different categories
in which the character's proficiency is ranked. It
gives you an at-a-glance overview of the charac
ter's strengths and weaknesses.

MITSURUGI

___----.
--_----_

-..........
--~--- . . ---..-
......
.......................
[Ill --..,,_
--.....
...,.........
.....,.,.._-........_
... _,_.__,_,..,t
......... . -~------
. ,,.... .. ,..,_,
,..., ...........
.... ... ...__............. . .
-~

~-

P/t ......... , . . _ , _ _

II Character Overview
This section describes what the character is all
about. Their style, strengths, weakness and more
are all discussed here, so it's a good place to start
if you 're thinking about learning the character.

D Playstyle Focus
This describes where your focus should be when
playing as this character. Here you can learn the
things you should be thinking about and trying to
apply during matches as well as the character's
focus in terms of offense or defensive play.

'a

Meter Usage
Here you'll find a breakdown of the best ways
to make use of your Critical Gauge when playing as the character. Some characters will be
best served saving meter for their Critical Edge,
while others will need to use their Brave Edge
attacks often in order to w in.

' ATTACK ANALYSIS

This section breaks down the character 's most important attacks and
attributes, such as any stances or unique abilities they may have.

STANCE ATTACKS
If the character has any stances or special movement techniques
they'll be cove red here. The text here describes the use of the stance
as a whole, and the Stance Attacks table shows all attacks you can use
from the stance. It gives you the data for each attack's damage and hit
level, and any properties that make them more useful.

STANCE TRANSITIONS
Some characters have stances that allow many ways to transition
into them, usually from attacks and strings with optional cancels. In
these cases, the most useful transitions will be shown in another
ta ble. This table details the input for the transition, the level each
attack hits at and the frame data for the advantage you have when
each transition hits or is blocked. M any stance transitions will give
you some advantage when used, especially when they hit, though
there are some exceptions.

NS
Properties

Pt''"lo~b

28

MST (ID(ID(ID

10,10,10

HHH

NC, STN CH

MST @. @+@

12,20,16

HM

NC. -MST

30

40,20

lllvol

Gu~rd

Hit

MM

-10

CHAT

<?@
c:::>
<?c:::>

BA.AT

.!}@(IDe::>

LM

-22

10

!:?!:? or~~@@

MH

-8

<?<?c:::>

KND

CI I/1P ldl 1 ! VS PLAY I HOW TO USE THIS CHAPTER

PRIMARY ATTACKS AND SECONDARY ATTACKS

The f ive attacks detailed in the Primary Attacks section are the character's most important and
most often used tools. In most cases you can base your entire strategy around these attacks,
and use them to begin your offense. The Secondary Attacks listed are a selection of attacks
that back up your primary attacks. They are all useful attacks, but some may be situational or
best used in a defensive way.

Stalk Shaver
{Jr@@ is one of M itsurugi's most lethal threats when he
is at close range, and a big part of w hat makes his mix-ups
so deadly. This Low attack is not only fast enough to not be
blocked on reaction, but it inflicts heavy damage, is a natural
combo, and knocks down on CH. You also have the option to
tra nsition into MST afterwards to either conti nue pressuring
the opponent, or counter any potential retaliation. {]r@ alone
also hits ground opponents and tracks very well, so it's excellent for 0 kizeme after you have knocked your opponent down.

The table for each of these attacks w ill show

the attack input and any important va riations
it may have. For each of these it will list the
following values:
Input I This is the input required to execute
the attack or string.
Damage I This shows the damage each hit
deals (this is in points, out of the total of 240
points for your entire health gauge).

Levell This is the level t he attack hits at, w hich

tells you how to block it (it c<rn be High, M id,
SpecialMid, Speciallow, Low, and High Throw).
Impact I This va lue represents the attack's Impact speed (the number of frames it takes for
the attack to hit after you complete the full input).
Block I This value tells you the advantage
you're at when the attack is blocked. A negative va lue means you're not at advantage,
wh ich a positive va lue tells you how many

frames of advantage you have. Many attacks

leave you at a disadvantage when blocked,
and some allow enough time for the opponent to hit you before you can block.
Hit I This number shows the advantage you
have when the attack connects. Unlike many
fighting games, th is va lue is almost always
the same for a normal hit and a CH. Usually
hitting w ith an attack w ill leave you with a
small advantage, but there are many possible
exceptions to this.

COMBOS
This section details the character's most usefu l combos. A combo list, looking quite a bit
like the exam ple here, lists the combos w ith
the following values:
Combo I This is a reference letter that you
can use to see w hich combo is being referred to in the text, or to see w hich combo
the screenshots are depicting.
St arter I This is the attack that starts t he
combo. If the attack requires a Counter Hit it
w ill have CH s hown before it.

139

~liD

76

72

***

~liD. {]r~ @ 1.

126

***

{]r~@

{]r ~

ID. t!l3

(!13

Follow -up I This column shows w hich attacks you use after the starter to complete
t he combo. Someti me it w ill only be a single
attack and others it w ill consist of a long series of attacks, some of w hich may need to
be precisely timed.

Hits I This is how many hits the combo has

in total. This w ill include ground slam hits.

I attacks, and a combo w ith a value of 8

w ill require your entire two full meters.

Damage I This shows the total damage the

combo w ill deal. This is the value for hitting
as a normal hit (unless specified as a CH) and
on the opponent's f ront, w ith no Clean Hits.
Hitting their side or back w ill lead to a tiny bi t
m ore damage.

Cost IThis tells you how m uch Critical Gauge

the com bo w ill consume. A va lue of 0 means
that t he combo costs no meter., w hile a value
of 2 m eans it costs half of one meter, or a
single I attack. Combos with a value of 4
or more w ill either involve a (!13 or multi pl e

Difficulty I This is a relative value that gives

you an idea of the combo's di fficulty. This takes
into account using the attack during play, not
just in training mode. Some players w ill find different types of inputs or timings more difficult
than others, so this is just a rough guide.

UKEMITRAPS
This short section covers some of the character's possible Ukem i Traps. After some
attacks tha t knock the opponent down they
w ill have the option to recover quickly w ith
a Ukemi. This w ill eliminate any chance for
GJ<iz ~,01e:"'but you ca n som etimes punish
them for using a Ukemi w ith a guaranteed
attack if you have one that will catch them
du~Some characters will be much more
proficieiifat UkemiTraps than others.
Knockdow n I This column tells you which
move or series of attacks you use to knock
the opponent down.
U kemi Trap I This shows the move or series of attacks you can use to catch th e oppot:~ent's Uke mi attempt. All attacks shown
here will be guaranteed to combo if the first
one its .
Damage IThis lists the combined total damage of the attack that knocks the oppon ent
dow n and the Ukemi Trap follow-up.

Directio ns I The opponent has 4 possible

directions they can Ukemi in: Front. Back,
Left and Right. Some Ukemi Traps will catch
som e of these directions bu t not all, and this
column w ill tell you w hich will work.
Difficulty I This gives you an idea of the difficulty of landing the Ukemi Trap. Some are very
difficult and must be timed precisely because
the opponent is not vulnerable for very long
during a Ukemi.

WALL COMBOS
Wall combos are the same as o ther types of
combos, but they must start w ith an attack
that splats the opponent against a w all. The
stats in the wa ll combo tables are all th e same
as those in the regular combo ta bles. There is
one addition, however: theW! signifier, which
denotes a wall splat. Up to two wall splats are
possible within a single w all co mbo.

Knockdown

Ukemi Trnp

~@

~@

..(7@ ~

95

~@

95

@+

..(7@ ~

@+
..(7~c:> m or ..(7~

(51)

..(7~c:> m or ..(7~@ (51)

All

104

All

+
<?<?@

113

Back, Left

96

Back, Right

..(7@ ~

104 .

Left

* **

,.

STRATEGY
This section is where you' ll find detailed coverage of the various aspects that make up the
character's most comm on or effective strategies. Everything here describes the basic application of the character's best attacks and strengths and w ill give you ideas for formi ng a strategy
around them. Every player is different of course, and some players will have much more success using particular attacks than others w ill, so just because a move isn't included here that
doesn't mean you should write it off as useless.

D Applying Offense
The first section deals with your best offensive
tools. It should give you an idea of the best ways
to initiate offense and to sustain it when needed.
B Okize me
Okizeme is the art of keeping your opponent
on the ground. A downed opponent poses li ttle
threat and is at the mercy of your mix-ups, so
taking advantage of this position is a very important part of winning. Here we describe the
character's best tools for doing th is.

II Ring Out
Ring Ou t is another very important part of w inning in Soulcalibur, so this section details the
character's best tools for the job and how to apply them in mix-ups.

D Guard Burst
The character's Guard Burst game is analysed
here. along w ith a chart showing the best at
tacks for depleting the opponent's Guard Gauge.
These attacks are shown in order according to
how few times they need to be blocked in order

(I

M'~EP

4 IVS ~ _;\y GLOSSARY OF TERMS

to burst the gauge. Note 'that these values are

for repeating the attack rapidly. In actual play the
gauge will be refilling at times w hen the opponent isn't blocking your attacks, so it can take
many more blocks for t he gauge to burst.

'1lliiiijjiiMI$1118

__--....-----...............---........\-._. -. ....
--__, _...-______
.. -....
....-...........__
--_.------\
-...---....__- -_._
___ ....

'11''"8!31611491 3'1511

............... _..._ ..., _,. ... _......... ..... ........ .....

.............. .............
.......... -~ ......--~ .. --""'"--- ~- ..
.... _._..._ ..,... _.
-~
..
.....
.. ..._ ......
...
,...,............
..-..
.........

.. _

.......... " - " " " ' ' " "" ' - - -

~ --~
~-..............
..........-.... -.... .. _

-~......-

.........

-~

. . .-

.... Ob.o ......- . .......... -

,....,.....,..,_, ......... -

.......

........11 .. _

.... ,....,_..,.,...,

--.............
~ -.. ....
...
...
...,....,......................
....Sf_O.,._,
""' .. ........... ....................
..-.....
,.,..... -:
. . , _ . . . . , ,........ p . . . . , _ _ .

Defensive Pl ay
Defensive play can be a necessity at times w hen
you can't afford to t ake a single hit, or w hen you
have a lead in remaining health and the clock is
running down. This sect ion deals w ith the character's safest tools and best punishing optio ns.
111 Spacing
Being able to control the space b etween you and
your opponent is often w hat d ictates the out
come of a battle. Each character has their own
option s for this and different ways to apply them,
and that's exactly what thi s section is about.

B Post -GI
Guard Impact is still a very pow erful tool in
Soulcalibur V. especially if th e opponen t doesn't
have enough meter to re-G I your follow-up. Here
you'll find your most powerful follow-up, as well
as options to punish re-G I attempts and for Ring
Outs at times when you Gl near the ring edge.

FIGHTING AGAINST

COMMAND LIST

If a part icular character is giving you trouble or you keep getting hit by an attack that your
opponent uses often. head to t his sect ion at t he e nd of t he charact er's pages to find t ips for
dealing w ith them.

Finally, the character's full co m mand list is

presented, complete with f ra m e data and
properties for all attacks. To make sure you
understand w hat each value means yo u can
check the Glossary ofTerms on the fo llowing
pages for brief descript ions of all terms and
properties you m ight f ind in t hds chapter.

KEYATIACKS
In this section some o f the charact er's most ofte n used attacks are liste d and th e w ays to punish th eir use are o utlined. The focus here is on attacks that have weaknesses you can explo it,
and t hose that are no t as unbea table as they m ay at first seem.

Here we'll g ive you a brief description o f all the te rms you w ill com e across during th is section of the
guide to help you become fami liar w ith them. You ca n also fi nd a more detailed description of these
terms. along with examples of applying each of t he m , in t he System Guide chapter.

'

SWay Ru n
8-Way Run is a continuous movement that can
be entered into via holding down and direction, or
holding the last direction used in either a sidestep
or dash, giving you access to specific 8-Way Run
attacks.

Attack Levels (H,M,L)

Every attack in the game is designated an Attack
level so that you can better understand how to use
it effectively and how to defend against it. High at
tacks, for example, can all be crouched under. and
low attacks can all be jumped.

BackTumed (BTl
This term generally applies to attacks that leave either you with your back to the opponent 1-BT) or
your opponent with their bacK to you (Opp
It's
also used to denote attacks that you only have access to while back turned.

Advantage
After landing an attack or having your attack blocked,
you'll generally be in a sitl.!ation where either you or
your opponent will have the advantage in terms of
frames. Many attacks give you the advantage w hen
thex. connect. For example, after landing Pyrrha's
~ you'll be at 4 frames of advantage, so if both
you and the opponent attack immec;liately, the opponent must use an attack at least 4 frames faster than
. your choice of fo llow-up if they want to beat you .

Attack Ranges (Close, M id, Long)

These three terms are used to describe the different
ranges you can be at in relation to your opponent.

Blockstun
Similar to hitstun, but it applies at times when an
attack is guarded rather than hitting.

... ........:............. : .. ....'" ..,.. ..... ' ... ..' ;.:

~

Air Control (AC)

..
. . .
... Afteryou launch yoUr oppohent .intothe air, ih.'m ost
circumstances they will be able to use Air Control to
alter the dl.rectlon in which t!'ley fall after vou co.nne.c t
w ith your next attack. This allows them to escape
attacks that might potentially hit them while they
were still airborne by moving in ~ifferent directions.

-sn.

Knockdown (KND)
This property is used for any attacks that knocl< the
opponent down without causing any kind of stun.
There are still many different kinds of knocl<down.
Some will leave you very dose to the opponent,
while others will knock tnem iar away.

Clean Hit
Clean Hit is a property that can randomly tal<e effect
Guard Impact (GI)
on some attacks with most characters and gives
A Guard Impact is a strong defensive option thatrethose attacks a significant increase in damage. Any
pels all attacks ottw than throws, Unblockables, or
attack that you can get a Clean Hit version of will
oo ,
Critical Edges. To Guard Impact, input >@+@+@
also have either an A B or C in the properties col
Launch (LNC)
just before the attack you want to impact \o'(Ould conumn, and this indicate's tHe.likelihood that the attack
Launch Is the term used for any attack that knocks
will get a Clean i:;iit.,versic;)q, witliA being the highest .. :nect::q uard .lmpacts are only activ~ for avery ~mall
the 'opponent in the air and al,lows for,a guaranteed
' :,.. ., ;. . / . ; ,
I(Vindqw a,ni:l w ill give you 27 frames of advantage: . follow-up.
arid beirig,.ttie l<?\.v~.
s
t:
''
.:

'
.
.
.
,. , , '
'
,.
: '
.. .... ....... .........',., ....
, ........ ..... ." ' ..
o, :ooooooo,, ooooooo o~:;:: I ~ ,f 1 ;;., 1
when.successful:

Counter Hit (CHI

Natural Combo (NC)
Hitstun
Landing a counter hit on your opponent requires you
A natural combo is a string of attacks that are guarHitstun is different to stun in that it is something
to either hit them during an attack that they have
anteed form the first hit onwards without requiring
that every attack in the game applies. Any time you
started, or by hitting them with a Horizontal attack
aCH.
hit the opponent with an attack they will be in hit
while they are sidestepping. Many attacks in the
stun. The amount of time they spend in this state
Natural Combo on Counter Hit (NCC)
game have additional properties when they hit as a
varies significantly depending on the attack used.
CH, such as causing a Knocl<down or Stun.
NCCs are combos that require the first hit of the
Sometimes they will come out of hitstun before you
string to connect as a CH in order for all following
recover from doing your attack, meaning you are at
Critical Edge (@li)
hits to be guaranteed.
a disadvantage. If the hitstun lasts long enough th~
Critical Edges require one full stock of your meter,
you can start attacking again before the opponent,
and to initiate them with all characters you need
Oklzeme
then you are at advantage.
to input ..er~c:t>..er~'*+IID+@ . These attacks
Okizeme is the term used for situations where you
generally inflict tremendous damage and can't be
have knocked your opponent to the ground, and
Guard impacted. Most characters can also use
HQrizol!tal ~ttac!<
they are attempting to get up safely. Good Okizeme
Horizontal. attacks, as their name suggests, move
them in combos, and some have extremely potent
attacks are general!)( considered to be groundalong a horizontal plane duri1'1g their animation.
defensive ~ attacks with built in Auto-Gi s.
hitting Mid or Low attacks. Some characters, such
These attacks generally have very good tracking
as Mitsurugi, excel at Okizeme because they have
abilities and are useful for catching sidestepping
Critical Gauge (Meter)
powerful Mid and Low attacks that can knock the
opponents.

The Critical Gauge is located in the top corners of

opponent back down to reset the Okizeme situation.
the screen on the outside of each player's health
Impact Speed (i)
bar. As you connect with attacks or receive damPolyvalence
The Impact Speed is the number of frames it takes
age you will build up this meter, and once vou have
In chemistry, polyvalence or multivalence refers to
from the instant you press the attack button until the
enough,:f2.U can use it to perform special actions
species that are not restricted to a distinct number
attack connects. You can use the Impact Speeds listsuch as lml attacks or Guard Impacts.
of valence bonds. !Species with only one valence
ed to compare the relative speed of different attacks,
are univalent (monovalent)). For example, the Cs+
and to work out which ones will work best in dif
Damage Scaling
cation is a univalent or monovalent cation, whereas
ferent si!uations, such as punishing unsafe attacks.
Successive hits in a combo are subject to a scaling
the Ca2+ cation is a divalent or polyvalent or mul
system .that gra.dually lowers the damage of each
tivalent cation and the Fe3+ cation is a trivalent or
Input
attack w ithin the combo to a set low point. This is
polyvalent or multivalent cation. As a result, examThese are the inputs required to do the attack they
to rnake it so that certain combos do not become
ples of polyvalent cations include the Ca2 + cation,
are listed next to. Directional inputs are represented
too powerful.
the Fe3+ cation and Siegfried's ~.

by arrows that indicate the directionlsl you need

to press, and the"'order you need to press them in.
Dash
PostGI
The act of using either a forward dash to close in
The attack button inputs all mirror those used in the
After a successful GI the opponent is left vulnerable
(), or backwards dash to create space (>).The
game, and let you know which button you should
for a short period of time, during w hich you can land
press for your desired attack. There are also some
backwards dash is often shortened to backdash.
any attack that is fast enough to connect before they
advanced inputs, such as mJ@, that require you slide
are able to guard. Your opponent can attempt to rebetween two attack buttons in quick succession, or
GI your attack if they have enough meter. This leads
Frames
attack buttons joined by a + symbol, which require
Frames are used to count a number of different
to PostGI mix-ups between using a quick attack, or
you to press multiple buttons simultaneously.
things within the game, from the speed of attacks,
using a slower or delayed one to try and bait your
to the window you have to escape a throw attempt.
opponent into a re-G I attempt, allowing you to land
Jump Attack
SoulcaliburV runs at 60 frames per second.
a much stronger attack.
All characters can use jump attacks with ~. 1J> or
Full Crouch (FC)
z::l+@, liD or @.These can be used to jump over
Punishment
throws or Low attacks, and will have srnall differMany attacks in the g~meleaveyou in a fully crouched
Punishment is the act of retaliating against an oppoences In damage depending on which direction is
position at the end of-their animation 1-FC), but it's
nent's attack after either guarding it, or causing it to
used. The z;:l variations will usually deal more damalso possible to for.ce your opponent into FC by eiwhiff, with an attack that is fast enough to hit them
ther hitting them with an attack (Opp -FC (Hit), or if
age while the ~ versions deal the least.
before they can recover and guard.
the attack is guarded (Opp -FC (Block).
Just Guard (JG)
Ring Control
Just Guard is another defensive option similar to
Guard Burst
Ring control is the act of purposely moving either
Once your opponent's health bar is flashing red, it
Guard Impact. While you still cannot use this against
yourself or vour opponent's character into a position
throws, you can use it to blocl< both Unblocl<able
means that their Guard Gauge is in imminent dan
that's advantageous to you in relation to a wall or
and ~ Attacks. To do a Just Guard simply tap the
ger of bursting if they continue to guard. The next
ring edge.
@ button for a very brief period of time just as the
heavy attack they block will be very likely to Guard
Burst. which breaks the opponent's guard and
attack is about to connect. If successful, you will
Ring Out (R-0)
totally remove the blockstun of the attack that was
leaves them vulnerable for 1 full second. During this
A Ring Out is when you hit an opponent with an
used, and in most cases be able to retaliate with
time you are free to hit them with any attack you
attack that knocks them over the edge of the ring.
guaranteed punishment. Unlike with a Gl, after Just
wish, with the added bonus of having a CH property
A Ring Out will instantly win the round for you, so
Guarding an attack your opponent has no defensive
applied to the trrst hit, Y.our opponent does not have
they are more than worth going for if you have the
options, so again any attack that is fast enough to
opportunity.
the option to Guard Impact or Just Guard during this
period of time.

connect is totally guaranteed.

ooo
Sidestep
Just Input (:)
Guard Gauge
This is a general term used to cover situations
A Just input is simply a normal input that requires
where either you or your opponent attemRt to side
This is a hidden gauge that gets gradually depleted
either very specific timing, such as with Pyrrha's
as either you or your opponent guard against at
tep (~ or 'IJ>I or Quick Move 1-.er-.er or ~ 'IJ>l in a

..

i /

I 0 t I

0 t I f

t t f t t

'

' 0 '

'

'

'

'

o o o o o 0 o o

o o

"':.

specific direction. When describing a left sidestep,

for example, this will mean sidestepping your character's left side (upwards on P1 side).

Spacing
Spacing is the act of using attacks and movement
to put yourself in a position where you are likely to
draw your opponent into whiffing an attack throug~
'moving into, or out of, their effective attack range.

Stance Transition
This term is applied to any attacks that leave you in a
stance upon their completion. Sometimes you have
to manually input a button or direction to enter the
stance, and sometimes it's automatic. These attacks
will always have the type of stance you enter in the
properties colu mn of their attack data tables using
a-, followed by an abbreviation of the stance name
{-MST for Mitsurugi's Mist stance for example).

Stances {SS)
A number of characters also have unique stances
that give them access to a separate set of attacks,
only available while you are in the stance.

... , ............................................. .
Stun (STN)

Stuns are integral to the combo system of Soulcalibur and they can often lead to some of the most
powerful combos in the game. There are many different types of stun, which can be caused on both
normal hit or CH depending on the attack, and most
of them give you a guaranteed follow up:

Tracking
Tracking is used as a term for attacks that have a
hitbox that extends signific;antly in one or both directions. Attacks that tracJ< can be very difficult to
sidestep around, and usually you'll only be able to
sidestep to one direction.

Ukemi
Ukemi is a form of quick recovery that you can use
after a number of different types of knockdown by
inputting @ along with a direction just as you hit
the ground or recover from a stun. You can use a
Ukemi to escape a number of situations where attacks would otherwise hit you while you are on the
ground.

UkemiTrap (UT)
Using a Ukemi is not w ithout risk, as during the end
of the Ukemi animation you are vulnerable and can
be hit. Using attacks that allow opponents to Ukemi
afterwards, and then using an attack that is specifically chosen to catch them out of a Ukemi, is called
a UkemiTrap.This style of :setup forsakes potentially
guaranteed damage to lay a trap for the opponent
with the potential of getting significantly more out of
it if they fall for the trap.

,.

.. .. ... ........ ... ....

Unblockable (UB)

Some attacks are unblockaole, and these will be sig:

nified by an effect w here the screen darkens and
f lames appear around the character. Some regular
attacks can be cliarged to become unblockable'.

Super Tech Crouch (STC)

Vertical Attack

Similar to Tech Crouch, Super Tech Crouch attacks

go even lower during.their animation and can even
evade rT]any M id-hitting attacks.

Vertical attacks usually lack the tra9f<ing of'their Hori,

zontal cousins, but make up for it' by usually dealing
more normal and Guard Gauge damage and mor.e
often being Mid.

Tech Crouch(TC)
During the animation of some attacks in the game,
the character is considered to be technically crouching. During this period, they w ill be unable to get hit
with any type of High-hitting attack or Throw

,. ..... ...................... .... ... .

Tech Jump (TJ)

This tilrm is appl ied to any attack that takes you off
the ground during its animation, w hich allows it to
evade any Low attacks for as long asit's considered
to be technically jumping.

Wall Splat (WI)

Wall splats occur when you use specific attacks to
knock an oppon13nt against a wall. Doing this will
cause them to become stunned on the vya)l; often
allowing for a guaranteed combo attempt.

CHI\PTEF: 4 i VS Plr\Y I PATROKLOS ALEXANDRA

OKLOS

Character ovenriew~l~ttrCII<ICIS

style. He's something

Most of his moves are t"u't\iil~ rrnli:>
slightly lacking in range wi th lhi~
tools. Although easy to
Pat rok:lo!l
attacks and can adapt to

a very direct fighting

and good damage.
strict timing. He is
slightly slower spacing
w ide variety of useful

very strong
on its own,
Ring Out
to"l~lil'J IIows Patroklos
attacks w ithout using
"'"''>h"'nnnn meter on Gls isn't a
is also worth using because it's
very good damage, and Rings Out
. It can add damage to most of his combos, but using it in this way can be a waste
of meter unless it's needed to finish the opponent off or ring them out.

Justice Step (JS)

Patroklos's Justice Step is a crouching dash forward from
which he can use some of his best attacks. JS is mainly
used in combos and for punishment due to its speed. Inputting JS :as quickly as possible will add slightly more range
and damage to this attack. Keep in mind that JS is very
unsafe w hen blocked. so mixing it up with JS (ill~ is recommended to discourage opponents from punishing it. JS
@@does two jobs quite well, as it is not only a very reliable
Tech Crouch, but it will also hit opponents sidestepping in either direction. JS . meanwhile, is mainly useful as a combo
ender due to being very unsafe when guarded.

\......

(;,~~~ ~

'

. .&~~
.&~~@@

22.28

HM

TC

.&~~@

36

TC

J:lj,

PRIMARY ATTACKS

Justice Strike

~~.

Input

Level

Imp net

~~

32

i21

-2

Input

Oornoge

Level

hnpnct

Guard

Hit

10,12,23

MHM

il5

-8.-13.-16

1,1,STN

lnptrt

Domogo

lovol

Impact

Guord

Hit

JS@@

22,28

i23

-16,-16

LNC,LNC

STN

~...:;;;:,:;:;=,;;::......__.......,

~~ has an excellent combination of speed and range,

and leads to a hugely damaging combo when it connects.
When guarded it leaves you at a tiny disadvantage, but your
opponent won't have much time to react to this fact, so you
can easily continue your offense. From mid range it can be
an invaluable spacing tool, as it can track opponents that try
to 8-Way Run to avoid it. It is possible to' sidestep this attack,
however, so if the opponent is used to the animation or uses
a lot of evasive attacks then its effectiveness will be reduced.
so mixing this attack with his horizontal attacks to stop stepping opponents is a good idea.

Triple Messia h

:.;

Damage

On CH this entire string is guaranteed. resulting in the same

stun as ~~ and the same delightful combo possibilities.
This string is extremely fast for its damage potential, so using it to interrupt the opponent should be part of your offensive focus when up close. It is very important to confirm the
CH after ~. because on normal hit the final strike can
be guarded, leaving you open to punishment. You can try to
delay each hit a li ttle in order to get a CH with either the
second or third strikes at times when the opponent attempts
to punish early. The first hit only has short range, however,
so Patroklos has to be close to the opponent to use it . It
also doesn't track to either direction. so it's not without its
weaknesses. It must be used wisely, always checking the
range and trying to confirm the CH to make it a seriously
threatening attack.

Justice Spiral
JS @@ is one of Patrokloss best anti-sidestep tools. It's also
a great TC attack, so it can be used to interrupt opponents
who use a lot of fast, High-hitting attacks. Mixing JS @and
JS @@ is very important to limit your opponent's ability to
punish it. Both hits are unsafe, but the opponent will most
likely wait for the second strike instead of punishing the
first. When blocked. the second attack of JS @@ can be
sidestepped, however so you'll be open to severe punishment against opponents who can do this, though you may be
able to use JS @ followed by JS @@ to catch them if they
attempt a slow punishing attack.

Ct iAF-cn 41 VS F_;.W! PATROKLOS ALEXANDRA

Justice Drive
As a fast Mid-hitting attack wi th decent range, JS is Patroklos's best punisher. If used w hile crouched this attack will
be even faster, so always keep it in mind as part of Patroklos's
strong FC game and to punish blocked Low attacks. You can
also switch to the !EEl version of the attack when punishing
to get even more damage, and follow-up with JS @ . JS
is also one of his most useful attacks during combos, so it's
useful mastering the JS : input for the extra damage. It is
a very linear attack, however, and unsafe when guarded, so
it's not something you should use in mix-ups. Instead keep
it in mind as your punisher and as a fast, bu t risky interrupt
attack from FC.

Glorious Heaven
~ is Patroklos's standard launcher. It's quite fast. hits
grounded opponents, can Ring Out, Tech Crouches, and can
lead to powerful air combos. Because this attack hits grounded
and can lead to damaging combos when it hits, it's a vital part
of Patroklos's Okizeme. After the opponent has been knocked
down. mixing-up between~ as a Mid-hitting attack and r:q@
or -&+ as Low-hitting attacks w ill make opponents think
tw ice about standing up into a potential air combo, so you'll
often be able to get extra ground damage from this attack. ~
is unsafe when blocked, yet has a very short blockstun, so opponents will have to react very quickly in order to punish it.

Sacred Low Smash

This is a Low-hitting attack that will not only hit grounded opponents, but also tracks well enough to catch those attempting to sidestep your attacks. It gives Patroklos a small advantage when it connects, allowing you to keep attacking with
your fast pokes, or even w ith another r:q@ . It also has much
better range than most fast Low attacks, wh ich makes it
great for finishing off opponents w hen they have little health
remaining. This attack is unsafe when guarded, but it's fast
enough that your opponent will have to guess you' ll use it
in order to block it, making it a risky tool that's still vital for
poking and mix-ups.

Radiant Heaven
~~ is fai rly safe for such a powerful launching attack. It

can be used to Tech Crouch under High-hitting atta9ks. but

unlike ~ it will not hit grounded opponents. Beca use of
its input, this move must be used from 8-Way Run or sidestep, wh ich makes it a great evasive option for beating both
linear and High-hitting attacks, especially when used from its
maximum range. When it hits, ~~will allow for the same
powerful combos as~. The animation is also slightly similar to Patroklos's much less safe ~. so mixing between
them both can m ake the opponent hesita te w hen punishing
your~ attem pts.

Glorious Impale
-&+ is a re asonably quick Low-hitting attack that will always knock the opponent down when it connects, and leads
to a stun combo on CH. Hitting grounded opponents w ill
change this attack slightly, as it deals extra damage because
it hits twice, making this attack even more threatening. It is,
however. very unsafe w hen guarded and is totally linear, so
you w ill almost always be punished if the opponent blocks
low or sidesteps it. Mixing this attack with strong Mid-hitting
attacks like c:l>c:l>. ~or~~ w ill ensure that the opponen t won't want to risk guarding low.

M alfested Hunter
c:>c:> is one of Patroklos's best attacks for covering range
safely. It has very good range, does wa II splat and is fairly
safe when guarded. It also gives good advantage when it
hits, and w ill make most opponents wait for you to continue
w ith your offense. It can be mixed w ith its ~ variant so that
the opponent can't punish it w ithout risking getting hit by the
second strike. Despite the many useful properties this attack
has, it is quite slow. so if you use it too often then it can become easy for opponents to interrupt it as they see it coming .

Saintly Scatter

~ is a relatively fast horizontal attack that is best used to

catch sidestepping opponents at times when c:>c:> is too
slow for the job. It also Tech Crouches, making it useful in
poking at times when you don't want to risk using JS @.
It doesn't lead to great advantage when it hits, but you can
still follow-up with JS @ ~ or c:> for a potential CH.
Though it is unsafe when guarded, only the very fastest characters can punish it, and for very little damage, so you can
use it without fear of serious reprisal.

Saintly Double Step

ln11111

{).-.!). or 11'-'lf....
Both hits of {).-.!).@@ are High-hitting attacks, so using it is
a risk. This doesn't stop it being a very useful addition to Patroklos's arsenal, however, as it will reliably hit sidestepping
opponents and w ill always knock them down when it connects. The opponent can't AC when it hits, so it's one of your
best options for Ring Out and wall splats. The first hit alone
will send the opponent to your right side, while the second
hit will Ring Out to your left side, so try to base your use of
use the second hit on your current ring position.

Ascending Glint

His standard @@ attack is fast. safe. and leads to advantage
when it hits. Unlike most standard attacks, Patroklos's first
also gives frame advantage on hit and it has much more
range than the second . So you may find yourself using
more often than because even if the first one hits there's
a chance the second one might not, which leaves you open to
be punished by quick opponents. You can use the second@ for
its additional guaranteed damage or to remind the opponent
that Patroklos can still use @@ when they get used to your
single usage. This can make them hesitate for a moment
when you use , giving Patroklos the chance to keep on attacking and really take advantage of the situation for a mix-up.

Stigm a Reflection

............................................................ ..
@+@ has a built-in auto-GI that makes it an extremely useful
defensive option. This auto-GI will counter any weapon-based
attacks that are Mid-hitting, with the exception of stabs. The
active auto-GI window depends on if you charge + or
not. The more you cha rge the attack, the larger the auto-GI
w indow will get. If you charge it fully too often the opponent
w ill be able to counter it easily because it's High-hitting and
linear, so you should avoid overusing it, or risk being severely
punished. The best way to use this attack is to Guard Impact
an opponent's strings or slower Mid-hitting attacks. In order
to combo safely after this attack hit s, you have to make sure
Patroklos is close enough to the opponent when it hits to
follow-up w ith JS @ . or from a little further away w ith -.!).@.

28

{).{). or 11'-'If

lovol

lnlpOCI

Guald

!lit

i22

-8

KND

HH

i22

lnp~l

Dam ago

Level

Impact

Guard

Hit

16,16

MM

i14

-8,-6

2,4

Input

Damago

lcel

hnpftct

Gurd

Hil

@+

42

i30

-6

KND

m +m

62

i60

-6

KND

CHt1PT;'; fl 4 ! VS PLAY I PATROKLOS ALEXANDRA

Saintly Smas!h
This attack is great for maintaining Patroklos's pressure and
poking game. Though it doesn'tTC it can still be hard to beat
when used at the tip range of Patroklos's , and when it's
blocked you' ll recover just as fast as your opponent. When it
connects, this attack w ill knock the opponent down, allowing
for potentially powerful combos, though you'll need to use
some meter for the best follow-ups. It won't hit grounded
opponents, however. and it's a very linear stab attack so you'll
need to mix it well w ith horizontal attacks to make the best
use of it.

Hercules Exec
WR @@ w ill stun on normal hit, giving Patroklos a high dam
age combo. Thi s makes it an amazingly good punisher when
you predict an opponent's throw attempt or after the opponent w hiffs a High-hitting attack. If it's used rarely enough as
an offense initiating tool, the opponent might let his guard
drop after the first . leading to the @ connecting. Th is at
tack is unsafe when guarded, however, so mixing WR @ and
WR @@ is very important to make the opponent hesitate in
their punishment attempts.

Patroklos's throws might not be his main focus as part of his

offense, but they nonetheless must be used in order to set up
his powerful Okizeme game. After any of his front throws the
opponent w ill be left on the ground right in front of Patroklos,
giving you the opportunity to start his mix-up game with ~.
t1, or .e.+. His command grab ~~+@ w ill also
Ring Out the opponent to the front and wa ll splat, making his
throw game near the edge even better.
This throw can also gets stronger w hen you rapidly input but
tons during the animation to get up to 75 damage. This is
useful against opponents who don't know that this throw can
be escaped by inputting directions rapidly, or just forget about
it sometimes. This throw w ill always do 50 damage even if
the opponent tries to trigger out of it, so it is worth trying to
get the 75 ever y time. At the edge you can also try to mix in
his left-side thr-ow to Ring Out the opponent. Grabbing with
@+@ after a sidestep for a potential side throw is recom
mended, because the opponent w ill most often attempt to
escape with (ID due to his command throw.

~~@ @.IS is one of Patroklos's best options for approaching

the opponent; it w ill track their movement. lead to advantage
when guarded and allow for strong combos when it hits. The
Brave Edge after ~~@ also adds even more range to the
attack, further improving it as an approach option. When the
first hit of the attack is guarded, the opponent ca n sidestep
the second hit to the left, so it's not a completely safe option.
As mentioned earlier, JS (ID @.IS is very safe when blocked
and adds some useful properties to the already strong
JS .When it hits it w ill allow for a combo and regardless
of w hether it hits or is blocked it can be great for pushing the
opponent towards the edge of the ring. t1 @.IS can pick up
opponents who are stunned or knocked down, and doing so
might even Ring Out the opponent when near the edge. You
can also decide not to combo after t1 @.IS picks up the op
ponent off the ground and start a mix-up game instead w ith
Mid and Lowhitting attacks.

Price of Justice
The Price of Justice is a fast Mid-hitting attack that will launch
the opponent into the air, but it doesn't recover quickly enough
to allow for a combo after it. Any time you're near the edge
it will be one of your best options for ringing the opponent
out, as it throws them some distance at the end. This is quite
effective when used in almost any of his combos. as it gives
you the option to Ring Out from a good distance away by
adding the (!)3 to the end of the combo. Of course, because
of its speed, it can also be used for punishment or even w hen
at a frame disadvantage to counter the opponent's offense.
It is a very linear vertical attack and is unsafe when guarded,
so keep this in mind when using it, especially when you don't
have enough health left to withstand potential punishment.

Using JS after launchers leads to very

good damage without using any meter.
If you launch near the ring edge, using
JS mil instead w ill allow you to follow-up
w ith :.JS @ or ~ for more damage. After
landing ~c:!>@ or CH ~liD you can
either combo safely and use JS @. as this
will hit the opponent regardless of the angle
you're at when ~~ or ~ connects. For more damage you can also input
~ for a short step to the front-right side and
then use +@ (Combo Bl. This will hit the
opponent more often than ~~+@. which

Hils

CosI

Oifficully

JS@

56

**

(!)3

95

**

~~

JS@

56

~~

JS@ mil

65

..0.-&

~@@. JS @. ~~@+@

82

t2
t2
t2@

~~+

67

t2 l!)j, (!)3

112

**

..0.@

34

JS @ l!)j

JS @

72

~~mil

~~+

83

~@1!)j

t2 l!)j. (!)3

100

**

~~+@, ~~+

80

~@

~~+@. (!)3

96

**

1 ~

~.+

75

t2t2

@,JS @

65

JS@

67

**

CH~@@@

~~@+@. JS @ mil

95

CH <?<?@

(!)3

115

CH -.!}@+

~~+

61

t2 mil.~

61

;: ,,

}
+.

Follow-up

After other attacks, such as ~~@ mil. t2,

or CH ..0.+, it's possible to combo with
~~+ for good damage without us-

ing the Critical Gauge. After these attacks

t2 mil will pick up the opponent and launch
them into the air for some more damage, allowing you to end the combo with ~ for
example, or using the advantage to start a
mix-up. After t? (.;launches the opponent
it is also possible to combo with Patroklos's
(!)3 leading to even more damage and better
Ring Out potential. For example. the combo
~~@ mil. t2 mil. (!)3 uses the whole
Critical Gauge but will do great damage and
will likely Ring Out the opponent no matter
their position in the stage.

Oamaoe

i~

SIMer

is the follow-up that leads to the highe~t

potential damage. After launching the opponent with ~~+@ you can continue with
~~+ for good damage w ithout using
any Critical Gauge. Depending on the character, this move has to be ~lightly delayed in
order to hit them as they fa ll to the ground,
which will add a couple of extra damage
points.

'

.. CH {!.-@+@

,.

CHA"'TER .1 I VS F'LAY PATROKLOS ALEXANDRA

UKEMITRAPS

Ukemi Trap

After landing ~@@or c::>@@ in a stun combo (or when only the second hit connects as
CH), you have a couple of powerful Ukemi
Trap options. One is to use the t:Z@@ ~.
which is fairly easy but costs some meter.
A more powerful and cost-free option is
iWR @@, which can then combo into either
c::>c::>@+@ or @13, but this requires strict
timing and won't hit grou nded opponents.
For this reason you have to remember to use
@+@ to discourage opponents from staying

Difficulty

Directions

t:Z@~. @13

99

All

**

iWR@@. @13

168

Left, Right

55

All

j@

119

Right. Back

, @13

141

Right. Back

~@

on the ground. Patroklos can also use his @13 as an Ukemi Trap after attacks such as &l@,
..(!.-..(!.-@, and his ~c::>+ throw, but this can be Ukemied to the Left and again does not hit
grounded opponents.

WALL COMBOS
Patroklos's wall combos are simple to execute, but getting a wa ll splat with him isn't
easy. A lot o f his attacks launch or knock
down, but not far enough to get wall splats
often. The opponent has to be very close to
the wall in order for Patroklos get a wall splat
Starter

Followul

..(!,..(!.-@W!

~ ~@W!
JS @W!

~ ..(!,{\.@W!
JS@W!

out of attacks like ~liD. ~~. c::>~@. or c::>~@. After the first wall splat Patroklos can, depending on the angle, land a second wall splat with ~@. This is recommended because even
if ~@ is too slow the opponent will be hit on the ground and if there is no second wall splat
Patroklos can still combo nicely after~@. After the second wall splat Patroklos can either go
for another~@. or use <?<?@to combo for even more damage as in Combo C.

Oamngo

Hits

~@, W! iWR @@. @13

117

~@. W! <?<?@, ~@@. c::>~@+@

101

..(!.-@+@
@+@or + (Back throw). ..(!.-@
~@@,JS@

...

Cost

Dilliculty

*** *

62

120

64

APPLYING OFFENSE
Using c:(>c:(>@ to apply offense w ith Patroklos
is always a good start, as this attack will leave
you in a good position when it's guarded,
and leads to a very good combo when it
hits. When at close range, using or 11
to poke will allow you to maintain enough
advantage to apply continuous offense until
your oppon ent either uses a correct counterattack or manag es to retreat out of range. Using ..(l.-@ or ..(l.-@ at close works well, becau se
JS and JS @ are one frame faster from
FC, so you can even try to attack after ..(l.-@ is
guarded or ..0. hits. Using c:(>c:(>@ ~ from
long range will give Patroklos even more advantage, allowing him to mix-up with attacks
like ~and t2.
Because of Patroklos's strong Mid-hitting attacks the opponent w ill likely stand and guard
or try to evade his moves. so using 11@ or
throws is a good idea to threaten standing
opponents. Adding ..0.+ at times when
you think the opponent will hesitate will further encourage the opponent to duck more
often. making your Mid-hitting attacks more
likely to connect. 11'-@ is another highly usefu l tool for keeping his offensive game going .
This is a safe, Mid-hitting attack that w ill jump
over Low and Special Low-hitting moves and
will knock the opponent down, so miXing it
into your poking can prevent the opponent's
use of ..(l.-@ to interrupt your attacks. [ -+0 1I

OKIZEME
11@ will hit grounded opponents even if they
try to roll, so make sure to use this often
against grounded opponents. If they don't roll,
you'll get more damage using ~liD as a Midhitting attack or ..O.+IID as your Low-hitting attack of choice . ..0.+ is also a good option to
hit grounded opponents when you don't want
to risk the opponent blocking ~liD. and it will
do even more damage if the opponent stands
up and blocks low. Landing ..O.IID+@ will also
leave Patroklos at nice frame advan tage, allowing you to continue with your offense.

RING OUT
Patroklos has a lot of Mid-hitting attacks that
can ring the opponent out. Mixing these with
11@ when near the ring edge is great if the
opponent cannot block it on reaction. You can
also use his c:(>c:(>@+@ throw to Ring Out in
front of you. so Patroklos is a serious th reat in
this situation. Using his @EI at the end of your
combos will also Ring Out for a good distance
in front of you, especially if the combo involved
11 ~- ..!)...!).@@ is the best option against
sidestepping opponents near the ring edge, as
it will ring them out more reliably than using
JS @liD and you can choose which direction to
send your opponent depending on whether or
not you use the second hit. Some opponents
will just stand and guard at the edge, ready to
escape Patroklos's command throw with
and block t2@ on reaction. so throwing with
@+@ after sidestepping to the left can be a
good tactic.

GUARD BURST
c:(>@ ~ breaks the Guard Gauge fairly
quickly, but remember that opponents
that are used to this attack might sidestep
or Guard Impact the second attack, making it risky to use. He has an assortment
of other useful, Mid-hitting Guard Burst
tools, such as JS ~. c:>c::>IID, and
11. but almost none of them hit grounded opponents. This means you may have
to weaken your Okizeme .game if you
want to focus on Guard Burst. or you
can use riskier attacks such as ~ liD more
often . ..().liD+ is one -option for dealing
nice Guard Gauge damage w hen blocked
wh ile being safe and hitting grounded opponents, but it's very linear. so it can be
easily sidestepped or rolled.

Guard Burst

@+@, JS @@ *
9

~@. JS (ID ~

10
12

13
15

JS liD

only the second anack breaks

only the first anack breaks

DEFENSIVE PLAY
JS liD is a stro ng enough punisher to make Patroklos a potentially deadly defensive character.
Even if you don't know the fra me data for all characters and their attacks, you can still try to do
JS or JS ~ after you've blocked an attack, as mixing JS with its Brave Edge variant
will make it hard for your opponent to punish you consistently. Because of his selection of
evasive attacks that TC under High-hitting attacks and throws and his @+ au to-G I, he can
counter and interrupt a lot of strings after the first attacks are blocked. For whiff punishment,
using c::>c::>IID or~~ is recommended, as these attacks are easier to input wh ile sidestepping or during 8-Way Run.
After successfully Just Guarding the oppon ent, JS w ill often be fast enough to connect for
nice damage. Using JS (ID (;m for more damage and to be safe even if it's blocked is a better
option, but this of courses uses the Critical Gauge. Also, IIDIID or ~ can often work just as
well and are easier to input than JS after a Just Guard. Be careful, though, when using
~ after Just Guard, as this will likely be blocked more often than and is unsafe when
guarded. [ 70 2)

SPACING & POSITIONING

c:(> c:(>@'s safety and range makes it Patroklos's primary spacing tool. Because it leaves you in a
good position when it's blocked, Patroklos can use evasive attacks or backstep to safely space
the opponent. If your backstep evades the opponent's counter attack successfully, using an-

CHP.F'TtR 1 i VS PLAY I PATROKLOS ALEXANDRA

other c:::>c:::> w ill either lead to a combo or

put you back in the same situation again. Using t?t?@ for positioning is Patroklos's best
tool to switch sides or ring the opponent out
behind you. Despite this attack being slightly
unsafe, it Tech Crouches under High-hitting
attacks and throws, so it can be very effec-
tive against characters that try to ring you out
wi th throws. [ 70 3]

'II

POST-GI

After Gling the opponent. c:::>c:::> is Patroklos's best option to hit them before they
are able to block. If you th ink your opponent
might re-GI you can either delay your c:::>c:::>
for a timing mix-up, or use @+@ slightly
cha rged, as this attack might also Guard lm-

pact again if the opponent tries to attack again. @+@ is another good choice for a slow attack
that leads to big damage; it's Mid-hitting, and unlike@+@ cannot be ducked and deals a lot of
damage. It is slightly unsafe, though, so going for a delayed c:::>c:::> is a better option against
characters that can punish well.

Playing against Patroklos can be difficult, as he has many fast, easy

to use moves that lead to strong combos. His Mid-hitting attacks
can be very powerful, so in general you should try to avoid blocking
low against him. After sidestepping c:::> or c:::>c:::> it's essential
to punish Patroklos as well as possible to discourage use of these
attacks. Sidestepping these attacks also forces him to use JS @@]
more often, which you can punish heavily after blocking or sidestepping the second hit.

Because of Patroklos's short range with his pokes, it's a good idea
to stay at mid range. Doing so w ill leave him at a range where many
of his options are either slow or unsafe. so the Patroklos player may
become predictable by trying to use c:::>c:::> or his lm1 attacks too
often. If you have this attack in mind then it's not too hard to space
Patroklos, though you' ll need to be able to do it without using too
many High-hitting attacks, as he has a wealth of strong TC options
at all ranges.

KEY ATTACKS
~c:::>@l
\

Evading and punishing this attack should be one of your primary goals
when fighting against Patroklos. Remember that when you block it,
Patroklos is only at a tiny frame disadvantage, allow him to either try
to sidestep your retal iation or try to attack again. So make sure to use
either an evasive move to beat Patroklos's fast pokes or use an attack w ith moderate speed, range, and safety to limit his options after
c:::>c:::> is blocked. [ 70 4]
c:;>@@@
There are several ways to counter this string. The fi rst is to stay out if
its range, because the first hit has very little reach. Another counter
is to duck or TC under the second@ after blocking the fi rst one. This
is very hard to do, but if you anticipate th is move it's a great way to
discourage the use of this string. The third hit ca rf>be delayed, so try
not to interrupt after c:::> because if th is attack hits you Patroklos
may follow with a highly damaging combo. Make sure to punish the
full string to the best of your character's ability to discourage its use.

)? (8)@)
While it is possible to step around most of Patroklos's strong attacks,
JS @ cannot be evaded w ith sidestepping. The Patroklos player is
not able to delay this attack so they may not be able to confirm that
the fi rst hit connected, forcing them to guess whether to use the
@ or not. You should try to make the Patroklos player afraid of using JS @@by always punishing the second hit when blocked, or by
sidestepping it and punishing with a combo. This will hopefully make
the Patroklos player use JS@ on its own more often, giving him less
damage. It's not recommended to try to punish JS @. as Patroklos
will likely get more damage than your punishment attempt if the @]
attack from JS @@hits as a CH.

When f ighting against a Patroklos player using this move a lot, try
to evade it either by sidestepping or staying out of its range. JS @l
doesn't have a lot of range, so spacing this attack and punishing its

use isn't too hard with most characters. Just be sure to watch out for
JS@ !mi.This w ill add another strike with more ra nge, but it w ill also
lengthen Patroklos's recovery if sidestepped, allowing you to punish
him harder.

Patroklos players use t his move a lot during Okizeme and mix-ups,
but it's quite unsafe when guarded, so watching for it and punishing
it well is very important. Also remember that this attack can be either
sidestepped or rolled, but after sidestepping it Patro klos recovers
very fast, so react quickly to punish him. [ 70 5]

Command List

Opp -BT (Hit)

Saintly Scatter

20

TC

Under Slide Shield

12

13

TC

Saintly Stream

24

30

TCI R-0

Triple Messiah

10,12,22

15

-8,-13.-16

1.1.STN

Glorious Heaven

28

18

-i6

LNC

Under Glint

16

15

-a

Saintly Smash

1:2

30

21

Smart Strike

<?

38

23

14

TC I R-0
-FC

KND

12

R-0

-4

TC

13

-a

24

16

-6

18,10

14

-6, 1

15

-2

Standing/ @
Sacred High Kick

Sacred Dart Kick

High

Sacred .kick Duo /

....

13
NC I STN (2nd hit CH)

Sacred low Kick

Low

14

Sacred Low Smash

Low

20

18

-18

Sacred Middle Kick

Mid

16

15

-9

High

42

30

-6

KND

auto-GI: M (Horizontal,
Vertical) i5-i14 I R-0

KND

auto-GI: M (Horizontal,
Vertical) i5-i44 l R-0

TC 1- FC

Standing/@+

Stigma Reflection

I
1

Stigma Reflection

fi.l+(i)

High

42

30

Glorious Impal e

..&+

Low

22,7

23

Glorious Impal e

enemy on the ground

./}@+

Low Low

22

Mid Mid M id

,-.,.

Saintly Revolution

-22

KND

STN CH

23

KND

STN CH

12,12,20

18

LNC

12

STN (1st two hits) I RO

Mid

66

30

-14

LNC

STC I R-0 I Clean Hit: B

Mid Mid

12,26

19

-7

13

-FC I Opp -FC (Block)

48

50

-12

STN

TC ITJ I Clean Hit: A

48

50

-12

STN

20

16

Mid Mid

16,20

17

STN,STN

'

'ir+

Standing/@+@
Saintly Noble

+@

Sanctum Guardian

.17+@

Ever Transcending
Justice

Rising Heaven

while standing

Hercules Exec

while standing @@

Justice Liver Blow

while standing @+@

M id

22

18

-15

STN

TC

Jumping Full Turn Slic!e

while jumping @

M id

22-26

36

-1 0

TJ

Jumping Under Glint

while jumping

22-28

24

-6

15

TJ

while jumping@

22-28

26

10

KND

15

TJ

Mid

30

25

-6

12

Clean Hit: C

High High

28,24

22

-8.-12

KND.KND

R-OINC

15

Jumping Attacks

'

' ' !1,

.m

-.:" :

Jumping Pendulum l:leel

8-WayRun/@
M alfested Hunter

~~ or z;lz;l or~@

Saintly Double Slap

..&... or 11'+

CHAPTER 1 ; VS PLAY I PATROKLOS ALEXANDRA

Z.~E.I.

EfQIUI~P!i'~,,'l,111tn

a short sword and a lupine helper called E.I.N.

l"lis.,181!Jeci.alty is dealing significant damage to the Guard

li's:,11J.Rt>onentwith E.I.N. E.I.N. is irreplaceable for Z.W.E.I:s
J<nElsses, such as bad range and a plethora of unsafe
time, so knowing when you are and when you are
in your mind whi le fighting, since Z.W.E.I. will be more
of the new characters in SOULCALIBUR V with a totally
irivest-,a.lot of time training to master his unique techniques.

METER USAGE
face your opponent
N. as often as posZ.W.E.I:s moves safer
going. The moment
can be decisive for
ke use of t?IIJ and
and vary the charge
with Z.W.E.I. Al'"""''',...,n as possible if your
ncy to attack immediland Counter Hits, and
to gain advantage on
for you to use your

The best use of Z.W.E.I:s meter is his Critical Edge, which has great range and is very
useful in combos. tl@ mil is also essential,
as it will re-launch grounded opponents and is
most of the time the key move to finish combos with. His other mil moves are useful as
well because they allow you to confirm if you
hit the opponent or not(<):>@ mil. ~~mil),
since you can input the command for the mil
very late. If you can do this, you won't waste
any precious meter, and will only spend it on a
guaranteed hit.

II
1!1. .:..
10_009

Knife Fiend
"Knife Fiend" is Z.W.E.I.'s only stance and he has access to two
attacks during it . -&!:?:> is quite fast and will damage the
Guard Gauge of your opponent ho__avily. When blocked, it will
give you frame advantage and you are able to mix this move
up while summoning E.I.N. to have an even better offense.
Most of the ti me Z.W.E.I. needs E.I.N. to gain an advantage on
block, but Knife Fiend is an exception. Because there is no
cooldown for E.I.N. you can call him before or after the move.
Some opponents will try to avoid-&!:? because they want
to keep their Guard Gauge intact; use Knife Fiend in this case
to catdl side-stepping opponents. On hit it w ill knockdown your
enemy and you can take advantage of the wake-up game.

' :~~ '

\..... PRIMARY ATTACKS

Dtnlllgo

Trail Dissever

.. ......... .................... ............... ................ .

r.
14,18

This is a very good and fast Vertical attack. Because of the

range, especially when you summon E.I.N. with the second
hit, it is not only useful at close range but at mid range as
well. When blocked you've got good options to attack again
because E.I.N. can give you a slight advantage. Keep in mind
that it is not possible to do two IDs in a row because of the
cooldown of E.I.N. so you need to wait a short time. This
means you can't use llJ over and over quickly, but it's usually
better to gain some space after using it anyway.

14,28

.Level

MM

lmp~ct

Gourd

Hit

i15

-6

-2

12

Clan Vanargandr

.. .. ..... ........
This move is fairly slow, but has incredibly good range because of E.I.N. and you can combo after this move w ith
fJ+llJ for nice damage. If your opponent blocks Clan Vanargandr you stay safe and even damage the Guard Gauge. On
top of that, this move hits grounded as well, so you can force
your enemy to stand up by using this attack. It is possible to
dlarge E.I.N. here, allowing Z.W.E.I. to use type attacks
while charging with fJ+llJ. like t?t? whidl will briefly open
a standing guard and will allow E.I.N. to launch after it.
Flank Position I Kreuz Tactics

................ .
t?m is very useful to create mix-ups with E.I.N., depending
on how long you keep it charged.lf you release E.I.N. as soon
as possible, your opponent won't be able to interrupt your
string and E.I.N. will catdl sidesteppers as well. When you
feel like you can charge E.I.N. longer, you can use him to
protect Z.W.E.I unsafe moves like@ or-&-&. Since
you charge E.I.N. with llJ in this case, you should use an
attack in conjunction with this in order to have him available
a li ttle after this.

Input

Damage

level

Imp net

Guard

Hit

~c:>fJ+m

28,25

MM

i31

15

LNC

Input

Dnmngc

l oval

Impact

Gnnrd

Hit

t?ID

18,20

MH

i21

t?llJ

18,20,22 MHM

i21

-10

KND

Input

Damage

Level

Impact

Gurd

Hit

>fJ

18,20

HM

i18

21

:s

A ssault Position

fJ

is faster than t? llJ and has got the opposite hit levels
(first High, then Mid), making it a good alternative to Flank
Position. With this move it is possible to vary the charging
of E.I.N., too. Because you wi ll charge him by pressing .
this time you have to use a attack if you want to cover
Z.W.E.I.'s unsafe moves (for example -&-&l. Make use
of -&!:? when you charge E.I.N. to the max to hit with
Z.W.E.I. and E.I.N. at the same time. This attack will be unblockable due to the Guard Burst property and w ill allow you
Lo gel a guaranteed ~@. @+@combo.

Ci APTl'J\ < IVS PlAY I Z. W.E.I.

-,

Dream Scroll
This move is not an attack itself, but an auto-GI where
Z.W.E.I. calls E.I.N. and uses him to defend against an incom
ing attack. If you r opponent tries to hit you at this moment.
E.I.N. will absorb the attack and together w ith Z.W.E.I. will
attack the opponent before t hey can guard . It will counter
every M id-hitting attack and you don't lose any Critical Gauge
by using it. It's also possible to use t his auto-GI from crouch.
Since Z.W.E.I. is slow and doesn't have an easy t ime finding
the opportunity to attack like other characters can, ~+
is a good move to use to go on the offensive again.

::'f{>r~~~iJJ!

SECONDARY ATTACKS
"-

Bullet Hang
like w ith . Z.W.E.I. can summon E.I.N. with his @@.
too. The range of E.I.N. here is amazing and can be underestima ted by the opponent, so you should make use of it at mid
and long range to prevent your opponent from sidestepping
and to finish t hem when they have got little health left. When
blocked, you nearly have the advantage again and can either
use your fastest attacks or retreat to avoid retaliation. As w it h
Trail Dissever, t here's a cooldown period. so you can't use the
cha rged version twice in quick succession.

Bush Reaper
Z.W.E. I. lacks many good Lows, and <?<? i.s his best one
so you'll need to use it often. It stuns the enemy when it hits
and allows you to combo after with tl@ ffia. Make sure to
be as close as possible to your opponent when you use it,
because Z.W.E.I. does a huge backwards step before hitting
them. On the other hand, you can make use of this backstep
from further out to evade your enemy's attacks and whiff punish them at the same time.

Dry Gimlet
If you want to advance or close the distance during battle
without using E.I.N. then~~@@ is a good choice. The first
attack is linear, but the second one will hit sidestepping opponents. However, it is not possible to visually hit COQfirm the
first hit, so it may be risky to use the@ follow-up every time,
as it hits High and some opponents will duck it and punish
you severely upon blocking the first hit. Occasionally refrain
from using the@ follow-up to avoid th is. In any case, you will
have a good wake-up game because the opponent will be on
the ground, even if only ~~liD hits.

Spinning Hook Kick

The Spinning l-look Kick is excellent against sidestepping
opponents and, by Z.W.E.I:s standards, very safe. If you hit
your opponent you can combo with
wh ich will give you
a knockdown for an Okizeme mix-up. It is, however, a High
hitting attack. so you should only use it when you are sure
your enemy wi ll try to sidestep and you must beware of opponents that use fast TC attacks often from a sidestep.

m.

"t

J;.j\~~
level

. . .'
Impact

'

~~,

, ,'

. ' .

Bolt Driver
This is Z.W. E.I.'s best while-rising move. It is completely safe
and if you land it you will launch your enemy behind you. Use
BT +@ and BT @+ for a damaging combo that also has
great Ring Out potential if you are near the edge. Bolt Driver
is excellent to whiff punish your opponent's throws w hen
you duck underneath them. and does strong damage to the
Guard Gauge. too. It's not fast, but you should use it any time
the opponent hesitates and doesn't sidestep.

Pile Balista
"Pile Balista" is Z.W.E.l.'s strongest whiff punisher. Additionally, it is one of his safest. strong Mid-hitting moves. When
if you don't have or you don't
it hits you can combo w ith
want to use any Critical Gauge. However, it is a better idea
to use the lml version of this move, since you can visually
confirm the hit and then activate the Iilli very late. Be careful
when using this move near the edge, because E.I.N. won't hit
the opponent most o f the time, resu lting in Z.W. E.I. being in
a very vulnerable position.

Spinning Driver

Input

Oomnge

level

lmpnet

Guotd

Hit

Input

Oacnau

level

Impact

Guard

Hit

~@

16

i23

-17

-3

~@@

16,18

MH

i23

-4

lnpuc

Damago

level

Impact

Guard

Hil

~~or z;:J z;:J or ~@

26

i25

KND

This move is very use ful in combos and for landing a Ring
Out. Its range is better than it seems, which makes this attack a good choice if you w ant to whiff .runish your enemy.
Use this move in combination with E.I.N. to make it safe
when guarded. If it is not possible to summon E.I.N. use
Spinning Driver at max range to avoid your opponent's punishment as much as possible. Even using E.I.N. once or twice
a match to make this safe can make the opponent much less
likely to punish it.

Aloft Revolver
The first part of this attack is very useful because it w ill help
you to counter fast sidestepping and crouching attacks that
can cause you a lot of trouble and would beat your .()..().@.
Even if the block data seems bad and the follow -up is a High
move. the Brave Edge ability will help you to prevent being
punished. The real streng th of this move is in it being a Coun
ter Hit Combo. which causes a nice stun and turns the en
emy to the side. giving you a strong mix-up that can involve
Z.W.E.I.'s powerful side and back throws.

Tempest Bringer
Sometimes you may feel helpless vvith Z.W.E.I. when it
comes to mid range and sidestepping problems. This is why
it is a good idea to use ~~@ occasionally to show your
opponent that you can catch them at this range. This move is
sa fe when blocked and causes a knockdown on normal and
Counter-Hit. It is useful to mix this attack up w ith ~~.
and you shouldn't forget the Iilli version of this move, since
it gives you +30 when blocked and a nice combo when it hit s.
Don't use~@ Iilli near the edge, though , because E.I.N.
w ill advance too far and won't hit the opponent.

CHIIPTEH '1 i liS PI.N I Z. W.E.I.

Anti-Safety Pin
This is a good m ove to use in close range to fis h for a CH, allowing you a strong stun combo w ith t?@ ~ . Even t hough
the f rames suggest that it's bad when blocked, you can avoid
some punishment by delaying the follow-up and using E.I.N.
wi th <?rJ beforehand. You w ill also be able to confirm t hat
the first hit has landed as a CH before using t he follow-up.
Make sure to use som e anti-sidestepping moves like c:(>c:(>@
and "\r"\r@ sometimes to avoid being predictable and train
your opponent not to move .

Although he is a large character, Z.W.E .I:s throw range is short.

Throws are. however, indispensable for his overall strategy because they deal good dam age and leave him in very favourable
positions. His@+@ throw is very weak but w ill give you amazing options to continue attacking your opponent w ith, for example <?rJ, <? ~. t?@ ~. or his C!l3.This results in heavy
damage and even gives good Ring Out opportunit ies near the
edge as well, wh ich is normally a weak area for Z.W.E.I.
His@+@ throw has got an interest ing ability: it is possible to
charge E.I.N. here and depending on how long you cha rge him,
the situation w ill be different. If you just charge him a little, you
can get an Ukemi Trap by using ../}@. Charged to the maximum, you won 't hit the opponent again because they w ill be
able to block E.I.N:s attack. However, this w ill give Z.W.E.I. an
opportunity to attack again and to use some mix-ups. Z.W.E.I:s
side thrpws deal very good damage as well and his back throw
can Ring Out. A long w ith Astaroth and Voldo, Z.W.E.I. is also
able to escape back throws.

Z.W.E.I. has m any Brave Edge Attacks, but his best is probably
t?@ . It is exce llent for combos after <? ~ or ~@ ~.
causes a Ring Out, and re-launches opponents w ho stay on
the grou nd. Besides t his, it is very good when blocked. too.
As m entioned earlier, you can delay the ~ of <? and
~~and only act ivate them on hit to make sure you won't
waste any meter, so these moves are worth using as well.
+@ ~ is a very special move . Z.W.E.I. will summon
E.I.N. but he will disappear after a m om ent. During this time
Z.W.E.I. is able to move, so you should use this moment for
a powerf ul unsafe attack, beca use E.I.N. w ill hit the opponent
after Z.W.E.I. and protect him from any punishmenf It w ill
also allow you to creat e anot her un blockable situat ion if you
make it hit at the same as Z.W. E.I's ../}!::?<?. This w ill lead
to a combo w it h c:(>@+ or his (!]3. It 's also important
to know that GE moves like ~ ~ and c:(>c:(>@ should not
be used near the edge or a wall because E.I.N. advances too
far and w on't hit the opponent. If this happens Z.W.E.I. is not
only unsafe but you w ill lose meter for nothing, t oo.

"Werewolf Con fess" is especially useful in all of Z.W.E.I:s

combos because it re-launches grounded enemies t hat are far
away. It is not t hat fast and you have t o watch your opponent
carefully before using it to make sure t hey are stunned and
you don't t ake any risks (for example after c:(>@). The (!]3 itself doesn't do much damage but it is possible to combo after
it w ith +and <?@+. You can also use Z.W.E.I.'s (!]3
2 times in a row for a combo, but because of t he extravagant
use of Critical Gauge and the damage sca ling you should only
use this if you expect that you will defeat your opponent w ith it.

After standard launchers. @+@and @+@

are the best attacks for damage and reliabil
ity. If you have enough meter you can always
include Z.W.E I.'s CiS in his combos. Unfortu
nately, <>::!@and<>::!<>::!@ are unsafe launchers,
so it is a good idea to make use of WR @
often. Become comfortable with hit confirm

ing the ~ part of ~~@ ~ to avoid losing meter and taking heavy punishment. If E.I.N.
hits the opponent after <?tl or t:ZI]), depending on how long you were charg ing him, you
w ill also have strong combo opportunity available. Try to v isually confirm the hit so you can
decide between continuing pressure or going for a combo. As you can see in t he combo list,
t:Z@ ~ is the move you can use most of the time in Z.W.E.I.'s combos. It is important that
you notice as soon as possible if you stun your opponent in order to continue your combo,
especially with 'lf'lf@.

Followup

@+@

56

t:Z@ ~. @+@

78

<>::!~

43

@+@ ~

@+@. E.I.N. hits, CiS. +. <?@+@

167

WR@

BT @+@. BT @+@

81

,, @+@

<?tl+m

89

~ <?<?@

t:Z@ ~. @+@

62

'1-&.e..

1:1@ ~.@+@

69

CH @

~@+@

64

~~

60

CH~~@@

t:Z@ ~. @+@

84

CH t:ZI]) slight charge

@+@

73

CH ~@. E.l.N. hits, @+@

78

E.l.N. hits, CiS.@+@. @+@

117

CH <? tl slight charge, E.l.N. hits only

@@

80

CH <?tl slight charge, E.l.N. hits first

~~@ ~

93

@+@

<?@ ~. ~@+@

72

<?@ ~. t:Z@ ~. @+@

79

....

<?@ ~. t:Z@ ~. ~. @+@. @+@

106

t:ZI]) max

'lf'lf@. EI.N. hits, @@

86

t:ZI]) max

CH @. E.I.N. hits. ~~@@. t:Z@ ~. ~. @+@, @+@

129

10

<?tl max

CH ~~@. E.l.N. hits. ~@ ~. t:Z@ ~. ~. @+. @+@

140

10

,: .,: ~ t:ZI]) slight charge

J CH t:ZI])@ long charge, Kick hits first

8 , ol.:+i @+@
. i'"'";:, @+@
,.,

Difficulty

..~

C-1,\P'f F:F~

UKEMITRAPS

Directions

Ukomi Trap

Z.W.E.I. doesn't have many knockdown moves that allow for Ukemi Traps. When you hit your opponent with
CH c;>@ you can try <?rJ+ID which will always hit when
the opponent Ukemis, except if they roll backwards. You
should make use of this when you don't have meter or
when you don't especially want to use it.
There is another Ukemi Trap which makes use of !:?@.
Z.W.E.I.'s slowest Low. After you hit your enemy with
<;j@ lillJ you can use !:?@ if you don't want to or can't
use more meter. You w ill hit you r opponent no matter

t: 1VS P!./':~ l Z.W. E.I.

Difficulty

97

Left, Right

72

All

39

Back

38

Back

147

Back

*Only after second hit

which direction they try to tech, and you can mix this up with <?@+liD, but this
can be avoided with an Ukemi to the right. Use his >liD Ukemi Trap near a wall to
catch your opponent and vary this with c;>c;>(ID.

WALL COMBOS
Z.W.E.I. is not a huge threat near a wall. but he does have some options to combo in this situation. His best moves for landing a wall splat are c;>c;>@, <>::l. and @+liD. While it's possible to
include E.I.N. in your wall combos. this is quite difficult to do. You need to have some distance
to the wall, a good angle. and the perfect timing w ith E.I.N.

I' '

Combo Starter

Follow-up

<;j(ID W!

A+@. W!, >@ lillJ. lijil, @+@. >@+@

121

10

c;>c;>@w!

t?ID slight charge, <;:l(ID, W! lijil, liD+. <?@+liD

128

10

>rJW!

"lt"lt, E.I.N. hits, <>::l. WI t?ID slight charge, <;j@@. !:? lillJ. lijil, liD+, >@+

172

17

**** *

Difficulty

APPLYING OFFENSE
It is no secret that Z.W.E.I. is not a fast cha racter, so at the beginning it may seem very difficult
to play with him in an aggressive way. The key to play offensively is to include E.I.N. during
battle as much as possible. You have to be sure about the timing when you release E.I.N. because this will change your options afterwards. Besides this, you have to carefully watch how
your opponent reacts to E.I.N.

to combo with c;>@. @+liD (after t?IDI. and

c;>c;>(ID@ (after <?f'i.ll. Since these combos
deal very good damage, the opponent w ill
eventually give up trying to interrupt your
E. I. N. strings and stick to blocking.

Your main goal should be to force your enemy into guarding fast strings w ith E.I.N., training
them to not retaliate. This can be accomplished by releasing E.I.N. as soon as possible to hit
your opponent first. In this case, E.I.N.'s attacks w ill land on CH and Z.W.E.I. can continue

Making the opponent hesitate like this is the

best possible effect you can have on their
mentality. It means that you can now keep

E. I.N. charged for longer, letting you mix the

opponent up and create pressure. Keep in
mind that, if you charge E.I.N. to the maximum, you can still be interrupted, so make
use of, for example (ID (when you charge
with >rJ) or@ (while charging with !:Z(l)),
in order to prevent your opponent from attacking. It is also very important to make
your opponent fear Z.W.E.I.'s ability to create
an unblockable situation. Once your enemy
is confused with the 2 different timings of
>rJ, use Z.W.E.I.'s sole stance. Kni fe Fiend
. to get them hit together for an unblockable situation. [-')0 1]

OKIZEME
Okizeme is not one of Z.W.E.I.'s specialties
because he lacks a good Low/Mid mix-up.
Most of the time it is a better idea to vary
his Mid attacks with his throws, but unfortunately, many of his good Mid-hitting attacks
are unsafe. When your opponent is on the
ground, you should use @+ because
it will hit grounded and so will force the opponent to stand up and guard. You don't have
to fear punishment since Clan Vanargandr is
safe on block. But if you don't have enough
time to go for this and want to use a quick
ground-hitting move. use !:Z(l)@ because it
will hit and re-launch your opponent allowing
you to combo with his C!I3 or @+.

RING OUT
Most of the time Z.W.E.I.'s moves that Ring
Out are quit e unsafe. One exception. however, is WR which will ring the opponent
out behind Z.W.E.I.'s back and works at quite
a good distance away from the edge. Use
@+ at max range near the edge and his
@+@ throw with the ~ combos if they are
available. In some stages, you will be able
to Ring Out w ith your basic 1:2@ ~. @+
combo over the edge. Remember that his
back throw and. if you have the good angle,
his side throw can also cause Ring Out. [ -')0 2]

GUARD BURST
Breaking the Guard Gauge of your opponent
should be the main part of your strategy with
Z.W.E.I. Always observe the enemy's Guard
Gauge, especially when it flashes yellow or
red. Z.W.E.I . has got lots of good primary
moves which strongly damage the Guard
Gauge. Use t?(l)@ at mid and close range
for this strategy and @+ when the
opponent is far away. Additionally, don't hesitate to make use of @)@ and ..(l,..(l,@)(ID,
since these moves can help you to break the
Guard Gauge of your opponent effectively.

Guard Burst
Req. to Burst

Ia.
I

rs
10
11

Z.W.E.I. is very bad at punishing blocked unsafe attacks, so you can almost forget this element
in defensive gameplay. You should use his or @ most of the time to pun ish. Moves like
<?are only good for punishment if you are willing to spend Critical Gauge. It's a better idea
to whiff punish your opponent with Z.W.E.I., although he isn't particularly strong in this area
either. Moves that are useful for this purpose include @+ (because of its deceptive range)
and~~. It is possible to use the Critical Edge to whiff punish, since it has incredible range,
but it is not fast so you should use it carefully. [ -')0 3]

A11acks

DEFENSIVE PLAY

1::?0@. @+. ~~ ~
@. ..Q.-1:2<?.
.. @ ~ ..(7..(7. '\)'@+
WR

(ID, @. 1:2@ ~

Fast characters with strong mix-ups can give Z.W.E.I. a very hard time. Here you should use
his ..(!,@ and especially@+. the Auto-GI which will counter all Mid-hitting attacks. Make
sure you don't call E.I.N. before using this move because if you do, E.I.N. won't appear to
counter the opponent.

SPACING & POSITIONING

Spacing is one of Z.W.E. I.'s strengths, especially at mid and at long range when he can summon E.I.N. to increase his range while staying quite safe most of the time. This makes it
dangerous for the opponent to advance because if Z.W.E.I. or E.I.N. do hit them. substantial
damage is guaranteed. Use !:Z(l) and (l) at close range and @+when you are far away.
[-')0 4]

.'II;\" I 'll

!'-/.~ ;>; ;\\'I

Z.W.E.I.

POST-GI
After a successful G.l. ~ riD {followed by
@+@) is a good choice. If you suspect the
opponent w ill re-GI immediately, you should
use a slower attack to throw off their timing.
For example, @+, w hich will launch
your enemy and allow you to combo w ith
<?t1+0 and even if your opponent doesn't
re-G I at all, they w ill block your attack which
means you will damage their Guard Gauge.
~~riD w ith optional @ is another option,
and can Ring Out your opponent from a good
distance away from the edge. [~0 5]

Z.W. E.I:s main w eaknesses are his unsafe moves. his lack of speed
and his bad punishment. If he doesn't cover himself w ith E. I.N.,
Z.W.E.I. is very vulnerable and he can't call E.I.N. with every single
attack or every time because of E.I.N:s cooldown. In fact, focusing
more on E.I.N. than on Z.W.E.I. can be helpful when fighting against

KEY ATTACKS
1:?0@
Don't allow Z.W.E.I. to confuse you w ith this
move because if this happens, you w ill be in
trouble. The best way to counter this attack is
to use a fast M id-hitting move w ith a built-in
TC. [~0 6]

You can sidestep this move more easily t han

1:?0. and when Z.W.E.I. charges E.I.N. for
longer, you should be even surer of sidestepping, since Z.W.E. I. can't hit you w ith @attacks w ithout releasing E. I.N. [ ~0 7]

.C.t?<?@)
This attack is quite fast so it may be difficu lt
to react w ith a Gl but it is not a good idea to
block this move often, as this w ill soon lead
to the destruction of your Guard Gauge. You
can step it, however, very easily to the left
and right. If you are about to be caught in an
unblockable using this move, jumping back
can be a good method to mitigate damage.

<?.<?@ ..

';.

Since Z.W.E.I. lacks good Lows and this is

his best one, you should train yourself to be
able to block this on reaction. If you are able
to do it, you won't have to fear his Mid-Low
mix-up game at all. Besides this, the range of
<?<?@ is quite bad and it is unsafe on block,
too. Exploit this as much as possible. [ ~o Sl

this character. Make sure you know all the strings wh.ere E.I.N. can
be called and exploit the short moment w hen Z.W.E.I. is not able to
summon E.I.N. again. The most important thing, however, is to punish Z.W.E.I. as hard as possible since he is very unsafe - if E.I.N. is
not able to protect him, of course.

Command List
Input

IJ)vel

Returning Slicer

@@

High High

12, 14

13

Trail Slicer

fa

High High

. 12, 24

13

Name

Impact

Hit

Guard Burst

Properties

Standing/@

, ,; r .,. ,

2,6

8, 5

NC
NCC

;/

15

CHSTN

11

NC I Opp -BT (Hit)

18

: io'

14

Mid High

16, 34

23

17. -4

3, 4

~@

SP-low

10

14

-4

Changeup Spout

!:?@

Low

35

41

20

KND

Armor Peeler

<):>@
<):>fa
<):>fa

High

18

18

16

High Mid

18, 20

18

High Mid

18,20

18

Terminal Dissever

@@

Mid Mid

14, 18

15

-8, 6

2, 4

Trail Dissever

Mid Mid

14,28

15

12

NCC

Picking Needle

<:(>@)

High

12

14

CHSTN

Weakling Knocker

~@

Mid

26

19

16

LNG

Walnut Cracker

~@

Mid

16

12

Oaf Brainer

!:?@

Mid

12
18

21

13

CHSTN

NCC I CH STN' I,
Oelayable

Ranger~ Machete

<:(>@

Aloft Revolver

~@@

Grass Reaper

Assaul1 Position
Assa.ult:Positio(l

Hig~

21

TC I-FC
11

TC IR-0 1-FC

15

TG

12

TG I RO

JG I Delayable

Standing/@

Mid High

18,20

21

!'2

1:?0 @

Mid High Mid

18, 20, 22

21

2.10

Kreuz Tactics

1:?0 @

Mid Mid High

18.22, 20

21

Liver Gouge

<?

Mid

12

17

Flank Position

1:?0

Kreuz Tactics

NC

-FC

NGC I RO

6,KND

R-0 I Delayable

1<1

STN

17

Standing/@

High

14

13

HardHitting Kick

<:(>@

High

20

12

KND

Heel Bullet

~@

Mid

30
15

14

Ankle Scrape

~@

Low

16

15

-14

Coward Stump

!:?@

Mid

24

20

16

Master Knocker

>@@

High Mid

12, 14

15

18, 16

Spinning Driver

@+

M id

40

19

16

Double Strike

<:(>@+@

Double Strike

<:(>@+@

Mid High

Double Hunting

Mid Mid

Freikugel Driver

'IJ'@+@
>@+

" 40
24, 18

Mid

48

Freikugel Driver

>fa +0

Mid

Poor.. Fish

@+@

Pied Pieper

@+@

Pied Piper: Drive Off

, Front tiigh Kick

11

R-0

- FG

12

Opp -BT (HiO

STNCH

8,STN

18

NC

KND

11

R-0

Standing/@~

Gls M,SM (all)

KND
24

Gls M,SM (all)

11

KND

TJ

32

24

KND

RO I Clean Hi1: C

60

38

24

KNO

RO I Clean Hit: C

Mid

25

24

-9

STN

28

LNC (air hit)

High Mid

20. 20

27

KND

14

RO

<:(>@+@@

High High Mid

20. 14,20

27

10

KND

11

NG with delayable
AI RO

Pied Piper: Snatch

<:(>@+@@

High Mid Mid

20, 20, 15

27

KNO

NC

Pied Pieper

<:(> 0 + 13

High Mid

20, 20

27

KND

14

Delayable

Pied Piper: Drive Off

<:(> 0 +13@

High High Mid

20, 14, 20

27

KND

11

Delayable

Grass Reaper

crouching@

$P-low

12

12

-FC

Walnut Cracker

crouching @

Mid

16

16

-FG

Ankle Scrape

crouching @

Low

16

14

6
14

-FC

Standing/@+@

Full Crouch Attacks

While Rising Attacks

Two-Handed Slicer

while s1anding @

17

TG
LNG (Behind)

TJ
Palm Nut Cracker

while jumping @

l eaping Front Kick

while

Mid

2226

21

-4

19

17

TJ I Opp - FC (Hill
TJ

C! lAP ! d .: I v~ : 1\Y Z.W.E.I.

Name

Level

Input

Oamago

lrupnct

Block

Hit

Guard Burst

Properties

8-Way Run/@
Tempest Bringer

+or~~ or~~@

26

25

10

Beast's Machete

~ or '\f-t@
<?+or t2tt or~~@

25

30

-17

13

Low

18

30

18

Mid High

25, 30

Mid

21

Mid Mid

18, 20

Mid High

36, 12

Bush Reaper

STN

17

R:O
TS

8-Way Run/
Dry Gimlet

+@@

Pile Ballista

~~or~~@

Anti-Safety Pin

~+ or1f+

Blitzkrieg Deploy
ment
Blitzkrieg Deploy
ment

<?+or

t2tt or~~@

+or~~ or~~@

Shank Scrape

~ or1f+
t21tor ~~@

Knuckle Drag Kick

<?+@

Spinning Hook Kick

R:O

8-Way Run/Simultaneous
Clan Vanargandr

+@+@

Mid Mid

20,25

Clan Vanargandr

+fJ+0

Mid Mid

20, 25

Passing Snipe

+@+@

Mid

33

15

LNC
Delayable
TJ (Behind) 1.
CleanHit_
:A

..

Jagd Greif Dive

Walpurgisnacht
Banquet

left side throw

right side throw

Turn Grass Reaper

crouching turn around @

Turn Initial Dissever

turn around @

Turn Walnut Cracker

crouching turn around @

Turn Font High Kick

turn around @

Turn Ankle Scraper

crouching turn around @

Reverse Driver

.turn around @+@

back turned +

High-Throw

54

High-Throw

60
65

Cl /\1 ill :i ! VS P:. ./W i YAN LEIXIA

LEIXIA
Character Overview I Leixia fights using an elegant, free-flowing style based on the swordplay
of a Wushu practitioner. Her graceful movement is her most powerful asset. allowing Leixia to
dance in and out of attack range, and to use evasive counter-attacks. She can also confuse her
opponent by altering the rhythm of her attacks to break down their defense. At close range she is
one of the fa stest characters in the game, allowing her to scrap for the win when she needs to.
Leixia is the perfect choice for those who like to fight w ith style and grace.

Da~age

Throws

: ,,,,

Speed

i'~il#<'

{11111~11!

Punishment

: .

:Safety
Guard Burst
.Ring Out
. ak'izeme .
,.Mix-ups
Range
Movem'e nt
Complexity

PLAYSTYLE FOCUS

METER USAGE

~-

Because Leixia's attacks are generally not very powerful,

you are going to need to hit your opponent more often
than they hit you to gain victory. To accomplish this you w ill
need to discourage your opponen t from attacking at all. Use
her quick pokes and multitude of evasive attacks to nullify
your opponent's options at close and mid ra nge. Once they
have started to sit back and defend more, you can then use
Leixia's variety of t ricks and fakes to force a mistake and
continue the offensive.
Unpredictability is essential for Leixia to fight effectively, so
you should t ry to familiarize yourself with as many moves
as you can. She is in her comfort zone at close range, constantly moving and attacking. However, she can turt le and
'',, punish effectively if necessary. Her fast pokes can punish
"many attacks in a number of different ways depending on
the,~ituation. Playing this way requires a deep knowledge
of Lelxia's options in each match up, but if you can combine
offensi.ve Jiair with defensive acumen, you will make Leixia
a form1dabl:~aracter. [~0 1]

..

Leixia can build meter very quickly

with her rhythm-based offense.
This benefits her enormously, as it
enables her to use her most powerful defensive option: WR (ID Iilli.
This move evades vertical attacks
extremely well and can even auto
Gl some horizontals. It's safe on
block and leads to two powerful
combos. The threat of this attack
alone can be enough to discourage
some opponents from attacking,
and completely defeats the main
attacking options of more linear
characters. Gl is also a really useful tool to give Leixia even more
options at disadvantage. @@ Iilli
and (! can be used to increase
combo damage, whi le (! can
also be used to punish certain attacks or nullify stance mix-ups.

1!1~

10_010

Dawn Rhythm
As her fast est string, @@@ is an extremely important series
in Leixia's arsena l. It's one of her best tools for limiting her
opponent's moveset and keeping them on the defensive. At
low-to-medium disadvantage,@@ will still beat most of your
opponent's options, and the same is true when both players
are hesit ating. This will also give you many opportunities to
use the full string, but try to confirm the CH before
adding the@. @@ is safe and can also be used to punish unsafe attacks within range. It's also sometimes useful to th row
out the final attack when@@ is blocked, as most players
will instinctively want to attack after blocking @@.

Oamge

level

Impact

Guard

Hit

14

i15

-14

-2

Input

Damauo

Impact

Guard

Hit

~~@ (>)

14

t.ovol
M

i21

-8

~~ !<?!

14,16

. MM

i21

-8

STN

~~@@(>)
,.

14,30

MM

i21

STN

Input

Damago

Levol

Impact

Guard

Hit

FC~@

30

i19

-10

LNC

FC ~

26

i47

STN

Woan Shyong Nibble

Another basic but very useful tool, ~@ can be used (as its
name suggests) to nibble at you r opponent to wear them
down and frustrate them. Leixia doesn't have the intimidating
Low-level attacks available to some other characters, but this
attack can help against those who resolutely try to turtle and
wait for an opening. The kick leaves Leixia at a slight disadvantage on hit, but because of her speed combined with her
plethora of useful attacks available from FC, this is in some
ways a very strong position for her. She can also sometimes
avoid the early active frames of some overhead Mid attacks,
as she crouches very low to the floor.

Playful Rhythm, Playful Dance

(+Laughing Bear Her Hua)
At mid-to-long range, Leixia lacks any really threatening tools.
One usefu l poke to close the gap is ~~ and its ensuing
string variations. All versions are safe when guarded, and you
can auto-GI some vertical counter-attacks by pressing <? after any of the variations. ~~ can be used to interrupt
a long range attack, or to catch a retreating opponen t. On CH
it guarantees your t!EI. so this strategy is especially rewarding if you have enough Critical Gauge stored. Mix-up with
~~to break you r opponent's rhythm. The series is,
however, easily sidestepped, but you can limit this at range
by mixing up with~~@@.

Mei Guei Hua (+ Feint)

Although more difficult to input quickly, FC ~ is superior
to the standard ~launcher in that it does more damage,
launches higher, and is safe. When it hits, follow-up with
~@+@ for Leixia's most damaging basic combo. It's also
effective against a grounded adversary. Practice performing
this move as quickly as possible by inputting ~@to make
Leixia's Mid-level game more threateni ng. If your opponent is
guarding a lot or reacting when you crouch, use the FC ~mJ@
feint to surprise them with a Low that gives you advantage to
continue even when blocked. This should be used sparingly,
however, as it can be sidestepped or jumped on reaction, but
it can be useful to confuse you r opponent and is especially
effective for Okizeme.

Cf Af Tl!< 4 ! VS >':.AY! YAN LEIXIA

Shan Kick

lnpul

Octnlaye

lcvol

lmpnct

Guar~

<?@

12

i1 5

-2

Input

Damage

lovel

Impact

Guard

c:>IEJ

14

i14

-16

c:>@@

34

MM

i1 4

16

10

Damage

level

hupncl

Guard

Hit

A simple but very powerful tool, <?@ is extremely quick and

only -2 when guarded. The blockstun is so short that this can
be used as a frame trap if your opponent does not react immediately. Leixia adVances a little and, if bloCked, she is in
perfect range for a quiCk follow-up such as the @@(ID string.
This move is even more effective at the ring edge, as it leads
to high damage wall combos and rings out. <?@, ~ is a
simple punishment combo from standing or FC. If you are
quick you can use <?@, [!]3 for a more powerful punish
wh en you have the Critical Gauge to spare.

Heaven and Earth

These dual kicks come out extremely fast, have very long
range, and can be performed from FC, making c:>@@ one of
Leixia's best punishment options. When they hit they leave
both Leixia and her adversary in FC, and give her enough advantage to attack with an uninterruptable FC ~ or use her
other excellent options from FC. The attack is also viable at
mid range for the same reasons, but cannot be abused, as it
leaves Leixia vu lnerable if blocked.

'

Guei

..... ............

Hit

Known to series veterans as 'Crybaby.' this seemingly innocuous move is i n fact very useful. Completely unique in the
game, Guei allows you to disrupt your opponent's Okizeme in
a way that no other character can. After being knocked down,
you can interrupt many attempts to attack or pressure you,
meaning that your opponen t w ill have to completely adjust
their Okizeme strategy against Leixia. More experienced players can do serious damage to Leixia if t hey anticipate Guei by
backstepping or using jumping attacks that hit grounded, so
be careful not to use it thoughtlessly.

Playful Slice

....................... .......... ....... .......................

In pur

Osmage

level

Impact

Gttard

Hil

24

i16

-13

LNC

Input

Oamoge

level

llllpotl

GuMd

Hit

<?<? (;>)

26

i31

22

KND

~~or ~ ~(<)::>)

24

i31

22

KND

.()..(). or

Another unique attaCk, .()..().(ID is technically a vertical at

tack, but one t hat moves horizontally, making it difficult to
sidestep. It launches for a simple combo <~nd is very FJasy to
execute after a Quick Move or from 8-Way Run. LEiixia also
sidesteps w hile performing the move, allowing her to avoid
some vertical attacks at the same time. She sidesteps in the
opposite direction to the command you input, so be careful
not to step back in to an attack you were avoiding. This attack
is slightly unsafe, but well worth the risk unless the other
player is regularly punishing it . Follow-up with~+@ or [!]3
for a simple combo.

Vengefu l lian Hua

When you don't have time to interrupt your opponent with
fast attacks. you can also attack at disadvantage by evading
an incoming attack. Leixia excels at this, and no move is more
simple yet effective t han <?<?(). Leixia takes a hefty step
back, and then quickly darts back in to stab her unfortunate
victim. The move.is great for counter-attacking short ra nge
characters, and ca n also be an excellent tool for nulli fying
close range st ance mix-u ps. It is also effective as a Ring Out
tool, though on CH it leads to a stun (which won't Ring Out )
and can only be followed by -&IEl. Use it sparingly, as it is
extremely unsafe when blocked.

-fr 'fr(ID

Hwu Dye
This is another excellent evasive maneuver. Leixia t emporarily ducks and steps quickly to the left, dodging a vast
number of linear moves as well as High attacks if timed correctly. It can nulli fy certa in stance mix-ups, and is also a good
move to throw out at disadvantage, or when both players
have momentarily paused. It is completely safe, and w hen it
hits it gives good advantage and forces the adversary into a
crouched position, limiting their options and potentially confusing them briefly.

Lan Hua (+ Lan Hua Twist)

>>@ is a useful ant i-step TC attack tha t stuns when it hits,
and is easy to access whil e backstepping. But it's t he varia
tions on the attack that make it even more interesting. The
cancels into t he Twist can be useful against defensive players
w ho might look to t ry to punish ~>@. or simply against
those w ith a tendency to guard, as they leave you at advantage w hen guarded and do good Guard Burst damage. If the
opponent is confused by the feint and gets hit, ~~is
guaranteed. <>~D is a great move versus players trying to
zone you wi th High attacks, or others prone to dashing in for
throw attempts, as Leixia stays low until the attack hits, and
it leads to some of her most powerful combos.

Great W all

'

Input .

Damage

Level

Impact

Guard

Hit

Wf.l@l .

36

i31

16

KND

Oamago

level

Impact

Guard

Hit

20

i17

10

Input

Oumago

Ll>vel

Impact

Guard

Hit

..(7~ or 'if-!)'@

24

i28

-16

KND

..(7 ..(7 or 'if-!)'@

..(7..(7 or 'if-!)'@@
..(7..(7 or 1!'-1)'@@@)

12

i31

-10

32

i31

12

46

i31

-10

KND

..(7..(7 or 'if-!)'@@@

54

i31

-1 4

KND

Though slow, steppable. and unsafe, Great Wall is still a move

that your opponent must respect. Leixia steps a long way to
her left and rises w ith a long range knockdown Mid t hat can
Ring Out t he opponent to t he front and' to Leixia's right. It
helps make Leixia more dangerous from a crouched position
or while downed, and is especially useful against characters
w ho depend on ve rtical attacks for big damage. It also has
very good range. The threat of this move is enough to make
some opponen1s hesitate; refrain from overusing it. and don't
use it at all w hen your opponent is defending.

Level Kick

.... . ....
Leixia remains crouched until the recovery frames of this kick,
making it a useful tool w hen you want to attack w ithout t he
risk of getting hit by a High attack. This can be useful against
delayable High attacks, or w here the opponent is in a good
position to attempt a throw. The kick is also a good all-around
attack from FC, being reasonably fast and giving excellent ad
vantage on hit with negligible disadvantage when guarded.
Its only weakness is that it is easily steppable to both sides.

Circle Breaker(+ Feint Divide)

Breaking down a very defensive player can be a challenge for
Leixia, especially w hen they are adept at breaking throws. A
good option against such resolute defense is to use the mixup between ..(7--!}@ and the M id-hitting feint ..(7..(7@. Circle
Divide is slow and only accessible from 8-Way Run or sidestep, but against tota l defense this is not a problem. It knocks
t he opponent down for a fresh attacking opportunity. The kick
is unsafe, but if your opponent can react to it. you can use
this against t hem by throwing in the Feint Divide, wh ich leads
to more damage and still knocks down. The M id-level kick finish does more damage, w hile the Low-level stab gives better
Okizeme and is safe if the opponent guards.

('I! ',IJ: l:: 41 VS

Woan Shyong Swing

When in doubt. it's always useful to have a fast, safe Mid
hitting attack at your disposal. @ can be done easily
from standing, crouch, or 8-Way Run. It is quick enough to
use up close. but also has good range, and is especially effective when making a sudden dash towards your opponent,
taking advantage of Leixia's running speed. This kick turns the
opponent around when it hits, making the advantage even
more useful, so long as you are aware of the other character's BT options. A great tool for closing the gap offensively,
for maintaining offensive pressure, or for quick, unexpected
pokes when defending at long range.

Damage-wise. Leixia's throws are relatively weak. but they

are still essential in her gameplan. Used well, Leixia's speed
and evasion can cause her adversary to turtle up. This limits
her damage potential, so you must use her throws to keep
the opponent under pressure. +@ is the stronger front
grab and is useful for spacing, especially where you are being
pushed over to the edge, as Leixia jumps over the opponent
and leaves them in the danger zone instead. +@ can Ring
Out and wall splat to the front. Her righ t side throw can be
used to Ring Out as wel l, against an opponent backed onto
the ring edge, giving you the favorable mix-up of using+@.
+@. or ']}{?: after stepping to their left side. Left side
and back grabs do good damage. She also has very good
throw reach for a small character.

@ (;i s best used after confirming a CH with@@. so the

first four hits connect. The last hit must be blocked and leaves
you at neutral, and you can cancel with @ to surprise your
opponent. In stun combos (; is very powerful, as all
hits are guarant eed, and you can launch afterwards with ~

Input

Damage

lovol

lntpnet

22

i1 5

~~ or l=Jz;l@

20

i15

P'.J~!

Input

Damage

Eseapu Window

+@

45

13

+@

55

13

+@ or @)+@ (Left)

65

13

+@ or +@ (Right)

55

13

+@ or+@ (Back)

65

13 (Voldo I Astaroth I Z.W.E.I.)

lnptrl

Damnge

Level

@@ (;

18. 40, 21

HHMMM

i11

@@(; (@)

18, 40, 30, 0

HHMMSM L

i11

11,-14

STN, STN 18

20,20,20

MMM

i31

-6

LNC

WR @

Iilli

WR (; is an extremely powerful tool. It is probably

Leixia's best attack. and one of the best moves in the game.
Though slow and steppable, it can counter a huge variety of
moves, as Leixia sidesteps very quickly and very far to evade
verticals, whi le also going under early High-level attacks and
auto-Giing late horizontals and stabs. It is totally safe. and
leads to a damaging com bo and even (! if you have enough
Critical Gauge. You can also Ring Out your opponent behind
and to the left by juggling with BT +@ .

....."'~:tlj;"
'.

'- CRITICAL EDGE

This adorable Critical Edge anack is quick and has reasonable range, but is not the most damaging and is very unsafe
when blocked. It is therefore not a great choice to throw out
randomly. However. it is easy to combo into it after launching
and can also combo after hit-confirming many basic attacks,
including :>@. CH WR @. and CH @@. Leixia sidesteps to the righ t when executing River of Stars, and it can
be a very effective counter-attack for many stance rnix-ups. It
leaves the opponent downed in such a position that you have
a short opening for a safe ~liD or@ afterwards.

YAN LEIX!A

Input

Um:nago

Levol

Imp oct

Guard

-&~-&~ @++

70

M IAn

i12

-20

KND

''rl

and the attack throw from ~@@

give +14, meaning they can be followed by
~@@ or ~@@ or C!IEI. In a corner, the
~@@ Attack Throw can connect twice,
meaning~@@,~@@,~@@ w ill work.
Note that t he AT only occurs during a stun
combo initiated by moves such as{\.-@+@ or
<?'rl, during a wall combo, or when the@
alone hits on CH.

Starter

You can boost some stun and wall combos w ith your Critical Gauge by using @@ Iilli, which
deals good damage and allows either~@ or~@@ to connect afterwards. The ~does relatively little damage for the cost, bu t it will usually boost your combo damage overall. ~+
is your most powerful guaranteed finisher after basic launchers such as ~@ and {\.-{!.-@, and
gives the option to follow with the @and @@mix-up, but allows the opponent to Ai r Control
away from ensuing attacks. t:?@ does less damage, but slams them to the ground, forcing the
opponent to guard an instant FC ~@. This in turn allows you to pressure them with throws
and feint attacks as they rise.

Follow-up

Damage

Hits

Cost

Difficulty

FC~@

t:?@

43

FC~@

~~@

59

92

~@

26

64

21

~~@

56

i FC~@

FC~@

60

. '@+@

92

{!.-{!.-

~@+@ (@)

45

{\.-{\.-@)

76

~~@@

53

~@

34

~@@.~

96

11

@@ ~- ~. t:?@

93

@@ ~- .::>@@. .::>~@

101

10

' {\.-@+@

~@@.~@@

55

; wR~

BT@+@. ~@

83

21

~~@@

53

BT@+@.~

109

:! ~

~@+@(@)

41

~ ~@

72

Fe~

~@+@

55

' '@+@
:;

,. ''@@

<?<?D
. <?<?D

..

.1 BT

+@ {Stun only)

< <J WR@J~

Last hit can be evaaea by Left Ukemi

UKEMITRAPS
Leixia does have a few options to catch Ukemi, but in
general opponents can tech freely against her. Ukemi
to the left (Leixia's right) blats most of her high damage options, though when near the ring edge or wall
some will still connect. Her (! can be used as a high
damage UT in many of these situations, but again it
can be avoided by teching left. Note that some of
these UkemiTraps will not work against all characters.

Knocl<down

Ukemi Trap

Difficulty

FC'l::! @

<?<?rJ, .:::>@, .:::>@

106

Right, Back

<?@+@WI
<?@+@W! <)::>@@

Delay'l::!@+

133

All

<?@

(!

83

Right, Back

.:::>c::>oo

Dash in {).{)., ~

110

Left, Right

{).+@

.:::>@@

64

All

Directions

WALL COMBOS
<?@ can wall splat from the front and the right and gives Leixia a
long time to choose her next attack, even giving enough time to land
<?<?rJ. <?@+ is another good choice, as it doesn't get scaled too
badly in wall combos, and can be used after some wall splats. Standard launchers can initiate these combos as well. Best of all is FC
'l::!, which is the perfect counter against an attempted throw- keep
t his in mind against characters who are likely to attempt this, espeCombo

cially those with throws wh ich can reverse player positions or wa ll

splat behind.<?@+ and~ do the most damage in wa ll com bos,
but you won't always be able to use them, and there are other good
ways to get a wall splat, such as the TC 'l::!+@. There are bigger
combos than Combo C, but consider the fantastic mix-up opportunity after landing it: perfect for attempting another w all splat with
+@or launcher.
Damage

Hits

Cost

Diffic ulty

<?@+ W! <?, FC 'l::!@

119

11

<?@W!

<?<?rJ, @@ (;13, 'l::!@W!

117

14

***

FC~W !

t2@. @+@ W! ~@+@, FC ~@

103

**

~@+@W!

FC 'l::!@, @@. @@

94

11

***

'l::!@W!

@@ (;13, ~@ W! <?@+, ~

132

15

<?@+W!

@@ (;13, 'l::!@W! @@ (;13

148

15

Starter

Follow-up

<?@+@W!

<?@+. @

APPLYING OFFENSE
Make use of l eixia's fakes, delays, and cancels to upset. your opponent's rhythm. For
example, c::>c:>@ can be used in place of
c::>c:>@ to make the opponent release their
guard too early and get hit by the delayed attack. Cautious players will guard the delayed

hit w hich gives you advantage and damages the Guard Gauge. Another example is to use
t2t2@@@ or{).@+@ to make the opponent block in anticipation of the fake attack, and
then immediately follow with a fast attack before they realize what happened. To prevent sidestepping, 'l::!@+, c:>, <?IKJ, and t2@ are all excellent safe choices at close range. When
attacking from a crouched position, remember that basic pokes like <?@ and c:>@ are still
available. When combined w ith FC {}.@, FC {).@, FC ~, and her WR moves, 6eixia can

be very dangerous from a crouched position,

even at a disadvantage. WA can catch opponents trying to step her linear WR moves.
and guarantees your ~ on Counter Hit.
It's important to choose the right moments
to attack when at a disadvantage. Using quick
pokes like @. . @. ~. and
~@at lower levels of disadvantage can really
frustrate your opponent, as it forces them to
constantly use their faster pokes. This is extremely useful against the slower characters,
as their quick pokes w ill often be more limited
than Leixia's, turning the match in her favor.
At greater disadvantage, Leixia has attacks
such as 1:2@. t1+@, and <?<?which can
severely limit characters dependent on High,
vertica l or close range attacks. Above all. you
must be unpredictable - many of Leixia's
tricks can be easily turned against her if her
opponent knows what's com ing. [70 1]

OKIZEME
Leixia's Okizeme tools are solid even though
she can't deal as much damage as the physically stronger characters. c:>@ is a trademark move as it hits grounded and is very
fast. though it can be rolled or teched to
Leixia's right side. Against players who like
to attack straight away, use simple quick Mid
attacks such as and c:>+ at close
range. or c:> after knocking an opponent
away some distance to get a CH. FC ~
and ~~ can also be used to launch impatient opponents if you have a little more time.

If the opponent waits on the ground. 8-Way

Run around them and catch them with
~~. If they expect this and start trying
to block and punish it, mix it up with~~.
~~@. and the ~~ series. Many of
your Okizeme attacks can be rolled with good
timing, so pati ently choose your moment to
strike. This ca n also be a good time to use
some of your slower attacks such as the
111:2 series, the 1:2 seri es, a nd~+@.

RING OUT
SCIV Xianghua players will notice that her
array of Ring Out options has been greatly
diminished in her daughter's moveset. Nonetheless. Leixia can still be dangerous w ith
her opponent backed up against the edge.
<? is the primary option, as it is very quick
and can be used to punish. internupt, or catch
sidestep. It is also -2 when guarded, giving
you the chance to try another Ring Out at
tack straight away, including another >@.
+@ can Ring Out if the opponent fails to
break it. <?+ and FC ~ are safe Midhitting attacks that can Ring Out from some
distance, while 1:2@, ~+ and ~ can
all be used at disadvantage due to the ir TC
properties. Finally, her Mid-level feint attack
can Ring Out an opponent right up against
the ring edge: use c:>ta~, <?+, or
><? to catch your opponent off guard.

GUARD BURST
Leixia's Guard Burst game is very strong.
M any attacks deal serious damage to the
gauge, and Leixia by her natu re is constantly
forcing her opponent to defend her quick and
varied attack patterns. Note in particular the
damage of the feint attack using <?+.
..,)@@@. 811d ~~tal.

G uard Burst
Req. to Burst

Attacks

5
6
7

>'@@. <?<?rJ@, WR@ (illJ

8
9

c:>c:t>. ~~

10

@@. FC ~.

11

<?<?rl, ~~@@. ~

. ~@. c:t>@ . FC ~!Dl. WR @+@ @ . ~~. ~~@. c:>@+!ID.

~+@. 1:2+

Depletes Guard Gauge. but w ill not Guard Burs t

DEFENSIVE PLAY
A naturally aggressive character, Leixia can nonetheless defend very effectively if you are
familiar with the opposing character's moveset. Leixia's great movement allows her to bait
mistakes by darting in and out, and then to punish whiffs with quick advances like c:>c:>
and c:>c:t>, or even FC ~ if you have time. After sidestepping, she has ~~. or ..!7..!7
from a little further out. She is not quite so quick at backstepping, but while holding
you
can use <?<? or <? for a little more evasion if you see what's coming. <?rl is very
rewarding in anticipation of a High-level attack, and if you see a whiff but are too far away to
punish, >@ closes the gap and puts Leixia on neutral footing when blocked. also forcing
the opponent into a crouched position. [ ~o 2]

For punishment. Leixia has a great variety of options from standing or crouch to meet the
required range and speed. is her fastest option, while @@ has good speed and range.
and @ are good safe options if you think you might not punish in time. while ~ is
useful for m ore punishable moves. FC ~ is a great attack for punishing very unsafe Lows.

SPACING & POSITIONING

Generally Leixia's goal w ill be to stay close to her opponent. She can be quite vulnerable just
outside of mid range, where a lot of her pokes such as ~+@, ()and c:>+@ will whi ff.
Take the earliest opportunity after blocking or dodging to either use an advancing attack, or
backstep ou t of your opponent's range. Leixia is more comfortable outside of her opponent's
max range, where she can zone with ~~and ~~. Set up a rhythm, and then mix these
up w ith the ~~+@ auto-GI to counter your opponent's attempts to interrupt you.
With a big life lead, moving in and out of your opponent's range can be a very useful strategy
with Leixia. Due to her quick movement and mid range pokes. it can be quite difficult for other
characters to get w ithin range without taking significant risks . Because of Leixia's weakness
against certain characters at mid-long range, you may consider using advancing, iidvontogc-

CHAPH-H :; ; V':; ''LAY! YAN LEIXIA

giving pokes such as@+@ and@ to keep your opponent close,

rather than going for knockdowns and launches w ith ~ or '@.
When closing in, +@ and c::(>rJ allow her to advance while Tech
Crouched, leading straight into her excellent WR game.

POSTGI
Guard Impact -can be really useful for Leixia to use as part of her rushdown strategy, as opposing players will be eager to attack quickly in
fear of allowing her to dominate w ith her persistent fast pokes. After
a successful Gl, she doesn't have the high damage options available

Leixia struggles at mid-long range, so if your character can play

keepout. use long range attacks w ith fast recovery to keep her away.
If Leixia is losing the round, it can be hard for her to close in against
good zoning cha racters, as her long range game is very limited. The
@@@ mix-ups can all be easily stepped, so watch out for this
move when you are outside of @@ ra nge. The fight becomes
much easier if she has to come to you.
Up close, make use of any reasonably fast moves you have that lead
to big damage, as this w ill discourage Leixia from trying to interrupt
you w ith quick pokes. M id and Low attacks. especially those that
track, wil l deter Leixia from attempting evasive counter-attacks. She
lacks potent options at mid range. so any moves with good push back
are really dangerous for Leixia - attack immediately afterwards, as
she won't be able to reach you withou t dashing in, thus giving you

KEY ATTACKS

This move is -15 on block, so make sure to punish it when you get
the chance. If Leixia is doing this too often, punish by crouching and
interrupting the, or attacking with a powerfuiTC move. [-?0 3]
''@ (')
Much like @@. some Leixia players may use this too liberally, especially when desperate. Anticipate and punish w ith a High where
possible, as sine can auto-GI some Mid-level attacks with the '. follow-up. If you expect her to attempt the auto-GI, dash in and attack
w ith anything you like, as a fa iled auto-GI attempt leaves Leixia open
to almost anything.

The two-hit variations of this string can be easily stepped and punished to either side, so watch out for this move at long range.
j

This move helps Leixia deal good damage to a grounded opponent.

When you anticipate it, either get up and block straight away to regain
the advantage, or time you r roll precisely to dodge the attack and
begin your own pressure.

:J<?.rJ((ID)
When rushing in at Leixia, be wa ry of this counter, which will evade
any High attacks and deals significant damage as a combo opener.
If you see it b ut cannot interrupt it. simply block to regain the advantage. Some characters can crouch the second High hit when
guarded, bu t generally you are forced to block both, so be prepared.
Refrain from Gling this move as Leixia can cancel it at any point w ith
a delayed stab attack. [ -?0 4]

to most other characters. but she can use the opportun ity to zone her
opponent more easily. Attacks such as <?@. ~. and ~+ can
be used to force her opponent a good distance backw ards or Ring
Out. You must always be aware of a re-GI attempt, but can bait such
an attempt with a dash in, a delayed or cancelled attack, or a feint
such as FC ~@. If you have backed an opponent against a wall,
'@+can be useful as it is guaranteed after Gl, but w ill also beat
an instant re-G I attempt because of its slow speed, and leads to very
good combos.

effective advantage. She will be forced to retreat, which gives you

the option to use any longer range tools at your disposal, and keep
her out.
Leixia has few tru ly threatening Low attacks, and fairly weak throws,
so simply blocking can be a very effective tactic against her. Just
be careful not to let her have free reign to go for cancels and guard
break attacks, and keep an eye on your Guard Burst indicator. as she
can break the gauge quite quickly if you block too many of her slower
moves. If using Ukemi, tech to your left as this beats most of her
UT options. When she is grounded, always watch out for her Guei
attack: block or evade and punish heavily. Finally, though she is generally very safe. learn your best punishers for moves like@@@ and
''@. and look for opportunities to interrupt her feint attacks if she
is using them too often.

Command List
Nnmo

Input

loveI

Dnmnge

High High Mid

8,18,22

11

Standing/@
Dawn Rhythm

@@(ID

i10,15

3,2,4

NCC INC (1st two hits)

Cross Lian Hua

<=?@

14

15

-6

Cross Lian Hua- Hou Lee

c:?B

14

15

-14

Opp -BT CH lTC

Muu Jiann Rhythm

~@@

14,16

20

10,-8

4,6

NCCITC

Rhythm Halt

./}@

SP-Iow

10

13

Reverse Shui Shian

~@

Mid

20

28

-10

Reverse Shui Shian

~m
>@

Mid

16

22

Righteous Rhythm :

(ID(ID

''Mid Mid

H,14

14.'

-a::6

2,4

NC .

Advancing Dance

(ID@

High High

14.20

13

8,6

6,4

NCC

High HighThrow

14,34

13

High Mid

14,20

13

-8,4

6,STN

11+,5

11

Storming Uan Hua

Opp -BT CH

-FC lTC 1281 duration

15

TC ISTNCH
-GRD
Opp -BT (Hit)

Standing/@

Advancing Lotu:s Flow

(ID@ (counter hit)

Advancing Lian Hua

6,STN 14
Clean Hit: C
TC I RO

Lian Hua Rush

~(ID

Mid

14

17

13

LNC

Rhythm Break

./}(ID

Mid

14

15

-10

Ji

~(ID

Mid

18

19

10

13

- FC I Opp
-FC (Block and hit)

Tzao Rhythm

:>@@

Mid Mid Mid

28,18

23

-4,-6

8.4

12,7

NCC

12,5

BA I Clean Hit: A

Tzoo Qauke

:>@@@

Mid Mid SP-Mid

Low

28,30

23

-4,11' -14

8,STN, STN
18

.High

12

13

-8

14

-16,-16

-2.10

5
2

-FC

Standing/@
Yuen Kick

Heaven and Earth

@@

Level Kick
Woan Shyong Nibble
Lian Hua Sweeps

!:2@@

Shan Kick

:>@

Mid Mid

14,20 ....

~@

Mid

16

14

./}@

Low

14

15

-14

Low Low

22,24

39

12

15

-9.-2
2

KDN.KDN

High

Mid Mid

14,20

19

1 4

LNC

10

TC 1-FC I Opp
- FC (Hit) I NC
STC 1-FC

15,13

LNG

NC
R O

Standing /@+@
Muu Jiann

@+

Lian Hua Cannon

@+

Mid

34

21

12

KND

Spinning Llan Hua

~@+

M id M id

32

17

10

Yann Divide

./7@+

Low

22

31

-22

KND

Muu Jiann Retreat

>@+

Mid Mid ,.

14 26

25

10

LNC

Muu JiannTwist

:>@+

M id M id

14,20

25

STN

12

Delayable I rl1 +tJ:

Guard Burst: 8 1RO
TC I R-0
Opp -BT I Hit) I - FC I
STN CH
- FC I Cancel - BT -FC
with@
auto-GI: H,M (Horizontal,
Stab) i3-i7 1 R-0
auto-GI: H,M (Horizontal,
Stab) i3~7 1 Clean Hit: C I R.Q

Standing /@+@
Hou Lee

+@

Muu Jiann Advance

ss

-FC I TC I 281 duration

@+@

Mid Mid

16,16

Quake Step

./7+@

SP-MidLow

37.0

From the Highest Heavens

~@)+@@

Mid Mid

2.8,40

-6

11.14

STN,STN 18

19

11 ,6

KON,STN

17

13
BA I Clean Hit: A

11 ,5

TC I TJ I Cl ean Hit: A I R-0

Hwu Dye

~+@

Mid

20

24

-8

11

TCITS

Ben Xing

'il+@

Mid

20

27

-6

STN

10

TJ

M uu Ling

<?.+@

Mid

50

STN

UB

Full Crouch Attacl<s

Chal Hua Slice

crouching@

SPIow

10

12

Rhythm Break

crouching

M id

14

14

6
-8

8
2

Mei Guel Hua

crouching ~

Mid

30

19

10

LNC

10

R-0

Mei Guei Hua Feint

crouching ~1m

Low

26

47

STN

11

BA I Clean Hit: C

Woan Shyong Nibble

CfOUching @

Low

14

14

-14

crouching @+

Low

26

37

12

while standing @

Mid

18

18

-10

Fan Xiang

STCI-FC

13

TJ

While Rising Attacks

Ll

STN CH: + 12

Great Wall

while standing (ID

M id

36

31

-16

KND

STS I Clea.n Hit: C I RO

Level Kick

while standing @

M id

20

17

10

15

TC

M el Hua Carve

while standino @+

Low High Low

10,10,18

25

2
18.10

2.KND

Mel Hua Dance

while standing @+!ID

Low High Low

10, 10,24

25

-18,11

2,KND

11

BA j TC 1-FC I
Clean Hit: C

High

1822

24

-6

TJ

Mid

1!125

23

Mid Mid

10,14

17

-14

BA j TC 1-FC

Jumping Attacks
Sparrow Spin Blade

while jumping @

Sparrow Flutter Blade

wllik! juo nf)iny

TlaoWu Kick

while jumping @

TJ
TJ

(>iAP 1~ H:4 ; VS PI AY ! YAN LEIXIA

Low low

14,20

23

-16,-12

lan Hua

M id

20

25

-1 2

lan Hua

Mid High

20,10

41

-6

~+liD

Mid

20

Playful Rhythm

c:::>+IIDIID

M id M id

14,16

21

-8,-8

13,9

Playful Rhythm laughing Bea Her Hua

c:::>+IIDIID~

Mid Mid

14,16

21

-8,-

13,9

NCC I auto-GI: H.M

(Vertical, Stab)

Playful Dance

c:::> +liD

M id M id

14,30

21

-8,9

13,5

BA I Clean Hit: c

Playful Dance laughing Bea Her Hua

c:::> +liD~

M id Mid

14,30

21

-8,-30

4,STN

13,5

BA I auto-GI: H,M
(Vertical, Stab)

Twin Rhythm

~111 or ~~liD

Mid Mid

20,30

Hi

KN D,KNO

.11 ,8

Playful Slice

{1>-t or {!...liD

M id

24

16

-13

~+or t:Zit or ~II>

M id

26

31

-22

Mid

26

31

Fan Xiang Rhythm

STN14
(.

lan Hua Twist

STN

TC I Clean Hit: C

8-Way Run/@

, Vengefullian Hua
Vengeful lian Hua laughing Bea Her Hua

<?+ or

tZ It or ~II><?

"

LNC

11

KND

KND

8-Way Run/@
Woan Shyong Swing

c:::>+ or ~111 or ~~@

Mid

22

. 15

~JO

Circle Breaker

{!. .. or i{-t@

Low

24

28

-16

KND

12,10,10,14

31

Mid Mid Mid

Low
M id Mid M id
Mid

Circle Breaker Feint Divide

Circle Breaker Feint
Double Feng Yun

MaChiueh

during Bea Her Hua ~

Playful Slice

during Sea Her Hua liD

Circle Breaker

during Sea Her Hua @

during Bea Her Hua
@@@@

Circle Breaker Feint Divide

Circle Breaker Feint
Double Feng Yun

during Sea Her Hua

IE)@@@
<?++@

Opp -BT (H it) I S::!S::l or ,., .

~ ~@: Damage 29
::: .

13
Gl
15,10,9

Gil NC lTC
GII NC I TC

Ci ';\f'TE:n 4

I \1~3 PLAY NATSU

NATSU
Character Overview I Natsu uses 2 sheathed ninja blades in battle. The Musoh-Battoh-Ryu fighting style makes her extremely fast, and she excels at close combat. She can also use her tremendous agility to attack from range, quickly advancing on her opponent by jumping, rolling, and
even teleporting. Her damage, speed, and safety enable Natsu to attack almost continuously and
suppress her opponent effectively, constantly forcing t hem to guess her next move.
il

Damage

,,,,,,,,,J'/:
,,,,,,,
;:

: '.1111111!.!'.

Throws

Ring Out
Okizeme

,,,,,,,,..

Mix-ups

'

Range
Movel1}e.nt
.. Complexity

can coni!!i'J11a1'inr:hirn with

f;::r,li"'" '"<>rlinn to seri-

mely powerful, so
knocking your opponent
of your Okizeme mix-ups.
ing even at a rli~arl,Jan,tar1'P.
jump during them. And
t he opponent down, you r.;;~11't:!asilv
in for a mix-up, or apply
tacks. Her Possession <:tnr"'~
used to make many of
whiffed, so try
tions, oe~q.utsem~Y

not fast enough

attacks at
but can be powerrange whiff punish.
cases. saving your Criti~\:H)ge for c:::> Iilli is a
. () Iilli is not
as a combo starter
a fas t approach option, but
empowers Natsu's combos
so having enough Critical
to also use ct> Iilli
is always a very good idea. You
can also use it for @+@ Iilli
to improve Natsu's throw game.
This gives your opponent more to
fear at close range, strengthening
either ct> Iilli,
lru'!;~ command throw,

~K ~
1!1
....
1!1~

10_011

"!':'"....,...,

:f:i~.

Possession (PO)

Input

0(ntlii!)O

. leVQI

Propc rti~o

....... ...................... ................................

~tZ<?

Possession is Natsu's most important stance. It extends her

moveset with Lows, powerful Mid-level attacks, an unblockable attack, and even a Brave Edge teleport. She is strong
enough to fight without it. but PO is an extrem ely powerful
stance with fantastic options for attack and defense, making
it extremely diff icult for opponents to counter it.

PO @

PO @cl>

20

PO@:

8,20

HH

PO@

48

BA

po@

18

TJ

BTPO@

69

TJ

PO@+@

60

UB

PO @+@

24

TC

PO <):>@+@

65

PO 'IJ'@+@

80

TJ

BT PO 'IJ'@+@

90

TJ

PO

- '"'

Input ~tZ<? to ent er PO from a neutral position . You can also

shift into the st ance using several different transitions, simply
by pushing <? or after certain attacks. Notable transitions
include <?@+@. which allows you to combo after landing
a bomb attack with the Air Grab PO '11'@+@. or defend yourself with fast pokes PO@ and PO @if the bomb is blocked:
@+<?, which prolongs stun combos by following with
PO @: for huge combos; and @@<?. a great punishing
tool which can be followed with PO +@ for good damage,
or PO (ID if your opponent techs, forcing them to either block
your most powerful Break Attack or take even more damage.
Tapping during PO results in Natsu dashing forward. Use
this to close down a distant opponent. or to realign yourself if
they try to step. Hover (PO 'U'l makes Natsu teleport into the
air, high enough to dodge some Mid-level attacks. Use Hover@
and @to enforce a Mid/Low mix-up as she falls, or use @+@ to
catch backstep. Hover@ stu ns your enemy when hitting, while
the Low @ attack knocks down at point blank, and can also stun
at tip range. Silent Mist (PO~) allows you to fake the Hover mixup to try to bait a mistake or make your opponent freeze. Natsu
can still briefly avoid low and Mid-level attacks with Silent Mist,
before returning to the ground in PO. It can be very difficult for
opposing players to keep track of all the options from Possession. so turn thi s to your advantage by mixing up well, keeping
an eye on your opponent's responses, and punishing them.

Wind Roll

.................
Wind Roll is no t as versatile as Possession, but it is still very
useful. Natsu evades all High attacks during the roll, covering
a lot of ground, and for a short time she becom es invisible.
You have three Mid-level attacks to choose from, or you can
simply recover in FC. It's worth using a throw occasionally
after Wind Roll for a more powerful mix-up. Your primary attack here is W i nd Roll . which deals huge damage on
normal hit and can Ring Out to the f ront. W ind Roll is also
possible from BT. and t he @ attack leads straight into PO
while still facing away, leading to a powerful combo with PO
'11'+@ after launching your opponent. When blocked you
still have a BT PO mix-up due to the Break Attack properties;
use either BT PO @. or BT PO Hover @ to attack safely and
potentia lly deal a lot of damage.

Distorted Breeze
Distorted Breeze is similar to Wind Roll; Natsu rolls to the
side and again becomes invisible for a short t ime. Distorted
Breeze attacks are the same as her,(),,(), or 'U''ll' moves from
8-Way Run. At close range, Natsu can quite easily get arou nd
to her opponent's back using this move, potentially allowing
for a mix-up or even a back t hrow, and it can also be helpful to
escape a bad position at the ring edge, with a chance to place
your opponent in jeopardy instead.

PO

PO~

PO,TC
Silent Mist PO, TJ
Hover, STJ

PO 'IJ'
Hover@
Hover @

Hover@+@

15,20

LL

TC

20

FC

65

BA

Transitions into Possession

Input

Love I

Guard

Hit

<?@

-12

-2

<?@+@

-3

LNC

@@<?

MH

-8

KND

@<?

-14

STN

@+@:>

MM

-7

11

lnptjl.

Damage

love!

@+@@

24

TC

@+@@@

24,15

MM

TC

@+@@@@

24,15,42

MMM

TC

cl>@+@@

10,24

MM

TC

cl>@+@@

16,20

MM

TC

BT@+@@

40

STJ, PO, BA

Input

Damo

Lovol

Prop .. nios

~or 'll'+@@

12,20

MM

TC

~or'U'+@@

22

TC

~ or "()>+@@

16,20

HH

TC

~or 'U'@+@@@

16,20,30

HHM

TC

C!-,\.VLI"! !, I VS f-"..1'-.Y NATSU

Stalker
When using Stalker, Natsu jumps high enough to evade almost all attacks, making it an excellent option when trying
to defend a life lead or escape from a difficult situation. After
.().@+@, you can use the air throw for easy damage and,
near the edge, for a Ring Out. Employ Stalker to reposition
yourself on the stage as well. Be careful near the edge, however, because you can jump out of the ring wi th this move.

Damao

Input

Level

Proporties

+00

STJ, BT

~or~+@

STJ

~+@

. STJ

BT@+@

SiJ

60

+.+@

STJ, AT

Death Light
Natsu's @ is the fastest in the game, so you should use it
often to forestall your opponent's offense. @@ can punish
many attacks that are sa fe again st all other characters. It's
worth trying to interrupt incoming attacks with @@. and
then use@@@ if you get a CH for good damage. @@@is
unsafe when guarded, but because of the pushback on block
it is difficult for some cha racters to punish it, so you can use
@@@sometimes even on block or normal hit to try to bait
a mistake.

Rapid Destruction
~liS) is faster t han Natsu's @ and has very good range. You
can follow-up after this attack with ~@@ or ~liS)@@. or
cancel the third, unsafe kick using ~@@@+@ to apply fur-

Input

Oamnge

ltnJ>3CI

Gonnt.

~@@@.

12, 10, 18 - MMM

i14.

-8,-10.-1zJ.:'. 4,2,KND

12, 10

MM

i14

-13

Damage

level

48

. -16

38

-14

~@@@+@

'

lDvol

.~.

-1

ther mix-ups with the W ind Roll stance. The side roll Distorted
Breeze is also available here (input -.(). or 1f @)+@) and can
be used to avoid some ve rtical counter attacks. ~@@ is a
NC, and is excellent for punishing, as well as being a generally very strong poke. The third kick is not quite so useful, as
it does not combo after the first two, but it can come in handy
if your opponent is persistently attacking you after blocking
~@@.

Assassin's Revenge
This move is a true all-arounder. ~~ is fast, has great
range, deals high damage and knocks down when it hits. Additionally, Natsu does a little step to the side and TCs, which
means you can evade some High-hitting or linear attacks. It
is a fantastic poke and whiff punisher when used frbm Mid
range. It has poor recovery, bu t the pushback when it's guarded makes it impossible for most characters to punish you.
Pressing ~~ makes Natsu teleport back, going into
PO automatically. This pushes you and your opponent even
further apart making ~@~ even safer against those
characters who can punish it normally, or when near a wall
where the pushback can be reduced.

Scroll of Darkness
Th is is a Mid-l evel horizontal, again with excellent range .
Whe n it connects, the opponent falls to the ground, allowing
Na tsu to combo with t?@. Natsu jumps during the animation, so you can avoid Lows and most throws with it. +
is slightly unsafe when blocked, but basic@@ punishes can
be escaped by pressing ~. as Natsu teleports backwards.
However, this makes the move very unsafe against longer
range attacks if your opponent anticipat es it, and if it hits the
combo with t?@ won't be possible.

Input

...

.
.
~~or ~.o:l or c:::;>'9.

. ~~or ~o:l or~@~

Guard

Hit

KND

Dnmags

Dream Scroll

I.evel

lmpncl

Guard

Hit

With PO @) is one of Natsu's best tools for pressuring opponents and forcing mistakes. It leaves Natsu with advantage
when it's blocked. which allows you to continue attacking,
and even gives you a guaranteed hit if you are fast enough
using ..()..@.When it hits. the knockdown it causes leaves
you with a powerful mix-up. ..()..@+@)will catch side Ukemi,
while FC @+ keeps a grounded opponent stunned for a
combo or another Ukemi Trap. Dream Scroll is also excellent
for dealing Guard Gauge damage, so you should use it any
time the opponent allows. Try to master PO @:~. so that
you can discourage opponents from sidestepping after a PO
transition; this w ill make PO @)an even more potent asset.

Bullet Hang

lnpul

Onmsgc

t.vel

lmpaer

~~or~~ or ~~@@)

24.36

HM

i16

-16

STN

i16

-17

-6

When moving t owards your opponent. you can use~ ~@@)

to catch an opponent who is sidestepping in anticipation of
~~@). It is a NCC. so will always combo when used as an
anti-step tool. The second hit is quite unsafe when blocked,
but you can delay it to fool an opponent into thinking you
have stopped at ~~@. The high damage the second hit
deals makes this a worthwhile tactic. You can also cancel the
second hit by pressing >: Natsu will go into PO and you can
continue with your mix-ups. though you can still be punished
if the attack was blocked.

Ninja Cannon: Nozuchi

lnplll

D1omooo

t.vol

Impnet

G11nrd

II! it

>@+@)

15,5

i30

15

LNC

Input

Dnmao~

L<lvel

Impact

Guartr

Hit

34

i24

lnpul

Domage

level

Impact

Guard

Hir

PO@+@

60

i45

KND

KND

This is one of Natsu's "bomb" attacks. i t's a Low-hitting attack with very good range and it can even be used to hit op
ponents trying to sidestep. It is slightly unsafe when blocked,
but if you press~ after it. Natsu will teleport forward, changing into PO automatically. This lets you mix up between PO@.
PO @. and PO (; to avoid difterent punishment attempts.
When the bomb hits, you can combo with her PO air-throw
by using <?+ ~. "\)"@)+@. or even with <?+. C!lEI
for huge damage. Using PO this way will deter punishment
attempts. meaning you will sometimes be able to use just
<?+; this can still lead to strong combos when connect
ing, by following up with <?>@. ~~@). :~ or C!IEI.

Reaping Hook

1:1 is a useful Low-level attack that is fairly fast, and can
be difficult to react to. It is extremely unsafe, so use it only
occasionally against a defensive adversary, and try to determine whether or not they can block it on reaction. The attack
is entirely TC, and Natsu crouches extremely low during the
recovery frames, going under even some Mid attacks. and
sweeps in a wide horizontal arc. making 1:1@ a useful tool
for catching sidesteppers, auto-step attacks, or for countering many stance mix-ups, so even if the opponent can block
it it's still worth using when you think they'll move or attack.

Exorcism

................
"Exorcism" is an unblockable attack available from the Possession stance. It's quite fast and can track sidestepping
opponents very well. It is especially effective near the edge
of the stage as it is harder to escape, and also works well
against an opponent who freezes up against the PO mix-ups,
though it will become less effective in this capacity the more
you use it. You can follow it up with ..()..@+ near a wall to
attempt an Ukemi Trap. This attack Tech Crouches during the
early startup frames. making it eftective against opponents
who try to thwart PO mix-ups with fast. High-hitting attacks.

CH;\P n: n 1 ; VS P!.l\Y l NATSU

Vacuum Drop Kick

Another move out of Possession, this Low-hitting kick is very
difficult to react to and can Ring Out near t he edge. Natsu w ill
jump backwards after hitting her opponent. so you have to
rush towards you r opponent again in order to continue attacking. It is very unsafe when guarded. but since Natsu stays on
the ground after the move is blocked you can't be punished
heavily by most characters. Like Exorcism , this move beats
High-level attacks, so watch for your opponent's tendencies in
the face of PO mix-ups and use it to punish them accordingly.

Illusion Scroll
As wit h m any o f Natsu's attacks, the range of .!}.!} is
surprisingly good. W hen it hits it will launch your enemy for
some potentially strong combos. and for a launcher it's relat ively sa fe. It is very useful when used from 8-Way Run as a
poke and whiff punishing tool. especially against characters
that can punish your c:>c:::> well. A potent follow-up when
it hi ts is c:>c:::> ~. but you ca n also use @: just before
your opponent lands for a powerful Okizeme situation wi thout having to spend any of your Critical Gauge.

Shadow Shrine I Shadow Gate

This move can punish many unsafe attacks. Ring Out your
opponent or start a devastating wall combo. The Just input
version , Shadow Gat e, is as fast as Natsu's @. so you can
t ry to punish blocked -10 attacks w ith it. In t his situation, try
pressing @@c:::> very quickly to give yourself a chance of
connecting @:c:::>, as @@ w ill still come out if you don't succeed. Shadow Shrine can be used to combat sidestep, but
only at close range. Shadow Gate has the addi tional property
of splashing am airborne opponent onto the ground, leading
to very strong Okizeme situations and potential Ukem i Traps.
The timing is very difficult, however: try to time it so that it
con nects just b efore your opponent hits the ground.

Wind Death Sault

Wind Roll is a combo on normal hit and deals a huge
amount of damage. Since Natsu evades all High-level attacks
in Wind Roll, you should use it in anticipation of these moves

to punish them severely even from range. Be careful pear the

edge, however. not to ring yourself out. You can also catch
you r opponent !by surprise and ring them out with this attack.
You can use Wind Roll on its own for a safer version of
this attack, and try to use the third @ only when you are su re
you w ill hit the opponent. because the last hit can be easily
sidestepped and punished.

Hurricane Punishment
The versatility of this attack cannot be overstated. During
c:::>c:::>@, Natsu jumps, dodging Lows. and also Tech Crouches
under Hig h-hitting attacks. Nat su covers an extremely long
distance with c:::>c:::>. and will hit opponents who try to sidestep or 8-Way Run. It is, however, quite unsafe when blocked,
so you can't risk using it too often. It's a good choice when
your opponent's life bar is almost empty, as the speed, range
and evasion of c:::>c:::>@ mean that it wi ll beat many of your
opponent's options. Due to the speed and range, it is also one
of Natsu's most useful tools for spacing and punishing whiffs.

Damage

..-.

10,24
8, 10, 24

Seal

ltv61.

llllp"r;t

Gu~rll

i25 '

-12

Natsu evades High-level attacks with this move and does a

small backstep during it, so she can use it to dodge short
ranged Mid or Low-hitting attacks. It will knock the opponent down and can also Ring Out - this is especially useful
to counter throw attempts with your opponent's back to the
edge. It is at its most useful when you're at a disadvantage
at close range, as you can utilize <?<? to nullify fast, short
range pokes, forcing your opponent to use slower attacks.

Natsu's @+@ throw does reasonable damage, but it's better

to always use her command throw S>S>+@ instead. This
inflicts more damage, is harder to escape, and leaves you in
a good Okizeme situation. Her @+@ throw is very weak,
but can be strengthened with the Critical Gauge. @+@ ~
does more damage and can Ring Out behind her. making
Nat su's throw game very threatening with enough Critical
Gauge stored. Both of Natsu's side throws deal 60 damage,
so even after sidestepping the opponent her throw game is
very strong. You can also use the command throw and Brave
Edge th row from the side, for the little extra damage and
RO potential. You can also try performing Distorted Breeze
to maneuver behind your opponent for a back throw; this can
also Ring Out, though you will have to place yourself near the
edge to attempt it. making it a very risky tactic.

: @+@ '

38

ftali Wfudow .
13

+@

55

13

@+@ or+@ !Right)

60

13

@+@or+@ (Left)

60

13

@+@ or +@ (Back)

70

13

c::> c::>+@

65

D~mo.IJe.

lllfl\il.

@+@

Iilli

13 (Voldo I Astaroth I Z.W.E.I.)

. qM
,.,.,

'-- BRAVE ED GE ATTACKS

S>S> ~ is Natsu's most useful Brave Edge attack. It deals
high damage, has good range, and is fast. After it hits, you can
combo with !:ZOO for extra damage, or delay it for an UkemiTrap.
When it's blocked it gives you good advantage, so make sure
to continue your pressure with another S>S> or a throw as
your primary options. The second hit, however, is High, so some
opponents will be able to duck the last hit when they block the
first one. in which case you'll need to limit your use of the ~
version to times when you're sure the first attack will connect.

:)

Input

Damage

level

Impact

Guard

Hit

~ ~ or z;:l z;:l or c::>S>, @++

38,20

MH

i1 7

KD N

i17

PO, @+00+@
KDN

PO ~ is very useful if you want to confuse your opponent.

If you are close enough Natsu will teleport herself behind the
enemy, allowing you to do a surprise attack by pressing @.
She is invincible for a moment during PO ~ so you can use
it to avoid any attack your opponent cou ld use. As mentioned
previously, Natsu's throw game can become very powerful
if you use her @+@J Brave Edge th row in combination with
her c::>S>+@ command throw. Both options deal decent
damage, and @+@ ~can RO some distance behind her.

Great Curse of Arahabaki

This is relatively slow in comparison to other Critical Edge attacks. It can be used to whiff punish, or after you've hit your
opponent with a bomb attack(<?@+ or{!.@+@). It leads
to advantage when blocked, but because of the pushback
Natsu must step forward in order to hit the opponent. When
near the ring edge the second and third attack can whiff,
making this move very unsafe. Her ~ can con nect at mid
range, but all three hits are totally linear and easy to evade
with BWay Ru n or sidestep. You can use the ~ to ring your
opponent out to the front. and can press <? during the second bomb attack to transition into Possession. If the ~ hits,
dash in with PO S> and use ~+@ to catch the victim
and deal significant extra damage. Doing this also extends
the range at which you can use the ~ to Ring Out.

Input

Damage

level

Impact

Gunl

Hit

{l.~{!.-~c::> @++

30, 22, 20

MMM

i22

LNC

Most of the time you should use Natsu's Air Throw, !:?@ or ~~.
to finish your combos. You can use <?@+ ~ instead of !:?@ in
some combos for a better wakeup situation. Similarly, @:S> deals
less damage than S>S> after a launch, but splashes the oppon ent
onto the ground for good Okizeme pressure, and is always the best
option after Sj,(ID (Combos C and E). For Combo F and Combo G,
after ..(!.@+. the C!lEI won't co nnect at point blank range against
some characters. In general. Natsu's combo starters work the same

on normal hit or CH. One exception is<?, however, wh ich guarantees only !:?@ when hitting normally, but with a CH you can follow
w ith Sj@@@, !:?@ (Combos A and B).
Although these combos are more complicated than those of some
other characters, the reward is more than worth the practice. Note in
particular the extremely high damage that can be dealt withou t using
your Critical Gauge following the bomb and Hover attacks.
Damage

Hits

Cost

Dilficulry

t?@

35

CH<?@

Sj@@@. !:?@

77

**

{!...(!. or 11"\t

~S>

60

..(!.{!.or 'It 'It

S>S>~. !:?@

76

**

<?@+@

82

**

<?@+

'lt+@
<?<?@

53

{!.@+

..(J.t?<?'lt+@

67

***

{!.@+

1}@@

50

S>S>@ ~

!:?@

77

Hover @

WR @. @+@<?. @: , Sj@@@. t1@

103

10

Hover @ (tip range)

<?, ~@@@. FC ..(!.@+@. <?<?@@

78

*** *

..(J.t?<?'lt+@

85

***

@:S>.<?@+

64

*** *

<?@+@

128

{!.@+

C!EI<?. . 'It@+@
C!EI<?. S>S>. 11'+@

118

** *

PO@

FC {!.@+@. <?<?@@

81

C!EI. S>S>@ ~. !:?@

123

.....

Combo

Starter

Followup

<?

' CH WR @<?@+@
E

_{!.@+@

UKEMITRAPS

UkemiTrap

After PO . you will always l1it your oppo

nent unless they Ukemi backwards. If your
enemy stays on the ground to avoid the
launch of ~+liD. you can mix with FC
+ for another combo. To catch back
wards Ukemi, you can use @ (IE).
Using 1::?@ after a short delay is a good alternative to finish your combo after PO @ and
get a possible Ukemi Trap for more damage.
Note that some of these traps won't work
on all characters, such as using <?@+@
after some knockdowns against Ivy. After a

: ~o

Directions

Difficulty

~@+. ~t:?<?1r+@

115

Le fl, Right

PO@

Slight delay ~ IE. t:?@

126

Back

Delay 1::?@

71

All

~~@ (;

Delay t:?@

93

An

-&-&. ~@ IE Delay 1::?@

101

All

~.@:~

129

Left. Right

****

<?+ ~. 'fr+@

.....
..

launch, you must connect with@: just before the opponent hits the ground to splash th em
and create an Ukemi Trap possibility. This is more reliable near a wall, as otherwise your opponent can be thrown back too far.

WALL COMBOS
Near a wall Natsu is very dangerous. If Natsu is at an angle after the
initial wall splat consider skipping the second wall splat and continuing the combo from there, as the second wall splat {e.g. with @)
may fail if the angle is too sharp. You can prevent Ukemi escapes after

Combo

a wall splat by comboing with FC @+@.This guarantees her special

wall attack <?<?@@@ (though be careful not to ring yourself out
near the edge if you're off axis). Use z:J@. @@@. and @@ to wall
splat from the sides.

Starter

Follow up

@W!

@WI FC @+@, <?<?@@@. 1::?@

@:c:::> W!

@WI ~@@@. FC +, <?<?@@@. (i3

~@ 1E W!

~+@<?,PO :~.~@@@. 1::?

'fr@@W!

Difficulty

118

11

***

161

17

120

11

'****

~@+@ <?, PO @:~. ~@@@. FC @+@. <?<?@@@. 1::?@

159

16

@@W!

@~ WI ~@@@. FC @+@. 1::?@

100

11

***

z:I@ W!

@+@ <?. PO @:, ~@@@. <?@+@

95

10

...

C 1\P Ell.: ! , S PLAY NATSU

APPLYING OFFENSE
Aim to make full use of Natsu's speed to suppress your opponent and force them to make
quick decisions. @ is your simplest option at all ranges, due to its combination of speed
and great evasive properties. + is your second all-purpose attack: a little less rewarding
but still with great range, a built-in jump, and the ability to catch sidesteppers. Using these
attacks aggressively can make it difficult for the opponent to pin Natsu down.

right while @@works to Natsu's left. In Possession, use PO +@ to forward Ring Out,
or mix-up with Hover,@. and Hover,
WR @ . [ ~0 2]

GUARD BURST
Try to mix the normal @with @ IE as often as you can. Making your opponent fear
this move should be one of your goals, and this is best achieved if you use the IE version
just enough so that they don't get too comfortable ducking under the second hit. Use Natsu's
@+@ command throw (or her +@ IE) after this is blocked, and mix it up w ith another
@or+ if the opponent tries to crouch or step. Always keep in mind that Natsu possesses the fastest @ in th e game. It can punish attacks that other characters won't be able
to, and can also interrupt your opponent's attacks at times when other characters could not.
This can take opponents by surprise and allow you to maintain your pressure through sheer
speed. [ ~o 11

Natsu's best pokes don't cause Guard Burst

very quickly, even after several are blocked
consecutively. The strongest Burst attacks,
such as PO or..(>..(>, can be sidestepped
or interrupted quite easily, so it's usually better to press with anti-step attacks like +
if the opponent tries to protect their Gauge.
If you nonetheless do successfully Guard
Burst, the combo WR @, @+ <?. PO
@:S>. ~@@@. FC +, <?<?@@ deals
high damage. If this seem s to be a little too
difficult to do after a Guard Burst, try<?+
. PO 'II'+@ for simple, decent damage.
Guard Burst
Req. to Burst

Altllcks

+@

13

PO@

@ IE.@@

10

~..(> or '1/''1/'

12

13

~~@

DEFENSIVE PLAY

OKIZEME
As soon as your opponent is on the ground, you should focus on using Natsu's bombs
(<?@+I..&+@). They hit grounded opponents 1or small damage, but will catch a rising adversary for a devastating combo. After certain knockdowns, there is no way to block or avoid
the bomb attacks, meaning the opponent must either stay on the ground and take damage, or
else be launched by a Ukemi Trap. Remember to make use of FC +, which will stun your
enemy and guarantee further damage, and can lead to more UkemiTraps. Against aggression
from the ground, @ is a good choice for damage and another knockdown.
You can end some combos with<?+ S>, though it deals less damage, so that you can
continue to press with PO mix-ups. PO +@will hit grounded or if the opponent stands up,
while PO hits a crouched opponent and gives advantage if blocked. PO+ is also excellent against an opponent who tries to stand up and defend, and Hover hits grounded, so
the powerful Hover mix-up is easy to implement here. Against some characters Natsu's @..(>
is very useful, for example against Leixia's or Xiba's +attacks from the ground, because
Natsu will jump over these attacks and hit the opponent.

RING OUT
Natsu has many options to dispatch her opponent near the edge of the stage. You can use the
Critical Gauge for @ IE (in front) or @+@ IE (behind). Don't use BT PO @. however;
Natsu jumps back and left after the AT. and can easily ring herself out. + beats throw
attempts and prevents opponents sidestepping away from the edge, and can Ring Out in
front and to the left. Other good options are@, ..(>~or 11'11' and <?<?. <?<?'s quick
backstep can catch an opponent trying to retaliate when at the edge. ..0.+, +@ +@
can Ring Out in front, as can ~. "if. or ~ @@. "if or ~ @ and @ can Ring Out to the

Although Natsu is best suited for an aggressive and offensive style of playing, it is still possible to play her defensively and win. She can
move swiftly around the stage. waiting for a
chance to pounce. Once your opponent whiffs,
<?+, ~~. or are good choices
for whiff punishment. +. as always, is a
good attack to advance with relatively safely.
If you are able to execute : very consistently then you can focus on block punishment against the more unsafe characters.
<? is another good punishing option; it's
very fast but it lacks range. @@ is slightly
slower, but it knocks down on normal hit: use
@<?. PO +@ if your opponent doesn't
Ukemi. If you block an unsafe Low attack,
FC. punishing with WR @ won't do much
damage but will leave Natsu at advantage.
@ on the other hand is not as easy to
input from crouch as <? or WR @. but has
better range, and is still fast enough to punish
whiffed attacks after crouching under t hem.

SPACING & POSITIONING

Natsu's combination of sidestep, PO, Wind
Roll, and Stalker give you the best possible
set of options for controlling the space between you and your opponent and ensuring
that you keep an advantageous position in re-

lation to the ring edge, so it's worth spending

time getting familiar with the exact distances
these can cover. During many of her advancing attacks, such as @ and @.
Natsu uses her whole body to advance, which
makes it hard for an opponent to judge the
range she can cover and forces them to take
guesses when spacing. @ especially wi ll
make it hard for the opponent to beat you with
an approaching attack, so it's worth using this
early in matches to discourage them. r~o 1]

POST-GI
Natsu can make very effective use of Gl to
switch between an aggressive style and defensive play. This is best applied after the op
ponent blocks one of your unsafe attacks but
is unable to genuinely punish it. ~@ ~
is your bread and butter follow-up after a successful Gl. @+@ and @ can also be used
to push the opponent backwards when near
the ring edge. After these attacks, you should
continue with ~@ for a combo. If you think
your opponent will re-GI immediately, make
use of <?+ for another powerful combo. Her(! is also particularly useful here, as
it cannot be countered and leads to damaging
combos. [ ~o 21

The single most important thing you have to do when you fight against
Natsu is to block or jump over her b'ombs and punish them. If you
can do this consistently, you will avoid her most damaging combos.
Since Natsu is very fast she can interrupt you easily, so be extremely
patient against her and wait for a good moment to attack. It's also
important to never underestimate her range. Her daggers may seem
short. but Natsu advances swiftly with nearly every move she uses.

KEY ATTACKS
@ ~

Dealing with. this attack properly is the key to beating Natsu. If you
block the first hit, you can duck under the second. High-hitting stri ke
and then punish her accordingly. Natsu can't cancel the second hit if
Brave Edge is used, so look out for the Brave Edge visual effect. es
pecially when she's approaching f rom mid range. It is also possible to
sidestep ~@ ~ with the right timing - you can then punish her
more easily, and discourage overuse of this move. [ ~o 3]
<?+
You must become familiar with the animation of Natsu's bomb attacks. Try to anticipate and jump this attack where possible. After you
block <?+, Natsu still has a variety of options to keep attacking
using her Possession stance. She can interrupt a lot of punishment
attempts using PO @ or PO . PO @ is a High-hitting attack, while
PO @ is very unsafe when blocked, so be prepared to punish it se
verely if you guess correctly. Don't be tempted to always wait for
Natsu's PO follow-up though, as a shrewd player will use your hesitation to begin a new mix-up using PO (ID and Hover. Stay aggressive .
and watch for their tendencies.

''+ '"''
This move is excellent against sidestep and usually safe. It also Tech
Jumps, so keep in mind that Low-hitting attacks and throws won't be

You should always watch Natsu as carefully as possible in order to get

used to all of the places where she can teleport. If you become disoriented by this, the Natsu player w ill have the opportunity to attack
over and over again. Finally, you have to be careful with your punishment against Natsu because she can make many of her moves safer
by using <? or after them. If you try to punish her immediately
you won't hit her and she can whiff punish your punish ment attempt.

CoiN'TEH ,: i 'iS i-'lAY i NATSU

very effective against a Natsu player who uses th is move a lot. Don't
underestimate the range of th is move and try to always punish it w ith
your fastest atttack (@@for many characters) when you block it If you
are hit by it, it's best to stay grounded in order to avoid more damage
from a t?@ Ukemi Trap.

to defeat the entire mix-up. You can also try to backstep. as the PO
attacks have limited range. [ 7 0 4]
t?@

It's worth taking the time to practice blocking this attack on reacPO liD
This is Natsu's most dangerous PO attack. It is very damaging, good
for Guard Burst, leads into the unblockable ..().@+liD Ukemi Trap, and
gives Natsu huge advantage and even some guara nteed damage
when blocked. As a general rule, step to the side wheneve r you see
Natsu entering PO. Use any sidestepping TC attacks you have to try

tion. It is quite fast, but Natsu crouches quite distinctively before she
stri kes. It is extremely unsafe, so you can punish it harshly with any
character. Natsu is not especially strong at Guard Burst pressure, so
if you can block t?@ and @+liD without having to guess, you will
force the Natsu player to come to close range to attempt throws,
which will make the match toug h for her if you have a life lead.

Command list

@@@
Death Shadow
Shadow Shrine
Shadow Gate

@@<=C>
@<=C>
@:<=C>

Relinquish

'*

Hand Over

~@@

Wind Scroll

~@

Shadow Split

,(!,@
t?@
<?@

Reaping Hook
Curse - Possession

19
13

24
20

-26
-12

Standing/@
Shadow Blast

Mid Mid High

12,10,26

2.2,KND

12,10,15,5

2,2.LNC

Carnage Cannon

@@<?@+@

Mid Mid Low

Ruination - Kuz.ukiri

00]<?@+@@

Mid Mid High

Carnage Cannon - Kuzukiri

@@<?@+@@

Mid M id Low
High
Mid High High

Blood Scroll - Kuzukiri

Blood Scroll - P-ossession
Blood Scroll - Kuzukiri
Blood Scroll - P-ossession
Silence
Assassin's Feather
Vacuum
Dark Slicer Feint- Kuzukiri
Dark Slicer Feint - .Kuzuklri
Free Shadow

NCCIR-Oi lst '

two hits NC .
R-0 1-FC INC
(1 st two hits) I
cnean Hit:

level

Name

Dark Blaze
Ninja Cannon: Nozuchl
Shadow Hunt- Kuzukiri

Wllil RJi~ '- KUzuklri

.().@+~
'@+
'@+@
:
.@+@@

Ninja Cannon: Nozuchi Possession

'~)+(]

Fo g Blanket

'11'+

Properties

ss

TP

Low

Clean Hit: C

.Low High
.,

High
LowSS

15,5

30

-3

LNC

Mid

38

37

30

KND

::

- PO l LNC
(Behind)
Opp - FC (Block) I
Clean Hit: A

Full Crouch Attacl<s

Shadow Split

crouching@

SP-Iow

10

12

-6

Free Shadow

crouching

Mid

16

-8

Seali~g .P'!.nishment

crouching @

Low

.14

15
14

... ~14

Divine Cannon Combo

crouching ~@@

Low Mid

12,14

Poison Dart

crouching+

SPIow

12

16

-16,-9

-4.5

16

-6

11

TCI-FC

STN

While Rising Attacks

Shadow Claw

while standing @@@

Mid High Mid

18, 8, 30

17

Shadow Claw- Possession

while standing @@@'

M id HighSS

18, 8

17

. while standing @ '@+.@

M id Low

18, 15

19

Darkness ~ann on

-4, 11.
18
-4. -11,

-28

4, 3, KND
4, 19

-12, 8

4,LNC

10

1 2, 8, -6

4,LNC,4

10

4,4

12

Darkness Cannon - Kuzukiri

while standing @'@+

Mid Low High

18, 15, 8

19

Stroked Ruin - Kuzu kiri

while standing @'@+@@

Mid High

18, 8

19

-12,

Divine Ca nnon

while standing @

Mid

14

14

Falli~g;Scroll

while jumping @

Mid

22-26

22

-5

KND

Windfall

while jumping

Mid

22-28

22

Foreboding Fall

while j~mping @@

Mid Mid Mid

12,16,32

37

-4,-18

STN.KND

High Mid

18,36

16

-10-16

2,STN

12

High SS

18

16

17

-6

15

19

-o

24

20,-3

-12,-5

..

-o

NCCI STNCH
(1st hit)
NCC I STN CH
(1 st hit) 1 Clean
Hit: C
NCC I STN CH
(1st hill
NC I RO ISTN
CH (1st hit)
STNCHI
R O

Jumping Attacks

15

TJ IR-0 1 ~@ :
Opp-BT (Hit)
TJ
TJ I NC I RO I
- FC

8-Way Run/@
Bullet Hang

+ or~~ or~ ~@@

Bullet Hang - Possession

+ or~~ or ~ ~ @@ '

Reverse Hand

..(!, ... or -frf'@

Mid

Weaving Blades

~lit or ~ "@

Low High

22
10,16

Fan Dance

'+@

Mid Mid

16,28

20

-14

STN

+ or~~ or~~

,. Mid

48

17

-16

STN

TSI-PO
STNCH

8-Way Run/([]
Assassin's Revenge
Assassin's Reve nge - Possession

~+ or ~~ or~~@'

Illusion Scroll

.().... or i ff'

11

TC I Clean Hit: C
TCI-PO

MidSS

48

17

-14

STN

11

Mid Mid

12.20

21

LNC

10

R-0

Mid

28

25

12
-12

KND

10

TCj TSI R-0

SP-Mid SP-M id

20,20

17

Whirling M isery

~+@
~~or ~ ~@

M id High

12.12

Storm Cioud Scroll

.().,._ or '11'-t@

High High Mid

Storm Cloud Scroll - Possession

.(J.... or 'fr f'@'

Storm Cloud Scroll - Wind Roll

Seal

'+ or

tl lit or

~ "

8-Way Run/
Hurricane Punishment

Storm Cloud Scroll - Dist orted

Breeze
Heavy' Burden
Mat

Departure in Fi re
Jute Buriai ,
Cellar Drop
Dropping the Bottle

Reverse Shadow Split

-4

20

1 6
-2

STN

16,20,30

13

-7.-18

2,KND

High High SS

16,20

13

35

-26

.(). ... or -frf'@@+@

High High SS

16,20

13

12

.(). ... or -frf'@if or .().+@

High High SS

16,20

13

-3

M id

18

-7

LNC

13

Mid Mid

24,22

27

-17

KND,LNC

10

High-Throw
High-Throw
High-Throw
High-Throw

55
60
60
70

17
17
17

SP-Iow

TC ITJ
13
TJ I NCC I R-0 I
STN CH (1st hit)
TJ ISTNCH I
-PO
TJ lTC I STN CH I
-Wind Roll
TJ I TC ITS I STN
CH
Opp -FC (Block)
L NCGRD, Opp
-FC (Block) I
Clean Hit: A

CHAP'TI\ r. I VS P!.f.\Y : NATSU

Nome

1 ,Sh~dow Kuzukiri

turn ?rou_ncl @@

Darkness Shatter
" Punishing Wind
Reverse Seal Punishment
Heavy Burden
Fog Blanket

Air Scroll
Phantom Scroll
Dream Scroll
Dragon Wheel
Wind Stalker
Exorcism
Vacuum Drop l<ick
Falling Rain
Haunting Drop
Reverse Haunting Drop
Possession Rush - Possession
Silent Mist - Possession

Possession

backward during Possession

'fr+@

during Possess.ion cl>cl>

during Possession -.!)..

22

31

(~

EZI6 AUDitORE

y /\

Char6"cfer Overvie" Ez.J.:o is a highly trained deadly assassin that can use an assortment of weaporfs to dispatch dPpon~s from any range. Whether he is using his crossbows to attack and frustrate
opponents at long raAge, or using the speed of his dagger up close to interrupt them, Ezio has an
option fofeverything. His interrupt ability is made even more deadly due to the fact that a lot of his
attack~ga in additional Attack Throws on CH, giving you significantly more damage, and cementing
hiru:as~a master assassin. Although he uses numerous weapons, Ezio is still quite a straightforward
chafacter to use and is perfect for beginner players to use while getting fami liar with the game.

#'

, , . . ..

~-

. ..

;c;;

PLAYSTYLE FOCUS

METER USAGE

Ezio: is at his most dangerous at close ra nge where you

can ta ke advantage of his quick pokes and devastating CH
abilities. You'll need to rely heavily on his quick basic attacks
such as and ..(l.@ to give you a solid base from which
to use his CH fishing attacks like !::? and ~. Once
you have the opponent on the defensive f rom the barrage
of quick attacks, you can take advantage of the ir hesitation
through the use of his strong t?t:?!ID and S>S>@+ Break
Attacks to gain even more momentum. Because he does
not have many Low attacks that you can incorporate into his
natural quick striking style, using his normal throws often
can help to break down an opponent's defense and create
opportunities to land damaging Mid attacks like t:?@.

Because of his generally low normal damage, Gl will rarely yield

the sort of resu Its that other
characters can get; outside of using them to break an opponent's
offensive momentum or protect
yourself from a strong break attack, t he meter is better served
elsewhere. All of his lmJ attacks
can be usefu l, but S> and
are arguably the most effective
since they give him very strong
punishment and combo options,
which are areas he is otherwise
lacking in. Conserving meter for
his (!, however, should be the
priority because it's such a good
interrupt and whiff or general
punishment weapon, easily outdamaging all of his other options.

Although he is better at close range, Ezio still has a number

of long range attacks that can be used to bait opponents into
rushing in recklessly in the form of his crossbow shots. With
the ability to attack with these crossbows from any range,
Ezio can effectively take away the opponent's ability to try
and space him since they have to concentrate on avoiding
the crossbow shots. Then, when they do try to close in, you
can ta ke advantage of his evasive attacks such as <?liD orTC
advancing attacks like S>S>@ and S>S> to interrupt them.
[ -~Cl 'I]

"-

PRIMARY ATTACKS

Palm Slash

........ ................. ... ... .. .... ....... .

~ .. {1

.. ..::,-'

"-

Oomnye

Level

16,16

MM

D~m&!le

Lovol

GuMTl

Ezio's lmlm is one of his best attacks to use when you are at
close range and on the offense. It has good range for a basic
poke, and the se.cond hit even has some tracking to one side so
it can be hard for opponents to step around. A single 1m is also
a good way to bait opponents into attacking, at which time you
can interrupt w ith a quick attack like 1m, or a TC attack like
@. With the IE extension on the end it also becomes one
of his most powerful options for punishing opponent's attacks,
and because it gives you a third hit on the end, it can even catch
opponents trying to attack aher guarding the first two.
Stiletto Rush

..................

18,10.26 HHM

lmpnct

i17

This is Ezio's most practical TC attack for use at close range

and can be very effective against opponents that try to interrupt your attacks w ith a quick @@. The first two hits are a
NC, and you can use them to confirm whether or not you connected for a CH, at which time the last attack is also guaran
teed. You can even delay each hit of the string slightly, which
can often lead to hitting opponents as they try to retaliate
with an attack of their own in the perceived opening.The first
hit also tracks very well. and is one of Ezio's few close range
tracking options. so i1 is important for stopping opponents
simply stepping around your other attacks at that range.
Flickering Knife- Standard Crossbow. - Low Crossbow

Dnn10go

Input

Level

Impact

<::(><::(>or~~ or ~~@lm,(}. or 'il'lm 20,30,20 MHL i22

Guard

Hit

-6,-30,-30 2,KND,KND

If the opponent is at mid range, @ is one of Ezio's best

options as an advancing attack to get back into close range,
w here he is most effective. Being a Horizontal Mid attack. it's
very effective against characters that have TC approach attacks.
but since it is also aTC attack, it is also useful against those that
require High attacks to close in. If you land the attack on CH
you can follow-up w ith a guaranteed crossbow shot, but you
should only do so if you are reasonably certain of the CH since
the crossbow shot is very unsafe. The attack in general. however. is very safe and because of the potential crossbow shot,
you can often catch opponents with a quick throw afterwards.
Eagle Fury

Input

Damago

level

Impact

Guard

Hit

Domouc

Level

Impact

Guard

Hit

36,21

ML

i25

-16,-30 STN.KND

Along with <::(>@. this is Ezio's other main approach attack

from mid range. It has slightly more range than S>S>@ and
both hits are a NC so you do not require CH to get good damage, the downsides are that it is significantly more linear, and
both hits are equally punishable when guarded. It is also TC
like <::(>">@ but it has a much lower hitbox so it's even useful
against attacks that are STC. If your opponent is capable of
punishing the attack heavily, you have the option of stopping
at the first hit, and then going into a different mix-up since
the opponent has to honor the threat of the second attack.
A ir Tackle - Low Cro ssbow
This attack is best utilized when opponents have moved just
outside your normal poke range as a means of getting back inside and continuing your offense. The starting animation of the
attack is TC. and then towards the end it becomes TJ, which
can make it very difficult to hit him out of it. If the opponent
does guard it, you still get a slight mix-up because you have
the option to roll to either side. Outside of a {!.-@. very few
characters have attacks that are fast enough to punish@+.
and stop the roll to both sides; if you learn which side the
opponent is weak to. you can often whiff punish them after
thP.ir retilliAtion misses with WR (B)[B) for significant damage.

CHN'ToR :J ! VS ruw I .EZ.IO AUDITORE

Dual Blades
Because of t he number of attacks that Ezio can side roll out
of in to FC, or that leave him in FC any way, you'll often find
yourself using WR mix-ups, and this is one of his strongest
options. Not only does it do very good damage and is a NC,
but is also relatively safe and does heavy damage to the
Guard Gauge iii they do guard it. Wit h the t hreat of the second hit being quite high, it can also be very effective to stop
after the first one and move into another mix-up. Quick interrupt attacks such as !:?@can be particularly effective here, as
can throws and quick Low attacks.

Circling Eagle
<?>@ is one of Ezio's better close range tracking options.
and one of t he few that is also Mid so it is useful against characters that have strong TC 8-Way Ru n attacks. It is slight ly
less safe when guarded than attacks like :>@. wh ich may
also get used in similar situations, but it has t he benefit of
giving a stun on CH so you do not have to anticipate and use a
risky crossbow shot. It is possible to combo after the Stun on
CH with strong ground-hitting attacks like :>:>@. or if you
have the meter you can even use a @ since it has enough
speed and range to hit them whil e t hey are still standing.

Calf Crusher
Although it can only be done from an 8-Way Run, this is still
probably Ezio's best overall Low attack. It has a much better
animation than 1:2@ so is less likely to be guarded on react ion, and it leaves you at enough advantage to make nearly all
of his best CH fishing attacks uninterruptable. It is also one of
his better Okizeme attacks since it hits grounded opponents
and the fact that you have to do it from an 8-Way Run actually
allows it to real ign itself against rolling opponent s.

Heel Lightning
This is Ezio's only t raditional launching attack, and it is important to use as part of his mix-ups because it is one of his few
attacks that can lead to good damage wi thout the n,eed of a
CH. Other than being relatively slow, there is very little downside to this attack because it's totally safe w hen guarded, and
even puts t he opponent in FC, further limiting their options.
On hit you ca n follow-up with:>:>@ for good damage if you
do not have any meter, but if you do. using ~@ Iilli can give
you significantly more and knock the opponen t far across th e
ring towards a w all or ri ng edge.

Sequential Stab
Close ra nge int errupting is w hat Ezio excels at. and that is
largely due to the effectiveness of this attack. It's TC near the
start of the animation, which allows it to beat any quick@@
attempt s by your opponent. and on CH it will stun the opponent and you can follow-up w ith quick Mid attacks like ~@
or his (!, or opt to hit t hem on t he ground w ith:>:>@. The
whole string is also a NC so is useful even if you do not connect with a CH, but you should not use it in general mix-ups,
because if you hit a crouching opponent w ith the first attack,
t he remaining two will whiff above t heir head.

~.)

2012 Ubiso:t Er.:enainn~c.mL />.!l

~ights

Reserved. Assass;n's Crcmd. Uhisof:, anc1 :n~ Ubisofi logo am tra::1E;:narks of Uh:sof! Entsrtqir.rront in 1hc U.S. and/or o:htH

cow~ t1 ic~ .

Forehead Thrust/ Instant Death

Like t?!ID!ID!ID. this is one of Ezio's main CH fishing tools, but

since it is just a single Mid attack, it can also be used as part
of normal mix-ups. On hit, this attack stuns the opponent but
your only guaranteed follow-up is a quick -&. on CH, however, it becomes significantly more poweriul because it automatically transi(ions into an Attack Throw that adds significant
damage. It is also very safe if the opponent does guard it,
so it's a good general purpose Mid that gives you a bit more
range than @)@, and it hits very low for a quick Mid, so is
good against STC attacks.

lnpnt

DM1ngo

levol

lmpoct

Guard

~liD

20

i17

-8

STN

Input

Dnmage

love!

Impact

Guard

Hit

>@

30

i34

-18

Oumago

lovol

lnlpt>CI

Guatd

Hit

48

i29

-10

STN

Step-In Side Kick

......... .......... ..... .... .............. ..... .... ... ..... .....
Moving in and out of poking range quickly to change up the
frequency of your attacks is a good strategy to use w ith Ezio
to help keep your attack pattern unpredictable, and this is one
of his best attacks after a short backst ep. The kick is good
for getti ng back into poke range, and on hit it leads to a stun
that gives you a guaranteed ><?. It is slightly punishable
by some characters, but it does inflicts a lot of Guard Gauge
damage if they do guard it, and the benefits on hit more than
make it worth attempting.

Step-Out Thrust

This attack is best used when you are at a slight disadvantage
and the opponent is likely to retaliate with a quick short range
poke because of the huge backstep that Ezio takes during it
and the fact that it is TC. Both of the factors make it very difficult to hit him out of this attack, and since using it at those
times also means you are quite likely to score a CH with it
you also get some additional benefits like many of Ezio's other attacks. On CH it w ill automatically tra nsition into one A ttack Throw for a large increase in damage and good Okizeme,
and if you hold c(> as it connects you get a different follow-up
that does more damage and can Ring Out.

Tiphon e di Bi anca

.. .... ..... .... ..

Outside of the crossbow shots. this is Ezio's longest range
normal attack. and w hen you factor in t he good damage it
does, it's easily one of his best options t o punish any attack
t hat your opponent may whiff at long range. You can also take
advantage of the range when using it generally at long range
because it is totally safe when guarded. and even if you whiff
the attack it is very difficult to punish it from tip range with
most characters. The benefits of having the attack guarded
are almost on par with having it connect because of how
much it affects the Guard Gauge, but its use is sti ll as a finisher to many of Ezio's combos because of its high damage.

Ezio has a fairly good throw range and gets good damage
from all of his throws. which is important because they are
an essential part of his playstyle. Lack of a threatening Low
attack means that throws are Ezio's main way of getting
t hrough an opponent's defense and potentially making them
crouch. His @ throw does slightly more damage than th e
one, but it leaves the opponent too far away for any Okizeme.
In general it is better to try and use his liD throw more often
since it leaves you close to the opponent for a quick Okizeme
mix-up w ith attacks like@, t!ID, and ..(}.@.
His throw will also ring opponents out forward, and it also
wall splats for some additional damage, but you are unable
to combo after it. His right-side t hrow is the only one t hat
sw itches position, so is worth attempting if you have you r
back to a wall or ring edge, and it also leaves you close to the
opponent in BT so BT @+@ is a very Qood Okizeme attack
afterwards.

Input

Damage

Escape Window

@+@

55

13

liD+@

50

13

@+@ or +@ (left)

65

13

@+@ or +@ (Right)

60

13

70

13 (Voldo I Astaro th I Z.W.E.I.)

CHtF'TER ''I VS F'cJW i EZlO AUDITOR

Ezio's Iilli attacks are quite important because they help

make up for one of his w eaknesses. and that is good non-CH
damage. Both the and c::> Iilli attacks give him very
strong punishment options that he does not normally have
without meter. so conserving some to ensure you can always
punish heavily at the appropriate time is extremely important.
As well as the damage. c::>c::>!ID and especially c::> ~Eli~
also give you significant advantage when guarded, which allows you to use some of his slow, more damaging attacks
such as <?<?liD and <?<?@. With !ID!ID and c::>c::>!ID. the
Iilli extension comes out after the second hit so you can often catch opponents w ith it that that are trying to attack after
the first two as long as you use it sparingly.

Ezio's (! is one of the best in the game when it comes to being used for punishment or as an interrupt attack thanks to its
combination of speed, damage, and range. With this, Ezio can
punish many attacks that he is otherw ise unable to because of
thei r pushback {such as Natsu's c::>c::>!ID>. and doing so against
attacks that your opponent thinks are safe can totally change
the flow of a round. Because Ezio has such good movement,
you can often get the opportunity to use it as a whiff punisher
too, and this is another area in w hich it excels thanks to the
range it has. Like many of his attacks. however. it is perhaps
best used as a slightly risky interrupt attack. After attacks such
as {7@ that leave you at a slight disadvantage, where you
think the opponent will try to attack, the (! will beat nearly every option they could use, partially due to the speed. but also
thanks to the invincible frames that it has before it connects.

....,~~:o:!'

1'ir. ,.

Input

Damage

Lever ,.. bnpact

Guard'"':;,

~~ c::>{7~ c::>+!ID+IID

90

M' ..

-1a ';: ~~. ':K~~-'!(.

Ezio is a relatively simple character in terms of combo potential, and

most of his combos revolve around a core group of attacks that can
be used in a number of different situations. Most of his combos involve attacks that stun the opponent and leave them either on or
falling to the ground, which lim its the attacks you can follow-up w ith.
When the opponent is on the grou nd, the best option is nearly..always <?<?liD as it does the biggest damage out of all the guaranteed
follow-ups. Sometimes, however, it ca n be worth using + to hit
them on the gr ound if they don't Ukemi so that you can go for a BT
m ix-up centered around BT liD+@.

i13

End stu n combos w ith your ~ if you have enough Critical Gauge,
or use <?<?liD for the most damaging option without meter. ~liD
does less damage and doesn't lead to Okizeme, but leaves the opponent further away and is useful to create space. His only conventional
launcher is 1:2@. and while it is relatively slow, it is ve ry safe and if
you follow-up w ith c::> ~Eli~ it can lead to very good damage and is
usually his best option post-GI.

Starter

Follow-up

Damage

Hits

Cost

1:2@

<?<?liD

53

c::> Iilli

86

<?<?liD

60

<?<?liD

69

115

e;

. ; +

20'12 Ubisoft Er1~crt0i:alH):lt. A!: Riuhts

C!l3
Ru~~urvod. As;;;ti~Sili's C:ut~t:i.

Difficulty

Uhisoh. a:-:d \'h0 Ubi~~oft !u~JO uru t:nue~n:::rks of Ub:soft Entertn!nmem in1ho U.S. flnd/or othor countries.

S!artor

Dtunnyo

Hits

Cost

Difficulty

c(>(ID ~

76

CHWR @

(!13

94

CH J:Z(ID(ID(ID

~(ID

60

CH J:Z(ID(ID(ID

>>@

67

**

CH J:Z(ID(ID(ID

(!

82

**

l:Z~ or ~~@

~. >>@

94

***

~~or ~~@

(!

117

c(>@+

c(> c(>(ID(ID

106

***

BT @.l+@

~ (ID(ID(ID,

(!

93

***

I CH WR @

fOIIOWIIp

UKEMITRAPS

..

Ezio doesn't have many useful Ukemi Traps because most of his
knockdown attacks either have too much recovery or leave the opponent too far away for any Ul:emi Trap attempt to reach. Even after
attacks that stun the opponent it is very difficult to catch Ukemi at
tempts because of the high hitbox of even his Mid Horizontal attacks.
and any that do catch don't lead to as much damage as you would
have got for completing the stun combo. The only exception to this
is times where you are ending a combo with >>@. because if you
delay it slightly it also works as an UkemiTrap in all of those situa tions.
allowing you t o get some extra damage if they try to Ukemi. Also. if
you land ~@ normally, you ca n catch most directions with a simple

Difficulty

Knockdown

Ukemi Trap

~@

(ID(ID ~

91

Left. Back

CH ~(ID(ID(ID

>>@

74

All

**

>>@

>@

74

All

* **

Oiroclions

@@. and if you add the t:ilil extension on the end it leads to very good

damage. If the opponent does a back Ukemi after ~@ only the first
(ID w ill connect so you should only go for the full trap aft er judging how
your opponent likes to Ukemi. If you successfully land the (ID(ID ~
trap after 1::?. th e opponent is usually left close enough to you so that
you can go for another UkemiTrap w ith BT {!.-@ for additional damage.

WALL COMBOS
Although Ezio only has a few attacks that wall
splat and allow you to combo afterwards, the
ones he does have are quite effective and
lead to good damage. If you are very close
to the wall you can splat the opponent with
~@. which gives you a quick and safe wall
splatting optio n that does not require a CH.
When you wall splat with this attack the opponent will be BT on the wall, so not all of
the usual follow-ups are guaranteed, but because they ar e BT. it is possible to re-splat
them with :>@ and then land a free back

throw. If you happen to land CH t?(ID(ID(ID while you are in front of a wall. you can also splat
the opponent with >@. but since !::? is also his main combo filler and you cannot repeat the stun, you have to simply splat them again with another @and then use a finisher.
His (ID(ID (; is a very good choice to use as a finisher near a wall because it leaves you BT
and very close to the opponent. close enough that you can use BT +@ as an Ukem i Trap
in some directions, and then combo into his C!l3 off that. Further away from the w all his best
w all splatting attack is {!.-{!.-@ since it recovers very fast. and allows you to land a powerful
attack like @ before re-splatting them. significantly upping the damage of the combo.
WR @ can also be a g ood option near a wall since it can catch people trying to get away from
it. and you can follow-up with c(>(ID for a wall splat that can lead to a lot of damage if you have
the meter available.

CHAPTEf~ /

i VS PlAY i EZIO AUDITORE

Damage

Hils

Cost

Difficulty

<?@,WI Throw

73

CH f:?(ID(ID(ID, ~ @
WI

<?@. W I @+@ <?<?(ID

84

**

CH t?(ID(ID(ID, <?@
WI

<?@.WI (ID(ID fml

87

11

CH WR @, c;>(ID W!

134

14

***

..()..c.- or 'If 'If@ W!

125

Follow-up

Combo

~ @W I

APPLYING OFFENSE
Because you will need to rely on a lot of
different quick attacks while you are on offense with Ezio, it's important to not become
predictable w ith the timing of your attacks
because that w ill make it very easy for your
opponent to counter them. Changing the
timing of your attacks, or stopping at different points in simple strings such as (ID(ID or
!:? is also a good way of baiting you r
opponent into attacking, which allows you to
CH them out of it for big damage. Even using
attacks such as c::>c::>@ or ~@ on their own
can be a good way to make your opponent
hesitate slightly whi le they wait for the crossbow follow-up.
As soon as your opponent sta rts to freeze up
you can move on to Ezio's slower and more
damaging setups, and start to make use of
one of his better Low attacks. t:?t?@ gives
enough advantage on hit that most of Ezio's
good CH attacks are nearly impossible to
beat, and since getting advantage off a Low
attack is quite rare, your opponent is likely to
try and attack after getting hit by it. This is
also a good time to start using @+(ID more
as it can be a very hard attack for a lot of characters to deal with because of the option to
roll to either side afterwards. The roll leaves
you in FC right next to the opponen t and you
have a very strong mix-up between WR @ to

catch them if they try to step and leads to a good CH combo, orWR (ID(ID w hich does a lot of
damage both on hit, and to the Guard Gauge if they guard it [70 'l]

OKIZEME
Ezio has a number of very strong ground-hitting Mid attacks, but unfortunately they are all very
linear. Attacks such as <?<?(ID and c::>c::>(ID can lead to a lot of damage, but since it's relatively
easy to side roll them, you have to be a bit more careful wi th them. It is best to wa it a bit to
see if your opponent is going to roll, and then try to realign yourself before using these atJacks to compensate for their linearity. @+ is also another strong Okizeme option since it
jumps over the opponent as it hits them on the ground, leaving you very close to them for a
BT mix-up.
Outside of ..().@, t?t:?@ is his only other grou nd-hitting Low attack and because you have to
enter 8-Way Run fi rst, it is quite slow to use in Okizeme. Due to the strength of his Mid options, however, opponents are generally focused on avoiding them, so even though it is slow,
it can still be useful. and the advantage it gives allows you to continue your offense.

DEFENSIVE PLAY
Ezio's fast movement speed is by far one of his most useful defensive abilities, as it allows you to move in and out of attack range much
faster than many other characters can do. It is this movement speed
that allows you to very effectively make opponents attack whiffs either through sidestepping or backstepping, and that leads directly
into another defensive area that Ezio excels at, whiff punishing. At every range Ezio has a damaging option to punish opponents for whiffing, while still being safe enough even if they are guarded to make
them ve ry low risk options.
At close range you have t?@ that leads into a powerful combo if you
have meter, or <?<?@ and <?<?for mid to long range knockdowns
with big damage, wh ile also doing a lot of Guard Gauge damage if the
opponent does recover in time to guard. Arguably his best whiff punishment tool, however, is his @lEI, wh ich has the perfect combination
of speed, range, and damage to allow it to punish even the smallest
of mistakes by your opponent. [ -?0 2}

RING OUT
Ezio is rather unique in the fact that he can ring opponents out if they
are near the edge from long range through the use of his ct>+@
and ../7+@ crossbow shots. This can be a very useful advantage
since a lot of combos can knock the opponent quite far away, but they
will still have to contend with the threat of the crossbow shots as
they try to get up. It is best to use the crossbow shots sparingly, however, because whi le they are relatively quick, opponents can learn to
react to t hem, especially if you use them predictably.
If you are very close to the edge, ~@ is an excellent, quick Mid option that is safe, or..()...().@ can be just as effective from slightly further
out. If you think the opponen t w ill try to step to the side in order to
get away from the edge, both <?and ~ct> RO from a good
distance on CH thanks to the crossbow shot on th e end . Even slower
Low attacks such as I:? and I:?I:?@ or his+@ throw can RO and
because of the strong M id threa t, opponents are unlikely to try and
,.
crouch which makes them very effective. [-7U 1)

GUARD BURST
While a lot of Ezio's attacks that inflict heavy Guard Gauge damage
are quite unsafe, he does still have a few tha t can easily be worked in
to your normal strategy to help put opponents under more pressure.
<?<?is your main tool when you are attempting to Guard Burst your
opponent because you can use it at a range wh ere it is very difficult
for most characters to try and reta liate. Similarly, if you are a long way
away from your opponent, there is very little harm in using the crossbow shots, because even if they are guarded they can still help wear
down the Guard Gauge. 1:11:?, whi le his most potent attack against
the Guard Gauge, can also be difficult to set up because of its slow
speed and linearity, so it is usually best attempted after a knockdown.
Guard Burst
Roq. to Burst

Artacks

6
;:,.>.'''' t?t?
-l _- ;>:::;..:':':~---W
-R_@J
_
B_
@)_
,_
<?_<?
_ @J
_B_ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ __

:a!;:-,e,v:,,; <?. ct>~. (;,

;_r :_!'' . :::,:J <?. ct>ct>. ~ct>+
:;1o,:~:l\c

<~-;-!_ <?+@. <?<?@

!\1,1';(~;0 _ ---: ' - ..().+, ct>@J+@. ..().+@. 'It . ../)...().@), ..()...().@

.w ''

<

..().../).@@

While Ezio does not have some of the more pro-acti ve defensive
countermeasures t hat other characters do, he does still have some
evasive attacks that can be very useful to get you away from an opponent's offensive gressure. Attacks such as <? can avoid many
quick short range pol<es such as and ..().@ from most characters,
and if you happen to land it on CH it can do a significant amount
of damage. Most of his other evasive attacks are prim arily TC, so
if your opponent is using a character that re lies on High attacks,
Ezio's ~@and 11 ca n be very effective. +also gives you
a nfii-nber of evasive qualities while also giving you a slight mix-up
even if it is guarded, and at mid range it can be very difficult to beat.

[-70 3)

C-';\PTER 4 ! VS PLAY! ZIO AUJ)J'fORE

SPACING & POSITIONING

POST-Gr

Spacing is quite different with Ezio compa red to other characters because even when outside of the normal attack ranges of both characters. the opponent still has to be thinking about the threat of the
crossbow shot. This usually means that they will not be using attacks
to try and bait you into rushing in like a lot of cha racters do, and they
will be focused more on evading a crossbow shot, and only then are
they are likely to try to close in. It is importa nt to try and get the range
just righ t so tha t you can afford to have the crossbow shot whiff, and
still be able to attack the opponent if they do approach. Because of
Ezio's good movement, if you are attacking on the edge of your opponent's range, it is also quite easy to backstep away from them to
try and make them whiff, at which time you can punish them heavily
w ith attacks such as<?<?. [~0 4]

Although he lacks a lot of attacks that lead to significant damage

wi thout CH, he does have a couple that lead to potentially enough
damage to make the opponent want to re-GI. t?@ is the main threat,
especially if you have enough meter for a Iilli attack and can followup w ith ~ Iilli, but + can be almost as good with a <?<?
follow-up and requires no meter. If you think the opponent is going
to re-GI you. then slower attacks such as ~~@+(] can be very
effective, because on hit you can com bo into ei ther ~ or his l!m,
and even if they do not re-G I, it will still leave you at advantage w hen
guarded. [ ->0 5)

Ezio is primarily a close range character that

relies on CHs for a significant portion of his
damage, so if you avoid using slower attacks in
either retaliation or as an interrupt. you can significantly cut down on the opportunities he has
to get extra damage. The best option is usually
to use a simple {!.@ in a lot of these situations

because while it does not lead to much damage, it does deal with a lot of his most potent
options and leaves you at advantage.
Playing slightly defensively against Ezio is
generally a good idea since a lot of his attacks are punishable, and reacting to his

main Low attacks is quite easy once you

become familiar with the animations. Once
you get outside of~~@ range, most of the
attacks that might get used are quite linear,
so as long as you pay attention to the ra nge,
you can often get around a lot of his attacks.
including the crossbow shots.

KEY ATTACKS
. ~~

This is one of Ezio's strongest Mid hitting. strings, but it still has a
number of weaknesses that you can take advantage of. It's very linear so if you anticipa te it you can step it easily, but in doing so you
run the risk of getting CH with~~@. A better option is to guard the
first attack, and then step the second to either side and punish it on
whiff, which for most characters can lead to much more damage than
simply guarding and punishing it. f -70 6]

.??!hi
At mid range, this attack is one of Ezio's best means of stopping opponents from stepping, but the fact that it is almost impossible to
confirm the CH means committing to the crossbow shot in advance
to get the most damage. Because of this, if you can bait this attack
out of the Ezio player, you ca n often punish it heavily if you anticipate
the crossbow shot. Since it is High, if you have any kind ofTC or good
WR attacks you can use it straight away and not have to worry about
guarding the c rossbow shot at all.
<?<? , .
Once you are just outside of Ezio's @ ra nge, this is one of the
few attacks he has that will reach, and it is important to remember
that it is quite linear, so once you reach that range, you should switch
from backstepping to sidesteps. This attack is totally safe to nearly
every character so it is important to try and step it wheneve r possible
and avoid guarding it too often because it does a signi ficant amount
of damage to the Guard Gauge.

Ezio's infamous crossbow shots are a bane to players that try to space
their opponents or bait t hem into attacking by whiffing attacks of their
own, but they do have significant weaknesses. The most obvious thing
to remember is that t here are no Mid crossbow shots, so you can just
crouch guard anytime you see one com ing. They are also extremely
punishable when you do guard them, and most characters w iII be able to
launch him for a combo. All of the crossbow variants are aIso very linear,
so at range you can step around them with ease as long as you remember that<?+@ realigns itself slightly before firing so you need to be
unpredictable with both the direction and pace of your movements.

This is another one of Ezio's main mid range attacks, and since it is
both TC and TJ at different times, it can be difficu lt to deal w ith. It is
important to remember that it is TC early in its animation, and TJ late,
so if you anticipate it you can still poke him out of it wi th a quick {!.@
or Mid attack. If you guard it, {!.@ is again your best option, even if
you have more powerful attacks that could punish it. because it allows you to both punish the attack, and gives you the best chance
of tracking either of the side rolls that can be done afterwards.

[-70 7]

..

Command List
Name

Input

level

Damago

Hidden Left

@@

High High

10,14

Stiletto Rush

~@@@

High High Mid

18,10,26

Brutus' Sm ite

~@

M id

Shin Slash

-&

SP-Iow

Crossbo':'f Sw eep

!::?@

Low

Block

Hit

12

-s.-6

2.6

17

-16.-B.-16

6,0.KND

Guard Burst

Properties

Standing/@

Crossbow
Combination

NC
TCINCC INC
(1st l'-'lO hits) I
Delayable

Low Low

Crossbow Beat -
Sta.ndard Cro'ssbo"
- Low Crossbow

Dariu s' Stab

c:>IID

Forehead Thrust

~liD

Inst ant Deat h

~liD (counter hit)

Shin Stab

-&liD

Sequent ial St ab

!:?liD

St ep-Out Thrust

>@

Biting Eagle

<::> (counter hit)

KNOon CHI
Clean Hit: B

A rma Segreta di Leo >@. counter hit c:>

24,36

17

18

15

TCI-FC

8,8,8

16

TC I NC I STNCH

30

34

..

Mid-Throw

36,ZO

Mid Mid-Throw

36,28

High

14

13

34
R-0 1Clean Hit: C

34

Standing/@
Reverse Head
Impact Kick

Head Impact Kic:k

c:>

16

17

Opp - BT (Hit}

Insurance St om p

~-&

36

24

30

18

Opp - FC (Hit}

Torture Male

16

16

1 2

Crawl Low Kick

-&

16

15

-14

Heel Lightning

!::?@

20

23

LNC

22

18

<?

:' Brawl Kick.

M id

Standing/@!

RO

Opp -FC (Biockl

K.NO CH

,.

Air Tackle Low Crossbow

+~ or -&

Mid l ow

36,21

25

-16.-30

STN,KND

15 (for A+ B)

TJ lTC I NC I RO

-&+

M id

32

24

STN

11

Opp - FC (Block)

Requiescat in Pace

High

GO

60

Standard Cross bow

~+

High

30

21

Standard Crossbow
- Low Crossbow

S>+~ or-&

30,20

Low Crossbow

-&+

Low

Evade Crossbo w

>@+

M ercy St rike
Standing/@+

KND

UB I RO I Clean
Hit: C

30

KND

R.O I Clean Hit: C

21

-30.-.30

KND,KND

R.Q I Clean Hit: C

20

31

-30

KND

High

30

31

-30

KND

TC I R.Q I Clean
Hit: C

10

TS I R.Q I Clean
Hit: C

Full Crouch Attacks

Shin Slash

crouching

SP-Iow

12

13

-FC

Shin Stab

crouching@

Mid

18

15

-7

TCI-FC

Crawl Low Kick

crouching

Low

16

15

-14

TCI - FC

Stalking Stiletto

while standing

M id

14

21

12

15 CH

Dual Blades

while standing @@

Mid Mid

18, 30

18

12,16

2,STN

While standing @

M id

16

15

-10

w hile jumping @

High

22

26

TJ

KND

11

TJ

KND

While Rising Attacks

Uppe;

Kne~

NC
R-0 I STN CH

Jumping Attacks
Vaulting Hidden
Blade

..

~-

Ledge-Drop Slash

w hile jumping @

Mid

30

31

Jumping Front l<ick

while jumping @

High

20

23

I
I

-14

11

CHAPTER 4 ! VS PL/\Y! EZIO AUDITOR

Flickering Knife

Flickering Knife

20,30,20

22

Flickering Knife Low Crossbow

20,20

22

Eagle's Flutter

24,22

25

Standard Crossbow
- Low Crossbow

--

--~1-

Aerial Assault

Body Wrencher
Air Assassination

~)

2012 Ubiso+t Er tor t~1inmcnt. All Rights Re~;ervcd. As~;<?ssin's Creed, Ub1soh, ~rKi the l)bisoft !O{J(I r.1re trac'emr.rks of Ubisofr EntertaU1men: in the U.S. and/or othar co~mtries.

CHAP-ER 41 VS PJIY RAPHAEL SOREL

PHAEL

Cha~ote ~,. , .;l,,.,,., .,

ood

,,.c;,;;,., lo loog ooge ,wo,dply ood 'padog.

He has manv. f(!st pokes and a good selection of evasive moves. Executing his attacks is quite
easy, but gettin~the right t iming in the right situation can take some time to learn. He can be
a threat ftom ~f,oth fa r and close range, having long ranged combo starters and fast close range
pekes with ~liich to start his offense. Also important is his stance game; getting into his stances
at the right;lme is the key ior pressure and damage w ith Raphael. He can be an easy character to
use, but;,nastering his moves and stances is a difficult task and he's one of the most rewarding
sp7
characters.
_

METER USAGE
moves at any range makes Raphael an interChecking your range at all times is very"'"'''"'r"' is very good, and
reward1,lre:1!!lle)J!o CH w ith @)@)@)
. He also
will evade
attacks, so
\!'e.rlf~)/aS'\lVely ""'r.\"'m:> PTTP<~TIVP, <?@), <?<?@),

l'f<T.'QOC>a

.I

Preparation (PREP)
Preparation can be transitioned into after a few of Raphael's
best moves. This stance can only be canceled by transition. ing into his other stance, Shadow Evade (SE). The stance is
active for only a few seconds and will cancel automatically if
no attack is used. One of his fastest transitions is ~ 0. after
which you ca n beat {lr@s or similar pokes using his PREP
. Confirming the counter-hit for the third or even hi s
mEl is very important in order to play safely. Because the
faster options in preparation are High, you' ll be vulnerable to
TC attacks, so you will need PREP@. which will also prevent
the opponent sidestepping to the right, But the ~ kick is a
High-hitting attack, so you can't use it too often or predictably.
His PREP@@ is not fast enough to beat many pokes, but it is
a natural combo and deals more damage than PREP. Raphael also can backstep during his Preparation stance by pressing <?. which has a short auto-GI that will Guard Impact any
Vertical attacks.@+ is another useful evasive attack, as it also
causes Raphael to backstep. wh ich is especially effective at mid
or long range. After the PREP auto-GI. PREP@ or PREP @ Iilli
are guaranteed. Be carefu l with PREP@+@, however; it's not a
quick attack and can be easily punished if the opponent blocks it.
While in Preparation, Raphael w ill automatically evade all Highhitting attacks and will switch into Shadow Evade automatically.
Shadow Evade (SE)
This stance can only be transitioned into while Raphael is in
his Preparation stance. It can happen either automa tically, or
manually by pressing-&. If you hold-& for longer, you will stay
longer in SE. When this happens Raphael will duck and evade
every High attack. To make this evasive action even more effective. you should use Preparation at mid or long range. He
has only three attacks out of Shadow Evade. but his SE
and SE @ are very good when blocked. so they're great for
sustaining your offense. SE @ is a Low that's relatively safe
when blocked and w ill knock down opponents even on normal hit as well as catching sidestepping opponents. Shadow
Evade is the attack you should aim to use the most. Hitting
with this attack can lead to a damaging combo and even if
it's blocked you can still keep your offensive pressure. Don't
hesitate do delay this move to its maximum to fish for CH
and make it track opponents better. The main weakness of
Shadow Evade is that you cannot transition into it quickly;
you always have to go into Preparation first, giving your opponent time to choose an interrupt. So mixing up between
fast attacks out of Preparation or simply going into Shadow
Evade is a very important element of Raphael's sta nce game.

Input

Damaae

level

PREP@lfi)

8,8

HH

PREP@)@@

8,8.22

HHM

8,8,4,4,4:4.4,30

HHMMMMMM

16,14

HH

PAEP@@l

Iilli

PREP@@

~ is not only a fairly good poke, it's also one of Raphael's best
punishment tools and a very solid PREP transition. ~ 0 into
Preparation lets you combo with either PREP , or at close
range PREP @. Mixing ~ and ~ 0 is very important because ~ is slightly unsafe, but can usually only be punished
by attacks that his ~0 in to PREP options would interrupt. Using ~0 only will get you in trouble, though, because there are
tools w ith every character that can deal with predictable use of
Preparation. However. those moves are generally slower than
pokes. or are evasive moves that cannot punish~. It is nearly
impossible for the opponent to tell if Raphael did ~ or ~0
so they cannot react to both perfectly all the time.

TC

HI-I
. . M

PREP@ fil
.PREP@
i'PREP@ @

MH

PREP@+@

Back Dash

PREP<?

Auto-GI

PREP {lt

-SE

Transitions into Prepar,ation

Guard

Hit

14

-2

13

-2

10

HH

-3

HH

10

Input

Darnage

Level

Propenics

SE@l

35

SE@

20

Opp -BT !Hit)

SE@

28

TC

Input

I."" I

~0

<? 0

[ ~<?@0

.c:>m
~ 0

....

<?<?@+@@

: ;nf.~'

' - PRIMARY ATTACKS

Broken Thrust

TC

Input

De mage

!.vel

lmpaC1

Guard

Hit

18

i16

-14

i16

~0

C! lt\P iTf~

1 !\/S PL;\Y i RAPHAEL SOREL

Quick M andritti
This is one of Raphael 's best combo st arters. It's relatively
quick and safe. It's best used when you think the opponent is
likely to duck, or after sidestepping one of their attacks. When
it hits, it stuns the enemy, granting you enough time to start a
nice combo such as ~ m@J@J@), t hough you can also land his
(! after hitting w ith ../}../}@). It's safe when blocked, and you
can even try evasive options after to continue your offense.
This move is very linear however. so it won't hit sidestepping
opponents. The recovery often is fast enough even if it whiffs
that it is hard for the opponent to punish you after evading it,
so it can be used wel l for spacing purposes.

Dread Coffin
'*'*@) is one of Raphael's Break Attacks, and it 's pretty
good. '*'*@) has incredible range for its speed and leads
to advantage w hen blocked. When it hits it w ill stun the opponent giving the chance for a damaging combo. This move
is Raphael's best opt ion for long-range punish ment, at t imes
when the range of ../}../}@) is not enough. There are multiple
possibilities to combo after this attack, but his '*'*@)+@
does the most damage. It is also possible to go into PREP

by holding

l!l

which will result in gaining better advantage

than from any of his other transit ions. This attack ca n also be
used against opponents w ho are likely to duck. Like many of
Raphael's attacks, this move is quite linear, so sidestepping
opponents will easily evade it.

Ebony Stock

U!vol

Impact

Guard

Hit

MMM

i1 6

-7.-12,-16

-2,-2,2

Compared to other character's@) attacks, Raphael's@) is not

that fast but can hit as a three-hit combo on CH. The first two
@Js are also a natural combo. Keep in mind though, that t he
full string is quite unsafe when blocked, so confirming t he
CH after the fi rst @) is very important. Hitting with just the
first two @Js only w ill leave Raphael at a disadvantage, but
the opponent w ill likely keep blocking and waiting for the last
@), so you can still t ry to attack even after @)@) is blocked.
Sometimes at far range the second @) might miss crouching
opponents, but t his happens rarely.

Triple Botta in Tempo

Besides his @]EJ, '*@J is Raphael's fastest attack, so using
it for punishment and to interrupt t he opponent is essential
at ti mes. '*@) is a natural combo, w hile '*@)@)@) and
'*@)@) (illl are a natural combo on CH. You can also try to
land a CH at mid -range wit h th is series, as the opponent
won't have access to a faster move from here. Confirming
the CH before inputting the last @) is essential, because the
last hit is quite unsafe any character can punish it. You can
also transition into PREP fairy safely and from t here you can
quickly use his Shadow Evade. Keep in mind if you rarely use
the full string t he opponent might just attack after the second
@), so sometimes it is useful to do t he full string even it is not
on counter- hit. This move is linear and a High-hitting attack,
so it can be easily countered and it cannot punish attacks if
the opponent recovers in FC.

lnilUI

Damage

lave I

Impact

Guard

Hit

'*@)@)

8,8

HH

i1 2

-10,-14

-2,0

'*@)@)@)

8,8,22

HHM

i12

-16

'*@Jm

8,8

HH

i12

-4

10

~ SECONDARY ATTACKS
Wick ed T hrust

:: ',~}ir
lnpU1

Dnmogc

leel

Impact

Gu;ud

Hit

20

i22

-14

STN

'H

i22

Raphael does not have many reliable Tech Crouch attacks,

but th is one is his best. <? w ill evade High-hi tting attacks
and throws very early from the start of t he animation until it
hits, so it's your best anti-High defensive option when not in a
stance. Also, using <?I]) to go into Prepa ration can lead to a
combo on normal hit. It has very good range, and is only slightly unsafe if blocked. But as w ith many of Raphael's attacks,
it is quite linear, so be caref ul if your opponents steps a lot.

fllpUt

Onmage

level

hnpnct

Gurd

Hit

..!}~@

42

i20

12

STN

Dark Moon

Input

Dnmaou

Level

Impact

Guard

Hit

<?

20

i20

10

KND

Input

0 mage

Level

Impact

Guard

Hit

@+@

16,18

MM

i18

17

@ +@@

16,18,24 MML

i18

12

Damage

Impact

Guord

Hit

A ffon d o Fe ndant e

For its speed and range ..!}~@deals very good damage.

This attack will cover a lot of range and will put Raphael closer
to the opponent. It is not really unsafe if blocked, though a
standard ..!}@ can punish you, and it stun s the opponent,
leaving them on the ground in front of you. There is no combo
after .O.'l:l@ hits, but it gives Raphael good Okizeme and
does nice Guard Gauge damage. Using this attack against
back-stepping opponents is recommended ; for example. it
will hit a back-stepping opponent at the very beginning of a
round. Again t his attack is quite linea r, as with most ly other
linear attacks from Raphael, this m ove should be used if the
opponent blocks or is in a recovery state.

<?<? is one of Raphael's best Tech JuQ1ping attacks. It will
jump over any Low attack such as a -& or..!}@. and will evade
all normal throws. Some opponents will focus their offense
around these k inds of attacks. and <?<?@ does a great job in
countering them. On hit it will knock down and can lead to a decent combo. It is safe w hen blocked and can even hit sidesteppers, evading to their left side. It is also useful for positioning, as
it will place Raphael on the other side after it hits. For example, if
Raphael has his back to the ring edge, using >can quickly
change the situation.

Ass alto M o nta nte Crescen d o

.......... ... .............. ......... ........... ........ ......

@+ not only hits grounded and rolling opponents, it also can
evade High-hitting attacks and will backstep a little to evade
short-ranged attacks. It's very good in wall combos it also does
a nice job against poke-heavy characters, because of its evasive properties. Although+ is unsafe when blocked, most
of the time it won't get punished because of the potential @
follow-up. This last attack hits Low, but can be jumped after
the opponent blocks the first two attacks. This, however, will
lead to jumping or ducking opponents after @+@ is used, so
wh ile unsafe on block, using an evasive or a fa st move after it is
blocked can succeed. This move also can hit to Raphael's right
side if an opponent tries to sidestep in that direction. It's a very
good attack to use against opponents that use evasive attacks
often, as it w ill be TC and TS attacks reliably.

Death Guise

This attack includes a sidestep before it hits, allowing it to evade
some Vertical anacks. It hits Low and the animation is deceptive,
so your opponent likely won't be able to block this move consis
tently. It hits on the ground and gives a stun on CH. allow ing for
even more damage using a combo. On normal hit Raphael w ill
recover as fast as the opponent. giving him no frame disadvantage. After t he hit Raphael will stay at mid range, which is excel
lent for continued spacing. Despite being unsafe, this move has
good range, so it 's hard to punish. Again, this is a linear attack so
it should be used against blo<;kiny opponents or after evading.

level

CIIIJ,PTE" 41 VS "l.AY I RAPHAEL SOREL

Lunging Press
If you are far away from your opponent and want to hi t them
w hile they sidestep, .::>.::> is Raphael's best option. Its
range is very good and it w ill hit to any side the opponent
tries to evade. This attack w ill also place Raphael closer to
the opponent. so after this you w ill be most likely be at mid
-range or closer. It is not really unsafe if blocked, but is a Highhitting attack, so it won't hit ducking or Tech Crouching opponents. Because Raphael has so many good attacks that are
linear. @ must be used often to prevent the opponent
using sidestep or 8-Way Run too much.

Pirouette Sweep
This Low-hitting attack w ill hit grounded opponents and can
be used to catch sidestepping opponents. It is also nearly
impossible for the opponent to react fast enough and block
it. W hen it hi ts, CH or not, Raphael will recover as fast as the
opponent does. Again, because Raphael lacks attacks that
will hit opponents using sidestep and 8-Way Run. this move
can be an invaluable tool. It is also an essential part of his
Okizeme game. as it w ill hit grounded and rolling opponents.
Mixing it w ith +, @+@, and + while the
opponent is on the ground is recommended.

Rapid Eminence
Not counting his ~- ~ is Raphael's fastest Mid-hitting
attack. It also hits sidestepping opponents and i s safe against
most characters. Only ve ry fast characters like Natsu orYoshimitsu could theoretically punish this move, but it's very fast
with a short blockstun, so even these characters w ill have a
hard time punishing it. ~on CH will give you even more
frame advantage, and it can also lead to a wall splat near a
wall. ~ on CH will also push back the opponent further
away, giving Raphael more space for his slower ranged attacks. Although it doesn' t do a lot of damage, this attack can
help a lot when fighting against any opponen t in close combat.

Wyvern'sTail
This attack will launch the opponent behind Raphael, allowing
him to combo accordingly. Similar to Ra phael's <?<?@, hitting with + will result in a position change. When
blocked, this attack gives Raphael only a slight disadyantage,
so you can still beat the opponent's retaliation and can have
success with evasive moves to continue your offense. This
attack also hits grounded opponents, and does good Guard
Gauge damage, so using it for his Okizeme and Guard Burst
works well.

Venom Roundhouse
.(!.-.(!.-@is a circular kick, and one of the best options to catch
sidestepping opponents with Raphael. It's another essential
tool in your anti-sidestep game, so you' ll need to use it often
to discourage opponents w ho think they can take advantage
of Raphael's linearity. When it hits a sidestepping opponent
it leads to strong damage and knocks down for Okizeme. Its
range is not great, however, and it's a High attack, so be careful if the opponent is sidestepping into a TC attack often.

Raphael's +@ throw will ring the opponent out to your

right side. His+@ will Ring Out them to the front and also
wall splat if a wall is to the back of the opponent. giving you
the chance to combo into his (!)}. <=:>~+@ will deal 60
damage in total, and will also give Raphael the opportunity
to recover a bit of his health. Doing so requires you to hit
at least one button as quickly as possible. Every fourth time
you press or will restore health: 3 points of life against
fema le characters and 2 points of life against male characters.
His leftside throw is also very good, as it can Ring Out behind you. Besides the damage and Ring Out possibilities, his
throws are very important to track sidestepping opponents.

Every one of Raphael's ~ attacks serves a different purpose. ~~@ ~ w ill provide you with the only Mid-hitting
attack out of his stances that can Ring Out. It also changes
~~@@) so that it gives you advantage when blocked and
launches the opponent for a combo. PREP@ ~ can sa fely
be used after the PREP auto-GI. It deals good damage and
can be used to beat Tech Crouch attacks and sidesteppers,
but you' ll risk the opponent might ducking under the second
hit if the first one is blocked, which can make PREP @ ~
riskier than just PREP@.

! 1~pui '
. @+@

6~nlrge
50

13

+@

45

13

~~@+@

60

+@ or+@ !Right)

60

13

@+@ or +@ (Left)

62

13

+@ or+@ !Back)

72

13 (Voldol Astaroth/Z.W.E.I.)

0ol)1age

Input

~~ or <A~@ + +@

$C

:' 18,37

Hit

MM

LNC

PREP@@@+@+@@+@+@ 4,4,4,4,30

MMMMMM

i11

12

STN

PREP@@+@+@

28,38

MH

i20

KND

<=:> + +.

4,4,4,4,30

MMMMMM

i12

-12

STN

PREP lllit will lead to getting the most damage out of

Raphael's combos. Not only does it deal more damage than
PREP . but also knocks down the opponent with the
last hit, is much safer and inflicts a lot of Guard Gauge damage. This also applies to his~ ~ . Confirming if S>
or PREP hits on CHand checking the opponent's Critical
Gauge is very important. because not doing so ca n lead to
you being punished or Gled. But if the opponent doesn't have
enough meter to Guard Impact or an autoGI against the last
strike, this Brave Edge can be great for Guard Burst.

.:'l~l~

'- CRITICAL EDGE

Raphael's Critical Edge is a fast but linear attack. His ~ can
be used in a lot of his combos to do even more damage, and
it's fast enough to attack even when at frame disadvantage,
or while recovering from the ground. Doing this in most of
his combos wi ll only give him a little more damage, however, than using his normal or ~ combos, so it's not always
worthwhile. Be sure to use it if it may finish the opponent off
or if your Critical Gauge is completely fu ll.

Input

Damage

level

lmpacl

Guard

Hit

.(>~.;:>.(>~~++@

25,5,5,5,35

it2

-20

KND

~ID. PREP and ~ID. PREP are both normal hit combos
that ca n be used for punishment. Keep in m ind that PREP has
less range than PREP but deals more damage, so checking your
range while using ~ID is important. You can also decide during a stun
combo in which PREP would normally hit to only use the first
two attacks and then go into PREP again, or switch to Shadow
Evade after it to keep pressure, or even use Preparation ~ for
even more damage and a very good Okizeme.

After ~.;:> you have a few option s to combo into: you can either
use c::>S>~l+ or c::>c::>+@ after it, or go into Preparation using
c::>c::>ID and then combo with PREP+. Also, using different combos after ~~ @ IEl3 depending on the situation is a good idea. The
most damage without using any Critical Gauge would be just -!>
after ~~@ ~ launches, but you can also combo with S>ID in
order to deal damage while entering Preparation safely while the opponent is still in the air.

CH;'II'r Hl <i IVS F\./W : RAPHAEL SOREL

Combo

Starter

Follow-up

~m

PREP IIDIID
PREP @@

~m

-&-&
..(7..(7@)

~m.

..(7..(7@)

(!

~~(ID

~ID.

mEl

PREP IIDIIDIID
PREP@@ (;

~@)

...

Dnmage

Hits

Cost

DiHicully

38

48

..

65

**

79

10

**

86

**

67

~~@(;

(!

105

**

c:> c:>+IID

BT liD+@

49

PREP IIDIID (;

64

-&liD

34

c:>ct>IID+

48

@+liD

56

*
*

c:>c:>m. +liD
~m. IIDIID (;

86

94

10

~m.

m
<?@
' : c(>c(>@)
c:>c:>m
i SE@

SE @

':. ' 'It liD+ or -&+

CH ..(7..(7@
:. ',: : CH ..(7..(7@

,,,; CH ~~@
::.
CH !:?@

IIDIID (;
~0. PREP @@)@

79

10

65

~m.

78

10

...
...
...
..
...

c(>c(> liD+

60

**

@+liD@

56

PREP IIDIID (;

UKEMITRAPS

Knockdown

Raphael does not have really viable Ukemi Traps. Most of the
time you should go for safe damage instead, as his ground-hitting
attacks do a lot of damage. But delaying these can sometimes
lead into an Ukemi Trap. You can try this for best results after
.:::>~. Keep in mind that to catch the Ukemi to the left, back,
and f ront you have to do a slight forward step after c:>c:> when
you want to follow-up with @+ otherwise it won't catch opponents who Ukemi backwards.

Ukemi Trap

Directions

Cost

Oilficulty

~.@+@

68

Right, Back

"

~@+

51

Left. Back

97

All

**

: @ISm

WALL COMBOS
Using t he+@ throw for a wa ll splat is very
important. though the throw alone won't deal
much damage. Depending on the angle you
can always try to do add a ~@ before your
combo finisher, as it will add a bit more damage. The three main options for comboing at

only counts as a grounded hit. and therefore

the follow-u p with ~~@+will not be possible. Other starters for wall combos are~ @
on CH or ~~@ on normal hit.

Damage

Hits

Cost

Difficulty

@+ @. .;>@+

81

S>c:l>@ WI

~@. WI @+@@. .:::>~@+@

76

~~@WI

+@@. ~~@+

74

"*
**
**

@+@ WI

~@. W! @+@. ~~@+@

""101

12

72

13

Combo

Starter

Follow-up

11@W!

.. . . CH~@WI

the wall should be @+@ or ~lil for

good damage without using meter, ~ lil
ISm for adding more damage using a Brave
Edge, and finally your (! for the highest
possible damage. Not using ~@ before using @+@ will often mean that this attack

~ . wt ~ m.

G.m

**
**

APPLYING OFFENSE
Raphael can easily apply pressure against defensive opponents using
his ~~. -!}-& and attacks that transition into PREP. You'll need
to mix these with~~@ and poke with fast attacks that prevent side
step. such as ~@. -&. or throws. 1111@ is also a very good option
to apply a m ix-up and stop sidestep at the same time. When near
the edge Raphael's offense becomes very strong; ~@ wi ll not only
interrupt opponents, but also beats sidestep and w ill wall splat for a
powerful combo. This combined with your throws can make it hard
for the opponent to escape the situation.

He also has two very useful Tech Jumping moves, ~@ and >:>@.
which you can use to keep your offense going when the opponent is
likely to use a standard -&or-& to interrupt. Some other evasive
options can also allow you to continue to attack: >@ or >@ being great examples. @a nd .::> are important for his offensive pressure game. but confirming the counter- hit ot these moves is
almost essential. Because Raphael does not have strong Low-hitting
attacks that knock down or Ring Out, the opponent is not like ly to
duck very often, so using throws not only to threaten standing opponents but also catching stepping opponents is another essential
element of Raphael's offensive play. [-+0 1]

CH~.PTf:H

4 iVS !'LP:V i RAPHAEL SORE!.

OKIZEME
Raphael has some powerful attacks that
will hit the opponent whi le grounded and
will cover at least one side if the opponent
rolls. ~~@+CID and ~~+ w ill both hit
ground opponents for nice damage and are
safe when blocked. ~~@+ w ill hit oppo- '
nents who will try to roll to their right side
, and ~~+ will hit them trying to roll to
their left side. Near the edge you can also use
@+@. as it'wi ll likely hit no matter in which
direction the opponen t tries to roll. The short
range of the first attack, however, means this
is only good if Raphael is close to the opponent. t?t?@ should be mixed with all of the
three attacks m entioned, as it will hit grounded and rolling opponents and is a relatively
fast, Low-hitting attack that can't be severely
punished when blocked. You can also use his
-!),@ to hit grounded and rolling opponents. t'!
This attack is faster than t?t?@. but does
slightly less damage and will leave Raphae l
at a slight disadvantage when it connects.

11

RING OUT
Raphael does not have a lot of attacks that
can ring the opponent out: only ~~@ llliJ,
~~@. and PREP @ llliJ can Ring Out Raphael still has a good Ring Out game, however,
because both of his throws can ring the opponent out in d ifferent directions. At a certain
angle, usually in the corner of a stage or a circular stage, @+@ and +@ can both Ring Out
from the same position. Because of his lack of
Mid-hitting moves that can Ring Out, the opponent might duck more often at the edge, allowing Raphael to land ~m. ~. or -&-&. If
trying to Ring Out using his throws at the edge
you have to be ca reful against certain characters that can Ring Out to their back with either
WR attacks, such as Ivy or Z.W.E.I:s WR , or
TC moves such Pyrrha's ~~or Patroklos's
t?t?@. [-tO 2]

GUARD BURST

;g

Raphael's Guard Burst game changes slightly

depending on the opponent's stocked meter
and their character's auto-GI capabilities. This is
because using ~@)@) llliJ or PREP llliJ
deals a lot of Guard Gauge damage, but the last
strike can be parried with either a normal Guard
Impact or a sui1able auto-GI. Besides this, Raphael can also use ~~@+, ~~+.
-!),~~. and ~~ in order to get a Guard
DE
S
L
Burst from only afewblockseach.Aswith most
FEN IVE P AY
Raphael attacks. these moves are linear and
can be easily sidestepped, so creating forced
Because of Raphael's range and good spacing tools he can be very effective when played deblock situations for~~@+ after some of his
fensively. He can be very far away from the opponent and still be a threat to them because of
..().~~. ~c:(>, or ~~@ for example. So backstepping with Raphael is very important to
moves that knock down helps his Guard Gauge
stay at your ideal range. His punishment tools are not that good, however, so you'll be relying
pressure a lot. After a Guard Burst, ~m
llliJ does nice damage but requires meter while on whiff punishment alone to win. ~ and ~ w ill do enough damage to stop the op~~m. @+ is his strongest combo without
ponent using unsafe moves. Punishing whiffed attacks with ~~. -!),~~. or-&-& are
using meter, but it won't push the opponent as
his best options, as they will deal very nice damage and have great range. [-70 3]
far as his PREP@)@) combos.
FC ~ is one of his best and easiest punishment tools after ducking High-hitting attacks or
throws.
You can also try to punished ducked attacks with -!),~~ because it is easier. to do
Guard Burst
from crouch because you already pressing-&. There are some characters, however, that will
have similar range to Raphael, so always backstepping won't be as effective a strategy. Mixing some pressure with your defensively play is very good against those characters, as they'll
probably not have Raphael's combination of range and speed. + is also a good defensive
tool. It w ill evade every Vertica l attack and you can use it in anticipation of these or when
blocking strings. After t he hits the opponent is back turned, so you can mix a back throw with
"lt+ for huge damage. After using Just Guard Raphael's best options are again ~
and ~m . These two attacks will most likely be fast enough to hit opponents before they are
able to block. [ -70 4]

SPACING & POSITIONING

Spacing w ith Raphael is very important. Using c::C>c::C> and .(!.{!.,
for example, will net you a lot of damage. Try to backstep and sidestep the opponent's attacks, and then use these attacks to punish
t heir whiffs. You can be confident of reaching the opponent at long
range because these moves, along with attacks such as {l.~c::C>
and @ can cover huge distances. Keep in mind that Raphael
moves towards the opponent and ends up closer to them after using
, @. and .(!.~.:::>, for example. However. using ~or
.(!.{!. w ill still get Raphael won't bring you as close. so you still have
enough distance to continue spacing. Raphael is also very good at
mid range with tools like ,@@. .(!.{!.@,and ~~ allowing
you to control distance and keep sidestepping to a minimum. [?0 1]

POST-GI
If you successfully Guard Impact an opponent's attack you can either
use {l.~c::C> or a >fil PREP combo if the opponent does not
re-GI. If you t hink the opponent will try to Guard Impact back you
can do c::C>c::C>@+ or delay some of his other moves such as c::C>c::C>
or .(!.~. as these are fairly safe when blocked and deal a good
amount of damage. And of course his ~ will be guaranteed after a
successful Guard Impact. For a Ring Out after a Gl you should use
c::C>c::C>. and delaying @ or doing ~~@ Iilli for ring Ring Out if
the opponent will likely Gl back are good options. [ ? 0 2]

Having Raphael as an opponent can get really annoying if you don't sidestep a lot or use sideevading moves. Try not to backstep too much. because a lot of Raphael's moves have great
range and w ill easily reach you. His main weakness is his sidestep tracking; even his Horizontal moves can whiff in one direction. After sidestepping against Raphael, make sure to punish
him accordingly. Using Mid-hitting Tech Crouch moves against his Preparation stance really
limits Raphael's options in Preparation. You can also step after some transitions if you block
the first move to your left. and doing so will also evade Raphael's Preparation @.
If the Raphael player manages to enter Shadow Evade, most of the time you shouldn't duck. as
Shadow Evade will lead into a high damaging combo and his Shadow Evade @ can still miss
you because its range is short. Sidestepping against Shadow Evade is also not a good option,
because SE @and SE @will hit you no matter in which directiOI} you sidestep. The key here is

to not let Raphael constantly switch into SE after Preparation by interrupting his Preparation
stance. Also remember that Raphael cannot
really Ring Out with Mid-hitting attacks unless he uses his~~@ Iilli, so ducking when
near the edge can often be your best option.
Because of Raphael's lack of high-damage
punishment tools, you can use a lot of unsafe
attacks you normally shouldn't against other
characters. You also shouldn't hesitate to use
strong Tech Crouch moves w hen at a disadvantage against Raphael.

KEY ATTACKS
~

Like many of Raphael attacks. this is linear, so stepping is recommended. If this attack is blocked you should check you character's
ability to counter his PREP transition in order to not let him to either
enter Shadow Evade or keep his offense going. This attack can also
lose to STC attacks. Remember that his ~without PREP transition
wi ll leave him at neutral frames, so you can try to attack using some
of your anti-Preparation moves. preferably Tech Crouching, Mid-hitting attacks with decent range and speed. [?0 3]

Trying to avoid this move as best as you can is important to stand a

chance against Raphael. Try to sidestep often, and remember that
because of the .(!..(!. input the Raphael player will be sidestepping in
order to use this move, so using mostly linear attacks might get you
in trouble. If blocked, Raphael still ca n use a sidestep or an evasive
move, so try "to do something that will beat all of his options, like a
Mid-hitting horizontal attack for example.
c::C>c::C>
This attack can be sidestepped to any direction. You shouldn't, however, backstep as th is attack has a huge range. This attack gives Raphael advantage even if blocked, so you should choose yollr ret<~li-

ation carefully and try to sidestep often after you block it, because
Raphael's throw range is often too short to grab you and his other
Horizontal attacks won't do much damage compared to his Verticals.

is Raphael's main poke and is very fast. But it is a linear, Highhitting attack so you can either use Tech Crouch moves, sidestep attacks. or just step to the side to beat it. gives Raphael no
frame advantage when it hits, but you'll need to retaliate with someth ing tht~t could beat PREP ~@0 .

CH.t..!'"i t F ,1 i VS !''l..il.Y i RAPHAELSOREL

<?
When you are using a lot of High-hitting attacks or throws against Raphael, the player
might. use this attack to counter you. Try to
use some Mid-hitting or even Tech Crouching
High-hitting attacks to deal w ith it. This is yet
another linear attack, so sidestepping and using evasive moves is also an option. [~0 4]

Command List

Flash Needle
Nifty Musket
Nifty Musket Preparation

14,14

15

Mid

14

14

SP-Iow

10

13

Heel Snipe

Low

10

20

Heavy Mandritti

High

16

18

12,13,20

16

8,8,22

12

Ebony Stock
Cleaving Talon

Standing/@
R&J:lid Eminence

Triple Botta in Tempo

ol>

Triple Botta in Tempo

- Preparation

ol>@(l)

Broken Thrust

Broken ThrustPreparation

~m

Fend ante

..(!,@

....

Single Montante
Wicked Thrust
Wicked Thrust-

! P;eparation
Affondo Fendante

Howling Wolf

Mid High

10,10

10

After successful
evade

Nnmo

Proporlios

level

Cantarella Need le
(Advance)

c:l>+@

, Mid

Clean Hit: C

Cantarella Needle
(Right)

..().+

M id

Clean Hit: C

Cant arella Needle

(Left)

'fr+

M id

Clean Hit: C

Cantarella Needle
(Retreat)

>+@

Mid

20

19

-9

STN

SP-Iow

10

12

-6

Mid

18

14

-8

28

17

-14

STN

11

Clean Hit: C

Full Crouch Attacks

LowTondo Roversi

crouching@

Crouching M ontante crouching

TC 1-FC
- IFC

Advance Slicer

crouching~ '

;Mid

Harm Kick

crouching @

Low

14

14

-14

-2

while standing @

High

12

16

-4

Rising Montante

while standing

Mid

16

13

-6

High Toe Kick

while standing @

High

18

14

-4

Sky Botte

while jumping @

M id

20

31

Sky Agente

while jumping

Mid

22-26

29

-10

STN

13

TJ I Opp - FC
(Block/

Chaos M OOI)

while jumping @

Mid

22-26

24

-8

15

TJ

Lunging Press

<::(>-+@

High

22

22

-1 2

13

VIolent Blood

~111 or~~@

Mid

16

22

-16

High

16

18

-16

11

TC
-:FC

While Rising Attacks

Rising Tondo

Jumping Attacks

TJ I Opp -BT
(Hit)

-12

8-Way Run/@

Tondo Roversi

..().... or'fr+ @

Squalambrato
Concierto

:>+ or 1:211 or~ ~@

Mid Mid

12,16

28

-18,-16

0,-4

NC I Opp -BT
(Hill

Squalambrato Concierto- Preparation

:>+ or /:211 or ~ ~@ (!]

MidMidSS

12.16

28

-18,-2

0,10

NCIOpp-BT
(Hit/ I-PREP

lO CH

8-Way Run/
Dread Coffin

<::(>+

Mid

26

23

STN

10

TCjBA

Dread Coffin Preparation

<::(>-+(!)

Mid SS

26

23

STN

10

TC I BA I - PREP

Death Guise

~111 or z;i~

Low

28

28

-16

Quick Mandritti

..()..... or 'fr+

Mid

20

20

-10

STN

Grave Needle

1:211 or ~~

Low low

12,14

18

-16,-12

-6,0

Repost Thrust

:>+

Mid

30

32

-16

STN

Venom Side Kick

<::(> -+@

High

24

20

-9

KND

R-0

Crimson Moon

~ 111 or ~ ~@

Mid High

18,30

16

-1 8,-16

LNC

NC I Clean Hit: C

Venom Roundhouse

..().... or 'fr+

High

16

21

-10

Pirouette Sweep

1:211 or~ ~@

Low

22

23

-16

M id

20

20

-10

KND

TS
13
NCC
8

TC j BS

8-Way Run/@

Dark Moon

' <?+

STN CHI Opp

- BT (H it)

TJ

8-Way Run/Simultaneous
Wyvern'sTall

<::(>-+ or ~ 111 or ~~@+

24

26

-4

LNC

Bloody Funeral

:>+ or

1:211 or ~ ~@+

80

49

KND

KND

LNC (Behind)
TC I UBI Cancel I
-PREP

TJ

('I .'<1' I ~f; I !VS P..AY

Numo

Input

Level

Domugo

lmJJact

i RAPHAEL SOREL
Properties

Throws
Death Puppet

@+@

High-Throw

50

17

KND

R-0

Unending St ings

+@

High-Throw

45

17

KND

R~

A Lesson in
Massacre

left side throw

High-Throw

62

17

KND

Undertaker

right side throw

High-Throw

60

17

KND

Pure Sacrifice

back throw

High-Throw

72

17

KND

M armet de Vee

..:>+@+@

High-Throw

GO

17

High

12

18

-6

SP-Iow

12

16

-6

R-0
Every 4th input
will restore 2
health points
against male
charocters and
3 health points
;against female
characters

KND

Back Turned Attacks

Turning Attack
au Fer

turn around @

Low Tum Attack

au Fer

crouching turn around @

Turning Montante

turn around

Mid

18

16

-6

Low Tum Mont ante

crouching turn around

Mid

18

18

-8

Turning Venom
High Kick

turn around @

High

16

15

-8

Turning Sweep Kick

crouching turn around @

Low

14

17

-14

-2

Canterelle Needle
(Retreat)

backward +@

Mid

30

19

-9

STN

ss

I_
TC J-FC

-FC

- FC
STN l l<ND Cr4 1'
Clean Hit: C

11

Preparation
Preparation

~m ete

Preparation Musket

during Preparation @@

High High

16.14

14

-10.-16

-2.-4

NC

Preparation Musket
- Preparatio n

during Preparation m

High High SS

16,14

14

-10.-3

-2,9

NCJ-PREP

Preparation Tac Plus

during Preparation

High High Mid

10.10.22

11

-10,-1 4,-16

-2.0,0

Preparation Tac Plus

- Preparation

during Preparation

High High SS

10,10

11

-10,-3

-2.10

Pirouette Kick

during Preparation @

M id

28

20

-16

Aiming Shaft

during Preparation @+

Low

40

32

-22

KND

Preparation ParryPreparation

during Preparation

Evades all Highs

'

NC I-PREP

13
.autoGI: H. M.L
(Vertical, Stab) I
-Prep

ss

:>

NCC J1st two

hits NC

Shadow Evade
during Preparation {).

ss

Bloody Assault

during Shadow Evade @

Mid

20

15

Bloody Te rror

dUring Shadow Evade

Mid

35

19

STN

M andrake Heel

during Shadow Evade

Low

28

21

-13

KND

High High M id
'Mid Mid Mid
...Mid Mid

8,8,4,
4.4.4,
4,30

12

-10,-14,-12

-2,0,STN

3'

NCC I 1st two

hits NC 1 Clean
Hit: B

Mid High

18,50

16

-18,8

LNC

12

NC I R-0 I BAI
Clean Hit: B

High High Mid

MidMidMid
Mid Mid

10,10,4,
11

-10,-14,-12

-2.0.STN

NCC J1st two

hits NC 1Clean
Hit: B

Shadow Evade

TC
Opp -8T (Hit)
10

Clean Hit: C
TC

Brave Edge
Dreaded Rampage

..:>@++@

Vicious M oon

~~ or~~@@++@

Preparation
Rampage

during Preparation ll@++@

4,4,4,

4,30

NC JR-0

CHAP r;..c; :; ! VS i'l A" I VIOLA

VIOLA
Character Overview I Viola's past is shrouded in mystery, and her fighting style is also some
thing of an unknown quantity, as it is unlike anything seen before in the SOULCALIBUR series.
She fights with a metal claw attached to her rig ht hand, and her range and power are restricted
as such. But she is accompanied by a floating orb, which can attack her opponent from any range.
By fighting effectively in conjunction with her orb. Viola can bewilder her opponen t with simultaneous attacks coming from different directions. and slowly wear her opponent down. She is a
very controlling character who dictates the flow of the fight at all times, keeping the opposition
perpetually under pressur e, and is suited to those who enjoy toying with their adversaries, or
those who find her projectile-based style appealing.

PLAYSTYLE FOCUS

METER USAGE

Although Viola's orb can home in on an opponent

from anywhere, giving her theoretically unlimited
range, Viola is at heart a close range character.
Many of her attacks w ill only connect at immedi
ate proximity, such as@@@. which is her primary
mix-up tool and quick punisher.

The Critical Gauge boosts the orb's power

when it is set You can whiff punish se
verely with <?:>@@ ~ or ..!)-..!)-@ ~.
which allow you to launch your opponent
while they are being attacked by the
orb. ..!)-@+@ ~ allows you to re-launch
grounded opponents. which is especially
useful in combos to bolster damage. Viola
can build meter quickly with her persistent
attacking style, so use it mainly in combos
for the extra damage, or for Gl when under
pressure. Her simple ~@ can lead to very
powerful combos with even just two Criti
cal Gauge stocks stored, and this is the
main threat Viola possesses, so practicing
her launch combos using the Brave Edge
attacks is essential. Refrain from using
her Cri tica l Edge until near the end of the
round, when it can be employed to clinch
victory with minimal risk.

Viola's playstyle is comp letely influenced by her

orb. Many of her attacks change depending on
whether she is in possession of the orb (VO) or she
has set the orb (VS). Although her orb can boost
some of her close range attacks, she is in general
a much more powerful and dangerous character
when the orb is set. She can recall the orb during
some attacks, and it will strike as it returns, creat
ing opportunities for complex attacking strategies
involving multiple hits. This leaves the opponent
unsure as to when, or from whe re, the next attack
w ill come. Her juggle combos are very powerful
in this state thanks to the special properties of VS
@@@, which cannot be air controlled and re-jug
gles the opponent as the orb returns. ( ~u 11

~~[!]

~
10_014

With Orb (VOl and When Orb is Set (VS)

Viola will always be in one of two states during the fight: w ith
the orb in her possession. or when the orb is set somewhere
in the stage. The most basic way to set or recall the orb is by
pressing +@; some attack strings allow you to do the same
w ith a input at the end, such as and-.!).-.!).@. while
others do so automatically, such as the auto-evade<?+@.
Many of Viola's attacks are affected depending on the orb
state. Some, like~. are more powerfu l with the orb in hand.
bu t generally Viola becomes stronger with the orb set. Some
attacks are simply more powerful with the orb set l'lt@+
for example), while others are boosted by the fact that the orb
can attack as it is recalled, leading to opportunities for more
aggressive play and stronger combos . Most recall attacks will
automatically find your opponent. so the orb's position generally is not important, but +@ Iilli and her SEI attack will
initiate from where the orb is set, so you will need to place the
orb strategically to make effective use of these commands.

PRIMARY ATTACKS

Capricornus Sword

.'~'j(~\:'lP.4 .

Level'

llllp~ct :.

i1B

Guard

Hit .

Guard

Hit

Your main goal as Viola is to hit your opponent w ith ~ after setting her orb. The range is a little better when using the
orb, but when set. ~launches for very powerful combos,
which can be extended with the Critical Gauge. Given the
reward it brings, it is remarkably safe, ~ nd is fairly difficult
to punish even if you miss completely. To land ~. you will
need to encourage your opponent to crouch or whiff, or use
another attack which guarantees a launch follow-up, such as
CH !:Z. Viola even crouches a little during the startup, meaning you can use~ against Highs and throw attempts with
good tim ing.

Pisces Zenith Succedent I Pisces Nadir Succedent

Fighting with Viola is easiest at point blank range thanks to
this basic attack. With the orb set, this attack is a very fast
3-hit natural combo which is excellent for punishment or basic pressure. Tlhe last hit is High, but Viola recovers so fast
that you will still have the advantage even if your opponent
crouches. You can be beaten by TC attacks, but you are safe
as long as you block afterwards. This makes @ a really
powerful weapon within range. The range is very poor however, and it can be stepped to your right side. With the orb,
this attack is almost safe even when you use the final @
input, so it is a useful way to set the orb when your opponent
. is ve ry close.

Vernal Sigil

level

Impact
i19

The various strengths of this attack make it applicable in all

kinds of situations. Viola advances on her opponent to close
range, from where she is most effective. She crouches under
Highs at the beginning, and jumps over Low attacks just before she lands t he kicks. The attack is M id-level and safe, and
one of her most versatile options at mid range. By holding
ct>ct>l3. you can set the orb if you still have it. whilst if it is
already set, you can hit-confirm the Iilli follow-up. However,
this attack does not track at all. It is also effective for Guard
Burst purposes.

CHAfYi i:H 4 i VS F'L;.\Y ! VIOLA

Sagittarius Angular
Although linear and unsafe, ~~@ is an excellent option for
approaching your opponent. Viola is very limited in terms of
M id-level attacks when too far to use ~@. so this can catch
oppoMnts prone to crouching or TC attacks, looking to go
under your High orb attacks. It is one of her only claw attacks
with any range, and is easy to use after stepping or running
forwards. The damage can be increased occasionally by a
Clean Hit, and it knocks down on CH for more guaranteed
hits. You can also wall splat for further damage.

Sol Grand Trine

Advance on a sidestepping opponent with ~~@@. Look
for the visual indication of a counter hit before adding the
final @. All hits of this string are High, so it is not a useful
poking tool once your opponent becomes accustomed to it.
Viola does jump a long way after the third attack, so some
opponents may find it difficu lt to punish even after crouch ing
the final hit. Nonetheless you should still only use the third hit
sparingly, and be sure never to jump over your opponent and
out of the ring . Viola lacks good anti-step tools at mid range,
so you w ill need th is attack despite its flaws. You can also use
it to escape when your back is to the edge.

\....._

.. '.'::~{ij::ml~ik~
Jt!~f~i
'" l\1W'~~~ ..

SECONDARY ATTACKS

Luna Moment I Luna Occulation

Luna Moment is useful at mid range, to help protect Viola
as you decide on your next attack. It leaves you in a good
position to continue attacking, especially as the orb is set by
this attack, making@@@ and @@@ more powerful. Luna
Occulation allows you to contain your opponent by attacking
with greatly reduced risk: after initiating VS ~@+@, you can
use otherwise unsafe moves and be protected from reta liation by the incoming attack, or block incoming attacks so that
the orb will hit while the opponent recovers. It's very slow
and easy to step, so you should use it when your opponent
is unable or unlikely to move. such as after a knockdown or
near the edge.

Aquarius Cadent /Taurus Aurora

This short range anti-step can't be overused. as your opponent can block Low to beat either follow-up and punish. What
makes it especially useful is that the recovery of~@@ can
be cancelled by recalling the orb, using @+@ or ..Qr@+@.
Use this to fish for a CH, as~@@@+@ will combo: if you
have enough Critical Gauge, you can use @+@ Iilli instead
to launch. This can be really effective to discourage your opponent from stepping up close, so mix it up with @@@ and
~@when you have the advantage.

Taurus Javelin
The most basic application of this attack is to impede incoming opponents at mid and long range. By holding fl+m. you
can delay the follow-up, making it safer. and forcing your opponent to step or crouch if they want to regain the advantage.
You can still combo with the second hit even if you delay it.
The initial hit knocks down when the orb is set, making it a
more useful attack at close range, or as a punish for some
Low-level attacks: combo w ith ..(!.@+@.

Jnpu~

vo~+

Oamau~

10; 10

l~vel

SMSM

Mars Savage
W ith the orb, ..!}@+@ sets the orb at mid range with Break
Attack properties. It's useful in juggles or after a knockdown,
though rolling or Ukemi wi ll usually avoid it. With the orb set,
this attack is Viola's fastest infinite range attack, making it inva luable for whiff punishing at any range, or simply for preempting a ranged attack. Use this to irritate your opponent
at distance, forcing them to constantly move and eventually
close in; you can then press them with your shorter range
attacks. Holding ..!7rl.1+m allows you to delay the attack, and
the fully-charged ve rsion gives massive advantage, guaranteeing ..(}@+@ from any distance or a launch within range.
It is easily evaded, so use the charges when your opponent
is freezing up.

Venus Circlet I Mercurius Helix

Like VO ~@+@, this attack can protect Viola at mid range,
and is also useful to catch a sidestepping opponent. It sets
the orb, if you still have it, after a single attack. When used
w ith the orb already set. it hits twice, and the additional attack yields huge advantage if it hits. The exact frame advantage varies depending on where the orb actua lly makes contact in the attack's arc.

Damage.

level

lri1pact

Guard

I! it

vo@@@

10, 12

HH

i12

-8,-10,-18

4, 6, -2

vs@@

10, 12, 10

HHH

i12

-8, -10, 5

4, 6,6

Gemini Zenith Succedent I Gemini Nadir Succedent

... .... ...... .............. .... .... ...........

Viola's basic @@ attack has the special property that it can

crush some attacks, such as a generic . where other attacks would trade. This, combined with the fact that @ is
your fastest attack, makes @@ an essential tool up close.
With the orb set, @@@ is a NC and does more damage
than the regular quick @@ attacks used by other characters,
making it a nice punishment option. W ith the orb however,
@@@ is quite unsafe, and you w ill take CH damage during
the recovery, so don't use it t o set the orb if blocked. @@ is
a better poke unless the hit is guaranteed.

'

Libra Prime

................. ........ ................... ..... ..... ...... ...

This is one of the few attacks that is more powerful when in
possession of the orb. It catches any sidestepping and is safe
on block. The range is good, and it causes a heavy knockdown
when it hits, allowing for a combo w ith VO ~~@+ or
VS ..!}..@+. or an Ukemi Trap w ith t1@+@. Because this
attack flings the opponent some distance, it is also ideal for
RO attempts, especially after sidestepping an attack. You can
also wal l splat with ..(}..().@+. but you w ill need to connect with your opponent a short distance from the wall, as
if you slam them into the wall w hen pressed against it, Viola
won't recover fast enough to continue w ith anything except
grounded hits.

Virgo Vesper

..... ........ ................ .........

The ful ly-charged version of this launcher is Viola's single
most devastating attack. She remains TC while charging and
launches the opponent very high, making it the perfect counte r-attack versus expected throws and Highs. ~ is your
first choice simply because of its speed, bu t use ~~m in situations where you have more time, such as during Okizeme
- it does more damage, is safer, and can Guard Burst faster
than the basic launcher. If you r opponen t is becoming accustomed to the charged version and trying to counter or interrupt, release early to catch them by surprise.

Input

Damage

level

lnlpact

Guard

Hit

VO ..()...(). ~r '()>'()> @ +

20,20

HM

i27

-9

KND

VS ..()...(). or '()>'()>@+

20

i36

-9

KND

Input

Damage

lovol

lmpoct

Guard

Hit

~~

20

25

-13

LNC

~~ m

36

32

-7

LNC

CH\I'~Ef~

:. I VS f'C.f\Y VIOLA

Capricorn us Ascendant
Viola crouches very low at t he start of this move, avoid ing
even some M id-level attacks, so use this at disadvantage to
try for a counter hit, which causes a prolonged stun with 18

frames of advantage. It successful. you can launch on CH

with ~(ID for a powerful combo. You can even RO beh ind
you if you catch an opponent in m idair, and some opponents
may well use jumping attacks at t he edge if they anticipate a
throw attempt: VS @+@can RO behind as well. Be sure to
deploy this attack selectively, as it is highly unsafe if blocked.

Saturnus M eteorite

:Input

Damage

. vo "()>-@+

,a, 22

Leval

llnpact

1iuard

i1 9

-23

This ri sky attack has excellent range, and can be very effective when used at the right time. Viola crouches under Highs
at the beginning, and then leaps into the air with a knockdown blow, sending the orb at the opponent afterwards. The
VO attack is very unsafe. and the VS follow-up is easily steppable, so this should not be used as a basic poke. Rather. t ry
to surprise your opponent by attacking at disadvantage when
you are sure your opponent w ill attack. Vio la can ring her adversa ry out using "()>-@+ as a standalone attack. in juggle
combos, or as a guaranteed follow-up after VS @+@. When
t he orb is set, the orb w ill re-a lign to aim at a moving target
w hen using this attack, and the range is greatly increased.
;,

Don't be afraid to g rab often to try to encourage your opponent

to crouch and become vulnerable to~. Viola's throws aren't
the most damaging, but they are good enough to pressure
your opponent and because she utilizes different throws depending on t he orb stat e, it can be difficult for your opponent to
keep track of th e different throws when applying mind games.
Upon landing a throw. Viola's orb damages her opponent directly when sh e has it in hand. Use +@ to RO in front. The
side grabs are more damaging and w ill be viable, as Viola's
persistent attacking style can ca use players to shut down at
close range, g iving you the time to m aneuver. W ith the orb
set, Viola's grabs are the same from the front or the sides.
This is extremely useful near the edge. VS @+@ reverses t he
player positions and gives enough adva ntage for a guaranteed
"()>-@+. which not only deals a lot of damage but can also
Ring Out. VS +@ Rings Out in front. and also gains more
damage wi th a wall splat. Meanw hile, the back throw grants
so much advantage that you can follow it w it h a guaranteed
~(ID launch for high damage. If you can t ime it correctly, you
can even dash up and perform another back grab, making t his
a potentially infinite combo aga inst most characters. ~!though
each doesn' t do much damage, you can waste huge:oamounts
of time by repeating this loop, and it's a little easier near a wa ll.

Viola's Brave Edge attacks unlock the potential for her longer,
more powerful, and more spectacular combos. w hich can be
manipulated to set the desired spacing, or even simply to eat up
some time. c:>c:>@ is t he only lilS attack available while Viola
has the orb. Hold ~1+m to charge the orb attack: it functions
sim ilarly to VS ..(!.@+. W ith the orb set, you can delay the lilS
command, allowing you to hit-confirm @ first. VS +@
lilS causes the orb to slowly return to Viola from the point at
w hich it has been set, and w ill launch the opponent on impact.
This can be used as a standalone attack or in some combos, and
you can create an unblockable setup by grabbing your opponent
w ith @+@ just before the orb connects (though this setup can
be escaped by crouching). {!r[ID+@ speeds up t he orb recall for
a quick whiff punish, but its best property is that it w ill re-launch
a grounded opponent, allowing for some very long combos. The
remaining lilS attacks are suitable for whiff punishing; <?<?@
lilS is the pick of the bunch, as it leads to especially powerful combos, and the orb attacks can trap a blocking opponent,
thereby granting a m ix-up or simply running down the clock.

Input

D~mao&.

VO@+@

45

vo +@
VO @+@or. liD+@ (left)
VO (8)+@ or +@(Right)
VO @+@ or @+@ (Back)
VS@+@
VS@+@

50
57

55
67
20

Escape Winciow

~Y'

Viola's unorthodox style is exemplified by this unique attack.

It does very little damage for a Critical Edge, but is potent as a
strategic weapon. You can activate it after setting the orb in the
vicinity of your opponent, and it will drag them towards its area
of effect, trapping them for a time. They will be unable to attack
without being hit by the orb, allowing you to mix-up basic Mid
and Low-level attacks, forcing them into hitstun if they guess
incorrectly. Avoid using -& as the hitstun is too short to guarantee fu rther orb hits. t::2@ is the better Low poke here. If you
succeed in hitting your opponent, you can land ~@ after the
final Special Mid-level hit from the ~ for a juggle. If it hits early
enough, you can even charge ~~@ by initiating the attack
when the sixth SM connects. Generally you are better served
by keeping you r Critical Gauge for combos, but this ~ can be
invaluable towards the end of a round, either to trap your opponent for risk-free chip damage attempts, or to stay safe for the
final few seconds of a round and play for a victory by Time Out.

Input

Juggle combos are the cnux of Viola's power. ~@ is the fastest and
easiest launcher to land, but ~~ (l) and VS + ~ are also useful al
ternatives due to their power and range, respectively. With the orb set
~@and ~~m allow you to juggle with VS @@@.which is not air-con
trollable. and this is the key reason why Viola is so dangerous with the
orb in play. The juggle can be extended with various options depending
on the situation. @, VO @+@ is an extrem ely damaging
way to end the juggle, and requires no Critical Gauge, so you should
use this unless your opponent knows to escape with a left Ukemi. VO
11' knocks your opponent away from you. while VO ..(!,@+@ keeps
them close for Okizeme, and both guarantee VS -&+.You can also
Combo Stortcr

vo~

level

SMx7

i23

re-launch from the ground using VS -&+@ ~ if you have Critical

Gauge stored: this is guaranteed after juggling with VO ..(!,@+@, and
you can continue the juggle with anotherVS @@. UnfortunatelyVO
-&+ won't stun a second time, so you can't repeatedly re-launch
wit~ the Brave Edge attack. Combo B is a typicaiVS combo, with great
damage from a simple ~ using only one Brave Edge attack.
Take note of how the orb can attack independently, allowing you to
form custom combos, such as the examples found with Combos
A & C. Many of the below combos can be enhanced by connecting
with VS @+@before a launcher for example.
Difficulty

Follow up

@@(@)

35

-&

30

vo~~

@@@

46

**

vo~~ m

<?<?. ..0.

70

**

vo~~m

cl>@+

66

vo <?liD

cl>@+

44

vo 11+

..0.

34

vo ..(J.-..0.@+

cl>cl>+

68

vo t.l+ID

~~@

32

CH @@@+@ ~

DelayVO @. 1:2@

76

CHVOWA@

@+

44

VS(@+@)@

~@. @@@, V0 .?;!@, VS -&+@ ~. @+@. ~. @+@ ~. @@@

124

20

*****

vs ~

@@@. VO -&+@. VS ..(!,@+@ ~. . @@@. VO .?;!@, VS -&+@

80

12

***

vs ..(Jr..(Jr@ ~

~@. @@@. VO -&+@. VS -&+@

74

***

vs <?<? ~

~~ (l). @@@. VO ..(!,@+@. VS ..0.@+@ @lEI..@@@. VO @. t::2@

115

16

sr-&+@ ~

BT ..0.@+@ ~. @@@

45

~~ m. . vo ..(!,+. vs -&+ @lEI. . . vo

116

19

*** *
****

vs<?

-&+@ ~. <?. @@@. VO -&+@. VS !::?@+@

58

69

**

WR @

49

**

WR @. VO 1J'@+@

50

vs ..0.+@

vo .?;!@

28

**

vs-&+@ ~

.-&+

21

vs cl>@+@

+ ~.

64

VO~@

Damage

. vs icl>+@) @
vs 1+@) ..0.@ .
: vs-&+@

Second !orb} hit only

-&fJ+ID, -&+

UKEMITRAPS
Because Viola lacks high damage pokes,
and because her tracking attacks have
poor range in general, her Ukemi Trap potential is limit ed. The most powerful trap
here is after CH WR : you can follow
this trap with th e variety of high-damage
launch combos listed above, trapping
w ith either ~~m orVS '<?@ (; if you
have enough Critical Gauge.

Difficulty

Knockdown

UkomiTrap

{!.{!.@+

Slight delay t?@+

64

Al l

VSCHWR@

~~fil. @@@. VO {!.@+@. VS {!.@+@

105

All

'@

Delay {!.{!.@+@

43

All

t?@+!ID

Delay{!.@

36

All

Delay<?'@ (;, ~~m. @@@. vo ~@.

VS {!.@+@

130

All

. ...

WALL COMBOS
Due to the damage scaling involved in wall combos, and the fact
that she can produce multi-hit combos without them, Viola 's power
is somewhat diminished near a wall. She can augment damage for
@ and her throws, but in general, backing an opponent into a
Combo Starter

comer is mainly useful simply to keep your opponent at close range.

Walls can reduce the effectiveness of some attacks at close proximity: the final orb hits can whiff after executing <?<?@ (;, whilst
'If@+ becomes less powerful when it wall splats.
Difficulty

Followup

voS>S>w!

@+

55

VO {!.-Dr@+@ W!

~@.

78

10

**

vs~ @ W!*

'@, {!.@+@ (;, '. @@. vo ~@. vs {!.@+@ (;, @@@.

VO {!.@+@. VS {!.@+@ (;, @, W! 6@+@@

102

19

*****

VS 1@+@) {!.@,
(IDw!

{!.@+@ (;, @@@, VO ~@W!, VS {!.@+@

95

12

VS@+@,@W!

BT {!.@

53

W! '@. @+@@

....

: VO@+@W!

@+

79

i VS@W!

{!.@+@ (;, @. @@@, VO ~@. VS {!.@+@ (;, @+@. {!.@+@

85

16

corner only

****

APPLYING OFFENSE
Viola is a very complex character. and you
can use her variety of attacking options in
many different w ays to suit your own style
and preferences. Just remembe r that most
of her attacking options are much more potent when her orb is set in the stage. Try to
set her orb using your opening attacks.
Her basic options at long range are her various orb attacks. VS ..(>.@+@ has infinite range
and is pretty quick, so this can pressure an
opponent from any distance and force them
to sidestep or come closer. @+ and
f'J+ID can be used to keep out an incoming
character. At mid range Viola is more vulnerable; advance w ith attacks like @. ~~@.
and@, while using @ and@+
to deal w ith sidestepping, or escape w ith
caref ul backstepping and guarding. You have
the most options from short range, where
pokes like @() and ~@ are particularly effective. You should always be looking to catch
opponents wi th ~() when within range.
To break down d efensive opponents. you'll
need your throws and Low-level attacks.
..(>.@ and t:Z@ are decent from close range,
while t:Z@ is less safe but grants advantage
on hit. <?@ deals better damage and can
connect at mid range, but is quite slow, while
tZ@+ is very slow and very punishable. so
should only be used to catch your opponent
by surprise. When you have enough time,
use VS @+ to attack your opponent
from behind. and attack again immediately
using Viola's claws or kicks. Pressure your
adversary w ith an onslaught of quick attacks
w ith this strategy. Mixing up t he reca ll orb
attack in some strings, such as VS . VS
..(>...(>.@. VS @@@. and VS + @@. can
be utilized for a similar effect. [ -+0 1]

OKIZEME
This is not Viola's strong point, but you will
still want to press the advantage of a knockdow n. All of the Lows mentioned just above
can hit grounded. VO ..(>.@ is very fast. safe,
does reasonable damage to a grounded
opponent, and can be done from FC. VO
..(>.+@ will give advantage on block from
mid range, w hile VS ..(>.t:iJ+ID can be used
from any range, and the fully-charged version
grants a free {}+ for a fresh knockdown.
These attacks are easily dodged however.
Wakeup is also a good time to use ~~ (]) . as
it w ill be harder to interru pt and is an effective Guard Burst tool w hen blocked.

GUARD BURST
Altering your strategy for Guard Burst pressure can help to break down opponents who
try to take advantage of Viola's relatively w eak
mix-up game by constantly guarding. Slower
pokes like ..(>...(>.+. ~~(]). and @ are
notable. as they are safe, and also excellent
when they hit. If you are not concerned about
punishment, @+@) and '!} +@ will
break the guard gauge very quickly, and if you
have enough Critical Gauge..to spare. <?@
~ is a great move when blocked anyway.
As a single-hit strike, @ is perfect as the
final blow for the Guard Burst.

Roq.1o Burs1 Anacks

@ ~

~~ (]). @+ @ . ..(>-..0. ~

10

. . vo {!.~@+.
'I}+

11

@. tZ. @+@ ~

13

@. vs ..(>.~+

15

Roovcos gauge but will not Guard Burst

DEFENSIVE PLAY
A lthough she is fast, Viola struggles to punish effectively due to the weak range and damage of
her fast attacks. and VS are your most basic punishment tools, while ~ is effective fro m FC. From mid range and further, you will need to focus your efforts on whiff punishing.
W ith a life lead, you can use <?@ ~ and ~ to your advantage. Your opponent will be unable to move during the blockstun. meaning that you can waste game time near the end of a
round. and bac~step away to safety, or press with a close range mix-up. @+@can also be
used to attack an opponent while leaving you completely f ree to defend yourself from incoming attacks as the orb approaches.

SPACING & POSITIONING

Many attacks are slow and linear at mid and long range. Your opponent can never relax thanks to
the infinite range of VS ..(>.@+ and VS +, forcing them to continually move around. Try to
shift them towards a ring edge if they are trying to defend a life lead. Around mid range Viola is not
very powerful. and many of her attacks are linear, so avoid being in this range where possible. Try
to use unpredictable movement in conjunction with her orb pokes to bait a whiff. and then punish
severely with her Brave Edge attacks. Setting your orb in the stage should be a priority against
characters effective from mid range, as your options are relatively weak from here otherwise.

POST-GI
~ will naturally be your primary option after a Guard Impact. You can use ~~ (]) to bait a

re-G I attempt and connect w ith an even more powerful launch combo. Your main RO tools are
effective after a Gl too. Use <? ~ for massive damage, especially if you have lots of
Critical Gauge to spare and your opponent cannot re-G I. [-+0 2]

RING OUT

..(>.~+ Rings Out from a good distance,

and punishes opponents trying to step away
from danger. The standard launch combos
can carry your enemy over to the edge
as well, with VO z;:l@ and '!}+ being
the best ways to apply the finishing touch.
'!}+ is also generally an effective RO
tool, as it has excellent range and can be
used to evade High-level attacks; @ is a
safer TC option. Use +@ to RO in front,
andVS @+@with your back to the edge.

Guard Burst

[B

CH/.\f-'TE.H 4 i VS PL/\Y I VIOLA

As she is completely unlike any other character in SOULCALIBUR V,

you will need to tailor your gameplan specifically to deal with Viola's
strengths and weaknesses. She can control the match from any
range. so th e best thing to do is simply let her. All orb attacks are eithe r High, Special Mid, or Special Low-level, so you can always block
these standing or crouch ing. She is extremely linear outside of close
range, so keep moving laterally to be safe from her various ra nged attacks. She lacks effective punishment tools at mid range, so you can
really press from mid range with little risk. Be very careful not to whiff

however. as she can do very serious damage from a single attack due
to her lengthy launch combos. Instead, defend patiently and keep her
at mid range. Become familiar with her multi-hit orb attacks so that
you don't get caught out. You must respect her ~@ attack because
of the juggle combos. but she has little else t hat does much damage,
so simply avoid crouching whatsoever at close range. Pay attention to
whether or not she is holding her orb, as she is far less powerful in
this state, even if she launches you. Remember to break @ throws
with your back to the ring edge.

KEY ATTACKS
~@

You can punish this with i14 attacks. though

the pushback ofVO ~@can make it difficult
for some characters. Fortunately, Viola needs
VS ~@to do big damage. Step in either direction to avoid predictable use of this move.
Because it is the main way she can hurt you,
it is best never to crouch against Viola at
close range, as her Low attacks are not very
dangerous, and mostly leave her at disadvantage when hitting. [ 7 0 3]

'4+
This TC mid range attack is Viola's panic button. Turn it against her by punishing consistently. With the orb, it is hugely unsafe, so
simply wait for the orb to strike and punish
w ith an attack at least as fast as i23. When
she has set the orb, the follow-up is steppable to both sides, and can be whiff punished.
Be careful if you step the initial hit, as the orb
follow-up will re-align during the VS version.

ately. Viola needs this attack to discourage

stepping, so watch out for it at mid range. The
final hit has Viola jump over you, so prepare a
particular punish suitable for your character.
1:1@+@
This is Viola's main knockdown Low, but is
very unsafe, and you can react to it by watching for her to dip her head and jump forwards.
Like 'If@+. this becomes a very weak attack for Viola if you can deal w ith it properly,
and without it her options at Mid range are
limited against a guarding opponent.

r-.'
til

c:::>c:::>@@@

All three hits are High and come out fairly

slowly, so crouch early and punish appropriCommand List

...

~.<?<?@. ~
Many of Viola's attacks have unexpected orb
follow-ups, and this is the most dangerous. It
gives her time to launch for extended juggles
when it hits. and if blocked, Viola can continue to attack during the blockstun. All orb
attacks can be blocked Mid or Low, so watch
out for Low follow-ups while you are trapped
and defend against them. All this applies to
her (!lSI as well. If you spot the GEl visual effect, you have time to Gl the ensuing orb attacks and launch a counter of your own.

Lovol

Nomo

Standing/@
Sign of Quintile

00

i-ligh

14

13

Sign of Semi-Square

.:::>00

High

22

20

-4

Sign ofTrine

~00

Mid

18

16

Sign of Square

Low

14

15

- FC

Sign of Quincunx

.&00
t:Z

7
-14

18

18

16

TC

Sign of S extile

<?00

Low
High

20

16

10

12,18

1'11

. ,19 .

16

KND

2
KDN

TC I -BT I Clean Hit B I RO

Standing/@+
Libra Shield

@+@@

Libra Zenith Shield

when orb is sot@+@@@

8,18

21

8,18,1 0

21

Taurus Javelin

.. ~@+

. Hig~h High SS

14,10

15

Taurus Javelin

<?t1+0

High High SS

14,10

15

Taurus Javelin

when orb is set <?@+@

High High SS

14,10

18

Taurus Javelin

when orb is set

High High SS

14,10

18

fJ+0

KND

.&+@

SP-Mid SS

28

29

KND

Mars Savage

when Ofb is set .&+

SP-MidSS

15

25

-1 9

KND

when orb is set

.&fJ+0

SP-Mid SS

35

60

31

KND

Low

22

33

21

KND

Mid SP-Mid SS

18,22

19

23

KND

Saturn us Fan
Saturn us Meteorite
Venus Circlet

<?+

Mercurius Helix

wnen orb is set'@+

SP-Mid SS

20

35

SP-Mid SP-Mid SS

10,10

35

10,10

19

Set o;b
Set orb

Mars Savage

Mars Savage

Mid Mid
Mid M id High

BA I Set orb
BA I part-dlarge version deals 20
damage, impact and advantage
varies between values given for
no charge and max charge

10

TC I TJ
18,24 damage with orb set
l TC ITJ I Set orb I R-0
Set orb

17

Standing/@ +@
luna Zenith

+00

Luna Moment

.:::>+00

luna Nadir

.&+

Nox Peregrine

<?+

Nox PeregrineLuna Zenith

Nadi r Peregrine

ss

Set orb

SP-Mid SP-Mid SS

Set orb

ss

TC I Set orb
Invincible: H,M,L
(Venical, Body, Stab)

ss

After successful evade I Set orb

<?+

High

when orb is set <?@+00@

10

After successful evade I Recall orb

TC

Full Crouch Attacks

Aquarius Twilight .

crouching@

SPIOW

12

12

Aries Hammer

crouching@

M idSPMid

12,6

14

Aries Hammer

when orb is set crouching @

Mid

18

14

Sign of Square

crouching 00

Low

14

14

14

Luna Nadir

crouching +00

ss

10

57

libra Daybreak

while standing @

Mid

20

18

-6

Capricomus Dawn

while standing @

Mid

18

16

Conjunction Sign

while standing 00

Mid

22

20

8
2
8

,.

impact and damage only when

orb is set 1TC

While Rising Attacks

14

TCI STNCH

Jumping Attacks
Libra Whip
Aries Claw

Ari~s Claw:
Fiery Sagitta Sign
Fiery Sagitta Sign

TJ I When orb is set: Damage 16

while jumping @

Mid

26

31

while jumping @

Mid SP-Mid SS

14,16

29

-8

12

Mid

14

29

18

KND

15

Mid SP-Mid SS

16,10

24

Mid

16

24

18

11,-6,-6

1,2,KND

wt\en orb is set while jumping @

while jumping 00
when orb is set while jumping 00

TJ 1- FC
TJ 1-FC
TJ I STN CH

KND

TJ I R-0

8-Way Run/@
Sol Grand Trine

.:::>..@@@

High High High SS 14,10,18

Aries Sickle

~1& ()( ~~@

Aries Sickle

when orb is set ~1& or~ ~@

Venus Zenith Corona

.&+ or 'i}t @@

Venus Nadir Corona

when orb is set.& + or 'i} t @@

Luna Tiara

<?+or t:Zit or!::& ~@@

Luna Tiara

when orb is set<? + or t:Zit or

!::&~@@

TJ I Self R.O

High Mid SP-M id

8,14,16

16

14

NC

High Mid

8,14

16

18

KND

NC
Orb can hit High 1 NC I Set Ofb

Mid HighS$

10, 10,15

20

10

Mid High High

10, 10,10

20

14

Mid lvl id SP-Mid

12, 14,10

20

20,14

2,KND

NC

Mid Mid

12,14

20

20,18

2,KND

NC

Mid

30

24

-1 3

10

TC I Clean Hit C I CH KND

M id

20

25

1 3

LNC

15

TJ I R-0

Mid

36

32

LNC

TJI RO

Mid

15

17

15

NC I Recall orb

8 -Way Run/@
Sagittarius Angular
VIrgo Vesper

9 ..

~1& or~ ~ @

"'

Virgo Vesper

~1& or ~~ID

Leo Nightfall

.&+ or 'l} t @

-~

1'1 -~

.. 1-

~~

Cf-tAf'lF.F<!,! VS P:./<Y ' VIOLA

Namo
Leo Nightfall

Vernal Sigil
Mid

Estival Sigil
Zenith Autumunal Sigil

MidSS

Nadir Autumunal Sigil

Mid HiQ!'l

Zodiac Nebula

w hen orb is se t c:t>+ or ~~ or

(A~@+

M id Mid

10.15

Libra Prime

..!}..... or -fr+@+

High Mid
MidMid Mid

20,20
20
22,12,54

27
36
76

Mid

22

76

.,e..,... or -fr+@+

libra Prime

w hen orb is set

Empyrean Purge
Empyrean Purge

!:?It or~~@+
w hen orb is set <?+ or !:?It or

Occidental Peregrine

.,e..,...

<?+or

~~@+
or -fr++

Mid

ss

High-Throw
Cometae Tremor

High-Throw

l>O

Astri Fuga

High-Throw
High-Throw

40
57
55
67

Animae. Speculum

House of Antich1on Cancer

House of Antich1on
Aquarius
House of Antich1on Aries
Antichthon Hammer
Opposing Sign of Quintile

SP-Iow
Mid
M idSP-Mid
High

CHAP'll'f' d IVS Pi.;W PYRRHA ALEXANDRA

PYRRHA
Character Overview I Pyrrha uses a classical sword-and-shield based fighting s tyle inherited
from her mother. She specializes in dealing high damage w ith fast attacks and in heavily punish
ing the opponent's mistakes. She's a simple cha racter to use, but w ill become much more effec
tive as you gain more knowledge about your opponent's unsafe attacks. Most of her focus is on
fast offense and staying close to her opponent, giving them as little time as possible to react to
your actions. Pyrrha's a great choice if you like to attack often and guess what your opponent's
response will be so that you can counter attack and keep your offense going.

METER USAGE
punishment is very important, so when fighting
you'll need to focus on defending well in
them and limit their moveset. When you've
of your opponent's key attacks you can punish
u>J:<.?...vou'll need to watch carefully for these andre
You can also watch for the times when your
likely to use M id-hitting attacks so that you
situation and use+ to punish them.

cn<lia,~ters

nff<mc:i11.:i Pyrrha is very powerful, but won't have su

in almost any matchup. Staying close to

pressuring them with fast knockdown at
goal. Once you land a knockdown, it's
th~ln~1n again as quickly as possible and force
tnrt>l"" and ground-hitting M id attacks such as
<?<:?!!;~+0~. Aim to use evasive attacks to allow
offense even when at a disadvantage;
great ior this, as they defeat many likely
nnlnnn,s;after your pokes are guarded. [-tO 1)

Pyrrha's Critical Edge is useful

in combos or as a way to attack
while at a disadvantage, but it's
not an essential too l to have avail
able. It will allow you to heavily
punish some attacks that you oth
erwise cou ldn't, so i t's worth aim
ing to keep it against characters
where this is the case. Keeping
your meter for ~~@ I3EI and
Gls is a better idea in most cases.
however. as these w ill increase
your options for both offense and
defense at half the cost. Having a
large stock of meter will make the
threat of ~~@ I3EI even stronger, as you'll also have the ability
to re-GI opponents who Gl the
second strike.

Angel Step (AS)

Angel Step is Pyrrha's sole stance, and is actually just a short
movement that brings you forward whilst evading undernea th High attacks . The attacks from A ngel Step are Midhitting and fast. but none of them are safe when blocked. The
speed of AS is enough to make opponents hesitate when
they see an Angel Step, especially since you ca n't use a Low
attack to mix-up w ith . If you wait a tiny bit after executing an
Angel Step before pressing an attack button, w hich wil l result
in Pyrrha using a W R attack. Using throws from an Angel Step
is also possible, and is especially good f or catching sidestepping opponents without risking the unsafe AS @@.

[.,put

Damage

~t-I S>@@

25.23

ML

~t-IS>:~

36,30

~t-IS>@

Damaue

hel

lmpct

Guard

Hit

14-16

MM

i14

2.4

MH

i1 4

2,0

Dam;oge

lovol

Impact

Guatd

Hit

20

i17

15

Input

Damage

level

Impact

Guard

Hit

AS @

32

i1 4

16

KND / 2 {Tip range)

AS @

32,6,14

i14

16

KND

AS@:~

32,30

i\4

-16

KND

Ascend Splash

.. .. ... .. ... .. ...

is Pyrrha's offensive bread and butter attack, because
throw ing it out comes w ith very li ttle risk compared to almost
all other attacks you can use. These hits don't deal much damage, and can be sidestepped to the left, so you won't be able
to rely on them exclusively or your opponent will be able to reta liate heavily. Try to use at its maximum range, as this
will increase your options, allowing you to retreat more easily
if the opponent retaliates. You can also follow it up with ~l+.
+. or AS @@ to deal with your opponent's most likely
counter attacks, but none of these have tremendous range.

Tornado Low Heel

...... .... ........ .......... ... ... .... ..... .......... .. .. .. ... ...

n;:

Input

At times w hen the opponent is likely to w ait, but ca n guard

I:?@ on reaction, you'll find that !1@ is the most useful Low
option you have. When it hits you're at a tiny disadvantage,
so your @@ or ~@ are good follow -ups. Beating your op
ponent's retaliation attempt can make them hesitate the next
time you land 1:1@, which opens t he door for you to use mult iple t?@s in a row. I:?@ also hits grounded, and looks very
similar in animation to ~@. so these are great tools against
opponents who like t o st ay on t he ground.

Angel 's Strike

.. .. .. .. ... .... .... .. ... .... .. .. .. ..... ........... ... .........

AS has the speed and range to puni sh many blocked at
tacks that most other characters couldn' t, and deals heavy
damage in the process. Its speed also makes it a great
option for punishing w hiffed attacks or for interrupting slower attacks, especially against characters that can't punish it
heavily. Pressing:~ the instant the attack connects will trigger t he follow-up animation, adding an additional 30 damage
to its t otal if your timing is perfect. If you get the Just version
of AS 8 you'll liave a chance for a Clean Hit and can also then
land the Just follow up :~ attacl: from further away. You can
use Angel Steps to close the gap or try using a small dash
followed by attacks such as c::>S> ~ or 1/'@+@ .

Angelle Meteor

...... ...... .. ...

This is a linear, Mid-hitting attack that w ill launch opponents
for a small combo when it connects. It w ill also hit grounded opponents. which makes it an essential part of Pyrrha 's
Okizeme strategy. When it's guarded you are left at a small
disadvantage, b ut your opponent is in FC so their options are
slightly reduced. Whenever you feel t hat your opponent is
likely to stay still, this should be one of your fi rst choices .

CHAf'lH'; '' I VS f>! /W PYRRHA ALEXANDRA

Angel Crucify
You'll need to use this as your advancing attack from mid
range in order to prevent sidestepping abuse and open the
w ay for more @ usage. Some fast characters can punish this attack when blocked, so use it more sparingly against
them. After it connects you are at enough advantage to use
throws or fast attacks to continue your offense. or simply use
another @ to keep the opponent in place and reset the
situation. Due to Pyrrha 's lack of range and approaching options, opponents w ill often try to space this attack and make
it w hiff, so you should be careful to get as close as possible
before using it, and sometimes mix it up with +@ for
the extra range it offers.

Luminous Angel
This attack is Pyrrha 's most reliable TC, and will punish Highhitting attacks heavily wh ilst also tracking sidestepping opponents. It's not safe when blocked, so you 'll need to use
it carefully and pay attention to you r opponent's ability to
punish it. It's best to use this after having your basic pokes
guarded to evade retaliation attempts, or after using a Guard
Break attack to prevent the opponent from sidestepping or
retreating, so consider it a counter-attack rather than an offense opener.

'

Plasma Blade

~~@ is a great choice after sidestepping an if')coming attack

since it's very fast and doesn't leave you at much risk when
blocked, unlike ..(7..(7. @and~~@ are the same attack, bu t ~~@ must be used from a sidestep or from 8-Way
Run. and is a litttle safer when guarded. It 's the speed of this
attack that makes it so useful; after sidestepping many fast
attacks it will be fast enough to punish when your other options could not.

Elk Strike
If you think your opponent w ill simply wait and guard, this
attack is great for wearing down their Guard Gauge and putting you at advantage. It's a High-hitting attack, and also not
tremendously fast, so sharp opponents can deal with it defensively by crouching under it. but even so it s quick recovery
will make it hard for them to punish heavily. When it connects, you have the opportunity to follow-up w ith a highly
damaging combo, so it's worth the risk whenever your opponent is hesitating.

Temperance Strike
The first part of this attack on its own is very useful as an
evasive counter-attack. It can jump over low attacks, and also
evade attacks that have no tracking to the left. This means it
covers multiple options should your opponent attack, and the
threat of the follow-up attack can make them hesitat e just
long enough to make it safe to use. On CH, the follow-up attack is guaranteed, so you should watch ca refully for the CH
indication and t ry to react and finish the combo only when
you see it happen.

Gleaming Twister Kick

Another Tech Crouch attack, and another combo starter: t his
one is perfectly safe when blocked and leads to a stun for
a powerful AS @ ::> combo. It's high-hitting, so it can't be
overused as your general post-sidestepping option. especial
ly against characters wit h a lot ofTC attacks. If your opponent
is relying on High or linear attacks. however. it's your best option for punishing due to its damage potential. so you should
use it as an evasive tool rather than as something you react
after a sidestep with, such as~~@.

Star-Crossed Satellite

lnpul .

L~III)J

llilPliC\

(;unr~ '

Hit.

t?t?or~~@@

LM

i28

12,-14

1,KND

The !:?!:?@ series provides Pyrrha with a mid range Lowhitting attack that allows her to mix up attacks as she approaches. The follow-up attack will combo on CH. or can be
delayed to become a Guard Break attack, so you should mix
up between these options often. When guarded, t?t?@rJ
allows for a guaranteed AS ::> or C!. so opponents will
need to interrupt or Gl it. The second hit is unsafe when not
delayed. and can also be sidestepped despite its appearance,
so use only the first pa rt of the attack against opponents that
can pun ish it reliably.

t?t? or ~~@rJ

18,25

LM

i28

14

KND

Shield Rush

Input

Damage

Level

hnpaet

Guard

Hit

~~@

25

i20

-6

KND

If you want to advance while evading some linear attacks

then ~~@ is a great attack to use. It's best used from mid
range in conjunction with c::>c::>@ as one of your primary offense openers. It will knock the opponent down when it connects, allowing for a ground-hitting follow-up such as !:?@.
~. or c::>c::> @. You can also use this attack near the
ring edge to Ring Out to your left, and the disadvantage when
guarded is relatively small, so you can follow-up with @+.
or evasive attacks depending on how your opponent reacts.

El Fortune

Input

Damage

Level

Impact

Guard

Hit

Input

Damage

level

Impact

Guard

Hit

<?<?+@

32

i26

-10

KND

@ +

This isn't an actual attack; its only purpose is to Gl your opponent's Mid-hitting attacks without spending any Critical Gauge.
If you time it correctly against a Mid attack then one of three
possible follow-ups will be available to you depending on the type
or attack that was parried: Horizontal attacks w ill result in the op
ponent being stunned, allowing you to follow-up with AS:<? or
c::>c::>+@@@ for a combo. Vert ical attacks w ill trigger a counterattack w ith ..().~. after w hich you'll need to input @,@ for
the follow-up hits, and f inally Kicks will be countered with a kick
of your own. which you can sometimes follow with a quick AS
while the opponent is airborne. Stab attacks cannot be paried.

Olympus Shower

.................
As Pyrrha's most powerful ground-hitting attack, this is a vital
part of your Okizeme because it's the best reason you have
for the opponent to Ukemi after being knocked down. It's also
a pow erful attack when used as part of timing-based mix-ups,
but it's easily sidestepped, so you shouldn't use it too often.
It's another attack that's good for depleting the opponent's
Guard Gauge, and is. safe w hen blocked, though some character's ~ will be fast enough to punish it.

Cf />,f'n Fl 4 : VS f'! .W I PYRRHA ALEXANDRA

Moderate Low Heel

level

lopUI

lmJ>Rct

i16

-4

The sheer speed of this attack gives your opponent very little
time to react to its use, making it a great addition to your
fast poking game when up close. Whe n used alongside @@.
and 1:1 you 'll be forcing the opponent to use t heir
fastest attacks to interrupt you or to simply guess w hen you' ll
use and apply their best counter. :>@. however, is a hard
attack to counter, because it's a Mid-hitting attack w it h a very
low hitbox and d ecent tracking, and as a single fast hit it has
exceptional recovery even w hen the opponent evades it.

Pyrrha's throws m ay lack range, bu t they deal respectable

damage and leave her in very favorable positions. Her @ +@
throw sends the opponent to t he ground in front of her and
can be followed up with a guaranteed ..C.!ID+ !ID!ID!ID for a
to tal of 50 damage, and her liD+@ throw leaves you in a very
good position and can be a Clean Hit; because the opponent is
left side on they ca n't roll to avoid ~~liD. so they are forced
to rise imm ediately and block it. Pyrrha's right side throw deals
incredible damage, so it's always worth using it as part of your
mix-up after sid estepping to the left. The right side t hrow,
meanw hile, is very w eak, as is her back throw, but it can still
be usef ul beca use it Rings Out a good distance ahead of you.

Input

Damage

@ +@

25

liD+@

50

13

~~~)+@

55

@ +@ or +@ (Right)

7.0

13

@+@ or +@ (Left)

40

13

~~@+@ has a small escape w indow and again leaves

you in a very strong position to mix-up ~~liD. 1:1@, and
throws. The opponent must stand instantly in order to guard
1:1@, and t hey don't have t im e to attempt a Gl or Just Guard
against it. They also can't Gl an instant ~~liD. but can roll to
either side to avoid it. This still leaves you perfectly safe, however, and you ca n use ~~liD lilil to hit rolling opponents for
a good chunk of additional damage.

~ BRAVE EDGE ATTACKS

;''\];lj\}f~Ml . ',

~~liD lilil is by far t he most useful o f Pyrrha's Brave Edge

attacks. It's fast, t racks perfectly and leads to a powerful combo w hen it connects. On top of all this it also gives you advantage when guarded, so make su re to follow it up w ith a throw
or another ~~liD. If your opponent is able to sidestep the
second hit of the attack or Gl it consist ently then it's not safe
to use, . Both hit s of the attack also hit grounded, so you can
use it for additional dam age after many knockdown attacks.
or to finish off opponents who stay on the ground w hen they
have little health left.
!;

AS @@ 1ili1 is also worth using your Critical Gauge on, as you

can use the attack as you normally would, and can then conf irm
that the fi rst hit connects before activating the Brave Edge to
deal extra damage. It also makes t he attack safe to use, again
leading to a st rong advantage when the last hit is guarded.

Pyrrha's Critica l Edge is a fast but linear st rike that leads into
a damaging 3-hit combo. This is best used in air combos to
maximize your damage, especially at times w hen it w ill finish
your opponent o ff. You can also use it to interrupt attacks that
you see coming. or to beat those that you couldn't otherwise
at times w hen you're sure the opponent will retaliate while
you're at a disadva ntage. It's not sa fe when guarded, however, so you do t ake a risk w hen using it like this.

l11put

AS @@ @+liD+@
<?@@ @ + liD+ .

Dmage

25, 15, 13

' . , '-

l~1pact

Guord

MLM

i18

-18,-16,8,..

HLML

i1 8

. Level

,, .

Hi I

KND,KND.LNC

After standard launchers, AS is the best choice for damage and reliability. You can also use Pyrrha's Critical Edge for considerably more
damage if you have it available, and you can even add a quick >@
before it. Comboing after S>S> ~ leads to more options, though
you can still use >, ~ if you wait for the opponent to fall a little.
~~@ is the most damaging follow-up without using any additional Critical Gauge, but following up with >, >>+ can leave
you in a better position, especially if you use it close to an edge, but
not close enough for the S>S> ~ to wall splat (see Combo A).

In stun combos you can again rely on AS to deal the highest possible damage, though the Just Frame follow-up w ill be req uired to
do so. Always remember to aim for the Just Attack AS : to have
a chance of getting a Clean Hit and increase your combo damage.
After landing ~~. you can follow-up with a simple @@ to keep
the opponent standing and give them less time to react to your next
move, or you can use >>+ for a little extra damage (52) and a
knockdown.

Follow-up

Damage

Hits

Cost

Dilficulty

or.J

AS@:

87

otl

84

***

S:l~

AS@

44

<?>

AS@

46

:1 <?

S>S>+@. @.AS

90

>@

AS@:<?

83

<?

S>S> ~. ~~@IEJ

102

~~IEJ

@@

46

~~

S>S> ~

59

~~

79

AS@:<?

85

~~@

S:l

44

***
*

~.!}@

S>S> ~

61

'It+ (Stun only)

AS@:<?

56

CH S:l

~+

59

CH <?<?@

AS@

68

~~@

84

S>S> ~

>.S>S>~

87

CH S>@+@@@

@. ~

127

Combo

'J!t. ,! . . " ~ ~

B ....: ::'' ;::!>' c::(> c::(>@

:i .

ffiEI

** *

C /W:-l:l'' 4 i VS PL/\Y I PYRRHA ALEXANDRA

UKEMITRAPS
Pyrrha doesn't have very many knockdowns that allow for Ukemi
Traps. Her primary UT tool is@ Iilli, which also hits grounded

opponents regardless of which direction the opponent rolls to. This

means that it's actually a guaranteed follow-up in all of the places
where it would! be a UT. so the opponent will most likely stay down
when you have the ability to use it. After landing~~@. if the opponent doesn't Ukemi immediately,@ w ill hit them for a total of
4 7 (~+will hit them for 49 if close enough). If you want to
catch Ukemi after ~~@ w ithout using meter you can use<?<?@.

Knockdown

UkemiT<ap

~~

<?<?@

.a.~

~~

CiH ~ IIDIID

50

All

***

Iilli

80

All

~~@~

70

All

169

Right, Left

50

All

~@G]j,<?@ ~~

'lr+

Difficulty

Iilli. ~@. C!lil

~@

WALL COMBOS
Near a wall Pyrrha isn't quite the threat some other characters are,
but she does have a few decent wall splatting options. As with most
things, ~~(ID Iilli is king here, always leading to a high wall splat.
but doing so won't net you much more damage than a regular combo
wou ld. CH @+ can wall splat from a few characters distance
away, and t?t?@@ and ~@ are other good options, though
t?t?@@ requ ires you to be slightly to th e right of the wall for best results, rather than directly facing it. All of these recover well enough to

be followed by<?<?@, AS:<?, which deals high damage at no Critical Gauge cost and leaves the opponent with their back to the wa ll.
Combo C offers a nice damage increase over the standard <?a combo, but you'll need a C!lil available to make it worthwhile. Combo E
uses a Iilli for high damage, and you have the option to change the
post-launch part of the combo to just <?, from which you can UT
w ith another~@ Iilli, all of which amounts to incredible damage.
Damage

Hils

Cost

Difficulty

~~+liD@@. @. [ij3

109

** **

~~@G]jW!

<?<?@. W! ~@@:<?

108

CH~@+@W !

@+@, W! ~@@:<?

95

CH~@+@W!

@ +@,IN! ~@+@@@.@

100

.E

CH <?<?@IN!

@+@, W! ~@ Iilli. ~~@@@

119

Combo

Starter

Follow-up

<?a. ~~IIDW!

'

AS@

APPLYING OFFENSE
Pyrrha is great at keeping her offense going. As with any character,
it's all about watching how your opponent reacts after guarding your
attacks, but in Pyrrha's case you have an unusually large number of
options that wi ll deal with their likely retaliation whilst also being fast
enough to keep your offense fluid and give them little time to react. A
good way to think about your offense is to always be looking for the
right time to use t?@. Everything else you do is used to make your

opponent hesitate, giving you time to land t?@. Once you land it,
you r offensive sequence is effectively reset, because the opponent
won't want to let you stand there repeating !:?@; this is the point
where they have to counter-attack or retreat. So it's essential to instantly use your choice of follow-up whilst also paying close attention
to what the opponent does.

The strength of @ ~ makes managing your Critical Gauge very important with
Pyrrha. With a few stocks at your disposal
you suddenly have the option to apply a
burst of offensive pressure that few characters can match. After the opponent blocks
your @ ~. you can either dash in for
a throw, use AS to prevent them from
moving, :>:>@ to CH any retaliation, or
~ again to reset the situation and
make it even more likely that the opponent
will attempt something the next time round.
Some opponents will use Just Guard as a
safe defense after guarding your (i,
and may also react to you dashing in by ducking potential throw attempts. so varying your
timing and sometimes using a dash followed
by AS can help to keep the situation in
your favor. [7 0 1)

OKIZEME
You'll have plenty of powerful ground-hitting
options once you knock an opponent down.
@ and 1:1@ are your primary mix-up
options if you think the opponent will rise
immediately, and you can also use :>@ for
continued offensive pressure. :>:>+
and ~+ can be used against
opponents who stay down, and of course
@ IS covers all options and leaves you
with advantage if the opponent rises. If you
always use attacks that hit grounded then
your opponent w ill be m uch more likely to
rise instantly to avoid unnecessary damage,
so you can begin mixing in your throws to put
them straight back down again.

GUARD BURST
Guard Burst should be a part of your strategy with Pyrrha, but not central to it. Using slower attacks just to inflict more guard damage can interfere with your natural offense. and will usually
just push you back out of close range, or even give the opponent an opportunity to counterattack. Pyrrha does have some good tools for the job, such as :> and <?:>@)+@, but you
should aim to use them only when you feel the need to alter your attack rhythm to keep your
offense unpredictable. If you've just used a couple of IS in a row that have been
guarded, however, then you can assume the opponent's guard is reduced by half already, so it
will be worth using attacks such as :>. >+@ and~+ to further erode it.

DEFENSIVE PLAY
4

Defensively, Pyrrha is great at whiff punishing from close to mid range, but w ill not have any
options from further out. This limits how you can play at times when you really can't afford
to ta ke damage. Being patient is essential, but you can try to draw out unsafe att acks from
your opponent by intentionally whiffing an attack that has very little recovery. :>, :>@, and
r:::?r:::?@ are good for this purpose. You also have ~+@ to use safely from a distance and
hope that the opponent edges forward into its area of effect.

RING OUT
If your opponent can't reliably block your
1:1 then it should be your first choice near
the edge of the ring. You can m ix this up with
AS (and its ~versi on). which w ill also
help to keep your opponent in position. Other
useful tools include 1:11:1. ~~.and CH
+. along with @ to catch them as
they try to move away from the edge. @
also pushes the opponent some way to your
right when it hits, so keep this in mind when
using it near the edge (along with the fact
that ~~@ can push the opponent to the left
when blocked). It's also worth remembering
that you can Ring Out for a good distance behind you with ~~. which has deceptively
good range and will TC under High-hitting at. tacks, but putting yourself in a position to do
so is a rarely a good idea.

The character you're fighting against should be the primary factor in determining how you
play defensively. Against slower, more unsafe characters, such as Astaroth. Nightmare, and
Z.W.E.I., guarding their attacks and th en punishing is a viable strategy, but you'll need to be
confident in your ability to react to their low attacks, especially since these are the ones that
lead to the best punishment opportunities. Against faster characters, such as Natsu, Leixia,
or Mitsurugi, you'll be forced to guess more often and react much quicker in order to punish
when you do guard an attack, so simply letting them attack isn't a good idea and careful spacing will be necessary in order to play defensively.
Using Just Guard in your defense can pay off very well for Pyrrha, as AS @ will very often
be guaranteed after a successful Just Guard against attacks that would usual~y be safe. This
again is a very much character-specific choice; some characters have many slower attacks that
you can get used to Just Guardi ng and react to, while others will have too many fast attacks
to make Just Guarding any better than a guess. The key w ill be to identify w hich couple of
attacks your opponent is using to deal the majority of their damage and the places in which
they use them, but you'll need to be sure that AS is guaranteed against them for this to
be worth the risk.

SPACING & POSITIONING

Guard Burst
Req.lo Burst 11\ttncl<s

5*

c:::> c:> IS

G=>. ~+. :>@

>+. :><?. :>:>@.

AS@

10

fil

11

c:::>S>

12

+, @+@. c:t>+~@

13

.()..~. ~+. -&-&

Breaks on first hit of 5th

Spacing is Pyrrha's main weakness. and unless you're willing to use ~ to advance then
you really only have the threat of @ and @+@ from anything outside close range, neither
of which lead to real damage. AS is a great whiff punisher, but its follow-up won't be possible at
maximum distance, and most other characters will have better tools than Pyrrha at t his range. Staying at the tip range of your is the best course of action, as this will allow you to use its speed
to beat slower attacks easier, and move backwards to avoid fast attacks. You'll need to be careful
of characters that can throw you from this range, however; ~@ will counter throw attempts and
works well from this range, especially against characters that can't punish it well.

POST-GI
Pyrrha is very strong after a successful Gl, especially if you have some Soul Gauge stocked.
As w ith many characters, simply using your @I3 after a Gl w ill be you r best option in most
cases. With no @I3 stocked you can use@ IS or.simply AS@::> for very respectable
damage. If you think the opponent will re-G I then :>rJ is a very strong option to lead into a
combo. or you could simply use Angel Steps to draw out an early re-G I attempt.

C! i/'.f>TloP <i

Rega rdless of the playe r using her, Pyrrha relies on staying close and
applying offensive pressure. In order to sustain her offense, she'll
always want t o guess what your defensive option w ill be and counter
it accordingly, so you must keep this in mind at all times. Often it's
best to simply let her attack and try to react when she uses an attack
you can punish. This may sound dangerous, but she doesn't actually

V~,

f>l/\Y I PYRRHA ALEXANDRA

have great mix-ups once you can react to her slower Low-hitting attacks such as 1212.This effectively leaves her with !:?@and throws.
which are both very average in terms of the reward they give her.
Both of these options are also severely lacking in range, so backstepping should be your primary defensive measure against Pyrrha.

KEY ATTACKS
What may seem like a flawless attack is actually an opportunity for you
to punish Pyrrha heavily, since once you block the first strike she has
no choice but to continue with the second. You simply have to Gl or
sidestep the second hit to vastly reduce the threat of this attack. It's
also possible to Just Guard the second hit, but it requires strict timing.

This attack heavily damages your Guard Gauge, so you don't want to
guard it often . Luckily, it's slow and High-hitting. so you just need to
get familiar w ith the animation and duck undern eath it, leaving Pyrrha open to be punished.
AS@@
This attack is unsafe regardless of wheth er Pyrrha uses the second
hit or not. but she does have the option to use the lilll version for a
third strike that leaves her at advantage. This means you' ll need to
always use a jumping attack against the second hit in order to guarantee that you punish it. [ -70 2]
AS
AS is very fast and extremely damaging, so it's essential to discourage Pyrrha from using it as an interrupt attack. To do this you must be
sure to punish it as well as possible whenever you block it. so it's worth
checking your character's best punisher specifically for t his attack.
1:11:1@@
This simplest way to deal with this attack is to guard until you see., that
Pyrrha has used the fully-charged version and then Gl or Just Guard it.

Command Li'st

, !imi,!l H,i,l t ..
Angel Punisher
.

'

,l.!nder Slide ~lade

This eliminates any potential mix-up, and also allows you to punish if she
uses the fa ster ve rsion. Alternatively, you can get around both versions
by using a quickstep to your left and cont inuing to 8-Way Run in that

direction. [ 70 3]

Nnmo

Input

Guardian Strike - Evang ellc Fate

..0.00 when hit, <:=> (just)

Under Splash

t:?@
<:=>

Elk Strike

Lovol

lm11act

Block

Properties

12,28,30

16

-10,-20

M id

16

15

-8

' High

26

26

STN

14

13

-8

Mid Mid-Thro\N

O,KND

NCC 11 st hit - FC

TC

-FC

Standing/@
Holy High Kick

High

Trepid Punish Kick

Mid

20

16

-6

15

Mid Mid

14,18

16

-10,-16

-2.STN

14

15

-14

-2

Fragile Crusher

Spring Under Ki ck

.0.

Low

Tomade low Heel

!:?

Low

20

16

-15

-1

M oderate Low H eel

<:=>

Mid

18

16

-4

NCC I Clean Hit: C

KNOCH

Standing/@+
El Fortune

@ +@

Reprisal Hilt

@ +

Reprisal Guardian

+@@@

auto-GI: M (Horizontal, Vertical. Body)

High

10

STN

Mid Mid Mid

20,11,27

KND

NC I R-0

High

18

KNO

R-0

Reprisal Tomade

Twin Step Grace

~@+@

Mid Mid

14,16

18

-6

KNO

13

R-0 lTC

Tempera nce Strike

M id Mid

16,28

26

-12,-20

-2,STN

TSITJ I NCC

Temperance Strike- M iserable Fate

+when hit. <:=>

Mid M id-Throw

16,28,6,14

26

-12,-20

-2,KND

TS I TJ I NCC

Mid M id-Throw

16,28,30

26

-12,-20

-2, KND

TS I TJ I NCC

... 28

17

-12

12

TC I KND CH

TC I TJ

Standing/@+@

' Temperance Strike:- evallgelic Fate

'.
'
'
Quick Strike
Desperate Impale

+ w hen hit.

> (just)

~+
..0.+00

Mid
Low Low Low Low

10,8,8,8

19

25

38

-12.-12

STN,16

-16,-1 6,-16,-16 -6,-6,-6,-6

NCC I KNOCH

Ultimate Ultimate Gaia Tremor

'fr+

SP-Mid Low

Ultimate Ultimate Gaia Tremor

'frUl+l3

Mid Low

45

69

STN, -12

STN, 16

Heaven's Gate

<:=>+

M id

55

65

lNC

LNC

TCIUB

SP-Iow

10

12

-6

TCI -FC

TC I TJ I UB

Full Crouch Attacks

Under Slide Blade

crouching @

Under Splash

crouching (ID

Mid

16

14

-8

8
2

Mid Mid

10,28

16

-20

STN

NCC f i st hit -FC

- FC

Guard ian Strike

crouching t:?@(ID

Guardian Strike - Miserable Fate

crouching 1:?0000 when

hit, <:=>

Mid Mid-Throw

10,28,6,14

16

-20

KND

NCC 11 st hit -FC

Guardian Strike - Evangelic Fate

crouching t:?@ when hit.

<:=>(just)

Mid M id-Throw

10,28,30

16

-20

KND

NCC f1 st hit -FC

Spring Under Kick

crouching @

Low

14

14

-14

-2

while standing

Mid

18

16

-8

15

-6

-6

TC

Opp -BT (Hit)

TC

-FC

While Rising Attacks

Full Tum Blade
Full Tum Heaven

while standing (ID

M id

16

Risi ng Temple

while standing @

High

18

15

While Rising Attacks/Simultaneous

Mirage Satellite

while standing @+

Mid

20

18

-1 2

30

68

14

STN

TCI BA

Jumping Mirage Satellite

while jumping @

High

22-28

24

-9

Jumping Under Splash

while jumping @

Mid

22-28

21

-8

Holy Crest Kick

while jumping

Mid

22-26

21

-4

TJ

Angel Crucify

~ + or ~~ or ~~~@

Mid

28

18

-10

Opp -FC (Hit)

Shield Rush

.(). ...@

High

26

20

-6

KND

t3

R-0 , TS

Inverse Shield Rush

'fr+@

High

26

20

-6

KND

13

R-0

Star-Crossed Satellite

!:?It or~~@@
!:?It or ~ ~a

l ow Mid

18,20

28

-12,-14

2,KND

low Mid

18,25

28

-12,14

2,KND

Mid

22

-3

15

15

TJ

S-Way Run/@

Star-Crossed Satellite

<:=>+ @

R-0
R-0, BA

CH;\PTER .1 VS F'lAY I PYRRHA ALEXANDRA

81oclc

Name

Input

Lovol

Damage

Ascension

~111 or ~~

M id

21,7

27

-14

LNC

Guardian's Judgment

..!).+or 'll'+l8l@

M id Mid M id

22,9,28

16

-18,-,-

LNC

15

Guardian Upper

<?+or !:?It or~~

Mid

22

22

-14

LNC

Plasma Blade

.:::>+or ~111 or~~@

Mid

18

is ,

-15

LNC

Gleaming Twister Kick

..!).+or 'll'+OO

High

26

23

-7

Gleaming Twister Low Kick

..!).+ or 'll'+OO

Low

26

49

-3

Angel Stroke

<?+or !:?It or~~@@@

Mid Mid Low

Mid

18,18,22,34

30

-12,-16,-16

Jet Stream Rush

.:::>+or ~111 or

Mid High Mid

20, 10,21,7

Mid

34

High-Throw

50

High-Throw
High-Throw

40

right side throw

Bottoms Up

back throw

High-Throw

35

Heaven's Rider

.:::>+@+@

High-Throw

55

1.2

14

-6

Flipside Under Slide Blade crouching turn around l8l

' Flipside Sword Splash
turn around

14

15

-6

16

16

-6

liD

14

17

-8

16

15

-8

8-Way Run/@

Olympus Shower

~~+@@@

<?+or !:?It or~~ or{!.-+

or'll'++@

Holy Carnivore
Round Knocke.r
Broken Promise

70

Back Turned Attacks

Flipside Slide Blade

turn around 18)

Flipslde Under Splash

crouching turn around

Flipside High Kick

turn around @

18

Flipside Spring Under Kick

Hip Charge

Luminous Angel

during Angel Step @@

Angel~s Strike

during Angel Step

Angel's Strike

during Angel Step (fast)

Miserable-fate
....

Evangelic Fate
i Twiri Step

s~,:;,e;sault

Angel Side Step

. ..-,

;. l uniinous'Angel
Jet Stream Rush

-1 4

13

t~ I R-0:1Clean i'Jit: c'.

TC

I R-0

f. ;:

CHA?-H liV~:' ?:.f.IY SIEGFRIEDSCHTAUHEN

SIEGFRIED
Character Overview I Siegfried uses a zwei hiinder, a large, two-handed longsword. This gives
him decent damage, and makes him able to attack effectively from long distance. It also makes
many of his attacks slow and unsafe, however. Siegfried can be an easy charac ter to pick up
and learn; he becomes m ore difficult to use against experienced opponents, however, and he
struggles especially against fast characters, or those able to punish him severely. Consequently,
to maximize his potential, you will need excellent management of your spacing game, and to be
able to read and anticipate your opponent's actions.
'

. oamag~
Throws

Speed >

safety

METER USAGE
nr<.,nA t1n':te~:5iegfnied

needs to keep his opponent at

t close range, as many of the other charthey wi ll be able to keep the advantage
At m id and long range, his attacks are
parison with others characters, so
at least at mid range, w here Siegyour opponent using mid and
I as attacks that push you back to
rPrY"lPimber to backstep often. His
and to punish whiffed attacks,
' '11 d ,,._il.J , and Side Hold (SSH).

Siegfried's damage really depends on your Critical Gauge;

if you want to punish strongly
after a whiffed or a blocked attack, you w ill need Siegfried's
Brave Edge moves. ~~@ ~
is the most useful fast punisher,
and SCH @ ~ is your primary
move that you will !JSe in combos
after hitting with ~m. WR
or
-.&-.&<?. for example. For this
reason, you should be careful not
but he is able to attack to waste meter using ~ attacks
that might not connect. His Critican be very aggressive, and
allow him to cal Edge is less important but
you can still use ~t to increase
iti'8'~.....c:on1bo damage or, because of its
exc:eii13.Qt range, for whiff punish-

m.

...

'l:'',z

>;.,:;,;!l

"- STANCES
Siegfried can transition into any stance from any other stance. By switching stance often, you can confuse your opponent and try to force a mis
take . Most of the time after a transition following a blocked attack you'll
have a solutioro to beat the opponent's retal iation. Don't be afraid to use
the stance transitions even when your attacks are blocked, and try difterent things to avoid being punished. In the tables for each stance transi

Base Ho ld (S BH) move

... ................ .... .. ...... .....

Entering this stance w ith +
auto-Gis all Hori zontal weapon at
tacks. W hile you're in the stance
the GI wil l stay active lor a long
tim e. If you aut o-GI an attack, SBH
@and SBH@ @ are guaranteed
follow-ups, while SBH is usually
guaranteed unless the Gl occurs at
the very start of its active window.
Base Hold is a polyvalent stance
with many uses. You can use it
for combos. such as after SASH
13 or <:=><:=>ID and SBH @or @..(7
can also be used to confuse your
opponent, especially if you mix
them with SBH ~@+@ . Some
SBH transitions can act as frame
traps or to cause whiffs; the most
useful are <l=><?ID and -&fJ+ID
when blocked.

Chief Hold (SCH)

................ . .............. ... ..

The transition ..(7 or "(} +ha s a
built-in Tech Step. If you use it from
a stance you are vulnerable to be
ing CH by horizontal attacks. Aher
evading an attack the best option is
SCH @. after which you can com
bo with ~ or C!IEI. If you need
a faster move you can use SCH
@@ or SCH @ ~. After ~0
or WR ID, you will need to stay in
this stance to finish your combo.
If these attacks are blocked, you
have a defensive mix-up to try to
avoid punishment. For example, atter ~ ID is blocked, SCH @ is only
beatable by itO moves. So if an opponent tries to attack, all but the
fastest characters will be beaten
by SCH @. This @ can however
be sidestepped, so to prevent step
you have to LI Se SCH @.which can
be beaten by attacks under i18.

tion. you will find the impact speed of each move. As an example of how
to use this, after ~ ID blocked into SCH Siegfried at 1. That means that
every action from SCH will be delayed by one frame. So SCH@ (itO) w ill
impact in 1t frames. To cancel a stance into guard you need 19 frames. So
after ~ ID you cannot guard for 20 frames.

II.IPIII

Dantaoo

Levf>l

Propcrtiw

26

Cancellable (SBii @..(7)

28

TC

20

Transition to Base Hold (SBHI

Lovel

GuM~

Hit

ID

-&ID

<:=><:=>ID

KND

-&fJ+ID

KND

tnpm

Oa!llpgo

Lovol

Ouunl

liil

Proporties

20,20
48 /'

H,M

NC

KND

t2,18

M,H

-14

Input

+@

@@

"

10

NC

Transition to Chief Hold (SCH)

Input

level

Guord

Hit

~ ID

LNC

WR ID

-1

LNC

1111ID

.Q

KND

..(7..(7@

.Q

KND

<l=>ID

MM

12

LNC

SSH @@ID

M,M,M

STN

SCH @

-6

..(7 or"(} @+@

>>@@

Clf\f"-CI:-" lvS P _flY SIEGFRIED SCHTAUFFEN

Side Hold (SSH)

The <?@+@ transition backsteps, making it useful
for evasion. You can also use <?<?+@ to backstep even further. After evading an attack, the best
option for damage is SSH @)@)(); if you need a
faster move use SSH @. Near the ring edge you
ca n use SSH @ for Ring Out or wa ll combos. This
stance can be very effective in offensive play since
you can mix SSH @ with SSH to pierce the opponent's defense. Try to hit-confirm SSH to
avoid punishment. After a transition into SSH on
block, SSH @ will beat most fast options, but it's
High, so be careful not t o overuse it.

Input

Dnltlago

lovol

Pr<iperties

@@

21,37

L,L

NCC

24,28,30

MMM

:Nc

18

Transition to Side Hold (SSJI)

Input

Gun,rd

~~

.0

-8

-2

Level

<?+@

fi.1
~fi.l

WR

fi.1

@+@

MMM

..(l...(l.@@fi.l

HHH

2
2

..O...O.fi.l

Reverse Side Hold (SRSH)

This stance only has offensive purposes, so you'll
need to either attack from it straight away or switch
to another stance. ~@+@ is useful because it
includes a long, advancing sidestep. After this, you
can mix-up SASH @ with SRSH and if you hit
the best combos are SRSH 13 SBH and SRSH
..(!...(!.@@.Your opponent has to guess your choice
of attack to guard successfully. If you make the
wrong choice, however, you can be punished badly,
as both of these moves are very unsafe. For zoning or to prevent sidestepping or backstepping from
your opponent you can use SRSH @, and if you hit
you can follow-up with ~~.Transitions into this
stance are too slow to be safe at close range, even
when they hit, so you must use them unexpectedly.

Sky splitter

.... ...................................... ...

~

~fit is one of the important tools in Siegfried's arsenal and a very polyvalent move. You can use this
move for zon ing at its maximum range to keep your
opponent away. At tip fange this attack stuns; there's
no guaranteed f ollow-up, but you can use the advantage to attack, or to reposition yourself defensively.
You can fish for CH by using ~fit at maximum range
- if your opponent uses an advancing attack from
here, they will move in to the launch range, and you
can use the CH ~fit. SCH combo. ~fit can also
be used as a whiff punisher at mid range. From here
you can fol low-up with SCH@ ~and then @:@:@
or~@. Finally, this move can also be used to mixup with Low attacks and throws. Keep in mind that
~fit is always better than ~. Even though ~fit@
is very unsafe, few attacks are fast enough to beat
SCH@ after a blocked ~m .

Input

Damage

38

28

20

Goard

.'

KND

-21

STN

-22

STN

Transition to Reverse Side Hold (SS~I

Input

tevel

Guard

Hit

-5

STN

-11

~+@

<?fi.l
.<?<?fi.l

-10

STN

Quick Backspin Slash

This move is indispensable in Siegfried's gameplay. It is his
best antistep option and a very powerful zoning tool. Catch
ing a step with liD brings good damage and an amazing
knockdown. It's also formidable when blocked: at mid or tip
range, you can attack again and fish for a CH. This tactic can
help prevent your opponent from attacking or getting close.
You can also use this advantage to backstep if you need to
defend, or advance for a mix-up. This move is also very often
the best combo finisher after a launcher: it can lead to high
damage, wall combos, and Ring Out opportunities.

Chariot Splitter

Input

lmpnct

Gnar~

lilt

@@@ .

i16

2-4

KND

:@:@

i17

2-4

KND

Hit

Input

O~in~~e

LDvol

llu~nct

Gnd

-&-:& or ~"if

30,26

MM

i25

14, 18 KND

The mai11 purpose of this move is whiff punishment at long

range. -&--&-:> SCH SCH @ li combos are perfect
for this purpose. Because of its amazing range, you can use
this attack alongside liD in your mid to long range spacing game. Mixing up -&-~:> with -&--&- can also be
good to confuse the opponent and get them to make mistakes. -&--&- can also be delayed, which again is good for
confusing the opponent or to confirm that the first hit connected. -&--&- is also one of your best combo finishers,
for example after SRSH or SBH @ .

..!} ..!} or ~"if liD>

30

i25

KND

Cannonball Lifter

Input

Damage

tovel

lm~nct

Guard

Hit

WR@l

35

i16

22

and throw punisher. WR UJ always launches for an air combo,

even at its maximum range, and SCH @ li @@/~
will deal good damage as a follow-up. Against some charac
tars (such as Astaroth) SCH can also be used as a more
powerful follow-up. You can try to fish for CH when you are
crouched or grounded. Because this move launches at tip
range, it's a useful alternative to ~ m for zoning. After a CH,
SCH @ is the best combo option.

WA Ul

35

i16

LNC
LNC

Quick Spin Slash

Input

Damage

lovol

Impact

Guard

Hit

@
S>rJ

24

i15

14

24

itS

-8

Damage

level

lmpa~

Guard

Hit

24

i16

10

WR Ul is Siegfried's best attackv from FC, and is a great low

This move is very effective when an opponent is trying to get

into range for their poking game. It's excellent as a fast anti
sidestep option, and its range and radius allows you to use
it at mid range. On CH. it knocks the opponent away a good
distance and can wall splat or Ring Out. It pushes the oppo
nent back when blocked, maki ng it hard to punish. Although
:&!):@is a stronger move, this move stays indispensable be
cause of its easy command. It's less difficu lt to buffer S>
during blockstun or hitstun, especially when you are under
pressure, and it knocks the opponent to the opposite side for
wall splat and Ring Out attempts.

. '~1f.;. --

SECONDARY ATTACKS

Gauntlet Buster
This attack is really fast for its range. At its maximum range
it allows Siegfried to compete with the fastest characters in
the game. If you need a fast mid range poke to keep the
opponent out and stop them dead, this is the perfect tool.
The damage and the advantage on hit are not particularly
great, but this move is the best safe option to prevent your
opponent attacking from rnid range (after a blocked@ for
example). It is also a very useful punishment tool for times
when ~ m is too slow.

--~

Input

C'-.APTER .; i VS PL.!>.Y I SIEGFRIED SCHTAUFFEN

Maelstrom
WR @@ is an excellent anti-sidestep attack with great range
and decent speed. It works well against an opponent who
tries to sidestep when you're crouched. It's one of the best
attacks tor advancing to close range with Siegfried as its
speed can take the opponent by surprise. The second hit is
very unsafe when guarded, but you can try to confirm that
the first was a CH and then decide whether to cancel the
second, Low hit with {).. WR fJ transitions into SSH, and is
useful if you don't want to go to close range, and can confuse
the opponent.

Thrust Hilt
Although slow and unsafe, this move offers Siegfried good
damage without any Critical Gauge requ ired, so you can use
it to mix-up w ith Lows and throws if you want to preserve
your meter. t:Z is especially strong near the edge for its
wall combo and Ring Out potential; the attack throw sends
the opponent very far behind Siegfried. It can even Ring Out
over small walls, so a sidestep followed by t:Z(ID can easily bring you the victory. You have to be very careful of the
opponent's ability to punish this attack, however, as some
characters are able to ring you out if they block your t:Z.

Armlet Crusher
~@is a nice Mid-level anti-sidestep attack. It's a good option
to have when the opponent is spacing you. a~ it will counter
mix-ups between their TS and TC attacks. and it also works
well against auto-Gis. This move is a dangerous attack near
the edge, as it leads to wall combos and can Ring Out to the
right side. After hitting, .(7@+ is a guaranteed follow-up.
Siegfried's Critical Edge can also connect after it if you use a
forwa rd dash firs t. You can cancel the animation with ~@@,
which has Siegfried perform a similar but more damaging attack that sends the opponent tumbling in the opposite direction. However, this variation (Alternate Cross) is too slow to
be used frequently.

Axle Head Upper

Siegfried's ~@ is a nice poke and interrupt move, and one
of his best tools at close range. Your opponent doesn't have
time to attack you between ~@@ when the firsl kick is
blocked, unless they jump, so use this in frequently to stop
your opponent from immediately attacking after ~@.The
two lasts hits of ~@@(ID are a NC and will knock the opponent down for an Okizeme mix-up. After the second hit
connects you can follow-up wi th t:?@ for a small combo, and
it's confirmable, so even though it does less damage than
the o;iginal string, varyi~g the string can help you to use the
attack more safely.

Memento Slap
{)..(7@ is safe, catches sidesteppers, hits M id, and can TC
and TS. This is a highly ve rsatile, multi-purpose tool that you
can use often without much risk. It's useful to escape pressure, and can also be a very strong part of your zoning and
spacing. It can Ring Out and wa ll splat, and you can mix it
up with side throws after stepping at close range. The only
weakness of .(7.(7@ is that it's quite slow, especially if you
want to use it without 8-Way Run ning first which limits its
use to times when you're already moving.

Input

Damage

level

Impact

Guard

WR@@

20,31

ML

i1 7

-22

i17

WR@@.(Jr

Rampart Buster

..................
Though a slow attack. ~ is a good pressure tool. and an
excellent ground-hitting option for use in Okizeme. When it's
blocked it will give you a free mix-up because of the large
frame advantage you're at, and it also deals good Guard
Guage damage. After It hits. t:1@ is guaranteed. The speed
of this move is variable. The longer you wait before inputting
<? (up to 8 frames}. the fas ter it will come out. To prevent
your opponent u sing Gl or JG. you have to utilize the different
speeds o f this move. Because of the great range, you can
also use the fast est version for zoning. Mix it up w ith .;>.;>@
to con fuse the opponent w ith the Break Attack visual eHect.

S lash Cross

................................. ................. ... ...... ....

You can use -.!}..(l.-ll!)@ as punishment after sidestepping an
attack that recovers too quickly for ~liD to con nect. It 'll also
work to preven t your opponent from sidest epping too much.
In t hese situations. SCH @ ~ followed by ::@ or ~liD
will combo. though only at close range. -.!}..(!.-@-.!}@ is a
High, Low string that you ca n use for zoning and to counter
sidestep. It 's a NC and the second hit will protect you against
TC moves. If blocked. you can choose whether or not to release the third hit using -.!}..(l.-ll!J@-.!7@@. You can catch an
aggressive opponent wit h this final Low attack, while if t he
opponent waits for the final hit, they will lose the advantage,
and their hesitat ion will allow you to enforce a new mix-up.

Progressive p h antom

... .. .. .... ...... ... ... .... .. ... ... .. ... .. ... .. ..... ......... .

lopot

Dmg~

Level

l~ct

48

i34-i44 10

Input
'':,c....(!.- or 'U' -\i'oo@

Oomaou

Lovol

hhpact

.Guard

14

i15

-10

10

-.!} {!.- or 'U''if@..(l.-@

14,20

HL

i15

-8

14

i15

-4

15

Damu

level

lmpoct

Guard

Hit

-1 5, -21

3, KND

. -.!}..(!.- or 'U''itC

Input

Guar~

Hit

KND

. Jlil.

-.!}..(!.- or 'U''if @:..(l.-@ @

18.26

LL

i32

Input

Domauu

level

lmpnct

Guard

Hit

25

i42

11

KN D

Input

Doonuge

lovol

Impact

Guard

Hit

..(!.-@+

30

i29

-16

KND

..(l.-C +m

30

i29

KND

This Low anti-step attack gives you the advantage when it connects, and combos w ith ~ on CH. It's especially strong for
Oki zeme because it can hit a grounded opponent. It doesn't
lead to much advantage when it con nects, so it's best to follow-up w ith quick pokes such as . ~@. and .;>.;>@ until
your opponent learn s to defend afterwards. thus giving yourself the leeway for stronger attacks. You can use t he second
move of the stri ng to surprise th e opponent, especially when
there's a chance for a Ring Out, but if it's anticipa ted it is very
unsafe. Th is attack will be especially usefu l against less experienced opponen ts who aren't used to the Just input flash.

Rebuff Turn Slash

..... ..... ............... ........ .. ..... .....

.;>.;>@is a long range, anti-sidestep Break Attack. It's a useful tool for spacing or advancing while keeping the option to
be able to attack again afterwards. Because of the advantage
after .;>.;>@ is blocked. you get a free mix-up, so watch how
your opponent reacts. When it hits, a ~liD follow-up is guaranteed. Be careful, however, as experienced players may be
able to duck it on reaction, due to the Break Attack visual effeet; in this case use ~ to confuse them . It can also Ring
Out and wall splat. so keep this attack in mind when you 've
backed the opponent near the edge.

Grief Imp act

... ... ... .. ... ....

As a long range, knockdown, Low-level attack, ..(!.@+liD
works primarily to open up a defensive opponent. and w ill
be especially effective against inexperienced players. You can
mix this attack up w ith 1::2 . because the startu p animations
are similar. If you don't transition into the stance. you will stay
at far range, so you can use this to conti nue your spacing. It
also has a built-in backstep, so you can use it to avoid attacks
at close or mid range. Follow ..(l.-C+m w ith SBH@ ~ for
71 damage. When it's blocked you are nearly safe, as only
i13 attacks can b eat SBH .and the stance wi ll auto-GI any
regular -.!}@ attacks.

v;., PLW I SIEGFRIED SCHTAUFFEN

Ci l'F!TF <i

Even though Siegfri ed's throw damage is low, you w ill need
to use them to put the opponent under pressure or threaten
defensive opponents. Siegfried has really good reach, allow
ing you to vse throws very often. Your opponent can Ukemi
after both front grabs however, avoiding any Okizeme. The
@ throw can Ring Out forwards and to the right. Near the
edge, use+@ against a defensive opponent trying to avoid
this. Although you have no Okizeme afterwards, you still have
viable options. The opponent will remain near the edge, so
you can continue the mix-up by going for another throw, for
example.

lnptrt

D~lllngc

EscaJ>a Wludow

@+@

45

13

+@

50

13

@+@or+@ (Right)

62

13

@+@ or @)+@ (Left)

57

13

@+@or+@ {Back)

72

13 !V9Ido, Astaroth, Z.W.E.I. ~~ly) : '

FC@+@

30

11

30

If you want more damage and Okizeme, try to use the side
throws often. These do more damage and don't allow for
Ukemi. The left-side throw can also Ri ng Ou t behind you. The
Low throws are especially threa tening near the edge as both
can Ring Out. FC +@can wall splat behind for a free back
throw. FC @+@ guarantees ~ nea r a w all again st almost
all characters. FC +@, BT ..(),@ is a combo. Be aware that
the Low-level th rows can be blocked and punished, so you
cannot abuse them.

SCH @ (; is Siegfried's best Brave Edge move. This Brave

Edge gives him combo opportunities wi th the potential for
a lot of extra damage, because of the relaunch. After every
SCH transition attack connects, this is far the best option to
follow-up with. Beca use of the Break Attack, you can also use
it to pressure the opponent when it's blocked, but you should
be ca reful to preserve you r Critical Gauge, so avoid using it at
times when the opponent is likely to guard.

Input

Damove

S>~@t1+0+13

16,16

~~@@++@

16,16

SBH@@+@+@

20,20,21

i.~vel

MM
MM
MMM

Gu~rd

Hit

i1 5

:srN .

i1 5

-18

STN

hnpac.t

i16

SCH@@+@+@

S>~@ (; is Siegfried's best punishment attack. Th is 15

frame move leads to at least 60 damage using SCH to
combo, and you can improve the damage with SCH @ (;.
This move is also TC and canTS if you use the ~~or~~
commands. Be aware, though, that you are not totally safe
when it's blocked. SBH @ (; is valuable if you want ad
ditional damage from your basic combos. For example, after
SRSH @ you can do SBH @(;for more damage. You can
also use SBH @ (; for a frame trap in some stance transi
tions, like after ..(7a+0. but again it's unsafe when blocked.

~ CRITICAL EDGE
Legacy Testament

/::!'!~tll!flh

Drimrigc

. lnP.ut

..(),~~.(!,.~~@++@ .

Siegfried's Cri tical Edge is relatively slow, but the ~r'ange is

huge and it deals good damage when it connects. You can
use it to punish moves that push you too far back for other
attacks to reach, or as a whiff punisher. You can also use it in
combos for exua damage, for example after SCH @ (;or
SCH . and it can also Ring Out forwards near the edge. It's
very unsafe when blocked up close, so you must be sure it'll
hit when you use it.

A fter a launcher or a stun combo, t he best options are ..(),..(), or

:@:@. When those won't connect, you can still use ~. or at least
t?@. SBH@ Iilli or the (! can also be used for extra damage. Keep
in mind that without any Critical Gauge, your basic launchers (~@or
WR J don' t lead to very high damage. For Combo A, try t o delay
SCH @ (; and hit the opponent during the bounce: it will reset the
damage for a better combo. Combo Conly works against some char

..

'

:<

IJ!VDI

MM

acters like Astaroth. For Combo D, you have to duck manually and do
WR as fast as possible . Because "'r"'r ca n whiff, you should
use ..(),..(), most of the time for Combo E and Combo G. Be wary
of using Combo G and Combo H when the opponent has little health
le ft, because the damage is very badly scaled. If you really need extra
damage to fi nish you r foe, use your(! instead.

Starter

Follow-up

O"ntago

Hits

Co>1

Oilliculty

;: ~m

SCH@

39

SCH@ IE. ~(ID

69

SCH @ IE. @:@:@

76

***

SCH IE) IE. @:@:@

83

SCH (ID

65

,().,().@~

SCH @ IE. @:@:@

86

***

,().{).@~

SCH@ IE.(!

124

**

WRID

SCH (ID

67

(ID<?

t:Z@

64

~@

{).@+@

43

~@

Delay(!

51

**

<?<?@

iWR

92

..()rfi.l+ID

SBH@ IE

76

**

SBH@

..()r..()r(ID(ID

75

SBH

<?<?0, SBH @ IE

112

**

SCH @

~(ID

70

. ;'2

SCH@

(!

105

SRSH@

(!

124

**

SRSH@

~~

J.S

SRSH (ID

<?<?0. SBH @ IE

83

SBH (ID

47

SBH @ IE

56

**

75

...~ ~m
,().,().@~
.

;,

: .: :,

. .;. ;>'

: ..: SRSH 13
. ,) ~ SRSH 13
: SRSH@

ID. SCH (ID

" (!

CH ~fi)

SCH (ID

72

CH <?(ID

~(ID

44

. CH <?(ID

(!

74

**

i cH~@

t:Z@

37

SCH {).@+@, SCH (ID

62

~131E

CH.A.Pl"E ') l

'!~) " lAY

I SIEGFRil::D SCHTAUFFEN

UKEMITRAPS
Siegfried doesn't have many setups
for Ukemi Traps. Most of the time,
the opponent can escape Siegfried's
options by using a left Ukemi, and
because Siegfried can do a lot of
damage on the floor, your opponent
won't often stay on the ground. Certa in Ukemi Traps require a delay, so
practice getting used to the different
timings required for each of them.
With perfect timing, the UkemiTraps
listed w ill catch all directions.

Omnaue

Directions

Cost

Difficulty

13, SBH @

83

All

SRSH 13

Delay SBH@, -iJ.-iJ.@@

110

All

SCH@

-iJ.fJ+Gl, SBH @ ~

126

Left, Back

**

SCH@

~~0. SCH @ ~- :@:@

135

Right, Back

****

SRSH@

~~

82

All

<?<?0
-&fJ+Gl

Slight delay SBH @, -iJ.-iJ.@@

122

All

SBH@

52

All

SRSH@

Delay~~@+@

85

All

SRSH @

Delay <?<?Gl. SBH@

90

All

<?

~Gl. SCH @ ~.

172

Right, Back

Knockdown

Ukemi Trap

<?fJ

SRSH

C!Iil

WALL COMBOS
Sieg fried's wa ll combo damage is moderate, but he has many useful attacks that can wall
splat: ~@to t he right. @@ to the left, 1:2 and FC-&+@ to the back, and~ in front.
Most of the time you will use -&-& to finish a combo, or -&fJ+Gl with SBH @ for extra
damage. At times w hen you 're not sure if a combo w ill work. ~ is always the safest bet
for reliable damage.
Combo

'

Damage

Hits

Co$1

Difficulty

SCH @, ~@

84

:IQl:@W!

~Gl.SCH@

98

-iJ.-iJ.@W!

~.-&~~

107

~@W!

~Gl; SCH@

77

FC-iJ.@J+@ W!

@+@or+@

108

FC-iJ.@J+@ W!

iWR 0, SCH ~@+@, SRSH @ ..e..JJ.@@

101

t2@W!

-iJ.fJ+Gl, SBH @ ~

102

CH~@W!

~Gl.SCH @ ~@

79

~0: SCH@ ~. :IQl:@W!

if if

128

6'

**

-&-&

124

**

Starter

followup

~GlW!

SBH . :@:@W!

**

APPLYING OFFENSE
The best offensive stra tegy is to stay at mid range. From here you can
pressure your opponent and bait mistakes. Base your spacing around
S>S>OO or :@:00, as these allow you to attack again after they are
blocked. Because of the Guard Burst pressure, your opponent won't
be able to stay passive for too long. The stances are also very effective offensive tools, as the many transitions can be used to con fuse
your opponen t; if they hesitate, go into SRSH or SSH to apply a mixup. The more you use stance transitions, the more you'll be able to
confuse your opponent. For instance, the SASH mix-up will be more
effective if you first enter another stance, like SBH, and you shouldn't
hesitate to ca ncel your stance and throw. {!. or "\)'- +@ SCH @ is a
nice way to obtain a side throw. The stance mix-ups are very unsafe,
so the confus ion can help you to reduce the risk, because your opponent may be less prepared to use their punishment options if they
are temporarily unsure which stance you are using. {-70 1}

OKIZEME
Siegfried is able to do a lot of damage against a grounded opponent, and the primary tools for this are ~ or {!...().-. <:=> and
.!7.!7@:.!700 also work well to force a grounded opponent to rise .
The Low in particular can surprise your adversary, and knock down
again on CH if they decide to attack from the ground. Stance transitions are effective for Okizeme as well. SSH is the most appropriate
since SSH @ hits on the ground. Using an Okizeme situation to go
in SRSH is also an excellent idea, but because you don't have any
move that can hit grounded, you have to confirm that your opponent
is standing again before applying the basic SRSH . SRSH @ mix-up.
SBH a nd SCH are among your other effective moves for making
your opponent stand up.

RING OUT

Siegfried has a very strong Ring Out game. He is able to use Ring
Out strategies from almost any position. To the right he can RO w ith
~00. CH @, and the 00+@ throw. To the left, ..().-..().-(!), @!@, and
the left-side throw can RO. After stepping to the left, vary between
the right-side throw and I:Z@ for a particularly strong RO mix-up.
S>. ~ . :>@, @+@, and FC @+@all RO forwa rds. You can RO
behind Siegfried w ith I:Z and FC +@. t:Z, ~. @@!@and ~(!)
will all connec t after a Guard Impact if t he opponent doesn't re-G I.
<=(>@ @13 can be adjusted for a long-distance Ring Out. using ..(7 or
"if+@ before the SCH@ @13 . So use @ @13. "if+@ to RO in
front and to the left, whi le @ @13 . ..(7, +@, SCH @ @13, ::@
will do both left and reverse Ring Out. @ @13. "if+@. SCH@
@13. :@:@ can RO in front and to the right. though this doesn't work
against every character. Be sure to check the angle and to select the

best one for the situation. Near the edge, if your adversary tries to
escape, use anti-sidestep attacks such as::@, @. and~@. The
D . SSH@ combo is also extremely useful here. This vast array of RO
tools can cause your opponent to shut down totally near the edge;
counter this with +@ and Guard Burst pressure.

'

GUARD BURST
Siegfried's Guard Burst game is quite strong, but not enough to allow
you to use it as your main strategy. The most important attack is@:>.
A lot of the others are very unsafe, such as ~() or <=(> @+ . so
be selective as to when you want to use them. The best way to have
an effective Guard Burst game is to use the stance transitions, and
to combine strong moves. As an example. :>:>fi], SBH () will deal
heavy damage to the Guard Gauge. But again, you first have to make
your opponent freeze with your stance transition. and the n instead of
applying a mix-up, use the better Guard Burst attacks. This stra tegy
can be very effective against a strong punishing character, or against
a passive opponent.
Guard Burst
Rcq. to Burst

I Attacks
<:=>

SBH@

@. @. <?:>@. C!. SRSH @

10

<?=>@. @@. @+@@. SCH @ @13 . ..(7..(7. @@()

11

I:ZI:Z@. WR . ..(),-(), SSH . (!), z:l @. SCH ()

DEFENSIVE PLAY
When defensive play becomes necessary, try to keep the opponent
away by attacking constantly at mid and long range. At close range
you need to use moves that will let you escape, like ~@. >. and
<=(>(!). After <:=>. ~~will ,combo and push the opponent away.

Poking with ~. -.&00. . and @@@. whilst backstepping and

whiff punishing with ..(7..(7<? and ~~@ are the most effective
ways to defend with Siegfried. The evasive techniques in his stances
can also be very effective to make the opponent whiff. After -.&+@.

CH;'.i>'fF.Fi 4 VS Pi A" I SIEGFRIED SCHTAUFFEN

SCH (ID w ill deal strong damage. The same goes for SSH (ID(ID(ID,
which you can use after a ~+@ backstep. Siegfried is not a strong
punishment character, but you should make sure you don't miss any
opportunities when they arise. WR (ID is particularly effective against
unsafe Low-level attacks, and after ducking under a throw attempt.
r~o

21

POST-GI
The best option after a Guard Impact is ~(ID followed by the Iilli
combo. If you want to do damage without Critical Gauge, 1:1 is a
good solution. The @lEI also connects after a Gl for guaranteed damage. If the opponent tries to re-GI you, use a delayed move such as
<?<J:.@. Don't forget that Siegfried has a lot of RO tools which can
connect after a Gl, such as liil and ~@. [ 70 4]

SPACING & POSITIONING

The best range for Siegfried is the tip ra nge of .::> and liiiiAl. Hitting with .::>. c:(>(ID, or c:(>@ ca n help you to push the opponen t
away at this range, and you can use Sieg fried's backstep very well
from th is posit ion. ~+@ and c::>+@ can help you to punish an
opponent who wants to impose on you r range, and WR @[8) and
c::>c:> are effective tools for coming forward .
At long ra nge Siegfried is in an advantageous position against close
combat characters. The ra nge of c::>IID, c:>c::>. and (ID~ allow you to
attack while keeping your distance. Because of Siegfried's Ring Out
potential, moving near th e edge is actually a good idea. liil can
force the opponent in the direction of the edge even w hen blocked,
and SBH @ Iilli. though unsafe. is another fantastic tool for moving
your opponent over to the ring edge. [~0 3]

Siegfried is a slow character who cannot punish especially well, so

you'll be free to use some attacks that would usually be unsafe. It
can be difficult to get close to him. so be pa tient and try to make
him whiff, as m ost of his attacks don't recover quickly. This will give

you the time to either whiff punish or to approach safely. Siegfried is

unsafe in general, and each of his stances have weaknesses that you
can learn to take advantage of. Kn owing which of his attacks you can
is essential when fighting him, as he's a ve ry unsafe character.
punish
/

KEY ATTACKS
SCH
Siegfried will be in this stance after you block a lot of his most common moves, like ~0. WR 0 , and c:(>c:(>@ Iilli. In this si tuation, his
fastest option is SCH @. If your character has a very fast move {less
than 11 frames) you can use it for guaranteed punishment. If not, you
w ill have to make a choice. If you sidestep the SCH@ to the left, you
can punish him severely. Siegfried can instead use SCH @to counter
sidestep attempts. If you anticipate this, just use a fast attack, as SCH
@ is fairly slow. You can also try to find a move with evasive prop~r
ties that will beat both options, such as sidestepping to the left and
using a fast TC attack. [ 70 5]

'.;

This attack is very strong, so be careful when tryi~g to sidestep. The

damage is large, and it can also Ring Out or wall splat. Don't forget
that Sieg fried keeps the advan tage if you block it, so if you want to
retaliate you have to use fast attacks or evasive tech niques. If the
Siegfried player is using this attack often then you should try to approach with TC moves.

SRSH;,
.
... :: ;o,..,. ..

. .

., ;

This stance con tains a powerful Mid/Low mix up. You have to make a
choice, anticipating either SRSH (ID or SRSH . If. ',lou guess correctly
you will be able to punish Siegfried after blocking either attack. so be
sure that you know how to punish these moves properly with your character. You can also try to use sidestepping or a Guard Impact to coun ter
this mix-up, but be wary of SRSH @.
;;a;~(ID(ID..

,,

',

...... .

..

;: .,, )
.. :f

..
.

,.

Because of this move you must be careful not to whiff from range
and choose your attacks carefu lly. Both hits are unsafe when blocked,
so try to punish if you block either of them. Be careful of the SCH
transition, so that you don't allow Siegfried too much liberty. It also

You have to know the risks of each of Siegfried's throws, especially

near the edge. +can Ring Out to Siegfried's front and rig ht side.
FC +also ROs forwards, and FC +allows for a reverse Ring
Out. In general. don't forget to do an Ukemi after each throw, to avoid

deals a Jot of damage if it hits you while on the ground, so always get

Okizeme. [ ->0 6]

up quickly after a knockdown.

Command Li st
Input

Level

Hit

Guard Burst

Properties

Delayable

Standing/@
Slash Impact Side Hold

ri.1

Slash Impact

High SS

16

18

@@@

High High Low

16, 18, 32

18

7. -8, -14

KND

Sla sh ImpactBase Hold

@@(i)

High High Low

ss

16. 18.32

18

7. -8. 2

KND

Delayable

Quick Backspin
Slash

@@@

High

32

16

2-4

KND

Delayable

High

42

17

2-4

KNO

High SS

32

17

10

KND

Quick Backspin
Slash

@:@:@

13

Just Frame.

Quick Backspin
Slash - Reverse
Side Hold

:tiD:D

Quick Spin
Slash

S>@

High

24

15

-14

KNOCH

Quick Spin
Slash Side Hold

S>ri.l

High SS

24

15

-8

KNOCH

Armlet Crusher

~@

Mid

19

19

-14

KND

Alternate Cr oss

~@@

Mid

38

31

-13

Leg Slash

..(!.@

Low

16

19

-14

-4

Double
Grounder Beta

11'@@

Low Low

18,28

28

-1 7,-16

5, KND

VIsor Crusher

'@

High

22

..!B

;14

STN

Visor Crusher
- Reverse Side
Hold

>ri.1

High SS

22

18

STN

Mid SS

16

24

Break Grounder @@@

MidMid Low

12. 14. 30

24

Break Grounder

ri.l

Mid Mid Low

12,14,

Break Grounder
- Chief Hold

@ <?

M idMid SS

Break Kick

Mid Mid High

KND

11
-FC, TC
11

NCC

Standing/liD
Break Grounder
(i)
-Base Hold

12

-8. -15, -16

KND

2 first hits NC

24

-8, -15. 8

KND

BA. 2 first
hits NC

12, 14

24

-8, -15, -3 1

-1 7

10

12,14.20

24

KND

2 first hits NC,

2 last hits NCC

Gauntlet Buster S>

M id

' 24

16

-10

14

Rampart Buster @ >

Mid

48

34-44

10

KND

BA. Delay to do the

fastest version

Piercing Strike

S>

Mid

40

25

-18

KND

10

TC

Sky Splitter

Mid

30

18

-20

LNC

15

TC

Sky Splitter Chief Hold

~ (i)

M id SS

30

18

LNC

15

TC

Shadow Buster

-&

Mid

18

23

-8

12

- FC, Opp-FC (Hit!,

TC

Shadow Buster
- Base Hold

~(i)

M id SS

18

23

10

12

-FC, Opp- FC (Hit),

TC

ThrustThrow

11'

Mid-Throw

63

24

-16

AT

10

0 at tip range

Hilt Knocker

>@

Mid

18

16

-12

15

STN CH

Earth Divide

..(l.~S>

Mid

75

84

KNO

KND

High

14

13

-8

M id

20

19

-6

TC, KNOCH

~@@@

Mid Low M id

16, 14, 20

15

-10, -20, -17

4, LNC,STN

12

2 last hit NC

Stomping

~@ when hit, @@@@

Low Low Low

Low Low

12, 10, 4,
4,12

21

-18

-7

SHI T

Grief Low Kick

11'@

Low

16

15

-14

UB, 50 dmg at max

range

Standing/@
Grief High Ki ck

Grief Side Kick

S>@

Axle Head
Upper
"

I.

- FC

GHi\P"f F:fl r, !VS Pl.A~i SIEGFRIED SCHTAUFFEN

Name

+liD

15, 15, 20

18

+liD

15, 15, 20

18

..().@+@

30

29

30

29

18

22

18

22

14

14

-14

-2

MidSS

20

17

M id Low

20,30

17

-23

KND

Mid

20

17

Cancel

Cancel

Split Buster

crouching

liD

Split Buster f,!ase Hold

crouching

fiJ

Grief Low Kick

crouching @

MidSS

-FC

While Rising Attacl<s

MaelstromSide Hold

while standing

Maelstrom

while standing @@

Maelstrom

while standing @@..().

Cannonball
Lifter

w hile standing

liD

Mid

34

16

-22

LNC

Cannonball
LifterChief Hold

while standing

fiJ

MidSS

34

16

-1

LNC

Rising Night
Kicks

while standing @

Mid M id

26

14

14

Fatal Spin Slash while jumping @

High

22-28

28

-10

KND, 4

while jumping liD

M id

2632

35

fJ

. '

Jumping Attacks

Fatal Buster

~+or~~ or~~@

15

Memento Slap

..().... or 1!'-t@

Backspin slash

<:;:>+or 1::21t or~"@

High

10

Backspin Slash
- Reverse Side
Hold

<::=>+or 1::211 or ~"fJ

High SS

10

TC

Sky Splitter
Sky ~plitter ,-
Chief Hold

MidSS
..(). ... or 11'-tIID

10

M id Mid

Delayable

.{!..+. Qr 11'+004''
Illusion Edge

TC, TS, STN CH

; lll~sion Edg!! ;.
; Chi,ef I:J.cil~:
Fatal Dive
Fatal Dive ..;
Chief Hold ..:
.,..
Fatal DiveBase Hold
Fat~l

Drive

Fatal DiveChief Hold

::;.

Mid MidSS

34, 30

38

18, 12

KND. LNG

STJ

Input

l evel

Onnmgo

Shoulder Rush

-+or~~ or~~~

Mid

22

Spinning Cross
Combo

..(l.+ Of '\fi '@@@!ID

High High High

Mid

20, 15, 14,

Spinning Cross
Combo- Chief
Hold

..(l.+ Of '\f -t m

High High SS

Spinning Cross
Combo- Side
Ho ld

..(l.+or tri'@m

Spin Slash
Double
Grounder

Nun1o

Hit

Guorcl Burst

Properties

8 -Way Run/@

15

10

15

TC

21

.a. .a. .a.

2, 2, 4, KND

TS, 2 first hits NC

20, 15

21

8, 2

2,8

20. 15. 14

21

-8, -8,2

2, 2, 15

-&+ or 1?-i'@..(l.@@

High High Low . 20, 15, 20,

Low
35

21

..-8, -8, . 8,
-20

2, 2, 3, KND

Spinning
Phantom
Combo

-.!J.+ or 1?-i'@..(l.

High Low Low

20, 18, 25

21

-8. -15, -20

2. 3. KND

Cross Combo

{I.+ or 1fi 'UilIID

High High Mid

14,14, 36

15

-10, -8, -20

10, 5, KND

Cross ComboChief Hold

..(l. + or '\f-t a

High SS

14

15

-4

15

Cross Combo Side Hold

..(l. + or"li'i 'm

High High SS

14, 14

15

-10, 2

Progressive
Grounder

{I. + or tri'UiJ@..(l,@@

not used fn
the game

36

High High High

ss

20

TS,NC

TS, 2 first hits NC

l:S, 2 first hits.NC '

2 last hits NC
6

10, 15

2 first hits NC

NC

$.

High Low Low

14,14,20

15

-10, -8, 20

10, 3, KNO

2 first hits NC

..(!,+or tri'@..(l,@@ ljust)

Low Low

18, 26

32

-15, -20

3, KND

Spin Kick
Combo

..(l,+ or tri'@

High Mid

22. 21

~1

-8, -16

2, 2

13

NCC

Fatal Ascend
Kick

t:Zit or~ ~

High

23

24

-12

KNO

13

TJ

Drop Kick

<>+

High

43

30

-16

KNO

TJ

Nightmare
Killer

liD+@

High-Throw

.50

17

Calamity Fall

left side throw

High-Throw

62

17
R-0

Silent Pride

right side throw

High-Throw

57

17

Neutral Judge

back throw

High-Throw

72

17

Flap Jack

crouching @+@

Low-Throw

30

19

R-0

Over Toss

crouching liD+@

Low-Throw

30

19

R-0

18

20

Bacl< Turned Attacks

5, 7

-8

11

Turning Head
Slash

turn around @

.,

High

Turning Leg
Slash

crouching turn around @

SP-Iow

18

21

-6

Turning Sword
Thrust

turn around liD

Mid Low

20, 25

26

-5. -20

Mid

20

25

..

-8
-

Turning
Shadow Buster

crouching turn around

Turning Grief
High Kick

turn around

High

16

15

-8

Turning Grief
Low Kick

crouching turn around

Low

18

17

-14

-2

CHM'TER I;! VS 0 Lf.,y! SIEGFRIED SCHTAUFFEN

Name

level

Input

Damage

Hi!

Guard Burst

Properties

Base Hold
Base Hold

+liD

(also from other stances)

Reborn Storm

during Base Hold @

Reborn Storm

during Base Hold 00,..(7

Reborn Kaiser

26

29

28

32

Geist Slasher

during Reverse Side Hold @

38

29

Geist Strike

during Reverse Side Hold

28

18

Geist Spinning
Low Kick

during Reverse Side Hold @

Low

20

17

-22

Geist Spinning
Low Kick Base Hold

during Reverse Side Hold

LowSS

20

17

-7

13

Chief Hold

<

Chief Hold

..().. or 'If'+@
{also from other stances)

Chief Hold

backward

Terror Circular

during Chief Hold @

High M id

Terror Circular Side Hold

during Chief Hold fJ

High SS

20

Terror Stamper

during Chief Hold

Mid

48

17

M id High

12, 18

10

21 , 37

23

21

23

28. 30

27

+@

during Chief Hold @@

Side Hold
Side Hold

*'+@

(also from other stances)

Double
Grounder
Alpha

during Side Hold @@

Double
Grounder Alpha
- Reverse Side
H.old

during Side Hold

fJ

Phantom
Castling

during Side Hold

Phantom
CastlingChief Hold

during Side Hold

! Reb.drn Grinder

,, > '

:.

Kick Rush
Vortex

t"~lo'o ii,;"

ss
Low Low

Mid M id M id

STN

24,

~:h.<\1' I !-H ; i V'i PI t.Y

I HILDEGARD VON KRONE

Character
ttre~G osse Erbschaft style of fighting with two different weapons at once. She uses a short sword for up close combat and a lance for long distance. She's not
a fast character, especially when she uses her lance, but her ability to fight at all ranges can make
up for this. She can charge her@ and attacks whilst using other attacks, which makes using
her a unique challenge, as you'lllose access to an entire set of attacks {either Vertical or Horizontal) whilst charging up these more powerful attacks. If you wan t to move in and out quickly and
punish mistakes from incredible distances then Hilde is a great choice of character.

Damage
Throws
Speed

Movement
Complexity

PLAYSTYLE FOCUS

METER USAGE

Your focus with Hilde will always be on the choice of when

and which type of attack you're going to charge. Once
you've begun charging an attack you'll need to keep track of
the charge duration, and must then make a choice to either
release the attack or lose the charge while guarding. This
means you'll have plenty to think about and wi ll need to find
a playstyle that lets you charge attacks while keeping a solid
offense and an ability to pu1nish your opponent's mistakes.

Hilde has a very strong Critical

Edge attack, which can be used
in some devastating combos, so
it's well worth keeping your meter
to take advantage of it. Her@+@
~ throw can lead to powerful
wall combos and can Ring Out
behind her, making it invaluable
to have meter available when near
the ring edge. It can also combo
into her (! in open p lay, so having
enough Critical Gauge for this can
give your throw game a massive
boost. ~ ~ is her most powerful Mid-hitting attack for mix-ups
so it's worth using any time you
don't have a charge attack ready.

Defensively, Hilde is very solid as her cha rge attacks all but
forbid you r opponent to whi ff an attack. She lacks solid punishers after blocking unsafe attacks, however, so your focus
should be entirely on whiff punishment. She's also vulner-~al:llwte throws when defending, because you'll usually be
least one attack button down to charge, makng the corresponding throw a little harder to do.

ll

':t.'"~

10_017

Hilde's unique ability lies in holding down the @or button

to cha rge up increasingly more powerful Vertical and Horizontal attacks. Wh ilst charging up these attacks you'll lose access
to all other attacks or actions that require the button you're
holding down. Thi s means that if you're charging a Horizontal
attack you won't have access to any o f your regular Horizontal
attacks, Brave Edge attacks, Gl, (! or attacks that require
simultaneous button presses that include . This ca n be a
huge disadvantage, but the attacks you can charge up are
w ell worth it if you want the highest combo damage, best offensive pressure. and some incredible wh iff punishing tools.

Input

Chary~ 'limo

D3mago

leel

Plop ~lties

@ (Stage 1 release)

1 Second

24

TC"

@ (Stage 2 release)

2 Seconds

20

@ (Stag~ 3 release)

3 Seconds

28,30

MM

BA .

(Stage 4 release)

15 Seconds

70

UB

() !Stage 1 release)

1 Second

40

' (Stage 2. release)

2'Seconds

20,13

;(Stage 3 release)

3 S,econds

20,16,40

15 Seconds

140

UB

To make charging attacks a little easier it's worth binding additional buttons as bot h@ and. This is especially worthwhile
if using a controller, as it will let you hold @ more naturally
while cha rging, and keep your charge holding separate f rom
your regular inputs. Note that with two buttons set as. for
example, you won't be able to charge @ and then still use the
second button to input @ .You'll need to release or cancel the
charge in order to regain access to attacks and functions.
These attacks will be shortened to the format Cl . to use
the level 1 charge as an example.

~ PRIMARY ATTAC KS
Knee Assault

.. .. .. ..........
When charging up your Horizontal and Vertical attacks you'll
need a good kick attack to rely on, and this is it. ~~@ has
deceptively good range and is very fast for an advancing attack, so you can use it for spacing, poking, and to generally
annoy your opponent since it's perfectly safe when blocked.
When it hits you' ll be at great advantage, but it pushes the
opponent backwards. When it hits as CH near a wall or ring
edge, t:Z is an almost guaranteed follow-up. Dashing in
for another ~~@ or a throw is effective, or you can use
c::>c::>, C3 (), or C3 from where you are, as all w ill be
nearly imposs ible for the opponent to beat or evade.
Mystic Star (Stage 3)

.............. ........................

.. '}:~
Input

Oamauo

Lovol

Impact

Guard

Hit

~~@

20

i14

-8

10

lnpul

Onmago

Lovol

Impact

Guard

Hit

C3@

28,30

MM

i1 8

Input

Oomago

Level

lntpact

Guard

Hit

~~or "lt"''

20,30

MM

i30

12

STN

..

KND

Charging @ to Stage 3 gives you a powerful Mid-hitting Horizontal Break Attack. This attack is highly versatile; you can use
it to track sidestep, as a mix-up tool. to interrupt advancing attacks, to push the opponent towards an edge, or to gain advantage when it's blocked. Any time the opponent lets you use this
attack it will be one of your best options to keep them locked
down. Its only weakness is that the second attack is automatic, so you don't have the option to not use it. This means that
sharp opponents can Gl or Just Guard the second hit with no
risk involved, in which case you won't be able to use it as freely.
Power Declared

........ .. ........ .......................... ... ... .......

~~is a very powerful combo starter, and is another Break
Attack that leads to advantage when guarded. When it's
blocked, c:t>c::>@ is uninterruptible and can't be sidestepped,
so you can use this to force a mix-up. If the opponent hesitates
after it's blocked you can try using it aga in, since it's great for
wearing down their Guard Gauge. It's best used as an evasive
w hiff punisher; use it after sidestepping linear attacks or use
its Tech Crouch to evade slower High-hitting attacks. It 's worth
learn ing which side your opponent's characte r is wea ker at
tracking, and then use ~~ to sidestep and punish them
severely when they use a linear attack or string. It doesn't
redirect well, however, so it can easily whiff if you use it after
sidestepping an attack that carries the opponent to one side.

Ci,1,!' i Hl4 iVS 11./\Y I HILDEGARD VON KRONE

Moonlit Dance
The Stage 3 (ID attack is possibly the single best whiff punishing and spacing attack in the game. No matter how far away
your opponent whiffs from. there's a good chance that this
attack will have the range and speed to punish them heavily.
This is what makes Hilde so effective at long range, and is the
key to playing defensively w ith her. You should aim to always
be charging t his attack when you're at m id range or further
away from the opponent. This will force them to close the gap.
and you'll have~~@ or C3@ waiting to send them back
out aga in when you see them advance. After it hits you'll need
to press@ for the third hit of the combo to occur; sometimes
if you've been charging@ for a w hile it can be better to forego
t his, however, and keep your charge towards a possible Stage
4 unblockable attack. Never use this third hit if the attack is
blocked. as you'll be open to extreme degrees of punishment.

Double Falcon

lupul

This is a fairly slow, but still incredibly usef ul attack t hat can be
charged slightly to improve its properties. It's comprised of a
Horizontal slash followed by a Vert ical stab, so it's not an easy
attack for opponents to coun ter. When charged. it leads to advantage when blocked, and will allow for a powerful combo if it
connects as a CH. The first hit tracks to both directions, so using the charged version to catch sidestepping can be ve ry rewarding. If t he o pponent blocks the charged version t hey can
sidestep t he second hi t and punish you heavily, but this isn't
possible w hen g uarding the regular version, so use this sometimes to make t he opponent think twice about sidestepping.

~@ is a slow but relatively safe Horizontal attack. It\ can be

charged to become a Break Attack, g iving you good adva ntage when blocked and it tracks sidesteps to both directions.
It also has a built-in au to-G I that Guard Impacts all Mid, SM,
and SL attacks with the exception of kicks and stab attacks.
When it connects as a CH (o r when t he charged version connects) it will launch the opponent over Hilde's head, potentially leading to a long backwards Ring Out, so it's great when
your back is to the ring edge. At times w hen it won't Ring
Out. you can also follow this launch w ith a C2 (ID re-launch
combo for very good damage.
Blazing Shadow
!::?@ is a relatively fast Low-hitting attack from Hilde's short sword
that can hit grounded opponents. It's hard for the opponent toreact to and gives you enough advantage when it hits forWR@ to
be uninterruptible, though the opponent can still use an evasive
attack or sidestep it, so you should follow it up w ith WR @ or
throws sometimes. If the opponent starts hesitating after being
hit by it. you can try a short sidestep followed by another !::?@
to reset the situation and keep them guessing. It's very unsafe

when blocked. however, so you must avoid using it predictably.

MM

.-

.. , . ~~i

, . \~illfu'i?df~

~eve!

Lightning Volcano

Aerial Power

~e~el

10,15

'- SECONDARY ATTACKS

If you don't have a charged @ ready then you'll need an antisidestep option, and <J....(J..@ is one of the safest you have. It's
Mid-hitting, tracks to both directions and will give you advantage
when it connects. The second hit is High, however, you'll risk the
opponent ducking it and punishing you if the first hi t is blocked.
so mix up between using the full string or just the first hit. The
second hit gran ts huge advantage, so you can take a strong
but risky mix-up between <J..(ID+@ and ~(ID@. or use slower
attacks such as D+m. w hich is still almost unbeatable here.
..(J....(J..@ is also great as a whiff punisher after sidestepping a
linear attack up close, especially since it has a great Tech Crouch.

Damage .

MH

...

lmpct

i25

. ,, ;
Guurtl

Hit

Double Kick
t1@@ is another of Hilde's Low-hitting options, but this one
doesn't hit grounded opponents. The second kick isn't guaranteed unless the first is a CH, and it's also unsafe when
blocked, so you'll need to mix between using just t1@ and
using the full string to make it a little harder to punish. You'll
need to use as your primary Low attack when charg ing your
Horizontals, since you won't have access to t1@. though its
speed makes it a good addition to your poking game as well.

Lightning Horn
This series is great for spacing the opponent and keeping
them at bay, especially when you have a Horizontal charged
to use in conjunction w ith it, allowing you to really limit their
movement. You need to use it at the tip of its range for the
best effect, as you 'll have a good chance of making the opponent whiff any retaliation attempt from here if they block it.
Use the third hit of the string sparingly, as it's High-hitting and
easy to duck under and punish. If the first two hits connect,
however, the opponent will be forced to guard the third hit,
so you' II be perfectly safe.

White Torch I White Impale

~@ is a good Mid-hitting option for use in mix-ups at

times whe n you have no meter and don't have a Horizontal

charged . The second hit is High, so opponents familiar w ith
it w ill duck and punish, though they must be very quick in
order to do this successfu lly. You can mix it up with~ to
hi t ducking opponents, wh ich can be a good idea to use only
near the end of a round when you really need some damage.
After~@ hits, C1 is guaranteed for good damage.

Moonlit Dance (Stage 1)

Input

Sickle Kick
Thi s is a fairly slow but still very useful kick that can get you
out of trouble when the opponent is up close. It's a Tech
Jump attack, so you can use it to jump over pokes such as a
standard ..().@, and it knocks the opponent down when it connects. It's also one of Hilde's only M id-hitting attacks that can
hit grounded opponent s, so it's important in your Okizeme
to force the opponent to stand up. It has better range than it
might appear, so you can also use it as part of your midrange
spacing to advance w hile avoiding Lows and throws.

Guard

Hit

i20

-9.-9

KND,KND

i20

-9,-14

KND, -4

~@

16,18

16,12

MH
MM

!.Alvei

Impact

Guard

Hit

40

i21

-12

10

Input

Damage

level

Impact

Guard

Hit

<?<?@

20

i27

-11

KND

Input

C1
Th is is the fast est of the charged Vertica l attacks. and can be
best used as a follow-up to many attacks at mid range. It can
be a strong part of Hilde's Okizeme, though you 'll need to
reset your charge often to use it like this. Since the charge
time is so short you can use this on its own w hile spacing to
catch the opponent's movemen t and gain advantage when it
hits. There isn't much ris k to this if used from its maximum
range due it recovering so w ell, and it deals decent damage
for a single hit.

Impact

Ci \f'Tl'.l i IV, PI \" ! HILDEGARD VON KRONE

Mystic Star (Stage 2)

Input

Oamago

l~vol

hnpncl

Guard

C2@

20

i18

-6

Input

Damage

Levol

lmpuct

Guord

C4@

70

i37

STN

The Stage 2 charged @ is another Horizontal Mid attack that

can be used to prevent sidestep. It has less range than the
Stage 3 @. but it gives a stun when it connects that allows
you to combo into your ~ for huge damage. It's not easy
to ensure you can use a Stage 2 attack, as you'll need to
release it at a very precise time, so using this will require you
to count your charge time and ensure that exactly 2 seconds
have passed before releasing. If you land this attack near the
ring edge you can Ring Out by following up with ..(7@+.
while in open play !:?@@ is the best follow-up if you don't
have enough meter for you r ~ .

Mystic Star (Stage 4)

KND

If you're at mid to long range spacing the opponent you can

often afford to charge @ for long periods, as and
C3 can be enough on their own to control space and keep
the opponent away. This gives you the chance to charge the
Stage 4 @. which is a fast, Mid-hitting unblockable attack that
deals heavy damage and is hard for the opponent to react to
in time to bea t it. The damage this deals is enough to make
losing your Horizontal attack for 15 seconds worthwhile and
it can easily turn the battl e around, especially when used to
land a wa ll splat. Once you have it charged. you can use it
after blocking an opponent's attack or w hen you think they'll
hesitate, or use it post-GI or as an Ukemi Trap.

Hilde's throws deal average damage, and have fairly poor

range. Her weak Okizeme also doesn't help to make throwing rewarding with her. When you have meter and your back
is to the ring edge or a wall, however, you suddenly have access to one of the best Ring Out mix-ups in the game. thanks
to her @+@ li13 throw . This will Ring Out or wall splat for a
decent distance behind you, and so will the standard +@
throw, so the opponen t must take a 50/50 guess on w hich
you'll use. In open play the@+@ IE throw can combo into
your ~. so it 's always worth using if you have enough meter. The +@ throw switches sides and leaves the opponent grounded at mid range with you at decent advantage .
..(7+ is a good follow-up at this point. and you can mix
it up with C1 , since the opponent doesn't have time to
sidestep if they get straight up.

Input

Damage

Escapo Window

@+@

55

13

+@

50

13

@+@

55

@+@ or @+@ (Left)

65

13

@+@ or @+@ (Right)

58

+@ or @+@ (Back)

65

. 't;~;~

' - BRAVE EDGE ATTACKS

The @+@ li13 throw should be Hilde's priority among Brave
Edges for the reasons explained earlier. Next up is ~ @.
since it leads to the most damage you can get from a Midhitting attack in mix-ups vyithout using charged attacks. When
it hits you can follow-up with any of the charged attacks for
good damage, and when it's blocked you're completely safe.
so this attack is always worth using. It's linear, however, and if
the first hit is b locked the opponent can sidestep the second
one, so there is still risk involved in using it during mix-ups. Finally there's c(>@ G. which is High-hitting, and linear, but
it can lead to a C2 (ID launch combo in open play. It's a Break
Attack, so you'll be leh at decent advantage if the opponent
blocks it, and it can be used to quickly wear down their Guard
Gauge. It can also Ring Out to the front, but as with ~ G.
if the first hit is blocked the opponent can sidestep the second hit to the left.

13

13 (Voldo I Astaroth I Z.W.E.I.)

Input

Damage

Guard

Hit

~@+@+

15,15,22

MM

i20

-11

LNC

@@++@

t8,18

HM

i18

STN

@+@++

35

HT

i17

l~

17

Hilde has one of the slower Critical Edge attacks. but she still
has plenty of ways to combo into it. and it's extremely powerfu l. If it doesn't connect only the first hit will occur, and this
is quite linear, so you shouldn't use it against moving opponents. It's best used after -.!}-.!}connect s. and this evasive
attack will allow you to combo your (! after sidestepping
an opponent's attack. Avoid using it when the opponent has
about a third of their health left, as chances are it won't finish
them off because the Guts system will cut the damage in hal f
on its many weak hits.

After ct>c:l>, ct>ct>@ is the best follow-up, though you can also use --.!}@ to keep the opponent standing next to you for an instant mix-up. If you need a little more damage to finish an
opponen t off you can follow-up wi th you r (!, as in Combo A, but it will only connect partially.
Hilde's cha rge attacks allow for some creative combos. The idea is to always pick the opponent off the ground w ith C2 , so any time you land an attack you' ll need to instantly begir,~
charging land@ as well if you want to land C3@ after C2 @ launches). C2 can launch
after many of Hilde's strongest attacks connect, including -.!}-.!}, CH fJ+I!J, and c:l>ct> !;13.
After h launches you have a few options for comboing. The simplest is to use C3 @ if you
have it charged, which you can either follow-up with a guaranteed -.!),@ {as in Combo B)
or apply an Okizeme mix-up with C1 and 1:1@. You can also turn around after C2 and
use +liD, which will lead to higher damage if the attack throw connects and allow you to

Starter

Follow up

<.lj(ID@

C1

62

ct>ct>@

c:l>ct>
c:l>@

: ct> ct> (ID

A

continue with another C2 (Combo C). The

+@ in this combo has a good chance of
being a Clean Hit, further increasing the damage. Finally, you can use <.lj@ Iilli after C2 @,
and then quickly turn around for another C2
, which will launch the opponent again if
you time it to connect just as t he opponent
touches th e ground. Th is can be repeated up
to three times if you have the meter, making
for a very long and powerful combo, but it's
not easy to do (see Combo D).

1:11:1@

-.!7-.!7
.-.!7 -.!7 CID
-.!7-.!7
. > -.!7 -.!7 CID
: CHa+I!J

Cost

()ilfi culty

45

(!

60

(!

61

1:1

42

(!

110

96

C2 , @, +@, C2

110

****

C2 ,@. <.lj(ID !;13,@. C2 , @, <.lj(ID !;13, @ , C2 ,@. <.lj(ID Iilli,@. C2@

140

16

87

C2 @, @, C3 @.

-.!7@

1:111

Combo

r-rn ,

I HILDEGARD VON KRONE

, "I

Difficulty

Starter

Followut

CH t1+0

C2 . @. C3 @. .(Y@

85

CH~@

(ijEI, ..0.

94

CH ~@

C2 @, + , C2

107

C2 @

11

50

C2 @

(ijEI

92

C2 . @. C3 @. -.!).

83

C1

81

(ijEI, ..0.

93

(ijEI

138

' This combo is stage-specific

UKEMITRAPS

Knockdown

Hilde has quite a few potential Ukemi Traps, but they often
require extremely strict timing, and many aren't worth the
risk for the damage they'll deal. Her (ijEI is the best option
for catching Ukemi, but it's a costly gamble if the opponent
stays grounded. into (ijEI will catch Ukemi to both directions and is guaranteed to land a partial hit even if the opponent stays down. The (ijEI w ill also catch Ukemi attempts
after ~. but it won't hit if the opponents stays down, so
you'll need to start followi ng up w ith ~~@+to encour-

Directions

UkomiTrap

Cost

Difficulty

(ijEI

124

All

~. (ijEI

C3

154

Right. Back

(ijEI

149

All

CH~@

C3@

81

Left

age them to move. C3 @ ca n catch Ukemi in both directions, but always

requires very precise timing on the release to do so. After the C2 , 11@
combo, you can catch Ukemi w ith your (ijEI for great damage.

WALL COMBOS
Hilde has great potential for wall combos, but she doesn't have very many options for landing
a wall splat. When your back is to the wall, +@ Iilli can be used to lead into huge, with the
simplest option being simply to follow-up with you r (ijEI, though you can use ~@ for a second
wall spla t and continue wi th a stun combo from there using either S>c:C> Iilli or C +U When
facing the wall, C1 is by far your best Mid-hitting wall splat option, and you also have the
High-hitting @. C1 allows for an easy back throw when it wall splats, though you' ll want

Combo

Starter

Follow-up

~@W!

to follow-up with one of your Brave Edge attacks instead against characters that can escape back throws. If you happen to have C4
charged near a w all then some amazingly
powerfu l combos become possible, w ith
Combo F being a good example.

Damage

Hits

Cost

Difficully

@.WI ~ Iilli. C1 @

97

@ !illi W!

84

C1 @ W!

Back throw

98

@+@ @ WI

@. W! S>S> Iilli. C2 , @. ~ Iilli. @, C2

117

13

C4 @ W!

176

10

Iilli. C1

Iilli. C2 . @. ~ Iilli. C2

APPLYING OFFENSE
Hilde isn't a naturally offensive character
in the poking and mix-up sense, but she is
capable of applying pressure and can base
her strategy around forcing the opponen t to
block her many Break Attacks and then using
throws to pierce their guard. To land her biggest damage options you'll need to apply defensive measuTes such as sidestepping and
backdashing, b ut these can be worked into
your offense as you use C3 @, C+m. and
c:> to keep the opponent under control.
You'll need to mix these with your fastest attacks, such as c:>c:>@. ~@. 1:1@, and @@
keep the opponent locked down. [~0 1]
You can also try to base your offense around
charging either @ or to Stage 4 to take
the opponent by surprise with fast, powerful, unblockable attacks. This requires you
to use kicks often, and w ill mean that you
lose access to Gls, Brave Edges, and your
~ . While it might seem best to play slow
defense while waiting for th e charge to complete, that w ill often just make your strategy
more obvious to the opponent, so it's better
to try to apply safe offense, and use Stage 1
charges and throws with the other button to
distract the opponent. If you're charging th e
@, it can be a good idea to try and make the
opponent guard your slow Horizontal attacks
such as ..()...()., C1 , , and c:>c:>. as
this will wear down their Guard Gauge. If you
manage a Guard Burst. your C4 @ will then
be guaranteed to connect as a CH.

OKIZEME
Hilde does not have very strong ground-hitting attacks to base her Okizeme around. Her
only damaging options are c:>c:>@+ and
C1 , but neither of these w ill work from
close range. 1:1@ and 1:1 are your best bets
in many cases, but these are very weak and
1:1@ is very unsafe if the opponents block it.
>>@ is a good option if you're just a little
too far away for 1:1@. After landing c:>c:>@
or the +@ throw, C1 can be mixed with
..0.+@ from mid range, but the opponent
can roll to avoid them.

RING OUT
With her back to the edge, Hilde is one of
the best characters at ringing opponents out
behind her. This is especially true when you
have enough meter for the @+@ Iilli throw,
and both this and the +@throw will Ring
Out behind you. This makes the opponent far
more likely to duck in this situation, so you can
mix th e normal and charged versions of ~@
to catch them either when ducking or moving. When facing the edge you don't have a
great selection of Ring Out tools; c:>c:>@. C3
@and ~@a re among the best choices.

GUARD BURST
Guard Burst can be an important part of
Hilde's strategy and she has many useful
tools that deplete the opponent's gauge wel l.
Whether you opt to go for a Guard Burst
should depend on how defensive your op-

ponent is. Against opponents

who attack often and attempt
to space you you 'll be better off
playing defensively and taking
advantage of your powerful whiff
punishers. More patient opponents will give you the opportunity to wear their Guard Gauge
down with attacks such as C3 ,
~@ . ..0...0., ~a. and c1 ,
bu t all of these attacks can be
countered in some way, so you'll
have to mix them up well and
watch which ones the opponent
can deal with.

Guard Burst
Re<( to Burst

I Attacks

6
7
8

10
11

12
13

DEFENSIVE PLAY
Defensive play is Hilde's rea l strength, and this is primarily because of her arsenal of powerful,
long range spacing tools that include some of the best whiff punishers in th e game. C3 is
the real threat here, as it can punish whiffed attacks that no other character could. c:>c:>@,
c:>, C1 . and C3 @ are your other primary spacing tools. Against other long range,
spacing-focused characters you should be very comfortable staying back and zoning, though
some slow characters such as Astaroth can be tackled at mid range using C3 @ to keep them
locked down. Characters that specialize in fast offense at close range can be hard to deal with
once they make it through your spacing game. If you're charging an @ or @ then you won't

::HN'r~R

1 \ S 'I Ar I HILDEGARD VON KRONE

have access to Gls. so using ~@when you expect a M id-hitting at

tack can be a good way to stop your opponent's offense. [ -70 2)
Due to losing access to Gls while charging, Just Guard can be extremely useful for Hilde when defending. Most successful Just
Guards will give you a guaranteed charge attack. with C3 and
C3 @ being the most rewarding options. Against faster characters
Just Guard can really get you out of trouble. Many fast characters
have at least one attack that will give them advantage when you block
it, and will use it to keep their offense going. Look for such attacks
and focus on Just Guarding them or countering them in some other
way, such as sidestepping into ..(J...(J,@ or using ~~ or its ~
version to TC under High-hitting attacks. [ -?0 3)

SPACING & POSITIONING

As already outlined. Hilde is great at spacing, and can easily w in
rounds though careful zoning with ~~@. C3 . and C3 @ alone.
This means that when at mid range or further away from your opponent it will be essential to be charging both @ and @ continuously.
Don't be afraid to ca ncel a charge during guard if it m eans gaining
access to a regular attack that could be more usefuL For example, if
the opponent closes in a little without sidestepping, you won't need
a C3 . but could benefit from ~ to keep them at bay, or <?
to evade their advancing attack at times when you couldn't backdash
away from it. [ -?0 4]

II ~...<....

POST-GI
Hilde can use the fairly powerful ~@@. C1 combo after a successful Gl, or use a ~ attack to begin a potentially more powerful
combo, so she does have powerful options. She can also punish a
re-G I attempt heavily with ..(J...(J.@ or ~ a. or use her (!lEI if you have

A patient Hilde can be hard to fight against

The key is to be patient yourself and make
sure you don't ever whiff an attack foolishly.
When at m id to long range you should al
ways assume that Hilde has C3 charged
and ready to punish any mistakes you make.
This is an attack you really don't w ant to block
too often either. so sidestep often whenever

enough meter. You can't use Gls whi lst cha rging attacks. however,
so it's usually good to forego charg ing when up close and have me
ter. especially if your opponent doesn't have enough meter to re-G I.
( -?0 5)

you're outside the range of Hilde's charged @ attacks. She is a very safe character at mid
range so you'll need to get close in order to make her use more risky attacks and really take
advantage of her lack of speed. Faster characters should aim to overwhelm her with pokes
and throws and avoid using attacks that she can easily backdash, since you want to keep her
inside your range. You should also avoid letting Hilde bait you when she has her back to the
ring edge, as her options here are very strong. Unless you have very strong forward Ring Out
options then it's better to simply back away from the ring edge, especially if she has enough
meter to use her @+@ ~ throw.

~ ~
This is one of Hilde's best Mid-hitting m ix-up
options. as it's safe and leads to very good
damage. After blocking the first attack you
can sidestep the second hit to the left. which
is the best way to punish it You can also Gl
or Just Guard the second hit. and you should
remember that it doesn't leave Hilde at ad
vantage whe11 blocked. [ -?0 6)
C3@
Hilde can use this attack as often as you let
her. since it's extremely hard to evade if she
spaces it correctly. The best way to deal w ith
it is to use fast attacks often to beat it. If you
block the first hit you can Gl or Just Guard
the second. which Hilde has no choice but
to continue w ith. If you block both hits it may
feel like Hilde is at a huge advantage, but the
situation is actually neutral, and she's not a
very fast character. so you 're safe to retaliate
w ith fast attacks:

fl+ll
You need to watch for the charged version of this attack and only when you see the delay,
sidestep to the left to avoid the second hit and punish Hilde accordingly. You can also Gl the
second hit, and since Hilde would need to charge in order to combo after this attack she's
not very likely to be ready with a re-G I.

When you block ~you should always duck under the @follow-up and punish with a FC or
WR attack. Hilde can also use~ to discourage this, but this is slower. so using just a very
quick duck can be enough to cover both options. ~ is also unsafe when blocked, so the
Hilde player won't want to use it often.

Command List

.Nee 1RO be.hi.rid I

C!.ean Hit: B I -'-flT .
auto-G I M \Horizontal,
Vertical)
,. oclluc" M :(Horizolit~l .

.ve1rtiC<lll 1:R-0 (Behind)

Hit: B
SA I a uto-GI M
(Horizontal, Vertical)
R-0 (Behind)

Aerial Power

..

, Fire .S iladow

'

-2.-2.KND

11,10.6

NCC I 1st two hits NC

KND,KND

13,8

NC (34 clamagel I R-0

-9,-14

KND,-4

13,7

NC (Damage: 281 I
Qpp -FC (2nd hit)

-8

2'

15

-FC I Opp - FC (Hit)

Lightning Horn
,:W~ite Torch

'

'

White Impale

Ciiori~u's i-t~;n.nei

Temporarily- BT

Iron Heel

10

~00

Metal Kick

..[!.00

Shadow Kick

Low

12

15

-14

- FC

!'''.
'

R-0 JTemporarily -BT

:.

NCC I Opp - FC (1st

hit) I STN CH (2nd hit)

Double:Kic.k :

!10000

Low Mid

14,21

16

-20,-13

-4,2

Twister

:>0000

High Low

18,20

20

-1 5,-6

5,KND

Double Falcon

M id Mid

10,15

25

-16

Double Falcon

M id M id

10,15

25

STN

15

Nee JBA

R'wal
.:..Windmill
.
Golden Heart

Mid Mid

10,10

22

12

Opp -Fe (Hit)

Mid

22

16

-16

KN D

15

R-0 l TC

M id

30

21

-11

KNO

11

TC I Clean Hit: B

Mid-Throw

33,30

21

Low

18

26

SP-Iow

10

Mid

10

R-0 (2nd Hit) 1- FC

Standing/@+

'

NC

Standing/+
lronTower

+00

Iron Tower

enemy mid air

+00

..(!.@+00

- Roaring Fang

LNC

TC

22

KNO

TC

12

-6

18

16

-8

Low

12

14

-14

-2

Full Crouch Attacks

Crown Split

crouching liD

Shadow Kick

:Crouching

Ttiundering.Volcano

crouching

00

15

Opp - FC (Hit)

While Rising Attacks

Rlsln!{FI~e : .,

..,

Wind Horn

:o;i,rr<~~e
.

w hile standing liD

High

22

20

-4

14

TC

High

26

18

-4

KND

10

TC

00

M id

20

14

-6

22-26

29

TJ I Op p- BT (Hit)

while standing

while s tanding

Jumping Attacks
Burning Blade
Leaping Strike
to;itado Kick

whil.e jumping

M id

while jumping

liD

Mid

22-26

37

-1 2

11

TJ

while jumping

00

High

22-26

19

-12

TJ

:!lA '1 H I 'IS

N01110

l npul

"V' I HILDEGARD VON KRONE

Level

Dnmngo

Imp oct

Block

Hi!

Guurd Burst

High

24

21

-8

KND

13

R-0

Mid High

20,18

25

-8,0

4,11

13

TC I Opp -BT !Hit)

15

Properties

8-Way Run/@
Light ning Fire

S>+

Lightning Volcano

{). ... or {}f-@@

Fire Strike

r1tt or ~ ~@

Low

28

31

-16

STN

Hilt Strike

<? +

Mid

22

19

-14

10

Hi lt Crush

S>+

High

24

18

-6

STN

11

TC

Power Declared

{). ... or {}t

(auto ottack)

Mid M id

20,30

30

12

STN

NC I BA I TC I Cleon
Hit: C

Peregrine Falcon

<?+ or r1 tt or~ ~@

Low

16

18

-21

-6

TJ

Knee Assault

S>+

Mid

20

14

-8

10

KNOCH

Crescent Leg

{).+ or {1-t

Mid

16

22

-7

or~~ or z::l ~@

8-WayRun/@l

or~~ or z::l ~@

8-Way Run/@

or~~ or z::l~

March of Triumph

High-Throw

Royal Seal

right side throw

High-Throw

VIctorious Ruler

left side throw

High-Throw

58

Road to Glory

back throw

High-Throw

65

17

High

14

15

-6

SP-Iow

12

15

-5

Bacl< Turned Attacks

Back Slash

turn around @

Back Low Slash

crouching turn around @

Back Horn

turn around @

Mid

20

25

-8

2.

Back Low Horn

crouching turn around @

Mid

18

19

-8

Back Kick

turn around

High

16

15

-8

Back Low Kick

crouching turn around

Low

14

17

-14

Back Assault

baclr.ward +

Mid

26

13

-12

KND

rJ release (1st phase)

rJ release (2nd phase)
rJ release (3rd phase)

M id

24

18

-8

KND

R-0

ivl id

20

18

-6

16

STN

Mid M id

28,30

18

KND

Mid

70

37

KND

M id

40

21

-12

10

10

Mid Mid

20,13

21

-16

LNC

NC (Damage: 38
including ground hit)

Mid M id High

20,16,40

21

-18,-58

LNC,KND

BA I Clean Hit: C

Mid

140

51

...

Other Attacks
Mys1ic Star
Mystic Star
M yst ic Star
M yst ic Star
M oonlit Dance
Moonlit Dance
Moonlft Dance
Moonlit Dance

(auto attack)

rJ release (4th phase)

0 release (1St phase)

mrelease (2nd phase)

mrelease (:ltd phase)
whe." hit,@
mrelease (41h phase)

Brave Edge
White Monument

Mid Mid

Red Stone

High M id

20

KND

13

BA I R-0 I Clean Hit: C

I NC (Damage: 50)
UB I R-0 I Clean Hit: A

UBI Clean Hit: A

 /
/

XIBA

Character Overview I Xiba's weapon of choice is a tradi tional Chinese Bo staff, which, when
combined with his acrobatic nature, makes for a rather unorthodox fighting style. Exaggerated
animations for many of his attacks are designed to confuse opponents and lead them into making
mistakes that he can capitalize on. He is an easy character to pick up and start playing with, but
as your opponents become more familiar with his attacks, you w ill need to keep coming up with
new and invent ive tricks to be able to stay on the offensive. He is strongest at medium range,
where his combination of extremely damaging evasive and CH moves can limit an opponent's
options. If you favor attacking in an unpredictable manner and using fakes and movement to disguise your offense, then Xiba is the ideal character.

Damage
Throws

Speed

Mix-ups
Range

~AYSTYLE FOCUS

METER USAGE

'w itV iba yo'u should always be trying to keep your op- How you use your meter will be
ponent off nalance so that they never know exactly when, a constant struggle for Xiba since
or what type of attack iseoming. This is primarily accom- many of his (;13 attacks and his
plished through his many strings, stance transitions, and ~ are so effective. The damage
tir.ni,ng variations. This is helped a lot by the animation of that can be inflicted with some of
these moves, as they often look like t hey are continuing into his (;13 attacks can truly decimate
another attack, even if one isn't coming. The small amount an opponent's health, so if your of,. of time this buys you is often.enough to either continue your fence offense is flowing well t hey
offense normally, or switch into one of his many evasive are more than worth going for. On
moves to counter potential reta
\
the other hand, because his ~
,\.,. ,.,.. , "" .,,_.-takeS...Cl.\::L~ _so many options for
, . effec11ve for con- your opponent due~toJts auto-GI,
moves such as c::> you can totally change the-flow ofto very good damage on CHand are a fight just by having the option to
when guar-fled, many of his moves deal use it. Because you can use the
damage to the Guard Gauge, and the added ~to Gl attacks, it is only worth
re this brings can cause opponents to try and evade usipg.meter to re-G I an opponent
recklessly, out of fear of having their Guard ,wi{ere ,!).eeded, as you will often
,.....,p eb'Btter off using the~ instead.
.,~

/
);lj'
;1.

.......

...

_..

1!1~
10_018

Rem em b rance (RM)

... ...............
Remembrance may be the only stance Xiba has, but between
being able to enter it m anually, and through transitions off a
number of moves. it is very easy to work it into your general
plays tyle. Betw-een RM @ for quick interrupts and catching
8-Way Run. RM @ for big damage, and RM @ for jumping
Lows and knocking down. Xiba really has an option to cover
most situations. On top of that. the stance itself has a built
in auto-GI that w ill Gl all Horizontal attacks including Lows
and Kicks. w hich can really lim it th e moves your opponent
can use to interrupt your transitions. While all of his tra nsition
moves are quite useful si nce they come in the middle of a
string, t:~m is arguably the best since RM @ is extremely
difficult to beat afterwards. with only i14 Mid attacks being
able to stop it.

llllltlt
@@

Damage

Lvl.

Propcltie~

12,15

HM

TC

24

28

Trauitions into Romembrance

Input

leel

Gu"rd

Hit

t:~oom

-15

-4

{).{). or ~~ m

M ~

-11

-3

t:~ m

-14

<?fil+l3
m

...

'- PRIMARY ATTACKS

Heavy Bo - Ctlan nelin g Kick

......................... ................ .............. .......

TJ

. '>{<)1'.
'"'
Input

Damage

Lvl.

Impact

Guard

Hit

c::>@

20,14

MM

i16

-8,-6

0,1

The Heavy Bo is one of Xiba's best all-around Mid-hitting attacks, and it should be one of your main options any time
you are close enough to use it . Thanks to its speed. it is very
useful for both interrupting your opponent, and maintaining
your own offensive momentum. If you do land it as a CH, the
Channeling Kick is a guaranteed follow-up, with the opt ion to
add a Iilli on the end for major damage. If it is guarded, you
are also in a re latively good situation, since not only is the
move safe, but your opponent has to consider the @ fo llowup, which can give you a slight advantage and allow you to
keep pressuring t hem w ith other moves.
Input

Damage

Lvl.

.... ..................................................... .........

Imp cl

Guard

Hit

{).{). or ~~@@

14,30

MM

i22

-13,-14

-5,KND

Any time you have a slight amount of advantage at close to

mid range, {).{).@ is an excellent choice of move that can
cover a lot of your opponent's potential options. This attack
is Mid-hitting and is a very good anti-step option. and if it
catches the opponent sidestepping, you get a small CH
combo afterwards for good damage. Although the first hit is
slightly pur)isha ble w hen guarded, the threa t of the follow-up
or s tance transition w ill often cause opponents to freeze up
slightly, giving you the opportunity to force a mix-up. The second hit is slightly more pu nishable and Sl)ou ld be used just
enough so that your opponent has to respect the threat of it
after guarding the first.

{).{). or ~~@ m

14

i22

-11

-5

Mountain Carve

Phoenix Spring - Cha n nelin g Kick

................. ...... .. ............................ .........

Despite its slow startup, the Phoenix Spring offers you one of
the best risk/reward situations that Xiba has. The entire string
is a Natu ral Combo and leads to huge amounts of damage if
you add the IEI3 on the end, making it one of the best moves
to use if you are at advan tage and think your opponent might
crouch. As an added advantage, the move also hits grounded
opponents, so i t is excellent in Okizeme situations. Also, because you have t he option of stopping at any point in the
string you get a small mix-up when the move is guarded. Because of the disadvantage you are at. however. it is better to
use evasive moves or a quid< {).@ interrupt.

Input

Damage

ll.

hpac

Guord

Hit

@+@@@

15,1 5,20,11

MMMM

i28

-14,-20,-6

-4,LNC,1

c-IA'''ft: 'l :. Ivs ''lAY ; XIBA

Oamn~e

Kong's Water Offering

lvl.

Impact

Osmng~

lvl.

Impact

Gvard

18,10

LL

i27

-19,;24 2,-10''.

@@@ is one of Xiba's primary mid range tools to stop opponents movin g thanks to its combination of speed and
damage. The fi rst two hits are a combo on normal hit. which
makes them a good general poke, and there is enough time
between them to confi rm a CH, and then tag on the last hit
for big damage. If you have pushed the opponent back with a
guarded S>. following up with this move is a good choice,
as it will not only catch them if they sidestep, but it also advances you back into optimal range. It is possible to crouch
under the second hit if the first is guarded, however, so you
w ill need to be careful when against opponents tha t do this.

Tail Sweep

lfit

The starting animation of this move is somewhat simi lar to

.C. ..C., so when used at mid range it is very unlikely to be
blocked by you r opponent. You should always try and use this
move as close to its maximum range, however. as this will
make it more difficult for your opponent to punish it when
guarded. Mixing up between one or two hits, and even
sometimes adding the Iilli onto the end is also a good way
to keep your opponent guessing. It also hits grounded opponents, and is strong enough to make opponents not want to
stay down, further strengthening your Okizeme game.

'''J''~r

~ SECONDARY ATTACKS
Cross Bo - Channeling Kick
S> is similar in some respects to . but is best used
from slightly further away, and gives you a few more offensive options if it's guarded. Your opponent will always have to
be th inking about the@ follow-up, as it can circumvent many
of their retaliatory options, which allows you to make use of
other moves th ey may not be expecting. It's also a very good
anti-8-Way Run move. and while it only does average damage
on normal hit. if you do land it on CH. you can get some very
good damage i f you add the Iilli. Also, as with@@. you advance a lot during this move so it is very good for closing in.

Shen Ba
Shen Ba is one of Xiba's main launching tools and it is a perfect option to use when you have evaded one of your opponent's attacks to the side. Following up this move 'i"ith BT
+@leads to decent damage and leaves you in a good position for Okizeme. It also launches the opponent over your
head, so if you have your back to the ring edge, it can be a
very effective RO tool. It's reasonably unsafe when guarded,
however, so although it has some TC frames in it, it is best
used when you are sure your opponent has whiffed.

Sheng Illusion Kick

Because of the pressure tha t Xiba applies with all of his
strong Mid attacks, a good Low poke that can be done from
a neutral position is a very powerful option. It hits simultaneously both High and Low, so you get the benefit of being
able to stop opponents usingTJ attacks if they guess you will
use a Low, since the High part will hit them anyway. It is also
extremely safe when guarded, so you are able to employ
some proactive evasive or defensive moves to counter any
retaliation. The damage is also a big enough jump over a
move like .C. to make it a better option when your opponent's health is Low.

. :.' :~,,~~
Input

Oamago

..1 ~~
lvf.

.. ;):

...

. .

Seong's Leaping Horse

When you are at close range ~~@ is one of the better Mid
attack options Xiba has. Not only does itTJ, so it w ill beat any
potential quick Low or ..!} attacks. but the whole string is
a natural combo and leaves you in a very strong Okizeme
position afterwards. It is also very safe when guarded. and if
you stop at the first hit, the threat of the second again gives
you the option to move into a mix-up of your choice. If the
second hit is guarded or connects. it also switches sides with
your opponent. which can be useful if your back is towards
the ring edge.

Quaking Remembrance
Quaking Remembrance is the main threat from RM stance.
and most of your other options will revolve around trying to
land it. On hit this move leads to a Stun that allows you to
follow up with c::>@. and when guarded it does significant
damage to the Guard Gauge. It also has very good range,
making it a useful long-range Okizeme tool. The threat of this
move will often cause opponents to either remain guarding
out of fear. or try to sidestep when they see you enter Rlvl,
which in turn makes RM and RM@ more effective.

Tricky/Dirty Bo
This is another strong Low option to use when you are at advantage and want to force a mix-up at close range. Although
the move may appear slow, it has a very good animation so
is rarely guarded on reaction, and is relatively safe even if
it is. At close range, this move will transition into an Attack
Throw on hit. and while this part can be escaped. you still get
a 50/50 mix-up after the initial damage. After ~+ you
get a guaranteed c:;> for additional damage, and !::?+
doubles as a very good attack to ring opponents out over your
head. Both of them also track very well and hit grounded, so
they add more depth to your Okizeme.

Wave Divide

.................

fnptlt

Damage

lvl.

llupaul

Gualil

Hft

~+

32

i25

-16

Throw(@ Break!

!::?+

47

i25

-16

Throw 1 Break)

Input

Damage

lvl

Impact

Guard

Hi I

t?

32

i31

-17

KND

Input

Oamago

lvl

lmpoct

Guord

Hit

~@@@

24,17.29

MHH

i19

-t0,-9

LNC,6, KND

~m

24

i19

LNC

If you're trying to space your opponent at mid to long range,

t?@ is a good move to have in your arsenal. Not only does
it have excellent range and do decent damage, but it also
knocks down and catches 8-Way Running opponents very
well. When used at th is tip range it's also quite safe when
guarded, because very few characters will be able to reach
w ith attacks that can punish it. It is also TC from very early on,
so it works well against characters that rely on High-hitting
advancing attacks. Its range allows it to be used in a lot of
Ukemi Trap situations w here other moves wouldn't reach,
and near the ring edge this can be a very useful tactic.
Rising M onkey

Once you get into close-range. ~@ is one of Xiba's strongest Mid-hitting attacks and worth using in any mix-up situation. When it hits. the@@ follow-up is guaranteed and deals
good damage. and even when guarded you 're still in a good
position. Because of the@ follow-up you r opponent is either
likely to remain guarding, or to attempt to crouch it and punish you, both of which give you the opportunity for an Rlvl
mix-up. The only downside is that you cannot confirm the hit
before opting to go for the stance transition, so you will at
times lose the damage from the @@ follow-up if the~@
connects, but you'll still have a RM mix-up in Okizeme.

Xiba's lack of any kind of strong command throw means that

your opponents w ill not be favoring one brea k of another
generally, so every t hrow attempt w ill be a genuine 50/50,
as long as you mix them up wel l enough . His +@ throw
switches w hich side of the ring you are on. so it ca n be very
useful if your back is t owards a ring edge or wa ll. It also
leaves the opponent w ith their head towards you, so you are
in a strong position for Okizeme: attacks such as c:t>!ID and
~@+liD are part icularly effective because if you r opponent
tries to attack from the ground t hey w ill be hit in the back and
be unable to escape the Low throws.

Input

Dam ago

Escape Window

@+@

55

13

liD+@

50

13

@ or liD+@ (left side)

60

13

@ or liD+@ (right side)

65

13

@ or liD+@ (back)

70

The opt ions aft er a liD+@ throw are generally similar, but
since you are left a bit further aw ay they are not quite as effective. Due to the sheer amount o f strings Xiba has. you ca n
often make you r opponent guard a lot more t han t hey would
like, and this opens up opport unities to quickly sidestep and
use one of his more damaging side throws.

Xiba's most potent Iilli is a powerful Mid attack, which can be

tagged onto the Channeling Kick after all of the strings it appears in . This hit does a very large amou nt of damage and is
excellent for ca using RO or wa ll splats, and beca use it always
comes at the end o f a string you never have to commit to it
straight away. Th is allows you to always confirm that you have
hit your opponent before using it. eliminating the chance of
wasting m eter. You lose little if it's guarded, however. since
it is both tot ally safe and inflicts heavy damage to the opponen t's Guard Gauge.

Input

Damage

Llll.

Impact Guard

+@ @@ @ +@+@

.15, 15,20,
14,48

MMMMM

i28

c:t>@@ @ + liD+@

12,19M,48

HHMM

i17

c:t> @++-'

20,14,48

:rvlMM

i16

18, 10,14, 19

LLLL '

i27

17,9, 13,19

MHHM .

i1 6

~~or~~@@

'4,LNC,
1,KND

@+ +

WR @@ tAl+@+@

-13

, WR @@: lAJ+iiD@

The Iilli extension to~~@@ is guaranteed against grounded opponents, m aking it very strong in Okizeme. and on CH if
they are standing. You can also use it as a means of deterring
an opponent from punishing the normal ~ ~@@. Adding
the Iilli onto the end o f WR @@ turns it into a very powerful W R attack t hat is excellent for punishing a large number
of Low attacks, or after ducking an opponent's High attack.
The Just attack version of the move adds a bit more damage
and also stuns the opponent on the floor so that you can
close in on them w ith t he advantage. To do the Just version
you need to t im e the @ +liD+@ press just as the third kick
is connect ing.

Xiba's 1!13 m ay be a lot slower than many others in the game,

but the additional benefits it brings m ore t han make up for
this. It has a built in au to-GI w hich is active almost immediately, and w ill Gl any normal Mid or High attack. It is somewhat
vulnerable to Low attacks and throws. but even these are not
surefire w ays of dealing w ith it. since the move also has some
TC f rames early iin t he animation, andTJ frames la ter on. If you
do manage to Gl an attack w ith it, you also get a massive damage boost alm ost doubling t he standard damage.
Because of the damage increase. you should always try to
use this 1!13 to GI moves, rather than using it as a general
punishment or combo tool, and it can be especia lly effective
against strings or slow moves. The only ti me you should consider using it ou t side of those situations is if you get knocked
down and are using it f rom the ground to counter any pot ential Okizeme that your opponent may be trying to employ.
Just keeping the m eter for t his 1!13 can also pay dividends
in a match. as i( can greatly limit the types of attacks your
opponent can u se. which w ill in turn make them easier to
read and react to.

Daf113S~;

lvl,

:: .. ln>p~Rt

: i.19*

114 after using it to Guard Impact an attack

*' Guard Impacts from frame 3

Guard

-17

Hlf ' '

Most of Xiba's combos com e from of his

natural and CH strings. His biggest damage
comes from landing attacks such as ~@
or @ on CH and going into the canned
follow-ups; adding the Iilli onto the end of
these combos can lead to a large amount of
damage and give you excellen t Ring Out/wall
splat potential. Even on normal hit. some of
his stri ngs s uch as ~ and @

lead to a lot of damage with very little risk, and require no meter usage. After his tw o main
launchers that leave you facing forward, your best options are g enerally either ~ or z;l@:
the former does slightly more damage, and the latter allows for better Okizeme. with <i':!@+@.
c::> and @+ being particularly effective. If you have the meter to spare, you can use his
~ after these launchers for maximum damage, but this is best used only whe n it w ill fini sh
someone off at the e nd of a round. His other primary launcher is ..(J,..(J,, which launches the
opponent over you r head. limiting th e potential follow -ups you can use; for damage BT +
is by far the best and most reliable option (Combo A), but quickly turning rou nd and using
<i':! can allow you to Ring Ou t behind you from further away than his other BT moves .

Combo

Stan or

Follow-up

Damage

Hits

Cost

Difficulty

<:=><?

~ @@

63

..(),~@

BT @+@

71

~~

BT..(J.@

57

CH RM @(ID

60

**

RM @

c::> Iilli

91

....

CH @@@

z;l@

83

CH c:(>c:(>@@@

96

CH c:(> @@ Iilli

c:(>@

72

Iilli. c:(>@

109

CH ..(J,..(J,@fi)

RM@, ..(J.@+@

57

...

CH @

Iilli

78

CH@@

..(),@+

59

~<?@ Iilli

@@. ..(),@+@

91

...*

~<?@ (?lit

@@~

108

**

. @+

...
....

',H,O:,p1:.::1: .. /<, PI.A

UKEMI TRAPS
Xiba has a lot of options to catch any Ukemi attempts; your main
choice is between moves that will catch all directions and do average
damage, or moves that might not catch one direction but lead to massive damage. After nearly all grounded knockdowns, tl or ~@+@
will catch every direction for decent damage. and {>{>@m wi ll do
the same and lead into RM mix-ups. Against smaller characters you
can also use + in many different Ukemi situations, and that can
lead to massive amounts of damage. After some moves, @+ will
not catch to th e left. however, and at t hose times you can substitute
it with ~. which still does very good damage.

Knockdown

UkcmiTrnp

CH@

tlor ~@+@

CH (ID(ID

~@@@

! XJBA

Difficulty

CH @@ Iilli tl@

56/71

All

111

Back.

100

All

*
*

Left

FC@+@

@+ Iilli. @

153

All

*'*'

{>..!} or 1f1tm

44

All

Character specific

WALL COMBOS
Many of Xiba's most useful tools are very effective at pushing opponents towards walls or the
ring edge. If you are directly facing a wall, then your best options for wall splatting (+.
~@@. {>{>@) all requ ire a CH, so you wil l need to try and catch your opponent sidestepping or go for an interrupt. *'<?is also very useful, as it can evade a lot of attacks, and allow
you to land ~@@ afterwards for the wall splat. @+also has the added benefit of being
able to wall splat from quite a distance away. and because of its range, you can use it from
even further away to keep it safe.
Xiba is arguably more effective when the wall is to his right side, since so many of his strings
and combos flow that way. Any of the strings involving Kong's Head Slam Iilli can all wall
splat an opponent from a large distance away when the wall is to the right. so keeping an

Combo

Starter

Follow-up

CH~@@W!

~@@@

CH @@ Iilli WI
@+@@ Iilli WI

eye on your ring position is extremely important. Even at the wall. a lot of his wall combo
fillers, such as @+@. w ill slide the opponent to the right as they are hitting. which
can make pote ntial follow ups whiff. To avoid
this you will need to constantly be aware of
the angle you are hitting them at, and chose
your next move accordingly. If it looks like the
angle may not allow another @+@ for example, then go straight into a @@ for
a juggle combo (Combo El .

Damage

Hits

Cost

Difficulty

98

**

@+@. W! (ID@@. ~@

164

14

@+@. W! @+@@@ Iilli. @

175

19

***

*'*' Iilli. @@ Iilli WI

@+@. W! @@@. @13

203

21

****

CH+@WI

W! @+@, W! @+@

148

17

APPLYING OFFENSE
The main focus of your offense with Xiba should be on trying to keep
your opponent near your maximum range . At this distance Xiba has
many more options than a lot of characters, and you can greatly reduce

the risk of being interrupted by fa ster attacks. Moves such as @

and are very difficult for most characters to deal with effectively
at mid-range due to their combination of speed, tracking and power,

so using them as approach moves is very effective. Since both moves also have a strong
follow-up, your opponent will be forced to decide very quickly to either guard, interrupt or
evade, and between the follow-up, throw or
another c::t>@ you have options to bea t everything, and com e out ahead in damage.
After holding your opponent in place with
moves such as these, you can open the way
for the slightly closer range stance-based
mix-ups, which offer even better results.
After many of the moves you wou ld use at
this range, such as ~ and ..()...()., you get
strong mix-ups even when they are guarded;
the threat of t he follow-ups on t hese attacks
will often allow you to sneak in quick throw
attempts while your opponent is focused
on guarding. Mixing up where you stop
strings, and what things you follow-up with
on stance transition moves will make Xiba
a very unpredictable character and hard for
your opponen ts to react too effective ly. By
being so unpredictable, you also make it hard
for opponents to Just Guard your strings effectively, which is extremely important, as a
lot of his moves are very unsafe when Just
Guarded. r

OKIZEME
Xiba has a lot of moves that knock opponents
down in very favorable positions to make use
of his plethora of ground hitting moves. c::t>
should be one of your primary tools, since
not only is it fast and safe, but it is also one of
his best moves for countering off-the-ground
attacks and leads to decent damage. Multiple
@'s can also work very well if the first one
hits on the ground since the move is so fast,
and the opponen t has to worry about th e @
follow-up. When this happens, you can incorporate Low moves like ~+ that inflict a
lot of damage .
Similarly, liD+ is another strong Mid attack
that not only hits grounded. but leads to a
massive combo if your opponent guards Low.
..().+ is his hardest-hitting normal Low,
but using it often pushes the opponen t too
far away to keep up your offence.~~@@ is
generally a better Low to use in these situations since it keeps you close, and you have
the added option of the @19 on t he end.

also a very good move for ringing out behind

you. so if your back is toward the ring edge,
looking to step an attack and punish w ith this
move can be very effective.

G uard Burst
Req. to Burst

I Attucks

S>c::>

GUARD BURST

FC +, <?@+@, ..()...().@

Guard Burst is very effective with Xiba, as

many of the moves that you'll use as part of
your general offense inflict large damage to
the Guard Gauge. His Primary Guard Burst
Pressure comes from strings, especially
those tha t end w ith the Channeling Kick, as
t his move alone does a lot of Guard damage. The kick also recovers quite fast. so if it
causes the Guard Burst. you w ill usually be
able to follow up wit h a strong move such
as +. Mixing these strings up effectively,
along with solid single moves such as <?,
<?<:=>@ and <:=>. will wear down your opponent's guard very quickly. After long range
knockdowns w here you are at advantage,
closing in with <:=>+ can also be very effective, as your opponent is almost forced to
guard it.

. @@. +@

.:::>.<?

~@@. WR @. @@ ' ,
<:=><:=>@. @+@

10

<:=>, {i' , ..()...(). or 'li''li',

+@, RM @

11

..()., <?. ..()...(). or '11''11'

12

~. @. <?<?

13

S>c::>

* Bursts on the f i rst hit of these strings

RING OUT
A lot of Xiba's normal-hitting moves that Ring
Out straight ahead are quite slow, so using
them at close range is generally not a good
idea. If you are at mid-range, however, th en
moves such as<?, 1:?@, CH+@ are all
good, safe options. Your main option up close
for a forward Ring Out should be fishing for
CH ~since it's both safe and fast.
The majority of his other Ring Out tools all
Ring Out to t he right, so you should be constantly looking to position yourself to the
right of you r opponent. All of the strings that
end in t he Kong's Head Slam @19 (@@,
.:::>@ and +@@) can all Ring Out to
the right from a considerable distance away;
since they are some of his most useful attacks, taking the small amount of time to get
into a better position from which they could
Ring Out is more than worth it. .()...(). is

DEFENSIVE PLAY
When playing Xiba you should be spending most of the time at keeping your opponents at the
maximum range of his staff, so back-stepping quickly to create more space is quite easy. Moving back out of range like this, especially after a move has been blocked, is even more likely to
either make opponents rush in or have their attacks whiff, at which time you can punish with
long range moves such as <:=> and 1:?. Whiffing quick attacks such as @ at range can
also be a good tactic to lure opponents in, at which time you can catch them with a delayed
@ follow-up. [
1 1
At closer range s Xiba still has a lot of options that are excellent for countering and limiting an
opponent's options, the most obvious of which is his (!. Any time you do a move that is safe,
but bad enough when guarded that your opponent thinks it's their tu rn to attack, they have to
keep in mind the fact that you cou ld use the (!. It w ill only usually take this happening once
or twice to a player before they get wise and try to bait you into using the (! by just waiting,
and this will open the way for you to use quick Lows and throws on them. You also have the
RM stance to counter a lot of options, including many Lows that opponents may use to try
and beat your (!,

SPACING & POSITIONING

Xiba is very effective at spacing and controlling opponents at mid-range, since he has a
lot of advancing and long-range attacks that
opponents must respect. Attacks such as
@@ and c:(>@ can control that middle distance very well since they advance, track
well. and inflict large damage on CH, which
will severely deter your opponent from sidestepping. If your opponen t has a lot of strong
TC options, you may also want to consider
~c:>, w hich w ill a little slower. is both Mid
and totally safe. Should your opponent make
a mistake and w hiff at this range, you also
have strong tools to punish them in the form
of -&-&and <?<?@ filE~ . Because many of
Xiba's attacks naturally push the opponent to
the right you can often herd them towards
a wall or ring edge much faster than a lot of
other characters; try to offset you r position to
either side of your opponent to maximize this
effect. [-tO 3]

POST-GI
Xiba is a fai rly average character post-G I.
mainly because he lacks fast attacks that
do enough damage on normal hit to make it
worthwhi le. Your best option i s~@@@. bu t
outside of that there are not many choices
which make t he attempt worth the loss of
meter. This is due to how strong his filE~ and
~ attacks are, especially since he has both

the RM auto-GI and the one on his C!. which both lead to much better damage. If you do
Gl an opponent, and you expect that they w ill attempt to re-GI you. +@ filE~ is a very
strong choice, and ~@@@ does just enough damage tha t they may well be inclined to do
so. [-tO 4)

Xiba's best offensive tools are all designed for mid-range combat, and
while he can s till be effective at close range, he is definite ly w eaker.
so getting close should be one of your main goals. He is also quite a
slow character overall, so once you are in close it is important to try
and maintain .as much pressure as possible, while always keeping
in mind the potential usage of his ~ or RM stance. It is also very

important to try and become familiar with as many of his transitions

and strings as possible, so that you know at what points you are likely
to have to deal with a mix-up. Many of the string moves. and especia lly his Lows are also very punishable by a lot of characters when
guarded. and punishing them heavily can make the Xiba player think
twice about using them.

KEY ATTACKS
., <>@@
. .

:,R,M @@.''

This is one of the most common moves used by. Xiba players. and
although the options after it are strong, they are not perfect. After
guarding c:>. you can interrupt the @ follow-up if you react quickly
and have a fast-& move. ~is also very linear, so if you predict it
coming you can step around it and punish it easily.

RM@ is often used during many of the stance transition mix-ups, as

it is by far the quickest option, but it is also High, so if you have a quick
TC move you can easily go under it and still beat the @ follow up.

'

This string is often used in a lot of mix-ups when the Xiba player is
confident that you won't try to sidestep, because the first hit is very
linear. If you guard the first hit, and the Xiba player doesn't use the
second, it is important to punish it every time, and this is also true
if you guard the entire string, as the last hit is very unsafe. It is the
second hit that is likely to be at the cen ter of most mix-ups, because
it is very safe w hen guarded, but you can, however, step it to the right
if you are quick, and then punish it.

This attack is often used at long range, so even when guarded it is

difficult for most characters to punish. If you get familiar enough wi th
the animation, however, you can still do a jumping attack, or simply
use an empty jump to get close. and then use a standing move to
punish it.

: il~@

If you know what you are looking for, it's possible to punish this attack
heavily, and greatly reduce the threat of one of Xiba's main Lows.
Although each individual attack in the series is very unsafe when
guarded, you normally have to deal with the mix-up of how many hits
the player w ill use. If you guard the first one. however. you can use
a quick jumping attack, such as "it with most characters, to both
jump the second attack and punish the first. [ ~D ~'>l

Command List
Input

Hit

level

Damage

@@@

High High Mid

16, 18,30

18

8, 12, 16

2. 4. KND

Cross Bo - Channeling Kick

c:::>@@

High High Mid

12, 19, 14

17

-11 ' 6

5, 1

Crushing Blow

~@

14,24

14

KND

NGG I R-0

Crushing Blow - Remembrance

'l:l@0

MidSS

14

14

15

GI I -RM

Bo Slice

..(7@
tZ@

SP-low

10

14

-FC

Wave Divide

Low

32

31

17

KND

15

TG I R-0

Roundhouse Bo

<?@

High

25

28

13

KND

10

TC ITS I RO

M id Mid

18, 22,

,2 0 '

Name

Standing@
Ko~g's Water

Offering

Mid High .

NCC I R-0

NCCITS

liD

Standing

Rushing Bo

'" @)

10. -9 '

; 0. KND

14, 7

M id SS

18

20

14

Heavy Bo- Channeling Kick

c:::>

Mid Mid

20, 14

16

.a. 6

o. 1

15, 7

Rising Monkey Remembrance

'l:l 0

Mid SS

24

19

LNC

12

Rising Monkey

'l:l@@ when hit, @

Mid High High

24, 17, 29

19

-10, .g

LNC, 6, KND

12,9

Assaulting Bo

..(7
tZ

Mid

18

22

-2

11

Low

26

29

14

<?

Mid

45

26

13

KND

High

14

13

22

24

STN

Rushing Bo- Remembrance

Retreating Snake
Phoenix Thrust

TJI NCG
GII-R M

STNCH I NCC
GII-RM
NC I R-0 I Clean Hit: C
-FC
- FC I TJ I KND CH

TC I R-0 I Cleon Hit: B

Standing@
Sheng Front Kick
Sheng Illusion Kick

High lo>N

20,23

Yin Rising

c:::>

Mid Mid

12,15
4

Sheng lung Kick Solo

'l:l@

Mid

15

18

15

-5

Sheng Approach

'l:l

M id

38

16

-18

KND

Sheng Su Low Kick

Low

16

15

14

-2

Sheng Side Kick

..(7@
tZ@

Hawk Claw

<?

Standing

NG

12

-FC ITJ

15

TJ
- FG

Mid

18

15

10

High Low

26, 28

21

9, 8

KND, -1

11

TCING

M id Mid M id Mid

15, 15, 20, 11

28

14, 20, -6

-4.lNC, 1

10. 9. 7

NCI RO

TJ

Phoenix Spring Channeling Kick

@+@

Trick Bo

'l:l@+

Low-Throw

32

AT

..(7@+

Low Low Low Low

8,8,12,12

25
25

16

Monkey Smack

14

NCC

Dirty Bo

tZ@+

Low-Throw

47

25

16

AT

AT Escape

Standing

AT Escape @

liD+@
c:::>+@

Mid Mid Mid MidMid

15,15,10,10

19

12

KND

Playful Phoenix

..(7+@

Low

24

24

10

Playful Phoenix

..(70 +13

Phoenix Rage Thrust

<?@+@

Mid

Phoenix Rage Thrust flemembra.n ce

<?(!)+13

ss

Biting Phoenix

NGG

-GRD

55

39

KND

BA I R-0 I Clean Hit: C

GII-RM

Full Crouch Attacks

Bo Slice

crouching@

SP-Iow

10

13

-6

Assaulting Bo

crouching

Mid

20

21

-2

River Thrust

crouching

low

18

28

.a
.a

STC 1-F

Sheng Su low Kick

crouching@

Low

16

14

14

-FC

Pounding Stones

crouching @+

MidMidMid

20,21

24

STN

Ling Sheng Slash

while standing @

Mid

24

20

10

ling Sheng Upper

while standing

Mid

32

21

-7

LNG

Jie Kong Kick

while standing @
when hit, @

Mid High High

17, 9,13

16

13

LNG

while jumping @

Mid

20-24

28

.a

26-32

KND

30-36

-13

TJ I Glean Hit: A

tZ

-FC

12

- FC

Clean Hit: A

While Rising Attacks

TC

Jumping Attacks
Scattering Bo
Great Waterfall

w hile jumping

liD

Mid

Phoen.ix Splits

-,vhile jumping @

High

38
19

TJ

10

TJ

I R>: no KNO

S-Way-Run@
Gale Cross Haste
Tail Sweep

Mid

28

TJ

lO\'tlow

18, 10

-2. -10

NG

Name
. Mountain Carve

Input

ProJJcrties

1st hit STN CH

NCCJ R-0 .

.(),... or 1ft-@@

M id M id

14,30

. 21

-13, -14

-5.KND

1ft-@0

M id SS

14

21

-11

Mid low

24,20

27

-9, -5

2, KND

13, 11.5

- FC I NCC I R-0

M id Mid Midi

16, 14. 27

19

-15, -5,
-17

2, STN.
lNC

13, 9, 6

NCC

Mountain Carve- Remembrance .(), ... or

Cross Tide

Hit

l evel

<?+ or

r:Zit or ~~@@

10

GI I -RM

8-Way-Run@
Raging Monkey

~+or~~ or ~<ll

Shen Ba

.()..... or 1ft-

M id

21,7

21

-16

l NC

Lower Bo Feint

r:Zit or~~

low

20

29

-14

STN

Phoenix Feint

<?+

M id

30

30

-4

22

11

TC ITJ l lNC (behind)

STN

12

TC

10, -16

STN, KND

15, 9

KND

12

-7. -7

0, KND

12,8

21

8-Way-Run@
Kong's Ryui Bang Tail

~+@

High Mid Mid Mid

20,20,16,8

Kong's Ryui Bang Tail

~+@0

High Mid

45

Seong's Leaping Horse

~~ or ~<ll@

M id Mid Mid

15,10,18

Ling Sheng Su Sweep

.()..... or 1ft-@

18

23
23

60

17

TJ I Clean:Hit: C
BA

TJ 1. ~ B.! ,:Ef':~n Hit: C .,

TC I KNO CH

Sheng Heh Kick

+@
Left side throw
Right side throw
Back throw

Phoenix Pounce

-' 65

17

70

.17

R-0

Back Turned Attacks

Reverse Bo Tap

turn around @

16

21

-2

Reverse Lower Bo Slice

crouching turn around @

18

21

-6

Reverse Waterfall

turn around

20

24

-5

Hind Waterfall

crouching turn around

22

24

-7

Reverse Sheng Su Kick

turn around @

18

Reverse Sheng Su Low Kick

ZhiWei

- FC
~~

-FC

-Fe

CH/IF-Ei~ 41 VS

PJ1Y i ISABELLA VALENTINE

IVY
Character Overview I Ivy uses a highly unique 'Whip Sword' which, depending on you r command input, can seamlessly transition itself from sword to whip state and be used for short to
long range attacks. Because of this, Ivy has the potential to be an extremely dynamic character
in the right hands. Though easier to use than in previous iterations of the SOULCALIBUR series,
effective use of Ivy still requires some command execution skill, patience, and focusing on outspacing your opponent, keeping them at bay with her long range poking tools. Ivy's throw game
is very strong w ith Calamity Symphony, Summon Suffering, and her new Critical Edge, which
makes her a major threat at close range, so you can force your opponent to duck and knock them
a-ow~ombo them w ith her solid Mid-hitting attacks.

Damage
.: . .
Throws
Speed
Punishment
Safety

PLAYSTYLE FOCUS

METER USAGE

:S

Spacing and long range poking are integral to Ivy's

game, with a focus on strong defense and movement. c:::>m is her longest range poke, and because
it's very linear and vulnerable to quick moves you
will have to use it alongside S>fJ to CH sidestepping opponents. Th ere's also -&+@ and 'it+@
to whiff punish your opponent at long range. While
keeping your opponent at bay with Ivy's long range
tools, you should always be looking to buffer her
CS throw to catch opponents trying to close the
gap. CS has massive range and a short escape
window. Any opponent with their mind on rushing
you down will not be focusing on throw breaking.
close, Ivy will rely on her strong throw game,
pokes, and strong Mid-hitting attacks. -.!7@+
example, is a fast, safe, ground-hitting Mid.
1:1 lml w ill be your primary pressure tool. and it
will combo into S>@ when it hits and gives you
a guaranteed S>'if@ when blocked or a huge advantage to force a throw/Mid mix-up. [~0 1]

Ivy mostly uses her meter for 1:1 lml and

along with her Brave Edge and
Critical Edge throws. S>'it- lml is worth
keeping your meter for, as it can be devastating in combos. You'll also have to
keep some meter when at close range
for 1:1 lml, w hich allows you to pressure
your opponent with a huge 12 frames of
advantage O ( get a guaranteed S>'if@
when it's blocked. Sometimes your meter
is best used for @+@ lml or her Critical
Edge to make your opponent duck and respect your powerful throw game. Her other
Brave Edge attacks are less important, but
you can use them to increase combo damage and to finish your opponent off, such as
with c:::> c:::> lml or 'It'It !mi.

S>'it lml

10_019

:f~~~,.

'- PRIMARY ATTACKS

"

Venom Slash

{7 t1<? is one of Ivy's most effective attacks because. even

when at a disadvantage, you'll be able to beat lots of moves
due to its evasive properties. It's the perfect illustration of
how strong Ivy can be at defending the area between close
and mid ra nge. This is mostly due to the auto-sides tepping
and Tech Crouch properties of the move, and also because
it's fast wi th deceptively good range and hits grounded opponents. so it w ill allow you to counter-attack in lots of situations. You can even use it to shut down opponents' strings
and follow-ups due to the built-in sidestep. However. it does
have some weaknesses, such as being unsafe when blocked
and not giving you the advantage when it hits.

M enace Slice

Input

00II13tJtf

U!vel

hnj>acl

Guard

Hh

Input

Damago

Level

lmpnct

Guord

Hit

26

i17

12

LNC

Ivy doesn't have many Tech Crouch attacks at her disposa l,

making <?@ a valuable Horizontal tool to have in your arse
nal. It's primarily designed for close range use where the TC
properties allow you to go under any quick High pokes. such
as @@ with many characters. Because in general most of
Ivy's close range pokes lack tracking, opponents will often
try to step around her at this range, and <?@ is an excellent de terrent to that. Landing a CH wi th it will leave the opponent stunned, giving you a guaranteed t1+@. The only
downside to this attack is the fact that i t is High, so if your
opponent's character has a lot ofTC attacks. you will need to
be careful with its usage.

Twilight Flow I Cagemaster

Probably Ivy's best Mid-hitting attack because of its combo
potential: press@ to turn around and t hen use@'()>- IE for
a damaging follow-up. The attack is a reliable Tech Crouch so it
allows you to duck and punish Highs and throw attempts. It's
also safe w hen blocked and relatively fast. but you can only
use it while crouching. It's best to sidestep and then crouch
manually with {7@. then switch to t1 and press . By doing this, not only you will be able to evade Verticals but you' ll
also duck and punish High attacks, forcing your opponent to
use slow, tracking Mid attacks to hi t you . It has short range
and won't launch if you 're not very close, but it's more likely
to launch when you hit the opponent's side, so sidestepping
before using it is a very good idea. Also, you can press and
hold the
button to access a longer ranged version, which
will stun the opponent for a combo if you are close.

Ivy Lick - Silhouette

The Ivy Lick is her best punishing move, because it's rea lly
fast and has great range. It's also her best combo follow-up
after almost every launcher because of the strong damage of
the IE version and wall splat possibility. The move will hit
even at very long range, allowing you to punish from afar, or
combo after long range attacks such as CH 'lr+@. You can
follow-up wi th the kick to increase your damage when pun
ishing or to prevent quick retaliation. The move is also safe,
but some experienced players can jump over the kick and
punish you, so you shouldn't overuse it.

CIIN'Ti:R 1 ' VS F'LI\Y I ISABELLA VALENTINE

Dominance
..().-@+ is Mid-hi tting, fast, hits grounded opponents, grants
a knockdown when it hits, and launches on CH. It's also safe
against most cha racters. so you can use it any time you have
advantage, especially in your Okizeme. Because th is move
always knocks down, you will get to mix-up @ if your opponent side rolls with another ..().-@+ if they choose to
stay still. If they get up, you'll be free to mix-up t hrows with
another ..().-+, making this a great time to land Ivy's CS
throw. On CH you can choose to combo with "lf@+m to
Ring Out near t he edge, or c::>"it (illJ to either RO or wa ll
splat into a highly damaging wall combo with CH ..().-@+.
c::> "lf (illJ {wa ll). ~+. c::>f'J.

Calamity Symphony
Mastery of this th row is essen tial to both Ivy's offensive and
defensive game. 75 damage for the regular version, 84 for
the Just Attack version, and 106 if you also get a Clean Hit
makes t his a truly serious threat (it deals 85 as a back throw,
or 94 w ith JF). CS also tracks both ways, has great range for
a throw and has a short escape window. As you can see,
w ith these stats, becoming consistent with this throw w ill
lessen the need for Ivy's ~.allowing you to save more meter for her (illJ and Gl game. You w ill need to practice CS a
lot in order to u se it effectively. You have roughly 3 seconds
w ithin which to enter all of the req uired inputs. There is some
input leniency in that if you input a ~ or an extra ~ halfway
t hrough, CS w ill still come out as long as you go back to
between each input. Finally, it's important to press the+@
at the same time as the final c::>.

Because the input for CS in open play 'telegraphs' the Ivy

player's intention to use this t hrow, it is best to buffer t he

Royal Huntress
Ivy lacks strong, relatively safe Lows, wh ich is why correct
use of t?@ is essential. This move w ill Tech Crouch and will
t rack a sidestepping opponent in bot h directions allowing you
to combo into ..().-!:?> for the most damage or ~ for
Okizeme. It should strictly be used for tracking sidesteppers
and Tech Crouching obvious High attacks, as experienced opponents, or those with quick reactions. will block it and it can
be punished severely by most characters. It has the added
bonus of being able to ring your opponent out with tl\9ir back
to the edge, making it more than worth the risk in this sit uation. t?@ can also be mixed up w ith ..().-@+ as your safe
Mid RO option, especially in Okizeme.

Prophecy's Pledge
If t? illJ wasn't a Brave Edge move tha t needed Critical
Gauge, it would probably be Ivy's best move overall. It's a
close range pressu re tool, smd is one of Ivy's best post-GI and
JG options due to its speed. When it hits, @ is guaranteed for 63 damage. when it's blocked you'll also get a guarant eed "\f @ for 40 damage. You can also force a strong
Mid or throw mix-up with the huge 12 frames of advantage.
Make sure you are at close range when using this move to
inflict significant damage against ducking opponents or t hose
coun ter-attacking with slower moves. Because of the guaranteed c::>@ follow-up and the great damage it gives, it's
worth making sure you always have at least two sub-stocks
of meter in reserve for punishment purposes.

inputs of the throw. Practice doing it during your most commonly used moves that will
give you frame advantage from either poking or punishment. From a strategic perspective you will want to bu ffer CS during attacks that you can mix-up with quick-hitting Mids
to stop the opponent from ducking or attacking and pu tting you r well-buffered efforts to
waste, such as t? (illJ or ..().-@+.

Input

Released Souls
0

Damage

Level

Impact

60

i75

Guord

Hlt

Ivy has a lot of good unblockable attacks that she can use,
and one of the best is @+. This attack is both Mid-hitting
and Horizontal as with <?'@+. and being unblockable
your opponent w ill have no choice but to either attack you
or get out of range quickly. The move's w eakness is that Ivy
steps backwards w hen starting it, making the range shorter
than it seems. Use it at times when you have advantage, in
your Okizeme, or as a surprise post-GI option. It can be especially deadly if there is a wall behind your opponent as they
won't have any chance to backstep and the move will wall
splat for a potentially gigantic combo.

Tempting Tezhas

........................ .................... .... ........... ...

If your opponent starts sidestepping at mid range, or you
have forced them to do so with effective use of
or
'It, then
can be used to give you a CH attack throw if it
hits while they are moving around. Like most quick Horizontal
attacks,
is a High, so you should try to make su re your
opponent is on the move before throwing out.
is highly
unsa fe when blocked, but at its tip range wi ll be safe against
most attacks, depending on t he matchup. For exa mple, at tip
range a blocked
can be punished by Xiba's 'i::IIKl barge
attack.. so know your matchups well and use it accordingly.
On CH,
will knock your opponent down right in front of
you for a good Okizeme.

c:>m-&

c:>fi.l
c:>fi.l

c:>fi.l

c:>fi.l

c:>fi.l

Crucifixion

................
This move is one of Ivy's most dangerous unblockable attacks. It's a M id-h itting, circular attack which Ivy ca n release at
any moment, up to the point where it becomes unblockable,
and can be used to catch any type of retaliation or sidestep
for nice damage. Backdashing opponents will not be safe due
to its great advancing range, and if your opponent decides to
guard it, you can charge it to unblockable for great damage
and Okizeme. Du e to being a slow move, you will need to
use it when you have good advantage and you think the opponent will hesit ate, or during Okizeme when the opponent has
already been hit and is likely to rise. It's also good for whiff
punishing and post-GI due to the timing mix-ups it allows for.

,._
Inpill

Hit

i47-i71

-14,KND

KND

40-70

DomAgo

Level

Impact

Guard

Hit

i18

-8

KND

,.

Input

Raven's Egg I Eclipse Raven

................

Guord

Dnmngo

c:>c:>@

30

When on the oHense, c:>c:> will be one of your best options to advance and punish sidesteppers. It's a fast and safe
attack t hat w ill immediately knock your oppon ent down, offering you a great Okizeme mix-up. If you keep holding the
input you will get the two-hit version. which will cover a wide
area, tracking in both directions, and will combo with the second hit if it hi ts as a CH. Note that
is unsafe when
blocked. so use it carefully to catch opponents as they're
moving, and not at times when you think they'll guard.

c:>c:>fi.l

24

HM

i23

-16

Biting Ivy Inner

Input

Onrnogo

level

lmp~cl

Guotd

Hit

14,12

MM

i24

-15,-28 -6,-16

c:>c:>f.i.l

This is Ivy's primary long range poking tool for creating ati!
maintaining space between you and your opponent. When it
hits or is blocked, you can input -& or 'It for extra damage and
to direct the opponent towards either the wall or the edge of
the ring to pressure them fu rther. Sadly,
does not give
frame advantage on hit, however
or 'It turns your opponent to the side, so any attempt at a swift reta liation w ill be
caught with another
Your opponent can easily sidestep
and its follow-up and then severely punish you due to
huge recovery time, so use this move wit h caution and punish sidesteppers as heavily as you can.

c:>m-&

c:>m

c:>m.

c:>m

~;!!iWTf.fl !i! VS

Fear's Void

"'l.A'' I ISABELLA VALENTINE

lnJJUt

!::? or~ or ~+@

Use the different variations of this series to hit careless opponents from close, mid to long range. When ~+ hits
you can combo with the same attack again for 52 damage. If
you land !::?+@ you get to combo in to "lt!ID+Cl for 60
damage and a potential Ring Out if your opponent has their
back to the edge of the ring . This combo is also a good op
tion for post-GI and Guard Burst if you have no meter. Land
ing ~+@ from long range when your opponent's back is
to the edge of the ring will allow you to RO with another
~+@ . Note that these attacks are completely liner and
quite slow, so use them when your opponent either whiffs or
is trapped in a static stance.

Serpent's Venom
Another of Ivy's Unblockable attacks that can be used quite
frequently because of the duration of its Tech Crouch proper
ty. ~!::?@will TC every High-hitting attack until its anima
tion is complete for a total of 100 damage. Predicting some of
your opponent's High attacks with this move can let you eas
ily win the round and discourage them from trying the same
attack again. You can also cancel it, and even the canceled
version w ill stay TC until Ivy fully recovers. Try to confirm if
you have a chance of landing the attack or not and then cancel
it, as this will avoid an opponent ducking it and punishing you
as you recover.

Ivy's throw game is very strong, with all her Jhrows giving
both good Okizeme and damage. Her@+@ w ill Ring Out be
hind her and gives 50 damage on its own. Her +@throw
deals 55 damage and changes your position, wh ich makes it
very useful for getting away from walls and the edge of the
ring wh ilst setting up your opponent for wall hits and a Ring
Out of your own.
@+@ @lEI is the new command for her Summon Suffering
throw. Its damage is respectable at 65, but the yellow flash
that accompanies all @lEI attacks will telegraph quicker opponents to its corresponding @ escape. CS, as previously
covered at length, should be mastered as a priority, especially
the JF version. as a faster, more damaging replacement for
her (! with better range and tracking, allowing you to save
meter for her @lEI combos and Gl options. Ivy's back throw
gives her a solid 70 damage, and thanks to+@ at closer
ranges you have the means to create mix-ups utilizing her
back throw.
!.

1:1 @lEI is

Ivy's most applicable and useful Brave Edge. It's

one of her fastest pokes. making it ideal as a postJG option
and pressure tool. "fr @lEI will be your second priority,
as it's essential when Ivy lands a launcher to gain the most
damage either at the wall, out in the open or to score a Ring
Out when your opponent is close to the edge. Her primary
launchers to use will be FC 1:1 on hit and~@+. ~.
and @lEI on CH.
@lEI is Ideal for comboing after CH ~~@ or for
wall combo, where you can land it after a long range wall
splat. Follow-up w ith 1J' @lEI or go for "fr@+Cl to Ring
Out if you have no more meter available. @+@ @lEI deals
respectable damage and is worth using to break down your
opponent's defense, especially if they are disinclined to duck.
However, if you r opponent can read the opening @lEI flash
and escape the SS, then you are better off mastering CS and

saving meter for Ivy's other lmt attacks and GIs,

hnpnct

Guard

i17

OnnHIUC
90

Acasual Paradox

Level " impa~t '

' i2S ;

Ivy's t!EI is a slow but damaging unbreakable throw that

tracks in both directions. Like all throws, it should be used
frequently against your opponents until they start ducking
it. Because of its slow speed and telegraphing startup flash,
more experienced opponents or those w ith quick reactions
may be able to duck Ivy's t!EI and punish her heavily for it.
The best time to use her t!EI will be post-Gl and post-Guard
Burst, where it will be completely guaranteed, or after blocking attacks that are -22 or worse, since ducking is not possible for 4 frames before impact. If your opponent's back is
close to the wall or ring edge. Ivy's Critical Gauge w ill be better spent on using her more damaging wa ll or RO combos.

Many of Ivy's combos require either the initial

attack to be a CH. or that you to have at least
enough meter for one (;13 attack. Without
either of these things her combo damage is
signi ficantly lower than a lot of other characters and you will generally have to w ear your
opponent down with long range attacks and
pokes. If you are fi shing for a CH, <?@ and
-&+ are her best options since they are
safe even when guarded, and lead to good
damage on CH. Off any of her launchers.

"it will usually give the most damage, and also leave you in the best position for Okizeme,
near a ring edge, however, you may want to use 1f@+@ (l) instead as it can RO from quite
some distance away (Combo A).
~
!:2@ (;13 is also very useful in juggles because opponents cannot air control after it, and it is
fast enough to combo into itself, so you can keep repea ting it as long as you have the m eter,
and then follow-up w ith !il1f. While each additional !:2@ (;13 does not do much extra damage, if you have the meter .to spare and it will mean finishing off an opponent. it can be worth
using sometimes. If you are close to a w all it can also be beneficial to use th e (;13 version of
<=?"it. because it can wall splat opponents very high up on the wall and give you plenty of
time to move in for the wall combo of your choice.

'

Damage

Hits

Cost

Oifficully

-1}!:2<?@

40

!:2@+@

1f@+@ (l)

60

**

-&+@

-&+@

52

(ID@

41

!:2@ (;13

<=?@@

63

!:2@ (;13

!:2@ (;13, +@

65

CH @

Ill

48

CH @

!:2@+@

57

CH ..(l.@+@

1f@+ lll

65

CH-I}@+@

1f (;13

85

CH~@

1f+ (l)

63

CH ~@

1{ (;13

86

CH~@

!:2@ (;13 x3, 1f (;13

116

13

FC t1@

@. '()> (;13

88

....

FC !:18 @

1f (;13

75

11

<?<?

1f (;13

77

12

** *

Starter

Follow-up

!:2@ or {!.{!.@

~ :2(8)+@

Cl

Combo

Starter

Follow-up

CH c(>o:(>(ID ~

'll' +

CH c(>o:(>(ID ~

AP~CR

I IV'> PLAY ! ISABELLA VALENTINE

Dnnmgo

Hits

Cost

Difficulty

72

**

<=(> lil'O' ~

91

**

CH {7{).@

c:>c:> GIS~. i f + m

85

**

CH .()>{).@

c(>c(>(ID ~. c(>'lf ~

102

**

UKEMITRAPS
Because of her general lack of speed and recove ry on her knockdown attacks, Ivy does not have many Ukemi Traps that are worth
attempting over the guaranteed damage she could otherwise get.
Like a lot of her combos. th e good attacks that you can get Ukem i Traps off of mainly require CH and wh ile this does reduce the
amount of times you can attempt them, it also means your opponent
doesn't get many opportunities to get used to them. CH <?@ gives
her by far the best options afterwards since it has a couple of very
good UkemiTraps. >>@will catch in all directions and unless they
Ukemi backwards you will jump over them so it can be useful for
changing ring position. If they do Ukemi backwards you can get the
full launch for a combo.
Similarly, you can go for FC t? or 0, both of which will also launch
the opponent ove r your head for a c(>!DJ'\J' follow-up. To make this

Knockdown

Ukomi Trap

Dilficulty

CH c(>c(>(ID

~a

44

Left, Right

CH >@

FC t?@, c(>li)'\)'

101

A ll

****

CH>@

FC t? (l)(ID, c(>(ID'\)'

92

A ll

***

~m

~ ..().@

65

A ll

**

Character specific
particular trap more effective, you may want to try cancel ing her
<>+ with @ to put you in FC first to make it look like you are doing an attack and then go for the trap. Using this method also makes
the timing slightly easier for the trap as it allows you to do it in a
rhythm. Although not technically a guaranteed UkemiTrap, after stuns
like those tha t CH <? and !:?+ give you, you can go for her
{). t? <?@ unblockable attack. The only way they can escape this is to
Ukemi backwards, or Just Guard the unblocka ble.

WALL COMBOS
Without landing a CH at the wall, Ivy doesn't have a strong wall splatling option unless you manage to land c(>@'\)' ~ in front of a wall.
However, when Ivy does get a CH at the wall she can net significant
damage with the following combos. The only downside is that she
always needs enough meter for at least one ~ attack. If your enemy

Combo

is grounded near the wall or you're in a post-GI situati on, it's worth
trying her unblockable attacks, such as c(>@+. {). t? >. or even
~@+. which you can cancel into the to get a CH launch and deal
some insane damage (Combo D and E).

SHorter

Followu11

CH@W!

c(>rJ
..().@+@. c(>'\J' ~ WI i=S@l+@, c(>rJ
t:s + @. o::>'O' ~ w! c(> c(> (5]g' c(>(]'\)' ~
i=S@l+ . c(>'\J' G WI c(>$>@ 15IS, c(>(ID'\)' ~
i=S@l+@. c(>'lf ~ W! c(>c(>@) 15IS, c(>(]'\)' G

CH ..()...().@, 6@ ~ WI
CH ..().@+@, c(>(ID'\)' ~ WI

CHc(>@+@ W!

CH ..().t?>@ W!

{).@+@. c(>(ID'\)' ~ W ! i=S+!RJ.

Damaoo

Hits

Cost

Dillicully

97

15

**

125

17

176

25

185

19

239

19

***

APPLYING OFFENSE
When on the attack, Ivy's main tools for closing the gap are ~<=l>@,
w ith its [ill~ extension giving a CH combo against opponents backdashing or inte rcepting them if t hey use slower attacks. and @
to kill sidestepping. Another one of her primary advancing tools is
@. This High roundhouse kick will track sidesteppers to both
sides, giving a knockdown into her powerful Okizeme game. When
engaging her opponents at close range, ~@+ w ill be one of her
primary Mid-h itting attacks of choice, thanks to its speed, safety, and
damage. >@ is another good too l for her up-close game as a safe,
fast TC Mid attack that will combo on CHand RO at the edge.
If you manage to make your opponent too scared to apply their offense effectively, you'll need to take advantage of their defensive play
and aim to land CS. Because of its range, it's feasible to use as part of
her offensive game. with your objective being to make the opponent
duck so that you can start hitting them with ~+, your Okizeme
game, or use 1:? (ill~ if you have meter to press and get the guaranteed hit even when it's blocked.
Unlike most characters, Ivy's unblockables are incredibly useful as part
of your offense. If your opponent has committed to a long, drawn out
High attack, ~!:?>@will net you 100 damage and a wall splat, and
<=l>@+ will be inescapable if your opponent Ukemis near the edge.
<?<?FJ+ID is a solid Okize:me and pressure tool out in the open, allowing Ivy to c lose the gap and tracking completely to her left. [ ~0 1]

OKIZEME
Ivy's most effective Okizeme tool is almost always ~@+. As a
safe, fast, ground-hitting Mid that kn0cks back down when it connects, this is the perfect attack to begin Ivy's strong Okizeme game.
If your opponent chooses to stay still, hit them again w ith another
~+ or use @@. The move is so fast that if they instantly stand up
they'll have no choice but to guard it. putting them in FC. w here you
can set them up for a Gl or >@+. If they side roll in any direction
@ will track them to either side, putting them back into the same
position again.
If the opponent Ukemis to either side you can en force a mix-upyvith
your throws, use ~@+ again or go for a I:? lilll. Their only option
will be to Uke mi backwards, which allows you to start setting them
up for her ><?t1+fiJ orCS. And remember that~@+ is a great
move for buffering CS both when it hits and when it's blocked. In
Okizeme situations near a wall, the edge of the ring, or rig ht in the
corner where the opponent cannot backroll, you wi ll be able to set
them up for Ivy's @+ if they chose not to stay down and get hit
by your {}@+@or liD. [-tO 2]

RING OUT
If your opponent cannot block I:?@ reliably when their back is to the
edge of the ring then feel free to use it with impunity, since it's a Tech
Crouch, Low-hitting option that tracks to both directions. You can mix
this up with <?, which is a safe. quick, Tech Crouch Mid that w ill
also ring your opponent out. If you and your opponent are a little further away from the edge, use "'t+fiJ to RO them if they're risking
using Low attacks. <=l>@ w ill also RO if they're stepping with their
back rig ht at the edge, as this move will track both ways; just remember that it's High and certain launchers, such as Ivy's own FC I:?.
w ill ring her out. At long range and/or when scoring a successful
Guard Burst at tip range w ith fi) or <=l>fiJ+I3 w ith your opponent's
back to the edge of the ring, you can also RO with~+, but their
back has to be right at the edge.

GUARD BURST
Guard Burst s hould be a part of both your offen sive and defensive
strategy with Ivy, because she can wea r down her opponent's Guard
Gauge effectively at all ranges w ith th e tools at her disposal and can
com bo after a successful Guard Burst at any range. After a Guard

Burst Ivy will get the most damage landing @ lml, 'it (ill~
in the open. or ~@+, 'it [ill~ W! ~+, t1 if near a wall,
wh ich wou ld also RO if her opponent's back is to th e edge of th e
ring. Your choice after a Guard Burst with no meter should either
be ~@+, '\t for good damage, or ~@+, <=l>'\t lilll, or
'it+fiJ for a RO opportunity and better damage if there is enough
meter for a single lilll.
If Ivy Guard Bursts at the tip range of <=l>fiJ or fiJ+13, she gets
another guaranteed <=l>fiJ+I3 to pull her opponent in for a mix-up, or
you can combo with ~+. ~+@ for 50 damage and a RO if her
opponent has their back to the edge of the ring. <?>@+@ is one
of her best Guard Burst tools alongside+@. It's effective up to mid
range w ith good pushback on block, despite being completely linear,
the 6th hit >>@+@will Guard Burst. giving you enough frames to
allow for a guaranteed launch if you momentarily cha rge the followup
If your opponent is slow to react and holds @.l you can set
them up for the unblockable by allowing the <?>@+@ to charge
and launch them for huge damage. To rea lly destroy your opponent's
Guard Gauge, master the JF timing for ~~ fiJ:::: as this
w ill Guard Burst w ith only a few uses and, unlike the regular version,
it gives advantage when blocked.

m.

Guard Burst
Req. to Burst

I Attacks

5
6

8
9

10

<?>@+. <=l>t1. I:? or~ or~+. fi)~ or%

11

@. ~~ or "i}"i}@

12

13

CHAP m~ 4 IVS PLIW I ISABELLA VALENTINE

DEFENSIVE PLAY
Ivy's defense is based around keeping your opponent at bay, wearing
them down at long range with her c:(>ID-& or '\f. and forcing them
into 'flanking' her so that you can CH them out of their lateral movement with c:(>fJ . At this range c:(>ID+I3 or t2 or -& or~+ should
be used to punish any careless whiffs. If your opponent uses TC attacks while sidestepping Ivy at mid range, you can use -&tZ>@) to
shut them down. Once your opponent has closed the gap, tl@ is
also a good if unsafe defensive tool. as it's a Tech Crouch Low attack
that can lead to a combo or Ring Out. >@+@liD is another useful
defensive option, as it can auto-GI all attacks with the optional ID
ex tension, allowing you to mess up your opponent's rhythm whe n
they counter-attack.
Most of Ivy's launchers require a CH in order to lead to significant
damage. However, because her long range poking game is designed
to frustrate her opponents, they can be baited into recklessly rushing into your CH -&+ attempts. Ivy's biggest w eakness is lack of
speed and safety, so there are certain match ups wh ere she will have
a distinctively harder time. Characters with fastTC attacks and movement that can close the gap easily, such as Patroklos, Pyrrha, and
Natsu will be able to lock you down with the offense when they get
up close. while Ezio has the unique ability to be able to punish Ivy's
c:(> fi) -& or 'if even when blocked at its maximum range, therefore
limiting her range game.

Ivy's spacing game is w eak to fast. Tech Crouch attacks, stances and
special TC movements, and she doesn't possess many good, fast attacks for close quarters engagements. If you get in close you'll need
to try to keep the pressure on her and don't let her move away from
you. She has bad recovery at long range, so be patient and either
punish or make use of the advantage after every wh iff. Watch out for
where your opponent likes to use -&tl>@) and >@+ to stop your
offense and punish them as well as possible.

SPACING & POSITIONING

Spacing and positioning is one of Ivy's key and unique strengths. She
can essentially poke her opponent at any range within her exceptionally long fighting measure and can simply backstep again afterwards
to create more space. No other character can control their opponent's
movement from the ranges that Ivy can. Because of this, with experience and good strategy Ivy can fight her opponents from anywhere
within six character spaces away with the unique ability to disengage
back to any of those ranges and re-engage. Knowledge of each stage
layout wi ll be important, as Ivy has some very unique wall and RO
setups. Just bear in mind that Ivy's big weakness is safety, especially
at long range. Any whiffed long range attack w ill leave you vulnerable.

POST-GI
Post-GI Ivy has the option of using her C!Iil. but thanks to its slow
startup you will have to input it very quickly. Alternately, if your opponent is close to the edge. tl+, '\r@+ID will Ring Out. If you
have enough meter for a single Iilli then tZ@) Iilli. c:(>@@) will be a
good option. Her unblockables can also be deadly here if you know
the opponent tends to re-GI your fast options. You can even win the
round if you manage to wall splat with it.

You can also play defensively against Ivy without too much risk. If you
duck against her. only her tl Iilli will be a serious threat, and she
has to use her m eter to do it. JG, Gl, or a Mid auto-GI if your character
has one. will all be great versus this move. If she knocks you down. try
to stay grounded. roll, and predict her tl@ to punish it. Finally, don't
underestimate Ivy's whiff and block punishing ability. She's one of the
best at taking advantage of your mistakes, so be patient, and do not
throw out attacks that she might be able to avoid.

KEY ATTACKS

This is an annoying move that Ivy will use at long range to poke you.
but it can be deadly for the Ivy player if you deal with it correctly. With
the correct use of Quick Move, you will not only be able to step her
c:(>[l) but also the follow-up 'if or ~ and punish ~ith your strongest
~
8-Way Run option.

-&t2<?
You have to be caref ul on what type of attack you use when you predict that Ivy wi ll use her -&tl. because it will evade and counter
a good many of you r options. If your punishing character has a fast.
strong punisher then you can try to guard it, but it's better to attack
with a move that will not be countered, such as fast. Horizontal Mid
or Low kicks. [ 70 3]

When Ivy has meter. you can be sure that she will try to use this move
while attacking . This attack has very short range and if you block the first
hit you can sidestep the second hit to the right. If you're on the ground,
rolling is your best option. If you have enough meter, trying to Gl the
second hit is worthwhile to avoid taking guaranteed damage when you
block it, or simply Just Guard it.

-&+
This simplest w ay to deal with this attack is to sidestep as soon as
you can. If you guard it you will be able to force a strong mix-up
because Ivy is left at a huge disadvantage. You can also risk ducking
because it won't launch without a CH.

Command List

LNC CH I Clean Hit: C I Opp- FC !Block}

R-0 ITJ
R-0 ITJ

16
13

Opp -BT

NCC

R-0

Cll/\f'TCR 4 VS f'LAY I ISABELLA VALENTINE

c::> ... or~ ~ or

Eclipse Raven
Wolf Sign
Wolf Lash
Lamenting Tail
Cursed Soul
Insanity Light

,
,

.... 01' ~ ~ or ~JIB

~+@

High
High
Low-Throw
M id
M id

'U'i '@
~ lt OI' ~~@
<?+ @
>+B
<?+B

18
18
20,8,12
24
14

26
26
39
24
29

13
15
16
16

NC
STNCH
STNCH
AT

12
M istress' Justice

Mid Mid M id M id

26,10,
10,12

16
16

LNC,-6,
-6,KND
KND

Tezhas' Flood

~+ or 'U'+Iil@@@@
flust)

Mid Mid Mid

Mid Mid Mid

20,16,
16,16

Polson Leaf

~It or ~ ~@

<? +

20
28,16,
3,4,6

29

Akasha' s Cage

Low
Mid Mid High
High-Throw

42

2,-14

LNC

22
18

16

6
-20

KND

8-Way Run/ IKI

Mind Shatter

Dominion Throw
Heartless Guide
Sunset Cradle
Sweet Dominance
Calamity Symphony
calamity Symphony
Back Turned Attacks
Reverse Raven
Deep Curse
Reverse Immortal
Deep Immortal
Reverse Night swalioiN'
Deep Silhouette
Asylum
VIper Tail
Leaping Gnome
Suppressed Exile
Suppressed ExileLeaping Gnome
Brave Edge
Arch Cage
Arch Cage

Elder Gnome
Nocturnal Syl~h

70
75

17
17
17
17
18

High-Throw

84

18

1-jigh
SP-Iow

Low
M id M id
SP-Mid

12
10
'16
18
14
18
20,20
30

15
15
17
18
15
17

~@+

Mid

while Suppressed Exile @

High-Throw
High-Throw
High-Throw
High-Throw
High-Throw

right side throw

back throw

~ 'U'~'U'<?c::>~c::>@+@
~'U'~'U'>~~c::>@+@
(fast)
turn around
crouching turn 'around @
t1,1rn around @
crouching turn around @
:turn around liD
crouching turn around ,
backward +
backward crouching +

55
65

NC I Opp -FC !Block)

NC I BA 1Opp -FC (Block) I Clean

Hit: A

TJ I NC

RO

Clean Hit: C 185 damage as back throw

Clean Hit: B I Damage: 94 as back
throw
-6
-6

32

-14
-18

8
4
2
' 2
-4
12

27

-6

KND

56

78

LNC

LNC

UBI Cancel

Mid

30

37

14

KND

LNC CH I Defayable

High

28

12

High-Throw

79

12

Mid

lii gh

-6
' ,,'
-8

-8'

- FC
-FC

13
10

- FC
auto-GI: H.M.L (All} 1-BT
-BT

Ci-APTER 4 I VS PU:IY I CERVANTES DE LEON

RVANTES

Character Overview I
tes de Leon. the undead pirate w ho brought years of terror and
death tot e seas of Europe the 16th century is back again. He once possessed the mighty Soul
Edge its~'!t. but now w ields
two swords again. Combining his skill at up-close swordplay with
the pist61built into his short
Ct;lr-va~es has an unusual but powerful style of fighting. He's
a po~er-house at mi<il range, but reglires pr cise 1nput~and timing to reach his potential, so he's
best suited to I'Jatient play.ers tJ~o"'want tom srer'd iffic1:11t combos and surprise the1r opponents
w itjl bursts of 0ffense.
'
\

.....

.......a..;..

Critical Gauge usage depends, as

many things about him, heavily on your
skill, and of course on your personal
f il'llhtir1n style. If you can'~ execute GDRC con.dc'\,nt l\1 enough to be confident in using it, then
you can use the much easier, but meter-devouring @lEI version: <? @lEI. Or, you use your
meter almost entirely for Cervantes's Critical
Edge, w hich is one of the fastest and best in
the game and can add even more damage to
his combos. You can also focus on throws, and
use your Critical Gauge for the highly damage
dealing +@ @lEI throw.
"'"''" "'nt<>c'c

to perr;,r:tirr>Ttn have an
t"nr-nnib nri w hen-

. [~0 1]

~~

10_020

. ..:,;;;,\'i1' . ,

'- STANCES
Dread Charge (DC)

lnPill

.,,

. .

..(l.!:Z'@
Dread Charge is Cervantes's only stance. but it gives him access to an entire arsenal of powerful attacks. The most important of these is DC and its Just version, GDRC. You can
change the direction in which Cervantes flies when you do
Geo Da Ray by pressing ..0. or it shortly before you tap .
DC @ is essentia lly the same High-h itting attack as ~~ @.
but is also a Break Attack and w ill allow for some guaranteed
damage when t he opponent blocks t he attack.

There is also DC @:: . which is a low-hitting slide attack

into three hit strike. only possible if timed correctly. DC @
also will hit opponents who are behind Cervantes, because
he will automatically shoot to his back if he is BT while using
DC@. This attack is High-hitting but unblockable. There's also
DC +@. wh ich you can use to teleport on top of your opponent, and ca n modify it to appear behind the opponent by
holding 0+13. and you can use a dash out of Dread Charge
by pressing c::>.

..(l.!:Z'

37

..(l.!:Z':

30

..(l.!:Z'..0./il'

37

..(l.!:Z'@:@1:

66

LHH

~~'@l;t-(ID

5~ ':.
55

M ,

~!:Z'0+1:3
..(l.!:Z'~

. ~w

'- PRIMARY ATTACKS

Geo Da Ray Conclusion

............ ....................... ... .... .... ..

Geo Da Ray Conclusion (GDRC} is the instant version of Geo
Da Ray {GDR}. This move is the pinnacle of Cervantes's moveset, and is essential for reaching his combo potential. It has
very good range, and is your best punisher of highly unsafe attacks. After it connects, you can combo with more GDRCs for
incredible damage. Even if you don't attack after it you'll get 10
extra points of damage due to the opponent hitting th e ground.
Its animation changes when an opponent is hit while airborne,
ensuring that you still ge t the chance for a combo. Inputting
the move reliably is not easy, but the combo potential makes
it worth the practice for any dedicated Cervantes player. It is
very unsafe when blocked, but since you'll use it primarily in
combos or as a whiff punisher this won't be a huge problem.
Pirate's Cross

........ ..... .. ... ......... ............................ ........ ..

This is Cervantes's best punishing attack from standing. It is
extremely fast, has quite nice range and deals 40 points of
damage. You can 't use it from ~C. however, and it doesn't
give you any combo potential even on CH. It's also quite unsafe. but it has such a short block stun that it can be very
difficult for opponents to punish. Because of the speed and
range this move has it can also be used from close to mid
range to not only interrupt the opponent, but to catch them
backstepping and sidestepping. If you're not at close range,
however, the firs t can often whiff, though the @)will still
usually be fast enough to work wel l at this range.
Cannonball Lifter
~ is one of the best launchers in the entire game. It's easily
sidestepped and has no evasive properties, but it's fast. almost safe, and can always lead to incredibly powe rful combos
when it connects. It doesn't even matter what range you land
the move from. it w ill always launch the opponent. even at its
tip range. After a launch, Cervantes has a lot of options. He can
either go for forwa rd Ring Out using ~@) again, a back-right
Ring Out using the ..0. attack throw, or a very nice damaging
combo involving GDRCs. This attack also hits grounded opponents. which makes it essential for Cervantes's Okizeme.

.- _:,;lf
hlJlllt

Dnmnge

lvl.

Imp net

Gunrd

H~

..(l.!:Z':@

30

i1 7

-21

LNC

lopUl

Oam~qo

lvl.

h1lJl3Ct

Guanl

Hit

IAI

10,30

HM

i 11

-18

-4

,.

CHWTFR 4 I VS PLAY I CERVANTES DE l.EON

Shattering Man of War

~@+ is a two-hit string, w ith only a single input. It's one
of Cervan tes's best ant i-sidestep tools, and w hen it connects
as a CH it will give you the chance to perform a damaging
stun combo. It has decent range and is relatively fast. but it's
not safe when blocked, so t ry to use it only at times when
you think the opponent w ill sidestep or you see them using
8-Way Run w ith in range .

Gibbering Torpedo
This is another move t hat should be used primarily as an antisidestep tool. Against sidesteppers, both Low-hitting slashes
wi ll be guaran teed and Cervantes has the option to follow up
with ..(). . ..()..0. or 1Hr@@ has also Tech Crouch frames
and the second @ is only 15 when blocked. so many characters can't punish it heavily. ..()...(). or 1(1(@@ can also be
upgraded to a Brave Edge version, which changes the second
Low slash into a Mid Break Attack, which makes this already
really good move even better.

Bile Lunges
This is a linear, Mid-hitting attack t hat will knock the opponent
down, dealing good damage and allowing you to apply an
Okizeme mix-up. It can also Ring Out and wall splat, giving
you the option to do a powerful wall combo. This move is
only slightly unsafe and jt pushes the opponent back when
blocked. w hich makes it even more dif ficult to punish it. But
it's still not recommended to overuse this attack, especially
against characters such as Pyrrha who can punish it well.
When it connects it will sh ift into an attack throw, though this
won't happen ii you land the move at its tip range.

Devastator
WR is a straight, Mid-h itting attack that Cervantes can
only perform while rising from a crouch state. It's a great tool
for punishing wh iffed High attacks and throws after pucking.
Near the edge you'll have the chance for a wall splaf or Ring
Out, so taking the risk of ducking can be worth it. GDRC is
guaranteed after it connects, and if you step slightly forward
Cervantes can even combo with..(). for good damage and
Ring Out potentia l to his back-right side.

Riot Storm
If your opponent is using a safe, powerful Vert ical move often,
then~~ is a very good option to whiff punish them, since

it's easily accessed from a sidestep. The damage on normal

hit is huge, and can be even higher t hanks to the potential
Clean Hit. Even when blocked, this attack puts you almost in
an equal situat ion with the opponent, and forces them into a
crouch stat e. Th is attack also hits grounded opponents and
can be used to inflict heavy Guard Gauge damage.

Input

, DdnJO

c:::>

' 30,20

WildStonn
Th is linear three-hit string is one of Cervantes's best close
combat tools. It's fast and is more or less hit-confirmable after
the second attack, so the last hit being highly unsafe doesn't
have to be a huge problem if you react quickly enough. W hen
it connects. only the first two hits are guaranteed, w hile on
CH all three will connect, dealing very good damage. The opponent can also sidestep t he third hit after blocking the first
two, so you should use Horizontal attacks after them occasionally, It's also a strong option in some combos.

Lagging Wave
Th is attack gives Cervantes great control over the field because it's great at catching sidestepping opponents and has
very good range. When it connects it always causes a knockdown, giving you potential Ring Outs or wall combo options
near the ed ge o f the ring. It's High-hitting, however, so you
can't afford to use it too often, especially against characters
with many viable Tech Crouching options such as Voldo or Pyrrha. M ix it up well w ith c:C>c:C> when approaching to reduce
this problem.

Stonn Generate
This move may seem worthless at first even though it's fast.
It's SM. deals weak damage, and doesn't give you anything
special on hit or CH. But that suddenly changes when you
use this move after a launcher such as ~. If you catch an
opponent mid-air, Cervantes w ill put them on his sword for
an attack throw. This is really devas tating as a last guaranteed
hit in a combo, and gives you a chance to Ring Out or wa ll
splat as well, so it's an important attack to keep in mind.

Head Snap Kick

This is a highly versatile attack that hits Mid, leads to advantage w hen guarded, has Tech Jump frames, and good range . It
always knocks the opponent down, lead ing to strong Okizeme
mix-ups. After it's blocked you can follow-up with your fast
pokes, auto-Gis and even your ~ to really make the opponent hesitate and keep them guessing. If you don't want to
waste Critical Gauge or take the risk of an auto-GI, then simply
using 1!1 as your follow-up will interrupt many of your opponent's best options, or use @again, as it will Tech Jump
fast enough to evade Low and Sl:hitting attacks such as .,0.@.

Anchor Side Kick

This attack is a very interesting one, since it has active auto-G I
frames. It can Gl all kinds of Horizontal attacks, even kicks. In
conjunction with Cervantes's other auto-GI attacks, such as
DC @.@@. and~~@. you'll have a defensive option against
all attack types without using any Critical Gauge for a Gl. Of all
these m oves, ..0.~ is the best because it is safe. hits M id,
and it is unlikely to be auto-G ied due to being a kick. It also
knocks the opponent down after a successful au to-G I or CH.
resulting in a possible Ring Out near the edge or a wa ll splat.

Pressure Astern
Cervantes's BT + is a fast and deadly choice to gain the
advantage after ending up BT. It's Mid-hitting and gives you
the possibility to combo into GDRC for extremely high damage. On top of t hat, the move is on ly -4 when blocked, so
you have plenty of options to follow-up and continue your offense. When hitting airborne opponents with this attack it w ill
knock them to the ground, which also can lead into damaging
combos, such as after landing DC .

0"11lll90

lvl.

lmJmCI

Guord

Hi!

22

i24

-10

CHM'TER 4 VS rvw I CERVANTES DE LEON

Anchor Revive Kick

WR@ is a great attack to use as a punisher from FC. It's your
fastest WR option and can easily punish most Low attacks or
be used to continue your offense after landing a Low attack of
your own. Though it doesn't give you any combo possibilities,
it leaves you with a huge advantage when it connects and
it is one of t he few good Tech Crouch moves Cervantes has
access to. WR @will also hit opponents who try to sidestep
your FC options, making t his move even more valuable.

Cervantes's @+@ t hrow does 50 damage and can Ring

Out when you are close enough to the edge. You have also
t he possibility to enhance the @+@ throw by using Critical
Gauge. This wil l change the th row to@+@ Iilli. which does
very good damage and gives you great Okizeme options as
t he opponent is lying before you on the ground.
The +@ throw may seem weak at first. but it allows you
to use various follow-ups after it, resulting in potentially pow
erful combos. Of course GDRC is a viable follow-up here, but
if you have a full meter you can do Cervantes's (! twice in
a row after +@! So Cervantes has very strong options
w ith both of his standard front throws. His back throw is also
powerful, as it can wall splat or Ring Out near the edge. His
right side throw deals good damage, but doesn't allow for
okizeme. The only disadvantage to Cervantes's t hrow game
is his not outstanding t hrow range.

BRAVE EDGE ATTACKS

If you ca n perform GDRC very consistently then you won't

need to use any Critical Gauge for combos, so you can save it
instead for Cervantes's @+@ Iilli throw. His (! is also worth
keeping meter for, as it's a great way to easily add damage to
your combos . ..!}..!}@ Iilli is interestin!J because the second
hit of the regu lar version of ..!}..!} or "lt'ir@@ hits Low. creat
i ng a potential mix-up between t he two versions. Although it's
quite easy to react to both options, Cervantes gets a lot frame
advantage when ..()...!}@ Iilli is guarded, to the point w here he
can actually inflict guaranteed damage.

The S>lilll is too unsafe to make use of outside of com

bos, and WR @+ Iilli is obviously only accessible f rom FC
or while rising, but it's still sometimes useful, because the
Break Attack gives Cervantes enough frames to land his (!
or after it's blocked. Keep in mind t hat the last hit can be
easily sidestepped, so you shouldn't use it often agafnst op
ponents who know how to counter it. If you can't do GDRC
very consistently, then you should consider <?Iilli as a w ay
to increase your combo damage. Cervantes is in BT after this
move is blocked, but it gives you a lot of frame advantage for a
mix-up, and w hen it hits it gives you almost t he same options
GDRC would give you. Note that all of Cervantes's Iilli attacks
can be Clean Hits, except WR @+@ Iilli, and that the Break
Attack property of ..()...(),@ Iilli and WR @+@ Iilli give enough
advantage to land a guaranteed (! when blocked.

Roman Cursed Fire

Cervantes's (! has unlimited reach and is an unblockable,
which separates it from many others. The true strength of
this (! is Cervantes's ability to use it in many situations as
a combo ender. This is especially important after his +@
throw, because with a full meter you'll have the ability to
combo into two (!sin a row for incredible throw damage.

'; ;,::?{~~~~
,... .
,.,..f1J,tl:
.

. , :,' ,
..

After most of Cervantes's launchers, such as

, or Geo Da Ray, GDRC is the
best option to do nice damage. GDRC is often also the best move to start a combo. to
continue a combo, and even to finish a combo. though ~@ and ~ are both very use~. WR

ful in combos as well. Cervantes can combo

after ~ with GDRC and follow with ~
for a front-left Ring Out. better positioning, or
even a wall splat (Combo A). You can replace
almost every first GDRC in his combos with
:>@ IE as in Combo C, because after these

Stnrtor

Follow up

GDRC

GDRC, GDRC
/

two attacks Cervantes can get nearly the exact same combos. Keep in mind that using
@ (;]} after the first launcher still works. but
won't lead to hugely damaging combos like
GDRC as a second attack would.

Duma yo

Hits

Cost

Difficulty

98

*****

83

***

GDRC. @~

GDRC, GDRC

92

BT @+@

GDRC. GDRC. GDRC

99

......

+@

(!, (!

110

DC @

GDRC, GDRC

113

.....

~~@

GDRC

80

***

WR@

GDRC, ~@

73

***

~fiD+

(!]3, (!

135

**

~+

GDRC

88

***

WR @+@ IEJ3

GDRC

93

10

**

:>([) IE

GDRC. <? IE

98

**

CH ~~@

GDRC

52

**

CH I:2@:@

GDRC

80

****

CH ~@

GDRC. ~@

99

***

GDRC

75

***

GDRC, ~@

80

***

1EJ3

CH ,(}~ or 11'11'
, CH ..(7@+@

CHN'l'f.'il L I VS PlAY i CERVANTES DELEON

UKEMITRAPS

Knockdown

Directions

Dilficulty

..(7(~)+(3, GDRC, GDRC, 'l:l@

120

Al l

* ***

GDRC, GDRC, GDRC

160

Right, Back

*****

@+@

GDRC, @..(7

106

Right, Back

***

CH 'l:l'l:l@

..(70+13. GDRC, GDRC, GDRC

117

All

*****

CH 'l:l@+@
Cervantes can be seriously strong when it comes to
Ukemi Traps, and as usual this is t hanks to GDRC.
When slightly delayed, GDRC can be useful in many
regu lar combos to increase the damage, but this allows the opponent to Ukemi, making it no longer
guaranteed. You risk losing damage as well, however,
because GDRC won't catch opponents who Ukemi
to th e left. It w ill relaunch opponents trying to tech
to any other direction, allowing for potentially roundending damage. There is an inconsistency w ith his
GDRC combos after the rela unch, however, because
depending on the angle and timing Cervantes might
be in BT after the second GDRC, making it nearly

Ukemi Trap

'l:l'l:l@

-~~~~--~--~~--------------------------

impossible to combo w ith the third GDRC again. Using ..(7@ after the first two
GDRCs w ill hi t the opponent whethe r Cervantes is BT or not, is easy to input, and
w ill of course add some more damage points to the combo . ..(70+13 is also a very
nice option to catch the opponent's Ukemi after some attacks. For example, afte r
'l:l'l:l, CH ~'l:l@ or CH 'l:l+ . you an use ..(70+13 to catch th e opponent's
Ukemi in any direction, stunning them w ith the quake, and giving Cervantes a lot
of combo options.

WALL COMBOS
Near the wall, Cervantes shouldn't be underestimated at all. He is a
serious threat because he can go for a wal l splat with plenty of different attacks. One tiny problem is that GDRC is not as reliable during
wall combos as it is normally. As you can see in Combo D, for
wall combos is not only much easier, but much more reliable as well.

E*

F**

Starter

Follow-up

+IBJiauto Gl) W!

@.W!@@@

@W!

'l:\, 1:1@

'l:l@ W!

Cervantes has options to deal great damage w ith moves that are easier
to perform and are more like ly to hit. @is one of t'lis best attacks
for starting a wa ll combo, because it has very good range and does not
need to CHat close range, and yet stil l gives a wall splat on CHat its tip
range.

Damage

Hits

Cost

Difficulty

116

.' 74

**
*

@.@@@

101

@W!

'l:\ @, GDRC, (!, (!

118

****

CH {!.-..(7@ W!

'l:l@, GDRC, @..(7, W! 'l:l@, GDRC. @..(7

118

14

*****

' Character speci fic

'*This combo only works from a specific angle to the wall.

APPLYING OFFENSE
Cervantes's offensive game is strong because it can pressure the opponent in
various ways without risking too much. The
easiest yet m ost efficient w ay to pierce the
opponent's guard is to mix-up ~ with Cer
vantes's strong throws. Since Cervantes's
Guard Burst potential isn't that good, his
throws become even more important against
defensive opponents. His @ jumping kick
is also a useful option, since it gives Cer
vantes the option to keep on pressuring
when it's blocked. Also. Brave Edge attacks
like WR @+ ~ or ..(),..(),@ ~ that are very
good when blocked can be an important part
of your offensive game if needed.
GDRC is the still the number one move
your opponent should be fearing, however.
It's important to master this move and all
of its different applications. If the opponent
doesn't punish it severely then you can use
it to make offensive play extremely rewarding and ensure that you'll easily stay ahead in
damage output. If you are unable to perform
GDRC consistently, then look for a weaker
but easier option such as ~ or <? ~.
both of w hich are very strong attacks in their
own rig ht. You should also try to use his C!I3
in combos from t ime to time to inflict the
highest possible damage whenever you have
enough meter. [ ? 0 1)

OKIZEME
Cervantes has plenty of very strong options
against grounded opponents. Against those
who tend to stay on the ground or get up
quickly, ~ and~~ are both very strong.
Against opponents who roll more often on
the ground, you should go for either ..().@+
or GDRC. If you have enough Critical Gauge
and want to keep up your offense no matter
if the opponent just stays on the ground or
gets up, then <? ~ is good for covering
a variety of the opponent's options. Finally,
..(),@ is th e only Low attack you'll need to use
against grounded opponents.

RING OUT
Cervantes is a character who is able to Ring
Out in many different ways. First, try to mix
up his @+@ throw, the Mid-hitting @,
and t?t?@ to play mind games near the edge
of the ring. Even though !:?!:?@ is not that reliable for Ring Out, it's still Cervantes's bes t
Low mix-up option in this situation. After certain launchers such as ~ or GDRC near the
edge, ..(), is very important if you are aiming
for a Ring Out. But make sure to use attacks
such as GDRC wisely near the edge of the
ring, however, or you might ring yourself out.

GUARD BURST
Cervantes's Guard Burst potential is, when
compared to his other strengths, maybe the
weakest part of his game. His best Guard
Burst move, WR @+. is only available from
crouch, and ~~ is a bit to slow due to

its built-in sidestep. That said,

you can still try to break the
opponent's guard, but Cervantes doesn't have to rely on
doing so. After a Guard Burst,
Cervantes's strongest option is
to combo with GDRC. You can
of course launch with ~ first
for an easier input or combo
with ~@+ plus follow-ups
for decent damage.

Guard Burst
Roq. to Burst

. WR@+@

Auacks

a
9

DC . z:l(i)+(3

10
12

DEFENSIVE PLAY
Cervantes's defensive options are powerful and unique. In a game like SOULCALIBUR V,
where defensive options such as Guard Impact cost Critical Gauge, it's important to either
practice your Just Guard and sidestepping skills, or to use strong auto-Gis. While those first
two defensive options are technically possible with every character, the third one (auto-GIing) is highly character dependant. Since Cervantes isn't one of the fastest characters in this
game, you should try to use his auto-Gis to make the opponent think twice about which attack
they should use.
There are two primary auto-GI attacks that work slightly differently: Pirate's Tactics (@+@)
and Pirate's Scheme(@+@). These auto-GI moves are not a part of an actual attack. Instead,
th ey are more like a regular Guard Impact, but with a guaranteed follow-up and Ring Out potential. +@ auto-Gis all Verticalss, while @+ auto-Gis all Horizontal attacks, but neither
will work against kicks. These should be used any time you anticipate what ki nd of move the
opponent will use next, as the Gl window is not as long as that of a regular Gl. Cervantes
has some decent punishment tools such as m. WR @.and his C!I3, which are all fast and deal
good damage. His whiff punishment is also very strong, as ~and GDRC are very fast and
powerful punishment tools.
BT @+@ is another great offensive option any time the opponent is behind you. You can
force Cervantes into BT with certain attacks like t?[l)+l3 cancel. >@ ~ when blooked, and
although it's inconsistent, with ~@ as well. After successfully Just Guarding the opponent,
m is a safe bet for guaranteed retaliation. If the recovery of the opponent's move is much
worse, you can of course launch with either GDRC or~. [?0 2)

CI II\PT1:f1 41 VS PLAY! CERVANTES DE LEON

SPACING & POSITIONING

If you want to take real control of the battlefield w ith a character like
Cervantes, then it's important to stay at mid range. Since Cervantes
can't compete with the speed of cha racters like Natsu, Leixia, and
Pyrrha, and doesn't have the attack range thatAstaroth and Ivy share,
it's really the best to stay at'*'* a nd~ tip range.
But Cerva ntes has still nice options even from both far away and
up close. From far away, certain long ra nge attacks out of Dread
Charge and the ability to bait opponents with the '*+@ unblockable shouldn't be underestimated. When you get up close to the opponen t, make sure to use~@+ and {!.@to prevent the opponen t
from sidestepping and allow you to move back to you r ideal range.
[70 3]

POST-GI
Cervantes doesn't rely that much on Gls but of course he has plenty
of good options after a successful Guard Impact nonetheless. As usual, the obvious and fast choices are ~ and GDRC. If the opponent

Since Cervantes can be played in various

different yet still efficient ways, it should be
your goal to find ou t what kind of a Cervantes
player you are facing. If they mix-up throws
c::>c::>@ and ~ a lot then you should really
try to stay out of his throw range. Try to anticipate when he is trying to throw, but don't
ever duck randomly, because Cervantes has

tries to re-GI, you can make them pay for it by using either~~ or
DC . All these options can lead to a combo, giving you potentially
great damage if you guessed correctly. If you have enough meter and
want to do some truly guaranteed damage, th en Cervantes's ~ is
obviously the best choice.

many strong Mid-hitting attacks that wi ll deal great damage on normal hit. If t he Cervantes
player has good GDRC skill, then you'll have to be patient. Make sure to pun ish that move
whenever it is blocked to prevent them from using it over and over again. You also have to
recognize the difference between GDRC and <? lml, since one move is unsafe and the
other gives Cervantes advantage when blocked. Cervantes doesn't have many good Tech
Crouch options, so take advantage of your best High attacks against him. And if your cha racter
is very fast, try to rush him down whenever possible so that he doesn't have an easy time
attacking you.

KEY ATTACKS
GDRC
Again, this is Cervantes's most important move, so you must be
prepared to deal with it when facing a high-level Cervantes player.
You should always anticipate GDRC in order to prevent yourself from
getting hit by it. Properly punishing a blocked GDRC as severely as
your character allows is essential to winn ing against him. Because
Cervantes will recover BT after this attack, you can always throw him
to get a guaranteed Back Throw as a universal option. [70 41

....

'--,

This very important launcher is only slightly unsafe, so in most cases

you w on't get much when you block it. though if i( s used point blank
you can land quick @@ attacks with many characters. The best defense against this move is to sidestep it and w hiff punish, because
~doesn't track at all.

~@! .
This fast attack-string is unsafe when the final hit is guarded. But a
good Cerva ntes player wi ll try to confirm if the fi rst two hits are CH
hit or not. giving them the chance to stop the string before the third
move comes out, thus making it difficult to punish. It doesn't t rack
at all, however, so you have the option to sidestep if the opponent is
using it often.

t.~.f.w :t':::,i'::i:. !;: '"

~::;: :ti:~'ii~J!~~i~TI;::.llif:;j~i.w
:. ,., ... ';

il ,.....

Note that ~@+ is a very good tool against sidestep, because it

deals very good damage when it hits moving opponents. A good Cervantes player will use this move if he anticipates you trying to avoid
certain linear attacks. It's unsafe when blocked, however, and can be
easy to recognize the animation, so be sure to punish it.

This is one of Cervantes's few TC attacks. {!.{!. or "1}1}@@ tracks

sidestep, hits Low twice, and has a powerful 1m! version. It's important to block the Low-hitting attacks on reaction, since they are not
very fast, and to avoid the 1m! version's second, Mid-hitting attack by
either sidestepping or interrupting. [70 51

Command List

Scissor Wave
Laser Wave
Scissor Lifter
Finishing Culverin

tZ@
1:2@. counter hit

STNCH
UB

ljustl

>@

Surprise Wave

High

20

-16

STN

15

auto-GI : M (All)

KND

10

TJ

Head Snap Kick

mJ@

Mid

28

Storm Generate

@..(),

SP-Mid

-8

Storm Generate
.;!

enemy mid air ..(),

Sail Nautilus

M id M id

14,31

-14

KND

Cannonball Lifter

'~ .

Mid

28

-13

LN.C

Slay Storm

..(),

Mid

18

16

-8

15

- FC

Gale Slash

1:2

Mid M idMid

16,18

20

-12

KND

10

NC

Mid High

14,18

15

-14

KND

Bloody Hilt Kick

>@@

NCC

Standing/@

I'

Anchor Kick

High

14

13

-8

Anchor Knee Kick

~@

Mid

12

13

-16

Anchor Middle Kick

Mid

14

15

-4

Anchor Bow Kick

..(),@

Low

16

15

-14

-2

Anchor Whirlpool

1:2@

Low

26

29

-22

KND

Anchor Steep Kick

>@@

High Mid

16,20

15

-12

-FC
TC
NCC

Standing /@+@
Pirate's Scheme

Pirate's Schem.e

@ +

auto-GI: H,M,L (Horizontal)

Throw

40

KND

After succesful Au to-GI

Night Raid

c:::>@l+

Mid M id Mid

16,16,16

27

-8

STN

Shattering Man of War

~@+

Mid Mid

14,14

22

-16

STN

Killer X

..().@+

Mid

2()

-19

-11

KND

12

- FC 1 Dpp -FC (Block)

Iceberg CircularDread Charge

~@+

MidSS

21

27

-3

LNC

R-0 lTC I - Dread Charge I Clean Hit: B

Dark Geo Da Ray

>@ +

Mid

22

60

-20

LNC

Invincible I R-0

Standing/@+@

!Pirate'~ Tact.ics'~

.f@

Pirate's Tactics

(~)+@

High

40

Genocidal Culverin

c:::>+@

High

60

40

High Tide Ancho ring

..(). +@

Mid

30

21

15

KND

12

Opp -FC IBiod<J

High Tide Anchoring

..(),(lJ+ I3

SP-Mid Low

40

36

15

KND

Opp-FC I STN

Eternal Curse

1:2 +

Mid

50

70

Killer X Cra.wler

35

14

STN

35

-14

STN

TJ I Clean Hit: A

LNC

UB

au to-G 1: H,M .L (Vertical. St.ab)

KND

UB

KND

UB

LNC

z;l@+@

Mid

36

Pressure A stem

z;l(lJ+I3

Mid

18

.Bloody Culverin

~+

High

211

>@ + @

Mid

24

24

-14

Bloody Hoist

/
r

UB

10

TJ

Opp -FC (Hit)

Full Crouch Attacks

Laser Wave

crouching @

SP-Iow

12

13

-6

Slay Storm

crouching

Mid

18

15

-8

8
2

Anchor Bow Kick

crouching @

Low

16

14

14

Mid Mid

18,36

18

-15

KN D

NCCI KNOCH

Mid

30

20

12

LNC

11

Mid

16

14

-12

TC

FC

16

- FC
TC

While Rising Attacl<s

Full Sail Anchoring

w hile standing @ @
-~-

Devastater

w hile standing

Anchor Revive Kick

while standing @

Flying Dutchman

while sl;~nding @ +@

Mid Mid Mid

MidMidMid
M id

10,5,5,5,
5,5,20

20

-16

STN

Clean Hit: C

Tornado Swell

w hile standing+@

M id ~id Mid

16,1 3.48

24

-58

LNC

10

TC I TJ I NC I Clean Hit: C

CHA"'Tl'.fl ..; IVS :uw : CERVANTES DELEON

Riot Storm
Dread Pressure
Dread Pressure

Throws
Speed
Punishment
Safety

Guard Bur~t
Rin 9

out

.f:

Okizeme
Mix-ups

METER USAGE
Tne"'s t'r&Agest aspect of Aeon's gameplay is his capability
to effectively punish an opponent's whiffed attacks; WR .
, and SjSj(ID are the best tools for this. To pressure
your opponent into whiffing you w ill need to zone them by
making good use of you r movement and poking with attacks
such as Sj(ID, ~@, and ..!)-..!)-@. Aeon is fairly slow, so
you s~ould avoid close combat against faster characters.
If your opponent favours an offensive style, you can use
~as a.method to escape. This is a relatively' fast attack
that will beat High-hitting attacks and push the opponent fa r
away when it hits, enabling you to return to maintaining your
eitance.
Aeon also has the foundat ion for a solid offensive playstyle.
His throw game is very powerful, especially the command
throw which does 65 damage. His Lows are threatening,
particularly t?t?. M ix this'up w ith his powerful Mid-hitting
attacks such as Sj(ID or Sj:l, which will also hit grounded
for utilisation in your Okizeme. His.'attacks also provide good
Guara :Gaoge' damage and can be used to pressure your
opponent into unforced errors throu'gh fear of an impending

Guard

Burst. .:~ 1*

Sand Winger (SW)

' lnAn

'

++
Sand Winger is Aeon's only stance. This stance only has one
non- IE attack, SW . and it's very unsafe when blocked.
It should therefore mainly be used in combos, such as after
c::>c::>@. This stance does, however. still serve a purpose outside of combos because of its Tech Jump property. You can
use it to avoid a mix-up or to escape from pressure. after
which you ca n use the SW or SW IE to punish. You can
also try to surprise your opponent w ith a transition on block.
such as w ith c::>c::>@ or <:=><? into Sand W inger. But keep
in mind that since every option from the stance can be avoided by a sidestep or an Ukemi. it should be used sparingly to
avoid the opponent predicting it and punishing you heavily.

sw

,,,,coJ.li.l~
:;j,'}11m1lrn~

PRIMARY ATTACKS

Rinsing Grift

Input

Onmnne

l.t>vol

,
l111p~ct

Guard

i19

-14

Impact

Guard

Hit

i25

-23

KND

Hit

Aeon's ~@ is an excellent launcher that can be used in many

situations. It's not too unsafe wl'len blocked, with excellent
pushback. and it will be a strong source of damage as it's
fast enough to use it to mix-up with throws or Lows. This
means that your opponent won't be able to react, and is instead forced to guess. The ra nge of this attack means you
can use it for spacing and whiff punishment, too. Despite the
fact that it may not be the optimum punish in certain situations. the move is quite fast and the input is very easy, thus
enabling you more time to react to whiffs better and punish
moves with faster recovery. On hit, follow-up with c::>c::> for
a Ring Out and good Okizeme options. Alternatively, for raw
damage. use C!EI or c::> c::>@.

M ezentius Style Sinker Spin Kick

Damngo

Level

20

This kick is a fantastic Tech Crouch. ground-hitting Low attack

that also tracks sidestep. You'll need to establish if your opponent is capable of blocking this on reaction, as it is highly
punishable. If they cannot. it can be used to mix-up with
powerful Mids . You can also use this move defensively as it
TCs very low t o the ground, avoiding High-hitting attacks as
well as some M ids. Due to the t?t? input this move w ill also
Tech Step, making it an excellent evasive move, useful if you
want to escape your opponent's pressure or shut down an attempt at count er-attacking. On hit, the best follow-up combo
is {).@.

Mezentius Styl e Canon Pelekys

This attack is one of Aeon's best whiff punishers, especially after sidestepping your opponent and during 8-Way Run
(... ~@). Using it like this will net you very strong damage
when punishing linear attacks. The bread and butter followups are BT @+. C!EI or BT @+. <?+. If the move
hits in front or to the right. then ~~@. BT +. 'if@+.
<:=><? is a more difficult combo for 74 damage w ith
strict timing; input th e BT liD+ as soon as possible. To Ring
Out, use~~.<?>@)@@ or ~~@.<?@+@@.

Dumagc

level

lmpnct

Guard

Hit

17.9

i27

-1 4

LNC

~:;

11\' 1i ' : "i 'i': 1'1 t ,v I AEON CALCOS

Mezentius Style Grit blast.

S>S>@ is a fast. Tech Crouch. Mid-hitting attack w orthy of
adding to your mix-up arsenal. This move w ill help you a lot
in close combat against aggressive opponents as it has good
damage and the knockdown will push your opponent far
away. It's also t he single best move Aeon has to start a wall
combo w ith. This attack can also be used for punishment at
times when ct>(ID ~ may not reach. Keep in mind, however,
that some characters w ill be equipped to punish this move
heavily, and against these it won't be the best choice to use
in mix-ups.

Grit Drift
ct>S>@ is another indispensable move for Aeon, as you can
use it in almost any situation. Firstly, it tracks sidestep very
well and has good range to catch backdashes. Because it's
a Mid-hitting attack it w ill simultaneously counter TC and TJ
attacks. The speed of this move means you can use it after
guarding an attack. and with su fficient frame advantage you
will beat out most of your opponent 's options. Because of
the range it's also Aeon's primary zoning and spacing tool. It
should beat almost all of the opponent's pokes w hen used
from its maximum range. This move is quite safe when
blocked, so you shouldn't be afraid to use it often, except
against a handful of characters.

Grudge Front Kick

S> is a very i nteresting offensive pressure tool. The fullycharged version, w hen blocked, will put you at a frame advantage of + 15, which means you can follow-up with certain
attacks for guaranteed damage. <?. S>IID ~. and (! w ill
Ring Out. When it hits, S>l3 w ill Ring Out and wall splat:
S>S> W! S>(ID ~+will combo for 174 damage. Vary
the timing on the release of this move to prevent yourself
becoming predictable, as this is a great opportunity for your
opponent to attemp t a Gl.

Double Ire Hatchet

This attack string is very useful for catching sidestepping opponents and for general zoning. On CH, <?<?@will combo
for 61 damage. This move is highly versatile because you can
delay the second attack, allowing you to confirm the~CH before pressing. This makes the move almost safe, and gives
you a mix-up to prevent the opponent from immediately attacking. If the opponent tries to punish the first attack, just
immediately press the second to counter. If the opponent
has noticed that you confirm the counter hit and attacks immediately after blocking the first attack then just delay the
second hit to fish for another chance at a CH.

Turnus Style Sand Geyser

WR is Aeon 's primary punisher when you duck under a
throw attempt or a High attack. It has an easy input. nice
damage, and Ring Out possibilities. You can also punish very
unsafe Low attacks w ith it, bu t for this you have to be sure
that the attack is at least -21 when blocked. If not you could
miss damage opportunities and be punished yourself. You
can also try to use this move to ring the opponent out. WR
liD, BT liD+. <?<?liD@@ is the best combo for this. For a
longer range Ring Out. use WR liD. BT liD+. <?liD+@.

'

Dumage

(evel

luip9ct

Guard

24

ii~

-11

45

Desert Carrefour

Input

Dornoge

Level

Impact

Guard

Hit

WR@(ID

16,26

HM

i15

-12,-16

-2.12

Input

Damage

le~el

Impact

Guard

WR@

12

i1 6

-13

This string is a relatively fast WR move and can only be punished by the fastest of attacks when blocked. Aeon doesn' t
have any other fast WR moves, so this will be your best option most of the time. It's best utilised to punish unsafe Low
attacks (if the opponent is not al ready crouching) or unsafe
moves that leave you in FC. You can also use it to catch an
opponent trying to sidestep. The frame advantage when it
hits gives you an ideal opportunity for a mix-up, so you should
be looking for chances to use this on your opponent without
becoming predictable.

Scale Basher

This kick is a strong, relatively safe Mid-hitting attack that

serves as a useful tool in your mix-up game. It also hits
grounded, so it makes your Okizeme mix-ups very powerful.
Only a few characters' Critical Ed ge and Natsu's normal @@
can punish it. Despi te it appea ring to be slow, it is difficult to
block on reaction thanks to its animation. Th e start-up of this
attack is similar to t?t?@. w hich makes a reliable mix-up. You
can also use this move to punish whiffed attacks, and can
combo into a Ring Out with~ ~@.<?<?@@.

....
Scale Riser Kick

This kick is a quite fast WR attack that shou ld primarily be

used for its ability to stun on CH. It is not the best move in
regards to frame advantage and damage, and therefore it is
not advised to use it as a punishing tool WR . @.
or () IE are far better for those situations. There are a
few ways to fi sh for the CH with this attack. The first one is
to bait your opponent by simply crouching for a brief moment
and then and attacking. Another is to attack when at a frame
disadvantage, and you think the opponent will follow-up wit h
a slow attack, such as after being hit by a .,(),-@ for example.
It's also good to attempt this move directly from the ground if
you anticipate a slow move in the opponent's Okizeme.

Camilla Style Dune Riser

Input

Daman

lel/1!1

lmpott

Gnsrd

Hit

@)

34

i23

-21

LNC

Input

Damage

level

Impact

Guard

Hit

@@

12,12

HH

i13

-8,-6

2,6

The Dune Riser is a long range launcher that leads into Sand
Winger. On hit, SW@ wi ll combo for 68 damage. This move
is pretty unsa fe, but the SW can only be in terrupted by i12
attacks. The downside is that SW @ is unsafe when blocked
and every option in SW can be sidestepped, which is why you
should only use this attack for whiff punishment. The upside
is that the brilliant range of this move will allow you to whiff
punish in a lot of scenarios. At times when you just need a
launcher or Mid-hitting attack then ~. ~~. ~~@. or
t? IE are superior options.

Refrain Ax
Aeon's @@ is not remarkable, but as one of his fastest attacks. you will need to use it regardless. Whilst it is true that
it is slow in comparison to other characters' @@. for Aeon
it is a very fast move. This is one of the best options if you
need a fast move that tracks, even from mid range. It also
has nice range, the damage is decent and it can punish attacks that Aeon's other moves cannot, so it's a good idea to
learn which of each character's attacks should be punished
with this move to maximize your damage and limit your opponent's options.

c: i.'\f-'T:'.I'i :< v:> Pl.l\" I AEON CALCOS

Grudge Earth Stomp
At times when you need a fast Low-hitting attack to poke the
opponent then th is is a good alternative to ~. as it deals
more damage and w ill hit grounded opponents. Another advantage over ..(1@ is tha t you won't be left crouching when
the move recovers. This means you will have more defensive
option s available to you. such as sidestepping, and since. like
~liD. the attack doesn't give advantage when it connects.
you're very likely to need them.

While Aeon's throws are lacking in range, they compensate

with insanely good damage. The ~!:1<?+@ command
throw deals 65 damage and will give you an Okizeme opportunity. M ix th is up w ith attacks such as ~~liD and t1t1@
to keep your opponent guessing. Be sure to always maintain t he threat of the normal @)+@ t hrow. which still does
good damage at 55. as w hilst it does not provide an Okizeme
opportunity, it does Ring Out. As before, t ry not to become
predictable by always going for the optimum throw for the
situation. The normal +@ throw is still a worthwhile consideration as it pushes the opponent back quite far. which is
useful to get your opponent nearer to t he wall or edge of t he
ring. Keep in mind that t he left t hrow is best for combined
dam(lge and Okizeme, any time the opportunity arises.

S> Iilli can be used to punish unsafe moves t hat don't

push you back very fa r, and is good for use in combos, e.g.
after CH WR @. Near the edge of the st age it will connect
after your S>l3 is blocked and most of the time it's the best
option for a wall combo . Finally, you can use it to interrupt if
you are sure that your opponent will attack. When it hi ts you
can combo with S>S>, but you'll have to buffer the run just
after the initial hit. Immediat ely input the +-, release it and input the when t he opponent is falling on the ground. Finally,
this Brave Edge also does significant Guard Gauge damage.
!:1 Iilli is a nice punisher, as you can combo it with <?<?
or Critical Edge i or excellent damage. It can also Ring Out with
<?<?@@or <?liD+@. You can use t his move in your mixup arsenal, and if your opponent guesses correctly then the
adva ntage w hen blocked w ill allow you another opporJ(mity to
attack. SW Iilli is a linear unblockable attack. When you avoid
an opponent's attack with SW, you can use this move as a wh iff
punisher, espec1ally if the recovery of their move is too fast for
SW@ to hit. In some setups if the opponent doesn't sidestep
or Ukemi it can work well, after the combo~ S>S>riD. or after
a blocked S>S>, for example. The move can be cancelled by
pressing@ if you think it will be blocked.

Devourer Of God
Aeon's Crit ical Edge is ve ry fast and can easily connect in
juggle or stun com bos, and will also Ring Out from the front,
making it highly versatile. The easiest application for th is ~
is after a basic launcher, such as ~or t:t(ID Iilli for strong
damage. You can also use it to punish unsafe moves, or to
interru pt attacks after your move is blocked; it works well
after a blocked S>l3, for example. Avoid throwing t his out
randomly, however, as it is very unsafe when blocked (and
even more so at very close range) .

Input

lla111~9

escap" Window

@)+@

55

13

+@

50

13

-&t1<?+@

65

@+@ or +@ (lett)

65

13

@+@ or +@ (Right)

60

13

input

Luvei

l.!np~~t

SW.@++@

i41'.

S>.@++

i1 5

G1mnl

Some of Aeon's launchers will put the opponent behind you (e.g.
~~. WR @ ). In these situations the most reliable option is BT
+@ for a relaunch, follow ed by *'*'@@. Aeon's combos need
to be adjusted in accordance with the current situation. If the edge is
near your back, *'*'@ works well for a Ring Out If the edge is
further behind, then you should use '@+@@. Be careful of a self
Ring Out in th ese situations; learn the correct ranges for their application. After every basic launcher you have an opportunity to use the
Critical Edge (~@. ~~@. WR @)
In a Stun Combo, such as after ~~@. CH -&-&. or CH WR @
most of the time the best option for damage is '<?@. If you have

Combo

c
~

meter then keep in mind that c:(>@ IE can also somet imes connect,
such as after CH WR @.You should use c:(>@ IE in combos as often
as possible, as it gives huge damage relative to the meter used. The
Critical Edge should be used with the same mindset. If you are in a
situation to dloose between them, then c:(>@ IE is the best option
for damage gained over meter spent. <?<?@@@ connects often after stun combo, too, for good Ring Out potentiaL
For Combo A, you have to delay the BT + a little. For Combo B
to connect, you have to hit the opponent directly from in front or wi th
a side hit to the right Th en input BT liD+ as soon as possible. For
Combo C, delay the '<?@a little.

Starter

Follow-up

Damage

Hils

Cost

Difficulty

c:(>c:(>@

66

c:(>c:(>@

63

103

'@

<?'@@@

51

'@

c:(>@ IE.

106

WR@

BT @+@, <?@@@

74

WR @

BT@+@. [!

97

c:(> c:(>@

sw

68

~~

BT @+@. <?+@@

70

~~

BT @+@. t1@+@, <?<?@@@

95

****

~~

[!

107

t? t?@

-&

32

~~@

'@

71

: CH <?<?@

SW@

67

I CHWR@

<?@

49

99

60

CHWR @

c:(>@ IE.

CH ~@

<?<?@

+liD

r:HN'TE'R -1 V<;; i'l A" I AEON CALCOS

Com~ o

Starter

Follow uti

Dnmogo

Hits

Cost

Difficulty

1:2@ @

<?<?@

89

1:2@ @

128

**

@ @

@ 1or +l

89

**

SW !i

SW @

52

z:J@

.&liD

38

UKEMITRAPS
1:2@ is the most interesting UT. The damage is good (@
w ill combo) and it w ill catch an Ukemi in any direction, but
this move won't hit if the opponent doesn't Ukemi and stays
down. Some other moves. such as @ or ~~ can also
be used. however they will not catch all directions. An exampie of why you w ill need to make the correct choice for your
UT is after ~ ~@ on hit: you can use ~~ or z:Jz:J@. ~~
will catch a left Ukemi but not right, and z:Jz:J@ vice versa. You
w ill have to anticipate which side your opponent w ill choose.
1:2@ is guaranteed but will do less damage. After z:J, if the
opponent stays on th e ground then <?<?@ is guaranteed.

Knockdown

Ukemi TraJl

Directions

~ ~@

~ ~ @. BT @+@. <?@+@@

106

Back, Left

***

~~@

z:Jz:J@. ~

143

Back, Right

**

~~@

1:2@. @

87

All

t2 Gm

Delay 1:2@. @

110

All

S> ~

90

All

**

1:2@

.&.&

53

AJt

z:J

112

Left, Right

Difficulty

Character s pecific

WALL COMBOS
Aeon doesn't have a diverse list of wall splat options, but the on es
he has are effective. The main tool to wall splat is @: since it
doubles up as a relatively fast TC you should have a lot of opportunities to use it. 13 can wall splat as well for huge damage. This
is very threatening when close to an edge because a blocked 13
Combo

Starter

FollowUJl

@W!

gives, Aeon a guaranteed follow-up. ~~@ can wall splat too, and is
best utilized for Okizeme near a wall, while z:J@ is a good TJ option.
After the wall splat, @ and S> @ are the best options. But
be careful as sometimes, because of the angle. @ li can whiff.

Damage

Hits

Cost

Difficulty

@. W! @ @. @

150

11

~~ @W !

<?<?@@

65

13 W!

@.WI @ @. @

174

11

z:J@ W!

~@. WI ~@. @

86

**

z:J@ W!

@ @. +

110

10

APPLYING OFFENSE
Aeon's Lows and throws are very strong, and thus they have to be at the heart of your offensive strategy. However, due to the speed of th e character and the range of Aeon's throws,
to put this into practice you will have to shut down your opponent's options and make them
freeze up. To achieve this, Aeon has good answers for an opponen t attempting to space you.
c:t>c:t> is foremost for this, and ~at its maximum ra nge or -&-&both work well too.
When your opponent is being less aggressive, you must take the opportunity to apply a basic
throw or Low mix-up. The -&t2<?@J+@ command throw should be your throw of choice for
strong damage and Okizeme. t2t2@ is an excellen t Low, especially if your opponent is not
able to block it on reaction, in which case you should use it often, because the range is better than throws and it w ill catch sidesteps as well. 1:2@ is also nice if you need a fast Low;
it's useful if your opponent is repeatedly trying to apply offense and won't stay passive . After
t2@ you can t ry to attack again with a fast attack or a TC!TJ move such as. c:t>. c:t>c:t>@.
or~@). You can also try to sidestep, backdash or Gl. If the opponent is ve ry passive you ca n
also use the left throw. To mix it up you should use a powerful Mid attack like~@) or~~.
If you are playing against a good defensive player or character, a Guard Burst strategy can be
effective, too. c:t>l3 and+@ are the optimum moves for this. If this results in your opponent
starting to panic, you wi ll find them opening themselves up for CH opportunities, which can
be exploited byWR@ or-&-&. [-')0 1]
?

OKIZEME
Aeon has an interesting mix-up and Okizeme game. A basic mix-up is 1:11:2@ or~~@. t2t2@
is a Low-hitting circular attack, and it can be used to prevent the opponent from rolling or using Ukemi from the ground. ~~@ will hit on the ground as well, but can be ro lled. When it
hits, even on th e ground, it wi ll give you nice damage and allow-you to attack again. 1:2@ also
works well in situations that require a faster attack. When you are sure what your opponent
wil l immediately guard, you can use throws to put the opponent back into an Okizeme mix-up.

RING OUT
Most of Aeon's Ring Out opportunities will come from his launchers, which w ill work from
both the front and behind, such as ~~and WR @.After ~~@) or 1:2 mEl you can use
<?<? for a reve rse Ring Out. For a front Ring Out, after~~@) fo llow-up with BT @+@,
<?@)+@@.The most useful tool for a Ring Out during a juggle or stun combo is <?<?@@;
this combo wi ll do less damage than others but it will Ring Out when further away from the
edge. To make the most of it. you w ill have to adapt when your combos are near an edge and
use ~~@. t2 mEl, or CH -&-&.

<?+@@ is also amazing mid juggle for a

Ring Out. but pay attention to ~he range , as if
you are too close to the edge, Aeon can ring
himself out f irst. When the edge is behind
you, the +@ throw will Ring Out. Expect
your opponent to know this, and make good
use of the opportunity to score some damage w ith your -&1:2<?+@ command throw.
If your opponent attempts to avoid guessing
the type of throw by ducking , then WR @),
~~.or 1:2@ mEl w ill Ring Out.

GUARD BURST
Aeon has a ve ry nice Guard Burst game and
th is can be implemented as a main part of
you strategy. His best tools are +@ and
c:t>l3. wh ich are both more than safe because you can attack again when they 're
blocked. c:t> mEl is a very strong option
if your opponent doesn't know how to deal
with it. c:t>c:t>+ and ~~are also nice
options and quite safe . ~~@ is already a
strong move, and definitely one of the best
moves to achieve a Guard Burst, while
-&-& is another very nice safe option. To
be able to apply this strategy effectively you
w ill need to make your opponent freeze
up. For this, effective spacing is required.
c:t>c:t> and ~@) are nice tools to make the
opponent hesitate at mid range, and
and c:t>c:t>@ at close ra nge. Once you have
achieved a Guard Burst, the most reliable option is ~. or, if you are close enough, use
c:t>@J mEl.
Guard Burst
Req. to Burst

I Attacks

c:t> (3, @)@)@)

+@

SW@

9
10

WR @('), c:t>c:t>@+@. c:t>S>@.

~~
~~@. <?+@@. -&-&. @3

DEFENSIVE PLAY
Aeon is an excellent whiff punisher, which can be the basis for a very viable defensive strategy. Keep in mind that some opponents won't let you approach or throw; they w ill try zoning
and use a keep away strategy repeatedly. Because Aeon doesn't have a good poking game, in
this kind of situation it can be better to adopt a more defensive strategy. Aeon can whiff punish
at almost any ra nge, so make use of his sidestepping and backdash to cause the opponent to
whiff. The main w hiff punishment tools are :~ for close and mid range , ~~ after a step
from close and mid range, and c:t>c:t> for long range. ~~@can also be used and its ability
to Ring Out makes it very useful in the right situation. Just wait for your opponent to make a
mistake, and if possible you should use your Critical Edge in the combo. [ -')0 2]
If your opponent is shutting down your zoning and spacing attempts, you can still wa it for
the opponent to get close enough to be grabbed. If your opponent starts to pressure you,
patience is crucial. Throw as often as possible, and if your opponent is not allowing you the

opportunity then you should try to escape

from close combat. To escape from pressure,
keep in mind your fa st moves: , -&.
c:t>, c:t>c:t>@. or your TC!TJ moves, 1:21:2@.
~ (brilliant TJ), c:t>c:t>@. c:t>c:t>@ is a rea lly
strong move in this situation as it's fast, TC
and the knockdown on hit w ill leave the opponent far away.
Aeon's block punishment is not very good,
primarily because c:t> mEl has relatively
poor range. Therefore you should be careful w ith characters that have a strong mix-up

< HA '

game. If you are not able to punish properly, it could be better to opt
to escape altogether instead of attempting to defend correctly and
punishing accordingly. Also consider use of Guard Impact and Just
Guard. After a JG. because there is no pushback. c::> ~ should
connect very often. c;>c::>@ will also offer a little more range.~ can
work if you Just Guard a move that is very slow to recover.

SPACING & POSITIONING

I\!~

';.AY AEON CALCOS

POST-GI
Aeon has a few decent options post-GI. As with other characters,
t!I3 is guaranteed for 76 damage. For direct damage c;>c::> and
I:Z ~ are the best options. S>c::>. SW @ does 68 damage
and I:Z ~. <?<?@ does 89 (you can also finish the combo with
<?+@@for Ring Out). If you think your opponent will try to Gl,
~~ is the best option. 13 also works w ell for a wall combo
or Ring Out. ( 4 0 4]

@. ~. and ~~@ are your primary spacing attacks, both

of which are almost safe when blocked. Some evasive moves such
as ~~ or z;I(ID can be used alongside them. However. Aeon is
quite weak at mid ra nge, so you should be aiming to utilize a situation where you are at frame advantage to choose between getting in
close or out to long range; close range if you need to start up your
offense or long range to defend a life lead and make use of Aeon's
whiff punish abilities. At mid range is supposed to be a nice
tool, but unfortunately the opponent can sidestep t he second attack
when they block the first, and the string does not combo against
some characters. Nevertheless, if your opponent is not able to deal
with it then you should use it often. ( 40 3)

Aeon is a pretty slow character that deals good damage to compensate for his speed. Be careful of CH WR @ and CH c::> ~ when
attacking Aeon. If you try to zone him, be mindful of his capacity to
whiff punish easily. Don't be passive. because his throws are very
strong and he has some very good Low-hitting attacks. Try to stay_~ut
of his throw range if your character has a good mid range game, or

don't hesitate to use TJ options to escape from his mi x-ups. Always

be mindful of Aeon's situational abilities to Ring Out before you attempt an action when near the edge, especially the @+@ throw.
This character is quite strong at any range, so you should always be
aiming to stay in your own character's optimum range to maximize
your advantage.

KEY ATTACKS
c::> ~
c::> ~is very fast (i15), does strong damage and Aeon can use it
to Ring Out w ith his back to the edge. If the Aeon player likes to use
it to fish for CH, you should be trying to make him waste his meter
by simply blocking it instead of attacking. This move is safe when
blocked and deals significant Guard Gauge damage, but you can sidestep the last hit, making it extremely unsafe.

t::?t::?@
This kick is a very strong tool. however it can be punished when
blocked. It is well worth spending some time in training mode simply
learni ng to block this move on reaction. If you are not able to react
to this move, it is still worth an ticipating it and ducking if you have
noticed the Aeon.player likes to use this move often. It's very unsafe,
so be sure that you punish it as hard as possible.
~

If your character is able to punish ~ consistently you should be

sure to do so every time. as even if the damage is quite weak you

want to make the Aeon player feel that they are unable to use it. If
you can' t punish it, be careful when retaliating, as the pushback this
move generates w ill requi re you to close the gap w ith a dash. whi ch
will eat up a lot of your frame advantage. You have to be sure that
the Aeon player won't attack again. To prevent this you should use a
long range attack fi rst to test the player, or backdash and then whiff
punish.

sw
Don't forget that you can sidestep or Ukemi everything Aeon can do
from this aerial stance. If Aeon goes into SW and doesn't attack, the
recovery of the stance is bad enough to punish him heavily.
,.

-i.

,,

This attack is menacing. It significantly damages your Guard Gauge

and ca n also provide guaranteed damage when you block it. You
should be prepared for t his attack and know your best options to
deal with it. If your opponent is predictable with the timing in which
they release the attack, then Gl or Just Guard it. If you are not finding
yourself able to do this, escape by sidestepping.

Command List
Nome

Input

Standing/@
Refrain Ax

@@

High High

12,12

13

8.6

2.6

Ra~orAx

High

16

17

-4

Lumber Ax

~@

Mid

22

16

14

Base Razor Ax

~@

SP-Iow

10

13

-6

Sand Current

t:Z@

Low

24

15

STN

Symplegades

<?@

High

22

36
18

-7

STN

20

12,12,12

O, STN, KND

NC

14,14

15

10,-8

2,4

12

NC

12

NC

TCI -FC

15

Standing/@
lUrnua'Style .
Furious Drought ,
Mezentius Styl e
Twin Gravel

M id High

cl>@@

'

'

Rising Grit

~liD

. Mid

32

19

-14

LNC

Sinker Sand Ax

~liD

Mid

16

16

-8

Mezentius Style
Camel Blow

t:Z@

Mid

21

18

12

Sand Gale Dart

<?liD

High

16

14

-8

Grudge High Kick

High

14

13

-8

Grudge Front Kick

18

-11

14

60

45

15

KND

Grudge Side Kick

Mid
Mid
Mid

24

Grudge Front Kick

ci>
ci>l3

16

16

-8

Grudge Low Kick

1!;0

-14

-2

TCI-FC

18

BS I opp -FC (Hit)

Clean Hit: C

- FC

13

Standing/@

Low

12

Grudge Earth Stomp

t:Z

Low

18

22

Mezentius Styl e
Lightning Head Masher

<?

Mid

26

15

High

50

30

Low

60,20

87

Mid$$

28

29

-26

STN

BA I Clean Hit: A

Standing/@ @
Mezentius Styl e
Rocky Smash
M ezentius Styl e
Sand Roll

KND

LNC

TJ I BA I Clean Hit: A
TC I UBI Clean Hit: C

Rising RevengeSand Winger

'\)'@+ !hit or guard)

Rising Revenge

'\J'IID+ llong distance/

M id

28

29

26

$TN

TJ

S~nd Revenger

'<?liD+

Mid

11

TC I TJ I Clean Hi1: C

<?liD+ liD@

M id

25
25

-10

Quick Sand Revenger

36
42

KND

11

TC ITJ I R-0 I Clean Hit: C -GAD

TJ Clean Hit: C

Full Crouch Attacl<s

Base Razor Ax

crouching @

SP-Iow

10

13

-6

TC 1- FC

Sinker Sand Ax

crouching @

M id

16

16

-8

- FC

Ire Low Kick

crouching

Low

12

14

14

TC 1-FC

High Mid

16,26

15

-12,16

2.12

NC

11

TC I RO I LNC (Behind/

While Rising Attacks

Desert Carrefom

while standing @@

Tumus Style
Sand Geyser

while standing liD

Mid

22

21

13

LNC

Scale Raiser Kick

while standing

Mid

12

16

-13

while jumping @

High

22-26

24

Lope Grudge Labrys

while jumping liD

Mid

28-34

33

-8

KND

Lope Ire Shoot

while jumping

High

22-28

21

KND

Mid

30

19

-13

STNCH

Jumping Attacl<s
Lope Side Ax

TJ I Opp -BT (Hit)

12

TJ I Opp -FC (Block)

TJ I R-0 I J::&@: Opp- BT (Hit)

8-Way Run/@

or ~ ~ or z;J~@

Grit Draft

ci>+

Double Ire Hatchet

~.. or '\J' f'@@

Mid Mid

14,1 4

21

-22. 16

12,2

Hunting DraftSand Winger

<?+ or t:Z It or J;:& 1\@

M id SS

16

20

18

12

Hunting Draft Sand Winger

<?+ or t:Z it or

M id SS

30

50

-14

J::& l\f.il

NC ISTN CH
TC I - SW 12 CH

TC. - SW l-2 CH

f..~-:

( '"iA

Nomo

Input

Camilla Style Dune Riser

- Sand Winger - Atomic
Revenger

~+@ - during Sand

Winger@

M ezent ius Styl e

Cannon Pelekys

level

j\.IS .' :'jAY AEONCALCOS

Properties

Mid Mid SS

34,46

23

-26

KND

~~ or z;l~@

M id

27,9

27

-14

LNC

10

Tumus Style Du ne
Smash

.e.... or ~ t-IID

Mid

36

25

-12

KND

Lower Labrys

r:Ziit or !;!', ~liD

Low

16

30

-14

Turn us Style Severing

Pelekys

<? ..liD@@

Mid High
High

18,12,25

31

21,9, 13

LNC

S>+@

M id

42

16

-1 6

~~ or z;l~@

Mid

36

27

LNC !Behind)

NC I R-O I BA

KND

13

TC I R-0 I Clean Hit: C

-1 0

STN

10

RO

13

TJ

8-Way Run/@
Mezentius Style Grit
Blast
Mezentius Style Scale
Basher
Grudge Float Kick

.e.... or ~'t@

Mid

18

19

-6

M ezentius Style Sinker

Spin Kick

r:Ziit or !;!', ~@

low

20

25

-23

KND

Killing Bite

<?..@

M id

20

21

-16

KND

Mid-Thr0\'1

20,7,17

21

-16

KND

TC
13

High-Throw
Mezentius Style Santana
@ +@
Sto rm

High-Throw

50

17

Mezentius Style Scale

Brusher

left side throw

High-Throw

65

17

Mezentius Style Sadistic

Rush Lift

right side throw

High-Throw

60

17

M ezentius Style Sand

Bomb

back throw

High-Throw

70

17

M ezent ius Style Reptile

Rumble

.e.r:2 <?liD+@

High-Throw

65

17

High

14

15

-6

12

15

-6

- BT

RO
KND

Bacl< Turned Attacks

Rear Side Adze

turn around @

Rear Base Razo r

crouching turn around @

Rear Sand Ax

turn around @

Mid

..

18

16

-6

Rear Base Ax

crouching turn around @

Mid

18

18

-8

Rear Grudge High Kick

turn around @

High

16

15

-8

l ow

14

17

-14

MidMidMid
M id M idMid

75

15

-8

LNC

LNC (Behind)

Mid-Throw

30,30

18

LNC

12

BA

Rear Grudge Low Kick

crouching 1urn around

backward +

SP-Iow

~-

6
TC 1-FC

-FC

Sandland Battalion

~tm@+@+@

Sandland Predator

t2WJ@+@+

Sanddrake CatapultSand Winger

duri'@ Sand Winger

@ + 8 +@

Mid SS

15

41

STN

STN

TJI UB

Sand drake CatapultSand Winger - Atomic

Revenger

duri@ Sand Wnger

@ + B +@ - @

M id Mid SS

15,36

41

KND

KND

TJ

SanddrakeCatapult- .
' Winger ,:. "

\
. CHAP I t-R ~ l VS i'l A':>' ! TIRA

'I

\'

'

a~~\gonists,

be~n

Character Overview I Tira is one of SOULC;b;LIBUR V's main

and has
a killer
since childhood. Her gameplay reflects Qer schizophrenic conditio(): she switches betwe en Jolly
and Gloomy moods during the fight. Her fling Blade symbolizes both her childish, playful 1ersonality when happy, and her sadistic nature when angered. Tira can be difficult to control as her mood
swings can be random. She is perhaps best suited t9 t hose who find comfort in chaos,
those
who enjoy the challenge of fighting w ith twa distinct sets of attacks. Though easy to pr~ssure
in Jolly Side, Tira becomes faster, sa fer andiextremely damaging when fighting in Gloomy Side.

dr

PLAYSTYLE FOCUS
In general, your focus should always be on your opponent.
but w hen fighting as Tira it is also essential to be aware of
every possible moment when she cou ld switch between
Jolly Side (JS) and Gloomy Side (GS). Certain attacks sometimes cause her to randomly change moods, and some of
these cause the change more often than others. Transitions
are more likely on hit than on wh iff or block, and some attacks guarantee the change when they connect. She w ill
also switch stances when she takes 14!) damage (60%1.
Tira is very powerful in GS but has many weaknesses in JS,
so a fundamenta l part of her strategy is to try to maximize
the time she spends in Gloomy Side.
Tira has tools to fight at all ranges, but does not excel at any
range. Therefore your best approach is to identify a range at
which your opponent is uncomfortable and stay there .. She
can use moves like GS ~@ to space smaller characters
attempt ing to get close, w hile UD @ is a useful attack to
advance on a character trying to play keepout. In JS Tira is
relatively slow and unsafe, so try to space your opponent
w ith her 8-Way Run pokes and wait for an opportunity to
switch moods. She is ca pable dt doing extremely high damage off quite basic attacks in GS, so intimidate the opposition w ith her fast pokes and guard crush moves, landing
the big combos wherever P,ossible before you are forced to
transition into JS. [70 1]

METER USAGE
I
Tira becomes much stronger:w ith
her Soul Gauge options available,
so keep an eye on your rreter.
In Jolly Side, it is difficult far Tira
to avoid heavy pressure. Reserving meter for Guard Impact can
heiR to fend off aggression.; w hile
.!}.~S> liD ~ and o:::>~ ~
gua~antee a Gloomy Sid~ transitio9 on hit. When in Gloomy Side,
~~~and c::(>c::(>c::(>@ ~ca n
b~ used to finish combos with extr.a
' ' damage, and are als9I great for
9}izeme. Her @.13 is relatively exgensive for less rewar~ . so avoid
$ sing it unless you haye plenty of
Soul Gauge in reserv.e, or unless
you really need the damage.

!'

,I

/
I

'

/
10_022

<I .. +'

Updraft (UD)
Tira leaps through the air with this stylish but limited special
move. Use ~ or ~ or z;J to change the angle of ascent. She
can land passively, or come down with 3 different Mid-hitting
attacks. The primary option here is Updraft . a Break Attack
w hich leaves you at advantage when blocked. The hitbox for UD
is huge, so it is very difficult to avoid and can hit an opponent
even when Tira lands behind them. UD can be used to catch
players who sidestep early, though it ca n be punished even on
hit by fast characters. UD leads to combos, Ukemi Traps and
good Okizeme, but is extremely unsafe. It hits Low after landing,
which can catch some players unaware, and you can adjust the
descent angle with directional inputs. Updraft can be used to
pressure opponents from long range on knockdown, or to escape the edge of the ring safely. and is unaffected byTira's mood.
~

Input

'tuvot

l)lllllltyd

~ or 'lf or z;J +@

STJ

UD@

26

STJ

UD@

40

STJ, BA
STJ

, .\<.',,,fl!lil
flfm\.ll''F

PRIMARY ATTACKS
lnpul

Domayc

Level

lmpDct

Guard

Hit

GS~@

24

i18

-13

LNC

This ferocious launcher is slightly unsafe, but the benefits

make the risk negligible. It has good range, is reasonably
fast, and leads to some of the most damaging combos in the
game. Tira crouches low from the 7th startup frame. avoiding high attacks and throw attempts, which makes it feasible
even at disadvantage, or aga inst stance m ix-ups. U sing~~
or z;Jz;J@ adds an automatic sidestep. ~s on ly significant
weakness is that it can be easily stepped to either side.

GS ~~or z;Jz;J@

24

i18

-13

LNC

Scolding Starling

Input

03mago

level

lmpnct

Guord

Hit

GS c::l>@

i22

+4

KND

i22

+4

KND

level

lmpnct

Gunrd

Hit

MMH

i14

-14,-12

-4,KND

Level

Impact

Guard

Hit

i28

-3

STN

Peregrine Rhythm

c::l>c::l> is a h igh damage anti-step attack that deals good

Guard Burs t damage and leaves Tira at advantage on hit. Use
it to dominate your opponent just outside close range, so
that they want to crouch - thus creating an opening for your
devastating Mid-level attacks. @ is a little slow and not
quite as long range as it appears, so be careful not to whiff
at mid range. It is very strong when used while dashing in at
your foe. or against those who stubbornly refuse to duck. as
it also does good Guard Burst damage.

GS ~~or ~z;J@

46
46

Shriek Noise

Input

Damaoe

.. .. .. .......... .................... ... ............. ..........

~ is extremely fast for a Mid, and ~ deals good damage and can wall splat or RO to the right. It is an excellent
punishing move from close range, but cannot punish moves
with any pushback. If ~ hits. the follow-up is guaranteed eve n with a slight delay, but it is too quick to hit-confirm.
The f irst hit is difficult to punish and even TC in the recovery
frames, but a lso fairly unrewarding alone. Mix-up between
~ and the different possible delays of ~to keep your
opponent guessing, especially near the ring edge.
Deadly Arietta

... ........... .. ... ................. ... .. ... ....... ... .... .... .
Tira leaps at her opponent, avoiding Lows and covering a lot of
ground . ..0.+ is excellent even when blocked, as it deals good
Guard Burst damage and leaves the adversary crouched and with
only a slight advantage. It is therefore really useful after knocking
the opponent some distance. You can use a quick attack afterwards, or try to counter a quick response with z;J@ or +@.
When it hits. it can be followed by combos and UkemiTraps, and
1t launches on CH. This attack is slow and linear. so is best used
when your opponent,is at a disadvantage and at mid or long range

GS~@@

12,42

Input

Gs..O.+

24

Murderous Vibrato

Damago

~ovel

Impact

36

lvllvllvl

i32

The sheer damage of this attack alone makes it a weapon

your opponent must respect. Ti ra crouches from frame 9 and
advClnces Cl good distance. Dvring the <:~ctive frames she is so
low to the grou nd t hat she can go under some Mid attacks.
The fully charged version is best used when bai ting whiffs
from range, especially after a backstep. Try to wait for your
opponent to commit to an attack first. so that they cannot
sidestep. <?<?ID is good when blocked, as it depletes the
Guard Gauge but cannot break it. allowing you to Guard Burst
later with a single-hit attack. It is especia lly useful against
long range characters dependent on High-level attacks for
spacing.

~ SECONDARY ATTACKS
Wild Beat Neb

.. , :'J~~f
Input

-~ '

Damnge

Level

Despite being slower, c:::>c:> enjoys certain advantages over

the basic JS ~ . It is safer and launches higher, allow ing for
more combo options, Ukemi Traps, and even simply more
t ime to confirm the hit. Both are effective for Guard Burst,
while c:::>c:> is more reliable at hi tting grounded opponents.
After launching w ith @. you can get a guaranteed GS
transition and big combo by following up with c:::>c:::> Iilli.

Ptarmigan Polka (+ Gestopft Madness)

Input

Dam$go

10, 14, 10

..().@ has great range, can anti-step, and is fairly fast. You are
disadvantaged even if you hit your oppon ent. so you must
mix-up well w ith the follow-ups. If you r foe tries to attack after
..().@, the w ill launch t hem on CH . ..().@ is also a NCC
though it won't launch in this case. The is very unsa fe, but
you can protect yourself w ith the@+ follow-up, which w ill
auto-GI High or Mid-level attacks other than stabs or kicks .
When you release fJ+ID after repelling the incoming attack,
lira stuns t he opponent, and if she randomly recovers quickly, you can combo using @@. BT +@ .

Parrot Scratch
Closing to attack range in JS can be a big risk wit h lira, but
sometimes you will need to. Parrot Scratch is easy to execute after a dash in, hits Mid, and is fast and safe. '[;fte High
second kick cannot be crouched after the first is blocked . This
move has a specia l launch property in stun combos, which
can be used after a wall splat to re-splat t he opponent.

Snare Robin
@ is one of your best pokes at mid range. It catches step,
and is very fast for the range. @@ is a NC at tip range, so
you can use it to punish blocked or whiffed attacks from here.
When poking, mix up your usage of the follow-up to avoid
getting stepped or jumped; also beware of using it against
charact ers wit h very fast. powerful punishers from FC like
Pyrrha, a Patroklos and Pyrrha Q.

level.

Impact

Guard

j18

-16

Double Rhythm
Tira is more comfortable outside her opponent's attack range
where she can keep t hem at bay with her ranged pokes.
..Q.~[ID is great for this purpose. She doesn't move forward
very far, and the late active frames allow you to deter opponents trying to rush in. If it is blocked. you still have time to
step or backdash. and can even use a fast poke against characters with no fast options at that range. This attack is really
useful to zone defensively and bide your time.

Wailing Minerva

Although she can play very aggressively while in Gloomy

Side. Tira will sometimes need to play more cautiously and
attack from range. ~@ is an ideal tool for this. as it puts you
in a strong position whether it hits or is blocked. and can be
used in similar ways to JS ..Q.-&CID. except that it is vulnerable
to crouched opponents rather than sidestep. It deals good
damage when connecting, and although no follow-ups are
guaranteed. most of your strongest options are unbeatable
afterwards o ther t han by risky techniques such as Gl and TC,
giving Tira an excellent mix-up situation.

Somersault Scratch

Input

Damago

Love!

Impact

Guard

Hit

GS<?<?@

30

MM

i21

-4

10

Input

Damage

Level

Impact

Guonl

H~

WR (JS/GSl

20/24

i15

-12

lnpu1

Damage

levol

Impact

Guonl

Hit

..(>..(>or 'If 'If@ (JS I GSl

18/24

i22

-8

14

The power of Gloomy Side is illustrated by Tira's assortment

of wild and spectacular attacks, so your opponent may be
surprised by the subtlety of this move. <?<? evades Highlevel attacks from frame 8 and moves in on the opponent. Tira
recovers so quickly that she can beat all but the fastest attacks with her own quick pokes after <?<? is blocked. The
attack forces the opponent into FC when hitting, and putsTira
in a dominant position. All this makes Somersa ult Scratch a
fantastic low-risk attack for closing down your adversary from
mid range.

Swing Kick
The Swing Kick is notable for its number of special properties. Tira remains crouched until recovery, remaining invulnerable to Highs and throws . She is airborne from the 10th
startup frame, allowing her to dodge quick lows at minor disadvantage, such as after connecting with ~. The attack is
very fast and is sometimes Ti ra 's on ly option for pun ish ing
Low-level attacks. It has enough pushback to be safe, making it one of your best JS pokes when under pressure. WR
can even RO, or smash a cornered foe against a wall with
time to launch w ith ~(ID .

Deriding Thrush
As a safe. anti-step Mid-level attack with adequate range,
~..(>@ is an excellen t option from an 8-Way Run. In JS you
can combo with@@ or go for a lucky <? transition. while
in GS you have ~@@ (or ~ version) and (ID[ID as well. Either (! ca n combo if you have enough Soul Gauge. You can
also use the huge advantage to go for a mix-up if you need
more damage. If you hit a BT opponent, have an inescapable
50/50 back throw or launch mix-up . ..(>..(>@is also useful near
the edge, as it stops adversaries from stepping away, and t he
GS ~@@ combo can wall splat or Ring Out.

Bremen Fortissimo

Input

lovel

.Impact

JS<?@

i12

H'

i12

Tira's trademark head-bun exemplifies her insanity. Tira does 5

damage to herself when using this attack in JS. though in GS
it doesn't hurt if you whiff. It can be used as a fast interrupt or
punish. Normally, JS <? gives disadvantage on block or hit.
while GS <? leads to decent combos and UkemiTraps. However, occasionallyTira will randomly change mood. JS c:>c:>
(; is guaranteed after connecting GS <?. JS <? hitting
normally gives +17 if Tira changes to GS, so GS c:>c:> can
combo, or t hrow or ~@@ at close range, and in stun combos
it becomes +22, allowing for a free~ or<?::. making
it a very risky but potentially ma tch-winning attack.

When in Jolly Side, Tira's throw damage is low, t hough the

range is decent. Grabs can help to keep your opponent out,
even if the throw is broken. Each throw gets +5 bonus damage in Gloomy Side, making her t hrow game more threatening. Use them in conjunction w ith her Break attacks to keep
your opponent under pressure . Opponents fearful of Tira's
damage will not want to crouch w hen you have the advantage up close. @+@can Ring Out in front. while+@ does
more damage and leaves t he opponent righ t at your feet for
Tira's excellent Okizeme, as do the side and back grabs.

15

Input

l)amage

Escape Window

@+@

45/50

13

+@

50/55

13

@+@ or +@ (Left)

55/60

1.3

+@ or +@ (Right)

60/65

13

Tira's Left Side throw can Ring Out in front. giving her an excellent mix up in GS: with your opponent against the edge,
step around to their left and use ~@@ or a throw to win the
round. If you hit your opponent in the back with -i}-i}@. you
get another great mix-up between a back throw and ~ .

The second hit of -i}~<=t> (; guarantees a mood switch,

making it an invaluable tool in JS. It has extremely long range,
and is also safe, only being weak to sidestep. It can be used in
many simple combos. such as after a JS ~ launch, for a riskfree GS transition. The attack is still good from GS but w ill leave
you in JS on hit. JS c:>c:> (;also guarantees GS switch on
the second hit. GS BT + is guaranteed for ground splat
combos and Ukemi Traps. If you hit with the (; follow-up
only, you have time to combo with GS -i}-i}.

hii>UI

Dam ago

Level

-i}~<=t> ++

36

LL

JS <=t>ct> @++

20,22.24,28'

MM

GS~@@@+@:t-@

70 .

GS <=t>@ @++@

50

GS <=t>@ @+@+@

70

,, .'.'liit . . .

i14

GS ~@@ (; can be used in place of ~@@ for extra damage. It boosts damage for all combos and UkemiTraps, and can
wall splat and Ring Out from fu rther than the normal version.
GS c:>c:> li and c:>c:>c:> (; are powerfu l Okizeme
tools. They track to t he right sl ightly and leave Tira at adva ntage
on block. They a.re also perfect for ending combos afler a knockdown or ground stun. c:>c:>c:> (;does really huge damage
even in combos, butTira will almost always transition to JS. The
c:>c:> version does not self-harm, but does less damage,
and there is still a small risk of shifting to JS.The more powerful
version is most useful when you have lost nearly 60% health.

\.....

CRITICAL EDGE

Discord Parade is performed from JS and is an automatic

combo that deals unremarkable damage. It guarantees transition to GS but the scaled damage is poor in combos, so it
is best used {if at all) as a punishment option. The GS ' Finale'
version ends with an add itional powerful strike, wh ich can
be used to end combos for extra damage. Tira remains in GS
afterwa rds meaning the l!fil can be the most damaging w ay
to end a combo w ithout the risk of returning to JS. Both versions hit grounded for 46 damage, but this is rarely worth the
meter cost, and the re is no mood transition; the same goes
for when it is b locked, and it is also very unsafe. so it's very
risky to throw out randomly. Both versions can Ring Out to
the front. The au tomatic follow-up hits can w hiff at tip range.

:::,")'i~!f:lmi!l\1',
l , ; -,~m
. . ;~, 'L. ..
...

--

-6

LNG

' 12

KND

Combos are absolutely integral to lira's gameplan. In Jolly Side

she has limited damage potential, but can use combos to guarantee GS tran sitions in exchange for Critical Gauge, by using S>S>(ID
ffij, ,(} ~S>@ liJj or~ as follow-ups. <?@also gives you a limited
chance of a mood change in exchange for self-damage.
Gloomy Side Tira generates enormous damage through her combos.
~(ID usually leads to more damage than <?(ID:(ID:@ due to scaling. Most
knockdown s can be followed with c:> S>. but you must decide wheth-

er to gain extra damage using liJj (expending meter), using c:>c:>

(usually at the cost of a JS transition), or both. Using :>@ in any combos
carries a small risk of mood change, too, but if you react quickly enough
you can use JS S>S> liJj to switch back and carry on your combo.
Some JS combos can be inconsistent, like Combo A, which can be
ended with c:>c:>@ or ~@. but only against some characters. For
GS Combo B and Combo C you must hold + to dash in and then
press ,().@].

.....

Difficulty

Combo

Stnrter

Followup

JS c(>(ID

:>@. 11

45

JS tl@

S>S>@@

46

JS :>@

@@

40

JS :>@

lilS

61

JS :>@

<?@ {-GS) ~@. :>@. <?@. <=?@ liJj

91

11

CH JS (../}@)@

,().@

28

CH JS ,().,().@

~.

53

.....

JS~@

,(). ~ c:>@ liJj

45

JS c::(>(ID

c::(>c::(>(ID lm!, GS BT @+@, c::(>c::(>c::(>@

86

30

c::(>c(>@@

,.

JS!i'@

,(}(ID

JS 1::2@

11

34

JS r.i.1+fil auto-GI

c(>@(ID, BT @+@@

90

GS c:::>S>@

62

GS ~(ID

c(>@

69

GS@

c:>c:?

45

GS c::(>c(>@

c(> c::(>(ID 1m!

79

GS~@

<?@. <?@. c:>c? (;

84

GS ~(ID

:>@.

83

GS 'i:1@

<?@. lilS

115

GS :>@:@:@

:>@. :>@, :>@1-JSJ. c(>c(>(ID ffij, GS BT @+@. <=?@ (;

100

14

****

GS <?@:@:@

<?@. :>@. :>@. c::(> c(>(ID

79

10

GS <?(ID:(ID:(ID

70

GS <?@:(ID:(ID

,().,(). . S> <=? (;

105

11

GS c:::>@

11

36

GSBT @+@

~. c:>S>@

88

GS BT @+@

,(). ,().(ID. S> c(>(ID 1m!

100

GS ../}@+@

11@

37

:>@+@ (ID

,().~ S>@ (;

67

Only second hit connects as CH

~@@

liJj

AP l-P. . ; ! \~i P AY TIRA

UKEMI TRAPS
When in Jolly Side, Ukemi Traps can help
Tira boost her otherwise low combo damage. so observe your opponent's Ukemi
habits.
Tira is an Ukemi Trap monster in Gloomy
Side and can deal really insane damage.
The most prevalent UT options are @
~ and@ ~- These hit a grounded opponent and can catch Ukemi in all directions if timed correctly. Even if you are
late, t hese attacks give advantage back to
Tira w hen blocked. If you are really sure
your opponent will Ukemi, ~@@ and its
~ vers ion are also very powerful. ~@@
~ does massive damage w ithout th e
mood switch risk of @ ~- It is

Knockdown

Ukemi Trap

JS!1@

Delay @@

59

Right. Back

JS!1@

DelayWR@

35

Left. Back

......

JS @

Slight delay !1@, !1

56

All

GS -.!}@+@

Slight delay @ ~

95

All

....

GS~@

Delay@ ~

123

All

GS~@@

GS~@@

86

All

Gs<?::

Delay !1@. @ ~

101

All

***

GS <?@:@:@, <?@. <?@. <?

.delay~@@ ~

140

All

Difficulty

Directions

......

. . ...

*Only works in a corner

incredibly dangerous near a wall. w here it can initiate a fresh wall combo, potentially doing 90%
damage or more. <?: : also comes into its own here. as the lengthy ground stun after the
<? head-butts gives you time to reposition and choose the best Ukemi Trap for the situation,
or just delay your standard combos.

WALL COMBOS
Tira can be very effective near a wall. In JS it is the only w ay she can get significant damage. ~ is
the most basic wall splat option head on. while S>S>@@ can wall splat to the left slightly. Gloomy Tira
can wall splat ahead with ~. while she can use walls to her right with @ and ~@@.You must
start Combo E some distance from the wall, or your opponent will collapse too quickly.
Combo

Starter

Follow-up

JS ~@ W!

<?<?. BT @+@ W! @ @+@. c:;> c:;>@ ~- GS B'f @+@. c:;>c:::>@ ~

112

17

***

JS c:;>@@W!

~@W! ~@@ @+ . .:;>@ ~- GS BT @+@. @ ~

112

17

!JSI @WI

c:::>@ W! @@. BT @+@ @

82

10

**

GS~@W!

~@@ W! <?@:@:@. <?@. <?@. <?@. @

111

16

** *

GS @W!

~@W! ,

133

10

**

GS~@@ ~ W!

Back throw

150

(JS)@+@ WI

~@

68

**

!GSI@+@WI

@ ~

104

Dilficulty

<?<?ID

APPLYING OFFENSE
Tira cannot really intimidate opponents offensively while in JS. She must take big risks to deal
even moderate damage; attacks like c::>c::>. 1:1@ and 1:1@ may seem effective at first, but
are very unsafe, and your opponent will not have too much trouble if you base your offense
around them. She has less risky options but these also garner little rewa rd . You must bide your
time and wait for an opportunity to strike, preferably with a mood change attack: ~~c::>@ ~
is the perfect option to catch an unwary opponent.
All this completely cha nges in Gloomy Side. Tira is an offensive powerhouse and has speed,
damage and multipl e advantage-giving tools to maintain her aggression. Keep close to long
range characters, and stay out of the effective ra nge of the shorter range opponents, so that
your attacking options are always the more threatening. Use c::>c::>@. <?<?@, and <?<?0 to
close the distance. Fast attacks like@@, liD. ~@. and~@ are useful up close, while~@.
c::>c::>@, and @ are great at mid range. You can also mix up between using part or all of the
<?@:@:@ string to open up a defensive opponent. but this is a more risky approach. c::>c::>

and <?@ leave Tira in a strong position when

blocked. so use them against defensive op
ponents fearful of the ~ threat. [ -)0 1]

OKIZEME
GS c::>c::>@ ~ is a superb tool here. as it hits
grounded, catches tech and gives adVantage
on block. To conserve Critical Gauge, use GS
~~against opponents afraid to attack. GS
~and GS c::>c::>@ can help repel those w ho
try to attack from the ground. GS ~@+@ is
an excellent option after knocking an oppo
nent some distance. When in Jolly Side your
options are very limited; you can use c:(>c:(>@
or ~~ to attack, or simply use th e opportunity to retreat and try to switch moods.

RING OUT
Despite the risk, JS c::>c::> is a useful attack against an opponent backed up to the
edge, as it beats any attempt to escape save
STJ techniques. JS <?<? can be used both
to force the opponent over to the edge, and
to actually RO after a backstep. +@will RO
in front and to the right. Standard pokes like
GS ~@. GS ~@@. and GS c::>c::>@ are useful, and don't forget WR @ right at the edge.
GS <?@:@:@, <?, ~@@ can Ring Out
over a very long distance.

Guard Burst

GUARD BURST
Req.lo Burst

Jolly Side Attacks

c:(>@ ~

~. <?+@@

r!I3, <?+@

WR (ID@

c::> c:(>c:(>@

r~l+m --. <?<?. <?<? .

t1+0 *

10
11

Gloomy Sido Allocks

~ ....

sr + oo tl+m. ~~
t1+0 * <?<?. <?<?m. ~+

<?+. c::>c::>. ~@. "i}(ID

<?@+@, "i}@. c::> c::>. c::> c::>

Half-charge version, 1st hi t blocked only

1st hit blocked only
* Depletes Guard Gauge, but will not Guard Burst

'* Full-charge version,

You can amend your game plan if necessary to

aim for a Guard Burst. JS c::>c::>@ ~ is useful as it breaks the gauge quickly and leads to
good combos when either hit connects. Add
JS <?<? and JS <?<? to your repertoire to increase the chances of Guard Burst.
<?+@ is in general too punishable to use
regularly, but you could surprise your opponent
for this purpose. It is also risk-free after the
Guard Burst, and can combo w ith JS ~~c::>@
~ or JS c::>@ ~ for high damage. GS
~~. <?<?m. @. and ..()..@+@ will be
your main Guard Burst tools in Gloomy Side.

DEFENSIVE PLAY
Tira cannot punish especially well. She is particularly vu lnerable to attacks w ith good
pushback and low attacks. GS ~@@ is an exceptional punishing tool, but has very short
range and can't be done from FC. Her opponents can take more risks than normal, meaning
that Tira can struggle against an aggressive strategy. Therefore it is important to stay offensive

as much as possible, using 8-Way Run movem ent and even Updraft if necessary to avoid
being cornered. [ ~o 2]
You will need to keep an eye on your health
bar. You will actually want to be in JS as you
near the 40% mark, so that Tira switches to
GS when she next takes damage. M anaging
Tira's mood swings is absolutely essential in
maintaining offense, and it can be very hard
to recover if you are in JS with little health left.
You must also be aware of the attacks that
cause Ti ra to harm herself. When close to losing the round, the smallest scrap of health
can be pivota l, so you will need to alter your
strategy by using pokes and combos without
self-damage properties.

cc-~t.r-"

Self-Damage Values

SPACING & POSITIONING

@+

<?@

-5*

GS @(+(ill~), BT @+@

-5

GS~@@

-3

GS@

-2

GS {!.-{!.-@

-2

GS@

-1

GS <?@

-1

In GS. no self-harm when whiffing

TIRA

Controlling the space is an interesting challenge w ith Tira. Her potency at various ranges will
depend a grea t deal on her opponent's options. Updraft is her only long range tool, and not
especially strong. UD riD is the only safe option. In JS, Tira can push players away with{!.-{!.-@
and <?<?@@. J S BT +liD has extremely long range, can't be stepped, and can be made
safer with the fJ+ID follow-up; GS BT +liD has reasonable range, an auto-GI, and is a fantastic move on hit or block, so being BT from range is a viable option. GS @ and @ are
good defensive mid-range attacks, while {!.-{!.-@@ is a great anti-step just inside mid range.
Combine these tools with intelligent movement to toy wi th you r opponent at various ranges.
Up close. <?@is your panic button.

POST-GI

GS ~will be your simplest post-GI option. <?<?:: could also be used if you are
confident with the timing, especially for a long distance RO. In JS, <?+liD, {!.-~@ Iilli
is useful as it can't be punished, otherwise just use standard launch combos. J S <?<? and
GS <?<?ID can bait early re-GI attempts. and you could also use @+. cancelling if the
opponent doesn't Gl back.

Pile the pressure on Tira while she is in Jolly Side, as she doesn't
have the speed or punishment tools to fight back. Wa tch for a yellow
glow, wh ich s ignifies her transition to JS. Don't let her escape, as
she w ill be looking for a way to change to GS. Be aware of painfully
punishable attacks like !1@ and @@. and make sure she can't
abuse them. Use kicks and stabs against the@+ auto-GI. Step to

KEY ATTACKS
. GS~

Punish this att ack if you can to try to discourage Tira from using it. GS
~ is also easy to step if you know it's coming. It has good range,
so resist the urge to duck at all times, because if it hits you w ill feel it.
[-70 3]
Updraft
Tira's only stance is fairly weak. It improves her movement and long
range options, but all the attack options have fairly similar timing, making it easy to Gl Tira out of the air for free damage . Try to step UD riD
early, and then block as she comes down. UD @catches step but is
punishable by fast characters even when it hits. UD@ is very unsafe.

As a long range horizontal NC knockdown, this move is really strong

when it hits. DeterTira from ever using this by punLshing it severely, as
it is -20 when blocked. Tira can try to mix up with just@. but the
second hit is not delayable, and@ is not especially threatening.

This is another potentially very dangerous attack. It is horizontal. mid,

delayable, and extremely fast. Try to get a feel for when Tira w ill use
it, and then duck the third hit for a big punishment opportunity. The
same applies for the 5-hit ~@@ Iilli, where the last three hits can
be crouched.

i.GS
~~@::
.-.- ....
., ' ,_ .
-

en .:; 1 vs r,. /N

',

Tira can use this persistently to try to encourage you to attack at a

disadvantage or crouch. Coun ter her by backstepping out of range,
or try to react to the blue Break Attack flash and then crouch, thus
preventing the guessing game. [->0 4]

her left as many attacks come from her right side. She depends a lot
on Soul Gauge, so try to make her waste it by entering Gl situations.
In GS she is very strong, but don't let her control the match. Try to
avoid her Break Attacks and stay on the offensive as she still can't
punish effectively. Be sure not to whiff, and resist the urge to Ukemi,
as Tira can do huge damage if you give her the slightest opportunity.

Command List {Values for shared attacks displayed as: JS I GS)

Inpol

l.Awcl

Damage

l lmpocl

HannonicWing

@@

High High

10.101
12,1 2

13111

Snare Robin

during Jolly Side @@

High Low

16,20

16

Snare Robin
Wailing Minerva
Fin Beat
Shriek Noise
Ptannigan PolkaGestopft Madness
Ptarmigan Polka Gestopft M adness
Low Pitch' Flap
Low Swoop
Menuett Dance
Noise Break
Standing/@
Two-Step Beak
Two-Step Terror
Dark Elegy
Nightjar Elegy
Beakbreak Toss
Peregrine Rhythm
Lowdow n Neb
Low Pitch Pointe
Back Step Pizzi cato

during jolly'Side @@ (counter hit)

during Gloomy Side S>@
during Jolly Side '}j@
during Gloomy Side '}j@@

.High Low Mid

16,20,16
28
18
12,10,20

Name

Standing/@

during Jolly Side "7@+

during Jolly Side "7 rJ+I!l
duringGIJomy .'Side -&
1:2@
during Jolly Side :>@ {auto attack )
during Gloomy Side :>@
during Jolly Side
during Gloomy Side
during Jolly Side @
during Gloomy Side
d,uring Jolly Side '}j@
during Gloomy Side '}j
-&
1:2
during Jolly Side :>@

High
Mid
Mid Mid High

2,6

8.13

2.4

2,LNC
STN 10
2

16

21

19

-9

14

14,12

Low M id High

10,14,10

18

Low Mid High

High High
SPIow
Low
High High High
High

10,14,15,
15,1 5
. '12 .

18

22
22
24

31

Mid M id
Mid M id
Mid
Mid
Mid
Mid
Mid
SP-Mid
Mid

12,14
16,16
16
24
20_:-24
14118
16120
15

15
14

13
18
20

19
17
18
18
15
16

19

-18,21.8
18,21,

8,8.8
6

NC
TC 1-FC 1NC ot tip range
I NC~.
'
Sidecl:lange C I Gl
Self-damage: 1

-4.KND
-10,KND.
KND
-10.KND,
KND

13

-14
14
0

KND
STN 14
KND

TC

8,6
8.6
10
12
12

2.4
-2.4

NC
NC

Self-damage: 1 I R-0

14
11

-'f3

4
LNC
LNG

RO
TC I R-0
-FC

13
15

TC I R-0
TJ
-FC
TC 1-FC I RO

.a

18

10
-14

-4

Fear Peeker
Low Pitch Claw
Ring Con Sordino
Claw Kick

17

<>
'}j@

16

21

-2
KNO

16

12

22

28

20

KND

15

18

KNO

14

High High High

15,15,15

47

-8,-8.-8

KND

14.9,8

Mid
Mid

65
24

63

KNO
STN

-&

during Jolly Side 1:2

during Gloomy Side 1:2

Low
Low
Low

16
18
18

15
27
21

Bremen Fortissimo

:>@

High

15

Scratch Scherzo
Standing/@+@

-&'}j@

Low

Gestopft M adness

High

Gestopft Madness

rJ+I!l

Blazing Cadenza
Deadly Arietta
Standing/@+

@+
during Gloomy Side -&+

Elnsatz'Calcatrlx

during Jolly Side +

Sidechange 8 I
Self-damage: 5
TJ l TC

,.

Einsatz Calcatrix Gestopft Madness

Grim Reaper

during Jolly Side ++

28

during Gloomy Side +

Piercing Talon Strike

Sidechange SS I auto-GI:
H,M (Horizontai,Vertical) I
Self-damage: 8
Sidechange SS I auto-G 1:
H,M (Horizontal, Vertical) I
Self-damage: 24
UBI R-0
TC ITJ
Revenge: H,M (All) less
than 20 damage ! -GS
+@ I autoGI: H, M,L !All)

High

28

KNO

Sidechange C
auto-GI: M (Alii
Sidechange SS I AT after
successful impact

during Gloomy Side +

Grim Reaper

Self-damage: 31 NC I R-0
Sidechange ss I Gil
Self-damage: 8
Sidechange SS I Gl I
Self-damage: 24

Throw

50

:>+

Mid Mid

18,30

crouching Ia)
crouching
crouchin

SP-Iow
Mid
Low

KNO

LNG,
STN

11,6

NCI R-0

STN.LNC

12,7

TCI NCI RO

15

26

16,10

12

12

16

14

6
8

16

14

14

8
2
-2

16

19

12

6,6

18

16.-

20124

15

12

Full Crouch Attacks

L~w ~itc~ .Fiap1

Lowdown Neb
Low Pitch Claw

.. .

Snare Clap
Up Bow Cantabile Updraft
Swing Kick
Jumping Attacks
Flitting' Feather
Trill Up Bow N eb
Trill Up Bow N eb
Flickering Heelkick
Flickering Heelklck Updraft
8-Way Run/@
Flageolette Fin
Scolding Starling .
Deriding Thrush

while standing

Mid
MidSP-Mid
MidMidSS
M id

while jumping @

Mid

1822

19

15

M id
Mid-Throw
Mid
Mid M id Mid
M idSS

1822

16

STN

61 66

36
36

16

19

12

KNO
KNO

TJ l TC I~@: 9 (Hit)
TJ lTC I R-0
TJ 1-BT

38

19

LNC

TJ

Mid Mid
High
Mid

18,20

Hl
22
22

while standing @
while standing @

while jumping
while jumping .@ (counter hit or mid air hit)
while jumping
while jumping (counter hit)
during Jolly SideS>+ or '}j ~ or z:J~@@
during Gloomy Side <>+ or '}j 11& or z;l ~@
1-& ,._ or 'It+@

20, 10,7,

46
18124

20,-20
4

7.KND
KNO
STN 14

TCITJ I RO
TJ I z;l@: 14,41 ~: 16.8

11

TCI NC I R-0
BA I Self-damage: 2 I RO

lli\PI B 4 i I/;, PI ,y! TIRA

l evel

Name

Canary Waltz C-Dur

Canary Waltz C
Minor

during Jolly Side <:=>+ or

durin@JJoi~Side <:=>+ or
~~A {). A

Gloo

Metsii Gigue
Baroque

t? lt or ~~
t?lt or

Side'+ or

High Mid
High Low

t?lt or~:&~

during Gloomy SideS>+

M id M id M id

10,5,15
10,5,5,
5,25
24
10,10

17

KNO

17

KND

18

-13

LNC

20

Hiisi Gigue Baroque

during Gloomy Side S>S>+

Peregrine Rhythm
Double Rhythm

during Gloomy Side ~~ or z;l~@

during Jolly Side {). ..... or 'it+

Mid M id Mid
Mid Mid
Mid
Mid M id

Staccato Ravage

during Gloomy Side {). ..... or "'f+

Mid

50

29

STN

Low

20

25

-14

Low M id

24.16

25

during Jolly Side t?lt or~~@

during Jolly Side t?lt or~~@
Strayed Robin
!counter hill
Chattering Mandible during Jolly Side '+@

Strayed Robin

Sidechange C I R-0

12

Sidechange S I
Self-damage; 5 1R-0 .
TC I RO
- FC I 2nd hit or,lly STN CH
BA I Self-damage: 2 I l onger
STN against GRO Opp
TC 1- FC
Sidechange C I BA

LNC

Mid

36

30

KND

Mu rderous Vibrato

durin&JGioomy Side '+ or

t?lt or

Mid Mid M id

12,12,12

32

.g

STC 1-FC

Murderous Vibrato

durin(hGloomy Side '+ or

t? It or

MidMidMid
MidMidMid

12,12,12,
12,12,12,

39

.g

STC 1-FC

M id High
Mid

10,16
30

16
22

-6
10

4
KND

M id-Throw

66

22

M id

20

21

16

.g

8-Way Run/@
Parrot Scratch
Hell's Barkarole
Hell's Fermata
Rhythmic Hook
Parakeet Scratch

~~ B

~~

during Jolly Side '*+ or ~ 1111 or z:I ~OO

during Gloomy Side '* + or ~~ or z:l411@
durin@Gloomy Side S> + or ~1111 or
z;l ~ K (counter hit or mid air hit)
{). ..... or "'f+@
during Jolly Side <:=>+ or t?lt or~~@

M id Mid

Death Spindle
Poison Apple
Sweet Lullaby
Bloody Tale
Glass

+@
liD+@
le ft side throw
right side throw

Retrograde Wing
Low Retro Flap
Retrograde Beak
Low Retro Neb
Retrograde Kick
Low Retro Claw
Retro Noise Gestopft Madness
Retrograde
Fortissimo

turn around
crouching turn around
turn around @
crouching turn around @
turn around
crouching turn around 00
duri@ Jo'@ Side turn around
@+ K @A+@

High

during Gloomy Side turn around +

Mid

G estopft M adness

backward @+@

Higt'l

low

...

26

21

45150
50 ISS
55160
60165
70 75

17
17
17
17
17

12
12
16
18
16
16

15
16
18
18
15
16

16,26.28

18

30

17

backward ri.1+ 0

Updraft

~ or "'f or z:IIID+OO

Diving Wing Flap

Diving Talon Thrust

during Updraft
during Updraft @

Claw Dive

during Updraft 00

Shriek Quarrel

during Gloomy Side ~f!l+IID+

Scratch Glissando

{).~S>!!ll++OO

Metsti Gigue Canon

Discord Parade
Finale

during Jolly Side

-&~,(}.~@+@+@
during Gloomy Side

{).~'*{).~'*++00

22

KND
KNO
KND
KND
KND
KND

4
4

8
8

Sidechange B I -BT !HitJ I

TC J-BT
TC R-0
R-0

2
2

-14

4
LNC.STN.
16,-18,-8
KND
-6

STN

14
2

-11
STN

14

12

KND

23

-11

KND

23

17

17

13

20

KND

13

20

KND

Sidechange SS I Gi l 2nd hit

~NC CH lTC I R-0
Sidechange D I autoGI:
H,M {Horizon tal.Vertical)
Sidechange S I Gl I
Self-damage: 8
Sidechange S GI I
STJ I Adjust ascent angle
with ~. lf or z;l
Sidechange A
BA

Mid Low

!>~i!.~ Beat ~cherzo

Discord Parade

TJJ 2nd hit L NC CH

TJ

8
8

Gestopft Madness

TJ IH-0

KND

22
Glissando Claw

15,S,5,

6,6,22
Mid Mid Mid
MidMidMid

15,5,5,
5,5,22,

KND

Sidechange SS I

15,15,15.15 w/o atltO

.MMMM I R-0
Sidechange F I Damage
15, 15, 15.15 w/o auto anack.
R-0

Ci i;\F'TEI\ 4 i VS PUW I NIGHTMARE

NIGHTMARE

Character Overview IThe iconic Azure Knight w ields the evil blade, Soul Edge, like a zweihander.
Nightmare's heavy, brutal style is inspired by a former Soul Edge host: Siegfried. This form of Soul
Edge gives Nightmare excellent range and high damage blows. On the other hand, the wild style
required to use this heavy weapon makes him quite slow and unsafe, To play this character you
will need t he patience to wait for the right opportunities to inflict damage. Proficient management
of spacing is essential, or you w il1have a lot of trouble dealing with faster characters.

~a mage
Throws

Speed

METER USAGE
<?@ lmt and GS @ lmt are Nightmare's indispensable Brave Edge tools. You should prioritize your meter usage for these two moves.
<?@ lmt brings extra damage in cornbros,.,a1
is the only reasonably fast M;cHevE~n-cr(:K
deals good damage w ith a nnrrrn:or
lmt is fantastic in combos: N,.,ntm'""
his enemy some distance, and can
or Ring Out from a long way. It's his
attack, and one of his best attacks in..,t<ron.or<>l
-&+@ lmt can be u~il:h~l.l~'"'"'"u '
ed opponent, or to su
from range.

Damage

lnpnt

Grim Stride (GS)

During this for ward dash, Nightmare is TC, and recovers in
FC. Press ~~~ from a neutral position, or from his other sta nce. NSS, to enter GS. It's also possible to enter this
stance by pressing ~ after some moves. This stance is very
useful if you want advance on your opponent. The front step
is very long, and because of the TC property, you can evade
and punish some High spacing attacks.
This stance is also useful in combos. usually w ith GS @ or GS
@ ~. GS will prevent your adversary from stepping. and
will beat any High or Mid-level Vertical attack w ith an auto-GI.
GS can also be used after a tran sition to surprise your
adversary. After the Guard Impact nothing is guaranteed, but
you get a free m ix-up. Because many attacks can transit ion
into GS. you will need to lea rn how to defend yourself if your
transition attack is blocked. GS @ protects you against Verticals, but because GS is High, some players may use slow
and damaging TC moves. Use GS @ (with ~ if you have
enough Critical Gauge) to counter this . Don't use GS @ in
general though, as it is terribly unsafe.

PIOIIDrtiC$

' ' 16

Gl

42

LNC

@c:>

42

LNC, - GS

22

TC

t~vel

hnpact .

Guutd

IIiI

1:1~

i31

-1

KND

1:1a~

i79

24

KN D

~~@@.~

i22

-4

c:>~@"t>

i29

10

KND

~~@~

i20

11

LNC

~~@

i15

22

..

Transitions to Grim Stride

, lnJ>Ul

:'''

~~'*
NSS~~~

Outside of transitions, GS (input as ..n.~~@) will auto-GI

Verticals and stab attacks that are Highs or M id from the 13th
frame. This makes the auto-GI from GS @ the fastest option
from the stance. so it's your first option to stop the opponent
from countering your stance tra nsitions w ith fast attacks.

Night S ide S t a nce (NSS)

.. ......... .... ............... .......... .............. .. ........

The Night Side Stance is a versatile w eapon. It is mainly defensive. but can also serve offensive purposes. To enter NSS,
use +@ (from a standing or crouching position}, or hold the
attack button after certain moves (for example, ~ m}. When
you press @+@. Nightmare steps backward. This can be
im plemented to m ake your opponent whiff. You should use
this t ransition at disadvantage, when your opponent is going
to attack you. After a whiff the best option is NSS +.
If you need a faster move, NSS @ is the best option. esped ally as it can RO. After a move. the NSS has two main uses.
The first is in combos (most of the time w ith NSS @1@). The
second is to protect you from punishment. For this you have
to choose the best optio n to st ay safe. Very often NSS @ will
beat every slow attack, but this one is High and can lose to
TechCrouched moves. To counter TC attacks you should try
NSS @+@. Remember that you can use NSS ~~ ~ GS
@ to counter Vertica l attacks. At far and m id range, you can
The last use of this stance is a
defend yourself with NSS
m ix-up. Mix-up NSS@ w ith NSS + o r NSS fi.l. This can
work if your opponent hesitates when you enter the sta nce.

a.

Input

Qamayo

Level

Propottius

22

TC

Q.

22

TC

30

(i)@

42

TS

@:@

52

TS

16

CH STN

28

~~ ~

-GS

Transition to Night Side Stance

Level

Imp net

GuArd

Hit

i17

10

~m

i16

-10

~m

i23

-6

LNC

~m

MM

i35

-6

LNC

wR m

i16

-3

LNC

>~m

i29

STN

Nss a

i28

-4

14

Input

+@

CiN''Tii ,:_ ! VS Pl/IY : NIGHTMARE

lnpu1

Death Smash

.. .... ..... .... ..... ..... ..... .... ..... ...... ......... ..... ....

On mage

Level

Impact-

36

i21

This launcher is one o f Nigh tmare's best M id-level attacks. It

is slow, but because of t he excellent range and the damage,
it's a strong and versatil e tool, w ith its primary use being for
whiff punishment. Because of the simple command, it's easy
to use in a lot of situations, such as after a sidestep o r backstep. This also means you have more time to react to a w hiff.
For wh iff punishment, ~ID NSS : is the best combo. In
addition to the high damage, this combo can also wall splat
and Ring Ou t. The second use is for zoning. At range you can
fish for counter hits. and ~ can be effective too (instead
of ~0). but be mindful of t he fact that it's very unsafe. You
ca n also use ~0 to m ix w ith throws and Low -l evel attacks
against an adversary w ho is likely to duck frequently. beca use
it's still too fast to react to and block standing.

Quick Neck Buster

Input

@@

. Damage

32

Level

@:@:@ is one of Nightmare's best spacing tools, and a very

fast anti-step w ith great range. When it hits. this move
knocks down, and can also Ring Out. After the knockdown,
you keep the advantage and can make the choice to attack
or to reposition yourself on the stage. On block. you keep
a slight advant age too, but because of his slow speed, it's
not enough to allow Nightmare to attack aga in. Instead. use
the advantage for a defensive action. At max range you can
still try some fast mid range tools, like another @:@:@, or
c:>. Nonetheless, overusing this move against experienced
players can be risky. Nightmare doesn't have a fast M id-level
attack to mix-up with these High attacks at m id range. f!J:@:@
is also a g reat combo finisher, especially because it can wall
splat after an air hit, which allows you to continue the combo
for massive damage.

Shadow Slicer

This ci rcular, anti-sidestep Low is a solid attack. Although it's

unsafe on block, its capacities make it one of Nightmare's
best moves. Because it's a Low-hitting anti-step m ove w ith
great range, it w ill beat Tech Crouch, Tech Step, and backdash
moves. As some attacks can crouch and step at the same
time. !::? is the best tool to counter them. especially during
Okizeme. You can also use this move for wh iff punishment.
Be aware that this Low is very slow and practiced players can
react to it. The charged version, t?rl. is excellent for pressing, especially d uring Okizeme, as you keep advantage when
it's blocked. To prevent your adversary from jumping .or interrupting, you should vary your timing for releasing a~ or use
t?rl@ which will catch jumps and can RO. Combos from
!::? are very strong, using GS or GS @ ~- The main
benefits of using this attack are the Ring Out and wall splat
opportunities from !::? c;>, GS @ ~-

Jade Strike
This quick jab is one of Nightmare's fastest attacks, and is
best used for punishment, or to interrupt an adversary. The
CH knockdown will push your adversary far away, and can
also Ring Out. Use the knockdown opportunity to reposit ion yourse lf on the stage, back-step to a more comfortable
range, or dash in if you need to attack. The real value of this
attack comes from the fact that it's very fast and can be executed from FC. making it indispensable for discouraging
close range pressure f rom faster characters.

Guard

DMIB90

........................... ......... ..
t?c;>

t?rJ
t?rJc;>

37

37

L
L

-18
i3,.1

-1

7
24

Soul Wave

Input

Damas~

~vel

lmp&r.t

Guonl

Hit

36/46

i36

-20

KND

Input

Oamago

l.nval

Impact

Guatd

Hit

~~ or z;:l~ or @

48

i31

-2

LNC

Oomnoe

Level

hliJlRCI

Guard

Hft

18

i1 6

-21

LNC

18

i16

-3

LNC

Input

o~mage

LCYOI

lmpftct

Guard

Hit

~~or z;J~ or ~@

38

i29

-2

KND

~~or z;:l~ or ~@

38

i29

10

KND

Input

Oamngo

level

lmpnet

Guard

Hit

MH

i17

@+ is a rare type of auto-Guard Impact attack. It can be

used as a standalone attack, but is better as a counter. Nightmare will absorb low damage attacks from the 6th fra me. If
you r opponent continues to attack after this, any follow-up w ill
be autoGied, protecting Nightmare and preventing his aggressor from blocking the followup. It's very useful at close range
to counter light attacks, and especially fast strings. You can use
@+ to defend yourself from pressure, or apply it more offensively, for example, to stay aggressive after@ or@
are blocked. When it hits, the knockdown lets you attack or retreat. and it can also Ring Out. Note that after absorbing an attack, if that attack recovers fast enough, your opponent may be
able to block the follow-up, leaving you open for punishment.

Crimson Vortex

This is a long range Vertical slash. It can hit from very long
range. and can also hit grounded, for strong damage. On the
ground it does a second hit for an additional 7 damage, making it supe rb for Okizeme. You can also use it for long range
spacing. This move is excellent when blocked, which allows
you to follow w ith offensive or defensive actions - an immediate backstep will cause many fast pokes to whiff, while your
own quick pokes such as r:Z@ or @ will interrupt slower
attacks. It depletes the Guard Gauge too, so your opponent
must step or i nterrupt this move to deal with it effectively.

Upper Claw

.................................................... ........

,,,,

WR fiJ is an excellent punisher for unsafe Low-hitting attacks.

With this move you can punish any move which leaves you
crouched and is -16 or worse on block. You can also punish
ducked High attacks if you react fast enough. When it hits.
WR fiJ NSS :@ is the best option, because of the damage and RO/wall splat potential. WR fiJ is fast enough to
fish for CH as well, by attacking at a disadvantage or from
the ground, and it's also a good close range poke. It doesn't
launch on counter, so CH WR fiJ. NSS @+@ .!).@+@ is the
best combo. Instead of .!).@+, you can also use GS @ 3
near the edge lor a wall splat or Ring Out.

Right Slasher

.................
This is a long range, Horizontal, anti-step spacing attack. It's
especially strong at its maximum range. You can use it to prevent the oppon ent from sidestepping or running, and you'll
be rewarded with good damage. If you press to go into
stance. GS and GS@ 3 are powerful combos. Without
going into GS, the move is excellent on block, and even if you
do transition, you still have a lot of offensive and defensive
possibilities. Because the move is High and fairly slow, you
should avoid using it too much, as some players may start to
duck on reaction.

Double Death Claw

><?@ is Nightmare's fastest Mid-hitting attack that inflicts
reasonable damage. You will need this move to stop your
opponent from attacking you too often, and to make them
respect the fram e advantage. This string is only a combo on
counter hit; when it's blocked the second hit can be ducked
and punished. So you need to be fairly sure that you will hit
your opponent as a CH before you use it. Wh en it hits, it's
safe. because the opponent is forced to block the second
hit. It can also be used for Guard Burst purposes. This move
can Ring Out as well as wall splat for damaging combos. so
near the edge try for counter hits with >@@ by using frame
traps, or delaying and then attacking.

2.KND

._

C 11\PTEfl.:.. i VS f'L1\Y i NIGHTMARE

Jade Smasher
This slow fist attack can inflict very high damage. Even
though this move is very slow, it's still possible to use it as
a whiff punisher. The best way is to use it is after a sidestep
against a linear attack. When it hits. follow-up with>@@ (or
<?@@ Iilli :for 99 damage). Many attacks will recover too
quickly to be punishable by .e.-e.@ when they whiff, but the
move is safe when blocked and does a good job of reducing
the Guard Gauge as well.

Input

Ether Splitter

< ~~or ~~

This attack is a Mid-hitting launcher with long range. It's perfect for whiff punishment after S-Way Running, since during
a run you just have to press ~ or~. Because the move is
fast for the range it covers, it will allow you to punish many
attacks easily. When you get the launch after ~ ~c:t> the
best option is BT GS . but to obtain the maximum damage you have to delay a little and hit the adversary after the
bounce (for 8 damage points). You need to be at t ip range
to be able to combo properly after a normal ~~ launch
{without the GS t ransition), after which S>c:t> is the most
damaging option.

Mail Splitter
This attack may seem slow, but for Nightmare it's still a reliable poke. especially for mid range zoning. The string is
on ly a natural combo on counter hit, but is totally safe when
blocked. So if you need to impede an aggressive adversary
with a fairly fast. safe attack, it's the best tool. This move
is also able to hit on the ground. so it's similarly helpful for
Okizeme. can also be used for Guard Burst, but be careful about Just Guard, sidestep, and Guard Impact.

Death Rage
This string is really great for spacing at mid range. The range is
huge, and because it's a Mid-hitting, circular attack, it will catch
almost every option that your adversary can use. .e.-e.@ is
a combo on CH: watch to confirm the CH, and if you didn't
get a counter, you can cancel the second hit wit h ~. Keep
in mind that your adversary has to guess if Nightmare will
release the second strike or not. So if your opponent is waiting for the second hit, you will keep the advantage when you
enter Grim Stride because of t he time it takes the opponent
to react. If the opponent always tries to attack after the first
hit, you should sometimes release the second one even w ithout CH to discourage him. When it's blocked, the second@ is
not safe, but because of the pushback it's not easy to punish.

OuickTemple Buster

'

This attack is a fast, circula r anti-sidestep attack. @@@ may

seem far bette:r, but S>@ isn't superfluous because of the
speed and the easy execution. The range of c:t>@ is still good
enough to allow you to use it at mid range. On counter hit it
will knock the opponen t down and can also RO or w all splat.
When it's blocked it is unsafe, but because of the pushback
it can be difficult to punish. c:t>@ itself can also be used for
punishment.

~~or~~S>

Mail Crusher

Input

This attack is excellent if you need a suitable Mid-level antisidestep tool, especially from mid range. ~@@ is a natural
combo, and can also RO or wall splat very well. Near the
edge, after ~@, GS @ ~ is a combo for a longer range
Ring Out or wall splat. You can't abuse it because it's very
unsafe when it's blocked. You can use an alternative string,
~@{!.@, in the hope of confusing your opponent. This version is only a natural combo on counter hit but presents better Okizeme opportunities when it connects.

Nightmare's throws are very strong. The damage is average. but his throw reach is better than most other characters, meaning that you can use them very often. @+@ gives
you the most damage from the front. and it leaves you in
an excellent Okizeme situation too. so it's great for offensive
play. @+@ deals a little less damage and puts the opponent
far away, which is advantageous if you want to escape from
close range. This th row can also Ring Out or w all splat for big
damage. The right-side throw is very strong if you need more
damage, and the Okizeme afterwards is also really good.
Against a passive opponent you should use it as much as
possible if you need to attack, and especially near the edge,
as it can also Ring Out to Nightmare's back.

Dan>>g&

level

lmpct

Guard

Hit

20.32

MM

i19

20,-20

-4,KND

20,26

ML

i19

-20,18

-4,KND

1
Input

Damoqc

E$Ctlpe Wittdow

@+@

55

13

@+@

50

13

FC@+@

30

11

FC@+@

30

11

@+@ or+@ (left)

60

13

65

13

70

13 (Voldo I Astaroih I Z.W.E.I.}

@+@ or+@ (Right

.<;

@+@ or+@ (Back)

FC @+@can Ring Out to the front, while FC @+@can Ri ng

Out and wall splat to the back. Even though they can't be
ducked like normal throws, they're still unsafe, so be especially wary of characters who can punish w ith a Ring Out or
wall splat of their own.

'-

''\if

BRAVE EDGE ATTACKS

You should really focus your strategy on using <?@ ~ and

GS @ ~ . GS @ ~ is a very strong attack throw. This move
is able to wall splat or RO from a long range. After a wa II splat,
<?@@ is an excellent follow -up. GS@ ~ connects after a
lot of attacks becau se it hits grounded, and you can adapt your
combos by finishing with this move in different situations. You
can also use it to catch an adversary who stays on the floor.
Even though you keep the advantage when it's blocked, the
second hit is High and can be crouched and punished, so be
careful with this move against experienced players.

''"

level

llllf ICI

Guard

Hir

MH

i28

10

KND

18, 28, 16, 9 MHMM

i17

KND

-&+@@+@+@

40,0

SML

i41

STN

~~@@+@+@

22, 15

MM

i20

-16

LNC

Input

Oom ge

level

{!r~c::>-&~c::> @+@+@

80/160

lnpu1

Oam~ge

GS@@+@+@

12,

<?@ @+@+@ :@

7. 18, 4

<?@ ~ :@gives Nightmare a fast Mid attack with high damage. It works in the same situations as <?@@. but because
the string is normal hit NC, it's al$o one of Nightmare's best
punisher moves. But like >@@. the second hit is High and
can be ducked, so again be cautious. ~~@ ~ is a poweredup version of~~@ and is used in the same way. Combo with
@ or GS @ ~ . -&+@ ~ is probably the least interesting Brave Edge attack from Nightmare, but it can still be
used for pressure, or to attempt a Guard Burst. On block you
keep the advantage, and at max range you can surprise your
opponent with the quake stun for a guaranteed ~ 8.

Nightmare surrounds himself with an auto-Guard Impact

during his (!, which counters all attacks other than throws,
unblockables, and other (! attacks. The window is huge,
active from the 5th frame until Nightmare releases the attack by himsel f. If it connects at this poin t it will inflict 160
damage points. If the attack Guard Impacts some thing, the
Critical Edge will deal 80 damage. If the opponent doesn't
attack when you use it, as long as they react in time, they can
sidestep and punish you very badly. This is why it's best used
during the opponent's strings. In open play, the risk/reward
ratio is fairly bad, and the maximum damage version will only
connect if your odvor~l!ry makes a terrible mistake.

Guard Impacts from frame 5

tl

ct

Guard

Hil

KND

C>J,PTR i. ! IJS Plf>,Y : NIGHTMARE

Nightmare's combos don't have many hits, but inflict a lot of damage. Very often normal hit
combos w ill lead into NSS, in which case NSS @:@ is the best option for a juggle. If Nightmare
is not in a stance during a juggle,@:@:@ or c:l>c:l> are usually the best f inishers. During a stun
combo, <?@@ deals decent damage and can also RO or wall spltat. It's also possible to use
<? Iilli :for extra damage or a longer range Ring Out. Finishing a combo w ith .C.+ can
be a good idea if you need to build Critical Gauge.

For Combo A, after ~~.;> you have to

delay the BT GS @) a little to profit from the
damage on landing. At close range, use BT
.C. if you didn't go into GS. Combo B only
works w ith the quake stun. If you are too far,
~won't launch.

Damage

Hits

Cos!

Diffic ulty

NSS:@

75

@:@:@

81

!::2@c:l>

GS@

69

***
*

!::2@c:l>

GS@ Iilli

76

WRID

NSS:@

58

c:l>@c::(>

GS@

67

' c:t>@c::(>

GS@~

76

. c:l>c::(>@

1::2@

65

~~@c::(>

BT GS@

66

~~(tip range)

c::(>c:l>

82

*
**
***

.C.+

61

NSS:@

88

NSS @+, .C.@+

84

<?liD

82

<?@

<?@ Iilli :

101

.C. ..C. liD

.C. ..C.@

<?@liD

83

<?Iilli:

99

~IDNSS:@

63

c::(>c::(>@

80

NSS @+, ..C,.@+

73

c:l>ID, NSS @, .C.@+

72

Combo

Starter

Follow-up

~ID

c:l>

.., N3
. , ID
, 'ID
. >'@

.:: . .C.+ Iilli (mid-range)

. :;<:,: ~~ Iilli
:' (; CHWR ID

'

UKEMITRAPS

...,

UkemiTrap

Directions

Difficulty

Most of the time you w ill need 1:1@

or delayed 1:1@. which can work in
many Ukemi situations. However.
Nightmare's damage is already good.
and because he is relatively slow.
you won't have that many combo opportunities in a round. Trying an Ukemi Trap instead of taking guaranteed
damage can be risky. Nonetheless. if
you really need more damage. they

103

Right, Back

Delay 1:1@~ GS @ Iilli

116

All

t1@~.GS @

101

Right, Back

Delay <?<?(]). NSS @+@ ..(lr@+@

122

Left. back

.. NSS ..(lr~. delay GS @. GS @~. GS@ Iilli

~~ lml

can be really rewarding. The delay is different for every Ukemi Trap, so you will need to practice to become used to the timing . After ~~. the only w ay for your opponent to escape ..(lrl3 is to roll to the
right side. If the opponent does so, you should use ~@ again to hit him w ith maximum damage.

WALL COMBOS
Night mare has very strong wall combos. They don't require Critica l
Gauge for the most part. As a general rule, after a wa ll splat you
should use <? @ for a second wall splat. and then ~(]) . If the angle
doesn't allow a second wall splat. <?@ Iilli : is probably the best
option. but uses m eter. If nothing can really connect. or if you need

Combo

<:
Damago

Hits

GS @. :lm:@, W! @@, ~@

120

****

<?@@. WI ~fiJ. NSS :@

108

10

-!7@+@

109

(AJ:@:@ W!

<?@ lml :@

93

FC @+@ W!

<?@@.WI <?@@. ':>::!@

114

GS @c::>. GS @~.
GS @ Imi W!

@@.WI ~ (]). NSS :@

178

Starter

Follow-up

c::>c::>@c::> W!
. ; GS @ !mi W!

0
E

m eter, you should use ..(lr@+ . which should connect almost everywhere. Also keep in mind t hat GS @ lml after a wall splat can Ring
Out over a nearby edge. The main moves to w all splat are GS @ lml.
~ ~@~. NSS @. FC +@. and~:@ .

' ~(). NSS :@ W!

Difficulty

CHAP F:H 4 !VS ?LW i NIGHTMARE

APPLYING OFFENSE .
If you want to attack w ith Nightmare you
have to spend as little time as possible at
close range. Nightmare's throws are great
for attacking, and because of their range you
don't need to be so close to use them. If you
want to come forward to within throw range,
you can use Grim Stride ({)..~c:t>l. From here
you are able to use Nightmare's standing and
crouch throws, and you have access to WR
0. This move is similar speed to the throws.
leads to good damage on normal hit, and
can be made safe when blocked. So after
using GS. mixing-up between throws and
WR is a good idea. You can also try to mix
throws wi th GS if your opponent is passive against the stance. If you want to stay
at close range because you want to th row a
lot or to be very aggressive. you should use
tools like ~@. 1:1, c:t> . or WR @ to be
fast enough.
Nightmare's Lows are not amazing but can
be effective. 11@ and 11 are blockable on
reaction, but your adversary has to concentrate to do so, and can still be surprised. You
can also mix t hem w ith other slow Mids for
confusion, like ~c:t> for example. If you
want a fast low. 1:1 is appropriate for some
light damage. On hit you are not in an excellen t position, but you can still try to mix-up
WR or c:t> w ith defensive actions. W ith
Night Side Stance you can mix-up NSS
w ith NSS rJ or NSS ~l+. [~0 1]

OKIZEME
You should exploit Nightmare's Okizeme opportu nities to t he maximum. He is able to inflict huge damage on a grounded opponent.
{)..@ is a very nice Low to add extra chip damage. {713 can also apply pressure and lead
to solid damage. 1:1@ can catch adversaries
w ho try to roll. c:t>~ and GS force your
opponent to rise and w ill inflict strong damage if they stay down. If you need a faster
move, is an excellent option. It doesn't
do so much damQge, but it's sQfe Qnd will hit
on the ground. Because it's faster. it will also
prevent your adversary from attacking on
wakeup. If you want to inflict damage or put
your adversary under pressure. >>@stops
your adversary from roll ing, and is good
when blocked too. GS @ lml is very strong
near the edge if your adversary stays down.
It wi ll inflict huge damage by wall splatting, or
ring the opponent out Because of thi s move.
your opponent will need to wake every time
near th e edge.

RING OUT
Nightmare's Ring Out game is really strong.
This character can Ring Out from all over
the stage, and over a long distance. A lot of
tools can RO d irectly from t he front, like CH
>@@. c::>c::>@, c:t>~@. FC @+@. etc. To

the left the best option is CH c::>@. To the right, @@@and ~@@work very wel l. For reverse
Ring Out, +@ and FC +@ are strong. But the best overall tool for RO is GS @ Iilli. It
can RO f rom long range and can connect after a lot of attacks. If you want to maximize Nightmare's RO capabilities. you have to exploit this move by adapting your combos to finish w ith
GS@ after the following attacks:~@@ (near the edge). t?@c::>, CH WR 0. ~0. ~~@c::>,
GS . {)..{),@, >@, .(3.13, ~~. >>0. ~~@ Iilli, and NSS @+@. [~0 2)

GUARD BURST
Nightmare's Guard Burst game is truly excellent. Most of his main moves are able to reduce
the Guard Gauge pretty well, even if they are not listed here. This strategy works especially
well against punishment-based characters. w ho will often block you r mix-ups and wait for
opportu nities to1Junish. >>@. {)..+ !mi. {)..{)..@. , {)..@+@, and ~c:t> are the
safer options. Against characters unable to punish you. you have more tools at your disposal,
though many have a weak point. For example GS lml and >@ lml can be ducked. but if
the opponent isn't crouching, you should use these tools often.
After Guard Burst, the most damaging combo is GS , GS . GS !mi. Watch out for opportunities to RO too. as Nightmare has many great RO attacks and combos. The Guard Burst game
is a really advantageous strategy for Nightmare. You can use long range zoning attacks and stay
safe, or unsafe strong moves when they're in trouble. If your opponent starts to lose patience
and stops guarding, use faster attacks to add to the frustration, like c::>, >@@,or .
Guard Burst

I Attacks

DEFENSIVE PLAY
Nightmare is very strong if he is played defensively. He is one of the best characters in the
game for whiff punishing, and also has a great sidestep. Your strategy should be to make your
opponent whiff. For this you can use your backstep or sidestep, and must then select the best
tool to punish them. ~m is not always the best one, but is certainly the most ve rsatile. as it
can work after a sidestep or a backstep because of the excellent range. After a sidestep, you
can also use -~:H7@ to inflict very strong damage, but for this you have to react very quickly.
For long range punishment, you should use ~~:HID or~~ till~. Avoid close range by back
stepping wherever possible. Don't hesitate to use it even if you have the frame advantage
and your adversary is expecting an attack. If the backstep is not enough, Guard Impact and
auto-G Is like GS@ or+ can dissuade your opponent from attacking and make him doubt.

You can also use the Critical Edge to make

the opponent afraid of attacking you systematically. Even if it's very unsaie, the fear of
your C!Ii can make the opponent hesitate and
will give you the time to backdash. Because
some characters won't try any long range attacks and w ill try to stay very close, you will
need these Guard Impacts. Some moves can
also push your opponent away. c:t>@ is one
of t he best tools you can use at close range
to escape. c:t>, @@@ and @+@ also work
well, and you can use <?@@ if you need a
Mid attack. [~0 1]
Nightmare is, however, weak at punishing
unsafe attacks. @. c:t>@, and <=l> are often
your only options for punishment, but don't
inflict much damage. Sometimes it can be
better to use the advantage to back dash
or to initiate a mix-up. If the m ove is -17 or
worse, you can use <?@ till~ : or @:@:@.
You shouldn't miss this kind o f opportunity.
Against very unsafe attacks, use ~m. Using
Just Guard is not very rewa rding for Nightmare. Most of the time you will only be allowed to use c:t>@ or c:t>@ to punish. Against
big attacks it can sometimes mean ~@ (;m
w ill connect. [ ~o 2]

SPACING & POSITIONING

Nightmare is very strong at spacing, especially from long range. c:t>c:t>@ or c:t>c:t>
are excellent tools and probably the best
from th is range, because you still have a lot
of options even if they're blocked. -&-&,
{7{7, and ~~ are also excellent for this
purpose, but because all are unsafe, you
have to ta ke into consideration the opposing character's punishment capabilities. tZ@
and tZ are your long range Low attacks for
applying slow mix-ups at distance. At mid
range Nightmare is not excellent but still
strong. It's risky to try to hit him from this
range because of his fast backdash. @:@:@,
. c:t>. ~. and ~@ are his best tools
from here. [ 70 3]

POST-GI
Unlike the other characters, Nightmare can't
get guaranteed damage after a Gl because
his Critical Edge is too slow to connect. ~m
NSS : is the best option if the opponent
doesn't re-GI. -IJ.-IJ.@ is an excellent delay
move to bait an early Guard Impact and inflict huge damage. Always keep in mind
RO options, and throws for a safer mix-up.
Nightmare's long throw reach means they
w ill usually connect without needing to dash
forwards. ( ~0 4)

Cf IAPTCI~ 4 ! VS f.\ ...W I NIGHTMARE

Nightmare is a slow and unsafe character.

Nonetheless, he is able to inflict a lot of damage, especially by whiff punishing, so you
should be extra careful not to whiff. If you
have a close combat character, try to stay
wi thin your optimal range. Strong punishing

characters shouldn't m iss any opportunities: this wi ll provide you with guaran teed damage and
really limit Nightmare's tools. Mid or long range characters may be better off fighting Nightmare at close range. Try to make him whiff to reduce the effectiveness of his mid and long
range zoning tools. Because Nightmare is a bad block punisher, you can mix-up with unsafe
moves to maximize you r damage. Keep his evasive and auto-Guard Impact moves in mind
when you pressure or attack him.

KEY ATTACKS
+
To counter this auto-Guard Impact you have
to use strong attacks {more than 25 damage),
Low attacks, throws, or even you r Critical
Edge. If you only poke him at the beginning,
you might still be able to block the ensuing
wave attack. providing your poke recovers
fast enough, and if you block it as it's very
unsafe. [~0 5]

t:Z
You need to be able to block this Low on
reaction. If not you w ill have a lot of trouble against Nightmare. Watch out for the
cha rged version; trying to jump it can be dangerous, especially near the edge, because of
the @ cancel. If you block the non-charged
version you have to know your best options
to punish it. and remember that GS can
defeat some Vertical punishment attempts.
GS
This move is anti-sidestep and again has an
auto-Guard Impact property. Most of the time
Nightmare wi ll use this attack after a Grim
Stride transition. The best way to counter it
is to use Horizontal attacks. though be careful not to whiff w ith Highs as Nightmare is TC
during GS. The safest option is a fast..().. On
counter hit, this attack stuns and leads to very
powerful combos and Ring Out, so be careful when you try to step or interrupt his GS
stance. GS is unsafe when blocked. [ 7 0 6]
~ Br.av~ Edge

Because Nightmare's Brave Edge attacks are

very strong, you need to be able to deal with
th em. The second hit of ~~ !! can be
sidestepped. The second hits of GS @ !!
and <?@ !! can be ducked and punished.
c......
ritical
Edge
. .
,.
,,,, .. .. ..

. ,,;

.:

This attack w ill guard impact every attack in

the game, except throws, unblockables. and
other@ attacks. but leaves Nightmare very

vulnerable. Use throws and unblockables if you expect it. The other solution is to delay or cancel your attacks, or put Nightmare under pressure to make him release the Critical Edge. You
can then just sidestep and punish him as strongly as possible with your biggest combo. Don't
try to attack him, even with a throw, unless you react immediately. Otherwise simply guard,
as it's not worth the risk of attacking or sidestepping in case you take 160+ damage. [ -70 7]

Command List
Nnmo

lllpllt

Standing/@
Slash Cross- Night Side
Stance

Slash Cross

Hit

level

High SS

16

17

SP

SP

@@@

High High Mid

16,18,26

17

.(), -8, 16

4, 2, KND

Brutal Cross
Triple Grounder

@@<?
@.().@@

High High Mid

High Low Low

16, 18, 48

16, 22, 32

17
17

-6, -8. 10
-6. 16, 16

4, 2. KND
4, KND. KND

11

Quick Neck Buster

llD@ (fast)

High

42

16

1-2

KND

15

Quick Neck Buster

Quick Backspin Slash .

@@@

High
High

32

15
15-16

1-2

KND

-15
20, 20
. '20 ..18 .
14
18
7
1

4
4, KND

16

19
19
18

M ail Crusher
Death Grounder

.::>@
~@@

. ~@.().@

Jade Slicer
Shadow Slicer

.().@

Shadow Slicer
Jade Crusher

!:?rl

!:?@

Shadow Slicer- Grim Stride

l:?rl
!:?@

Shadow Slicer- Grim Stride

Back Blade

<?@

J::?rlc:>

Mid M id
Mid Low .
Low
Low
Low
High-Throw
LowSS

26
20, 32
20,26
37

31

52

79

60
37

??
31

SP

4, KNO
-4

KND
KND
AT
KNO

LowSS
High

52

79

SP

40

32

KND
STN

12

2 first hits NC,

Opp-FC !Hitl
SA. 2 iirst hits NC
2 last hits NC
SA. +2 at mid range
on block
BA, Delayable
KNOCH
NC

12

NCC
- FC

10

BA

7
BA

Standing/@
Mail Splitter
Bloody Hilt
Bloody HiltNight Side Stance
Death Smash
Death Smash Night Side Stan ce
Shadow Buster

M id Mid

18,22

High

18

20
16

10, 8
1 2

2, KNO
4

c:>m

. High SS

18

16

SP

SP

~@

M id

36

21

20

LNC

11

~m

Mid SS

36

21

SP

SP

11

.().@

M id

20

21

11

Darlt Soul Impact

Shadow Breaker
Shadow BreakerNight Side Stance

!:?@

38
24, 30

31

16

35

10, 14

KND
STN, LNC

15

<?

Low
Mid Mid

NC

<?0

MidMidSS

24,30

35

10, SP

STN, LNC

NC

.::>

High
High

14

13

18

14

-8
-8

2
4

Mid

16

15

10

Earth Trample
Earth Trample
Dark Low Kick

.().
.().13

Low
Low
Low

20
30

21

16

15

-14

Double Death Claw

<?

16
18 28

27

14 -6

36
46

36

20

KND
KND

15

20
20

16
-16

KND

20
22
14

18

AT. 2

-14

....

NCC. Opp-FC (block)

STN CH
STN CH

TC.-FC

Standing/@
Dark High Kick
Jade Strike
Dark Middle Kick

!:?

Mid l:iigh

56

KNOCH

STN

2
2 KND

UB

- FC
NCC

Standing/@+
Soul Wave
Soul Wave
Soul Smasher

@+
@+ (revenge)
.().@+

enemy on the ground .().@+

Mid
Mid
Mid
MidThrow

Gl
Gl

13
13

Opp-FC (Block)

14

- FC

Shadow Buster

crouching
crouching

Death Hom Charge

Dark Low Kick

crouching~@
crouching

Mid-Throw

60,30

Low

16

while standing @

68

5
22

12

18

22
16

AT

while standing @

High-Throw
Mid

LNC

15

STNCH

while standing (lJ

MidSS

18

16

SP

LNC

15

STNCH

while standing

Mid

22

14

14

28
35

12

KNO

KNO

11
-FC

While Rising Attacks

Soul Stake
Upper Claw
Upper ClawNight Side Stance
Dark Head Upper
Jumping Attacks
Fatal Spin Slash

High

2228

Fatat:Bu ster

Mid

26-32

24,26

MidSS

24

TJ I t:S.: no KND

KND

38

Mid Mid

TJ, 7A : Opp-BT (Hit)

12

22

.a. 16

2. KND

SP

SP

NCC

Ether Splitter- Grim Stride

Rook Splitter
Side Shutter
Side ShutterNight Side Sta nee

~~or~~
~~or ~~(IDS>
"li'i' or

~+or t?lt or ~~

Mid
MidSS
Mid

t?lt or ~~0

.e...

<?+or

31

Mid

24,8
46
32

29

-21
SP
-16
-8

MidSS

32

29

SP

Mid
MidSS

22
22
42

15
38

20

8-Way Run/@
Shoulder Rush
S>o+ or~~ or~~@
Shoulder Rush- Grim Stride S>o+ or~~ or ~~@S>
Jade Smasher

.e,... or iJ'+
~+ or

Soul Devour
Doom's Invitation
Unholy Terror
, Witch Hunt
Flap Jack

t?lt or ~~@

left side throw

right side throw
back throw
crouching @+@

Turning Leg Slash

crouching turn around @

Turning Sword Buster

Turning Shadow Buster

turn around @
crouching turn around (ID
turn around @
turn around @

Soul Biter
Soul Biter :., Night,Side
Stance

Phantom Impact
Skul,l Chopper
Skull Chopper

LNC
LNC
KND
STN

STN

CHA?i'f"{ ;, i VS ?lAY : HEISHIRO MITSURUGI

MITSURUGI

I M itsurugi is a classical samurai in every sense. using his katana to battle

opponents with honor and dedication in the hopes of finding a worthy adversary. He is a very versatile character that can either apply zoning and spacing to keep opponents at bay, or rush in and
pressure them into mix-up s with his strong Mid and Low attacks. Although he has a stance that
can add an additional element to his style, he is still one of the simpler characters to pick up and
play, and thus an excellent choice for new players that are still learning the basics of the game.

Character Overview

Damage :.

Throws
Speed
Punishment
Safety .
Guard Burst
Ring Out
Oldzeme

Mix-ups
:Range
Move11'ient :

PLAYSTYLE FOCUS
Mitsurugi has a plethora of quick pokes that can be used for
both offense and defense, so it is very easy to switch bethese two styles o f play rapidly. On defense they are
closing when you want to create

METER USAGE
Mitsurugi's r!1S can be used in a
lot of his combos in place of t?(ID
or ~@. bu t most of the time the
extra damage is not worthwhi le,
so unless it w ill kill th e opponent
better off keeping your
this isn't the
c~tse. ls . if you are
edge~~'"'"-.,.,.,.,
or wall, as it can both RO and lead
' to a. shor.t7 'but damaging, wall
combo. Outside of that, however,
having the meter available for a
'very fast knocl<dowfJ Low like
../Jr@(ID .mEl , and a fast, strong
1\i)jp,~ i l'l '{}~<=:> mil is a much
better cho1ce, and makes Mltsurugi:s mix-up' potential incredibiy ...:
strong,
,
'\
.- ~

Mist (MST)
When in Mist, Mitsurugi brings his katana up to his shou lder and adopts a purely offensive fighting style, during which
he cannot guard at all. This forces you into either attacking
quickly, or evading and counter-attacking . You can transition
into the stance from a number of different attacks by holding
c:t> immediately after th em, making your opponent g uess every time about whether or not you w ill enter the stance after
one of those attacks. The most effective of these attacks are
@and 1::?1:2@@ as they give you the most advantage on
both hit or guard. Conversely, (ID(ID and .0.@() are among t he
worst transition s and give you the least advantage.
You can also enter M ST w ithout doing an attack first in a
number of different ways: @+lets you enter while also
ta king a small step backwards, @+ is similar but steps
forwards, and c:t>@+ takes a large step forward and also
crouches down while entering the stance, avoiding all High attacks. It's also worth noting that while you cannot guard in the
stance, you can press @ to cancel it after a short animation,
after which time you can guard normally. You also have some
limited movement options while in MST to help you avoid attacks, with taking a small step backwards. S>S> a big
step forwards, .0. crouching under High attacks. and ~. 'If
and z;:l all jumping in various directions to go over Low attacks.
The main purpose of MST is to apply immediate pressure on
opponents in a high risk/high reward fashion. Between MST
@ to catch step, MST (ID to go for a quick CH combo. and
MST @+@ to absorb quick single-hit pokes, you have all the
tools you need to make opponents hesitate. Once that happens you can use M ST @(ID and the MST throws for quick
mix-ups, or M ST [lJ +I3 if you think they will guard for mass ive advantage and a guaranteed attack.

Input

O$mag~

Levol

MST@

28

MST@@@

10,10,10

HHH

NC, STN CH

MST@. liD+

12,20,16

HM

NC, -MST

MST@@

16,28

LH

NC,TC

38

Revenge: H,M !All) less .\~~ ;;:29 ~am~g~

30

CHAT '

Msrm+et .

40;20

BA.AT

MST @~

10,28

HM

' MST @+@

45

MST @+@

50

-tvisr@+@
.r-4sT; ~@ .

':;,

Trans~ions into Mist

luput

level

Guard

Hit

>@

-2

@(IDS>

MM

-10

(IDS>

.O.c:t>

LM

-22

-10

I::? I::? or~~()@

MH

-8

KND

\;Jfi

~ PRIMARY ATTACKS

, .' ...
In pur

Oomngo

lev" I

S>(ID

24

i17

-6

The S> series is one of Mitsurugi's main poking tools for

spacing oppone nts and punishing their mistakes. The combination of speed and range the attacks have, along with g iving
good advantage when they hit and being safe when guarded,
makes them very difficult for opponents to deal with when
used effectively. The similar startup animation also goes a
long way to disguising which version you are doing, adding to
confusion they can cause. S>"'f is the fastest version, is an
excellent interrupt tool, and S> is useful even when guarded due to its incredible pushback. S>:.O. is totally safe and
gives a stun combo when it hits, but its slow speed makes it
only useful post-GI or in Okizeme.

(ID"'f

32

i14

-2

20

i18

-12

-2

i33

-6

STN

Heavenly Dance Series

Input

Oomagc

love I

lmpct

Guattl

Hit

S>c:t> or ~ ~ or z;:l z;:l (ID(ID

26,34

MM

i20

-13,-23

LNC.LNC

S>S> or ~ ~ or z;:l z;:l @ -

26,25

MM

i20

13,-23

Wind Hole Series

This is M itsurugi's primary launching attack, and is most

often used for whiff punishing or in m ix-ups when you are
at a slight advantage. It's somewhat unsa fe when guarded,
but the threat of the fo llow-up will often discourage most
attempts at punishment. The @ version is faster than
the other versions, but it doesn't launch high enough for anything to be g uaranteed other than the follow-up, so you have
to commit to t hat if you wan t good damage and it is very
unsa fe. ~~@ launches high enough t hat you can do other
attacks after it. such as .O.~c:t>CID, which both increases the
combo damage, and lower the risk since you do not have to
commit to the very punishable follow-up.

36

CII!IPTLR 4 ! VS PLAY ! HElSHlRO .Ml'l'SURUGl

Stalk Shaver
-!}@ is one of Mitsurug i's most lethal threats when he
is at close range, and a big part of what makes his mix-ups
so deadly. This Low attack is not only fast enough to not be

blocked M !eaction, but it inflicts heavy damage, is a natural

com bo, and knocks down on CH. You also have the option to
transition into MST afterwards to either continue pressuring
the opponent, or counter any potent ial retaliation. -!}@alone
also hits ground opponents and tracks very well, so it's excellent for Okizeme after you have knocked your opponent down.

Draw n Breath
Anytime you are at mid-to-long range, this shou ld be one of
your primary tools to deter opposing players from stepping.
It is fast enoug h to beat m any other attacks at those ranges,
and gives very good advantage when it hits, while still remaining good enough when guarded to allow you to keep
your offense f lowing w ith some quick pokes. You can also
go into MST after this attack: on hit the quick attacks from
MST are nearly impossible to beat. and for some characters
t his is even the case w hen the attack is guarded. Although
t he transition afterwards is good, you should not become too
predictable w ith it; opponents that anticipate it can counter
the quick MST attacks with fastTC attacks.

Step Stone Divide

Input

-!}~~

This is the fastest of Mitsurugi's powerful Mid attacks and it is

an excellent punishment tool t hat can also be used from crouch.
On hit it leaves you at a small disadvantage, which against most
characters m eans you can maintain your offense, but against
faster ones you may consider evasive attacks instead. When
Guarded. however. the attack is unsafe, reducing its usefulness
as an interrupt tool and meaning it should be primarily used
inside combos and for punishment. Holding gives you a
slower, more powerf ul version of the attack that when guarded,
leaves you in the sam e position as the normal version on hit.
w hile inflicting heavy Guard Gauge damage. On hit it knocks the
opponent down and allows for a quick ground attack.

Phoenix Tail
Anytime w hen you feel that~~ may not have the range, or
might be too slow from your position, this attack shou ld be one
of you r first choices for a whiff pun isher. Because of1ts great
range, and the fact that it hits grounded opponents, it's also
a very strong Okizeme tool anytime you knock the opponent
away and have to close the gap quickly. W hen guarded it also
leaves you in an almost neutral position, while inflicting heavy
damage to your opponent's Guard Gauge. If all of that wasn't
enough, you can also cancel the attack during the animation
by pressing@, which is a great way to feint the opponent and
make them guard, allowing you to quickly throw or Low poke.

Heavenly Stich
The main purpose of t his attack is for CH fishing against opponents that are rushing in, or after attacks that put you in
crouch. When the first hit connects it launches the opponent,
but even the follow-up is not guaranteed unless it's a CH so it
is only somewhat useful for pun ishing wh iffed High attacks. If
it does connect on CH, however, the follow-up slams the opponent into the ground, allowing you to land strong ground hitting attacks such as~~@+ for a large amount of damage.

'

-!Jr~~m
-!}~ ~

mEl

Damage

level

42

62

Guard

Hit

!AvoI

..

ln1pnct

Gtiald '

18

-16

L~vl! l

Impact

Guard

Jlit

22.40

MM

20

-12,-8

KND,KND

Damago

lovol

lmpoct

Guard

Hit

Input

Damage

Level

Impact

Guard

Hit

:>:>@

52

28

-14

-2

Input

Damage

level

lmpoct

Guard

Hit

Heaven Cannon

. M

This is another staple launching attack for Mitsurugi that gives

you speed and slight ly more damage over~ ~. at the loss
of range and safety. The boost in speed will make this attack
extremely viable in many mix-ups where ~~ will be too
slow, and the rewards can more than make up for the risk.
You also have the threat of doing the @ version. which can
deter some punishment attempts if you are willing to use it
liberally. When guarded, the attack also has very little blockstun. which can make it difficult for opponents to punish if th ey
do not react fast enough. It's also useful as a combo ender,
and dLiring Okizeme since it hits grounded opponents.

Bullet Cutter
This double Mid hitting attack falls between ~ and ~~
in terms of speed, and while it does not do the same level
of damage as either of those attacks. it's totally safe when
guarded. This gives you a safe option to use if your opponent
is punishing bo th of those attacks heavily, while still keeping
a solid knockdown attack with good Okizeme potential in your
arsenal. :>@ on its own is also a very good RO tool so it's
very effective in mix-ups near the ring edge, especially as it's
a kick attack so many auto-Gi attacks will not work against it.

lopu(

<>

.
Drawn Air
When you are moving around and don't have quick access to
:>@. this attack is a very good alternative to keep in mind
when you are looking to stop your opponent from stepping.
While it may be a bit slower than :>@. it has the added benefit of being Mid so you do not have to worry about your
opponent's TC attacks. It also has slightly better range and
leaves you in a better position both on hit and when guarded,
so you can easily keep up your offense after it.

Fiery Air

................................. ............................
:>@ is another very sol id Mid hitting attack that is very
good for tracking sidestepping opponents. While it is somewhat slower than his other anti-step options. it does considerably more damage, and has more range, which allows it to be
used in a number of different situations. It is one of the better
attacks to use if your opponent is trying to keep you at range
because of its excellent reach and horizontal coverage, and it
is also a very good w hiff punisher if you have just back-stepped
an attack. This attack is relatively unsafe when guarded. however, so you cannot abuse it, but when used at the edge of
its range it can be very difficult for your opponents to punish.

Reaver

.......... .. .. ...
When you are involved in a series of close-range pokes with
your opponent. @ should be your go-to attack if you anticipate that they will try to step to the side. It is by far the quickes t of his anti-step options, but it also has the least range so
you have to be very close to your opponent to use it effectively. On hit this attack also leaves you at a massive advantage
and you can use it to force opponents into a guessing game
with Mitsurugi's strong Mid and Low attacks. Because it is so
fast and recovers so well, you can also intentionally wh iff it at
mid-range to bait opponents into trying to punish with slower
attacks that you can CH them out of.

Input

Wind Hole Vortex

Damugo

lovcl

Impact

G~ard

.:. Hl1 .

During <? Mitsurugi takes a huge step backwards before

lunging forward with his katana, and it is the back-step that
makes this a very useful attack. Anytime you are at a slight
disadvan tage and feel your opponent will attack quickly, you
can use this att:ack to move out of range of their strike, while
simultaneously delivering one of your own in retaliation. You
also have the option of using this attack as a feint, and then
canceling it into MST to quickly CH any opponents t rying to interrupt, or use a normal MSTmix-up ifthey continue guarding.

A lthough Mitsurugi can usually get a lot of opportunities to

throw opponents because of his constant mix-up pressure,
the actual throws themselves do very average damage and
do not leave you in a good position afterwards. Bot h of his
normal forward facing throws allow the opponent to Ukemi
straight away, which greatly limits your Okizeme options. The
@+@ throw does, however, RO forward and also cause a
wa ll splat that leads to a full c:t>c:t>(ID(ID combo for very strong
damage. His left throw doesn't allow t he opponent to Ukemi
afterwards. but it leaves t hem too far away for good Okizeme.
His right side throw is by far the best all-around throw, doing
good damage, and leaves the opponent right next you for
perfect Ok.izeme w ith attacks such as t:?(ID that gives them
no other options t han to guard immediately or get hit.

More so than perhaps any other attack, ..(),@ m3 is what

makes Mitsurugi's mix-ups so potent. This attack is extremely
fast. has good tracking, knocks down when it hits and deals
good damage. Even though it is punishable when guarded, the rewards more than make up for it. The last hit also
slams the opponent down and prevents any Ukemi attempt.
w hich leaves th em in the perfect position for Okizeme. The
..(Jr~c:t>(ID m3 is mainly used in combos as it slams down
the opponent and gives you a guaran teed .quick ground hit.
Its combination of speed and knockdown also make it a very
good attack for punish ing any of your opponen t's attacks that
recover badly enough after guarding them.

luput

Oali>age

@+@

50

+@

55

13

@ or +@ (Left)

65

13

@ or +@ (Right}

60

13

@ or +@ (Back)

70

MST@+@

45

Input

Dsmone

Lovol

ltnpact

~@@+@+@

32,15

.MM

i18

..(),@@+@+@

20,15, 1.5 L.M.NI

..(Jr~c:t>(ID @++@

42

iv1

-7

i17
i16
i9

MST (ID m3 is one of your strongest interrupt options because on CH it gives you a guaranteed ~(ID launch combo
for a significant amount of damage. It's also very safe when
guarded, so there is very little risk involved in using it. The
small amount of extra damage gained from doing ~(ID m3
makes it not worthwhile for using in combos. and should only
be done if you feel the need to make ~(ID safe.

Mitsurugi's r!I3 is quite slow compared to many others.

which means it is not particu larly well suited for use in punishment or as an interrupt attack. It is best used in combos
when you need additional damage, or if you are near a wall
or ring edge as it wall splats and rings out very wel l. Because
it also picks opponents up off the ground, however. it can be
useful in Okizeme situations too as it gives you more damage
than any of his other ground hitting options. plus the added
bonus of a potential RO or wall splat. Outside of these uses,
however. his @lEI has very limited practical applications, and
you are much better served saving your meter for his m3 attacks to increase the effectiveness of his mix-ups.

Guard

Hi~

-20

KND

'

After most of Mitsurugi's standard launchers, such as ~ or ~~ . ..O.~c:t> is the

only rea l follow-up worth considering. It does
more damage than any other normal follow
up, and is very easy and reliable, which
means you never have to worry about potential axis issues when using it. You can also
use the Iilli version of the attack to ground
slam the opponent and follow-up with a

Combo

you can use c:t>c:t>@+ as a ground hitting

attack instead of !::? for considerably more
damage, or the ~ again if the situation is
right. During stuns that leave the opponent
standing like CH MST @+, ~ is generally a better follow-up than !::? because after
some of them it will give a full launch if you
are quick enough, and it will still hit grounded
if you miss-time it.

Damage

Hits

Cost

Difficulty

92

**

.,().~@ Iilli. !::?

79

~@

.,().~@ @. ~

112

~~

,().~@

57

,().~@ Iilli. !::?

73

***

~~

.0. ~ (ID Iilli' (i]3

106

!::?@

.,().~0. 1::?

103

!::?@

..O.~c:t>m. ~

139

@+

76

"

@:..().

@+

72

MST @+@

~@ . ..().~@

96

**

~ . .,().~@ ~- !::?

106

MST@+@

~ . ..().~~. ~

126

***

CH@

@.0,

52

CH~..().@

!::?

46

. CH~..().@

89

**

CH @c:t>

53

CH FC !::?@@

..0...0.@+

89

**

CHMST @@+@

!::?@

66

CHMST@ ~

~ .0.~@

90

CHMST@ ~

~. ..().~@ ~. ~

98

Starter

Follow-up

..O.~c:t>

~@

- ~~

MST@+@

ground-hitting attack such as !::? for addi

tional damage (Combo Al. In any instance
where you can follow-up with !::?,you could
also use the ~ for additional damage or to
RO/wall splat the opponent. After wall splat
ting with the ~ you can do c:t>c:t> for
a guaranteed ground hitting attack and huge
damage. After attacks that leave the opponent stunned on the ground such as c:t>:..O.

,.

C ii\PTL "! t. !V:> PLI\Y ! HEISHIRO MITSURUGI

UKEMITRAPS

Ukemi Trap

Knockdown

M itsurugi does not have many Ukemi Traps, but thankfully

they com e after a number of his most useful attacks so you
generally have a lot of opportunities to use them. His strong
knockdown attacks such as @+@ and .C.~@ ~
offer the most potential, as opponents may try to Ukemi
away from the usual follow-ups in case you miss-time them.
.C.~ (ID will catch Ukemi in a lot of directions after these
attacks, but you will occasionally have to do a slight dash in
beforehand to get into the correct position. There's a similar
situation after using t:Z@ to knock the opponent down, but
here you can use liD@ to cover most directions, or the {!lg
to cover them .all if you have the meter.

Difficulty

l:Z@

. liD@

73

Back, Right

l:Z@

; .C.~ (ID

95

Left

**
**

l:Z@

, (!Iii

95

All

~~@+

: .C.~ (ID

104

All

~~@+

@+@

113

Back. Left

.c.~~m or ..o-~~(ID ~

<?<?@

96

Back. Righ t

..O.~~m or ..0.~~ ~

.C.~ (ID

104

Left

***

character specific

WALL COMBOS
Near a wa ll Mitsurugi's already fearsome Mid attacks become even
more deadly, as many of them are ve ry good for wall splatting. <?@
will allow you to wall splat from quite some distance away and stay
sa fe while doing so, or you can use FC t:Z(ID, ~(ID and ~~(ID for a
high wall splat that allows for bigger combos. After any high wall splat
you can also use another ~(ID to re-splat the m high on the wa ll for
Combo

additional damage and continue your combo from there. Mitsurugi is

also one of the few characters that can use a throw to wall splat with
his @+@ throw, giving you another strong option in mix-ups near a
wall. Th is throw, along with .C.~~(ID ~ . gives a low wall splat, after
which you can ei ther use a full ~~(ID(ID, or put them back on the
wall in the same position by using a {!lg (Combo C).
Damage

Hits

Cost

Difficulty

@13. W! ~~(ID

136

.C.~~(ID ~ W!

@13. W! ~~(ID

121

**
***

<?@WI

~@. W! ~(ID . .C.~~(ID ~. ~@)

89

.C.~~fi)W!

C!l3..W! ~()

145

Starter

Follow-up

@+@W!

'

APPLYING OFFENSE
Mitsurugi isn't great at keeping his offense going if he fails to launch or knock his opponent
down when trying to mix-up, as the attacks
used for this are quite unsafe. Generally you
want to try and apply as much damage as
possible by forcing a guard choice from your
opponent and playing on the fear of the ..().@
Iilli to force them to make mistakes. Although
Okizerne is the real strength of Mitsurugi's offense, you can still make use of attacks that are
almost positive on block, such as .C.~~m. to
enable a pressure game based on wearing your
opponent's Guard Gauge down. [-?0 1] This
approach is less reckless and more suited to
patient players, but it can still lead to successful
bursts of offensive play. Once the Guard Gauge
is flashing, it becomes much easier to bai t your

opponent and fish for a CH w ith moves like

FC t:Z(ID, allowing the potential for very strong
damage without using any really unsafe at-

tacks. Another way to keep your offense going

despite being at a disadvantage is to use <?(ID
and its variations to evade backwards out of

reach, and retaliate as you come back in. Even

though the attack is safe to use against most
characters, if you become too predictable with
it it'll be easy for your opponent to hit you during it for a CH combo.

OKIZEME
Mitsurugi has a very strong Okizeme game
thanks to t he sheer amount of Mid and Low
attacks he possesses that hit grounded opponents. Once you have knocked an opponent
down, you can use 1:1 or~ to catch them
if they roll to t he left, or S>S> for the right.
Opponents are generally more likely to stay
on the ground against Mitsurugi because
they do not want to get up into his mix-ups,
which can lead to taking much more damage
and being left in the same situation again. If
the opponent does start getting up and guarding, you can use Low attacks sudh as S>~
for a quick poke, or 1:1@ to knock them back
down and reset the situation. ~@+ is also
a good option here. since not only does it hit
grounded, bu t if it's guarded it you can easily
continue your offense afterwa rds.

RING OUT
Mitsurugi is not one of the better dharacters
when it comes to ringing opponents out, but
he can still be reasonably effective. Most of his
mix-up tools, such as ~. ~~. -e.-~S>
Iilli and -e.-IRI !! . all RO straight ahead, so
you don't have to venture very fa r from your
normal strategies to go for a RO. The only
real problem w ith these attacks is that you
have to be very close to the ring edge in order
for them to ring the opponent out. His @+@
throw, however, rings out from a respectable
distance away, and the MST @+@ throw rings
out very well to the left. <?@ also becomes
much more of a threat near the ring edge, as
it is relatively fast and safe, and since the opponent has to wai t for the potential follow-up,
you can sometimes work in a quick mix-up.

II

GUARD BURST
A Guard Burst strategy can be used with Mitsurugi if you're aiming for a more cautious and
patient playstyle. This actually involves more
poking and defensive play, and using mostly
sa fe attacks when on the offensive rather
than going for unsa fe mix-ups. It can be quite
an effective game plan, as most of the moves
used in Guard Bursting also allow your offense to continue because of their very good
blockstun. -e,.~1!1 is a perfect example of
this, as is MST @+, but you'll need to mix
in fas t pokes in order to make the opponent
hesi tate enough to guard these attacks.

Guard Burst

Req.lo Burst Attacks

1:1@-@. MST 1!1+13. '1}@+, >@

-e,.~ (i), @+@, MST @+@

>@@)

10

<? <?. -e. -e.

11

-e,@+

12

15

~~. @. ~

- -e..e.@

Bursts on the first hit of this string

DEFENSIVE PLAY
Defensive ly, Mitsurugi has to poke in front and around himself frequently in order to prevent
the opponent rushing in on him too easily. This means ta king advantage of his speed and
range to make the opponent feel that they can't easily get near you. His ability to punish
unsafe attacks. although not bad, is not on par with characters like Pyrrha, so you shouldn't
aim to rely on punishing to win. His whiff punishment on the other hand is very good, most
notably with~~. So your defensive strategy should be to use your pokes as a first line of
defense, and then when the opponent tries to react to them, use your movements to make
them whi ff and then punish, if possible, with a launcher. [-70 1)
When fighting against characters with superior range and spacing such as Ivy, Z.W.E.I. or
Siegfried, making them whiff should become the priority over poking. This is because poking
against characters with better tools at mid or long range is far riskier than usual. Against rushdown characters such as Natsu or Leixia, poking should be your priority, however, with the aim
being to keep them at bay and frustrate them while dealing damage safely. Using Just Guard
in your defense can pay off, but as with block punishment. it's not Mitsurugi's best bet. This

C; li\P fER 1 '\IS f'! f\V I HEISHIRO MITSURUGI

is a very character-specific decision. as some

characters may have attacks that are slower
and easier to Just Guard. Generally, attacks
worth Just Guarding w ith Mitsurugi should
guarantee at least a ..O.~S>!ID, if not a ~liD
for a launch. [ 7 0 2)

SPACING & POSITIONING

Spacing is one of the strongest parts of Mit
surugi's game. Attacks such as S>S>+!ID or
~~@ are a threat to anyone at mid to far
range, even for the best long-range spacing
characters. His best positioning is again character-specific. as he's highly versatile in this

regard. Obviously you want to keep faster

characters such as Natsu away from you and
try to maintain a mid-range battle as much
as possible, while characters w ith superior
spacing, such as Z.W.E.I., should be dealt
with up-close and personal. A solid general
approach. however. is to try to poke your opponent at mid-range to test how they react
when you 're unsure of th e strategy to apply.
If they are patient and w illing to wa it for your
pokes. you' ll be able to move in for mix-ups,
and if they try to counter your poking then
you'll be able to apply your spacing game and
focus on punishing whiffed attacks. [~0 3]

Although a very simple character to use and understand, Mitsurugi

can be very annoying to fight against due to his excellent pokes and
his very effective mix-up game. To overcome the pokes, you need to
understand that each of them has one or two keys weaknes ses. For
example, S>!ID.ofr is a very fast move with good range and is great
either when it hits or is guarded. But it's a High-hitting attack. thus

KEY ATTACKS
~

This is a very good launcher, bu t it's actually quite unsafe when guard
ed. It may not seem so. as the move's recovery appears fast, but the
blockstun is almost non-existen t. You must punish this as heavily as
your character allows, or else the Mitsurugi player will be able to use
it freely to strengthen their mix-ups. [ 70 5]

<?
<?liD can

be v ery annoying as it allows Mitsurugi to escape fast,

short-ranged attacks even at times when you have good frame ad
vantage. To prevent this you can either use an attack with good range
or an advancing attack. The other way to punish overuse of this attack
is to simply sidestep it and punish as it wh iffs, so you'll need to watch
...
for the times that the Mitsurugi player uses it.

-& ~
This infamous sweep is wh9t makes Mitsurugi the monster he is
at close range. It's very fast, you can't react to it1 it tracks well and
it knocks down for continuing pain. You 'll have to guess and guard
low to block it , but when you do so, the third hit can't be used, so
you don't have to wait for it . ..0. is extremely unsafe, so again you
should find your absolute best punishment tool and apply it every
time you guard it. It's also unsafe even when it hits if the ~ isn't
used. [~0 6]
~~ ! ~~

This launcher, p robably Mitsurugi's best overall, can be very annoying

and hard to punish, as it has a deadly follow-up to watch for. When
the first hit is guarded, most charac ters can punish w ith at least@@,
but the threat of the second hit can't be ignored. The safest way to
deal with it if your opponent only sometimes uses the second hit is
to simply sidestep after the first hit to your right. The second hit will
always whiff, leaving Mitsurugi open for punishment, and you'll still
be able to use a mix-up after if they only used the first hit. If you do
guard the second hit, it's very unsafe so you'll be able to punish with
a launcher. [ ~o 71

POST-GI
Mitsurugi is very strong after a successful Gl.
His slower options to bait a reG I attempt are
very safe and deal decent Guard Gauge dam
age . ..O.~S>m and S>S>@+!ID are especially
good for this. Simply using your C!I3 after a
Gl is generally a good option, though Mit
surugi's C!I3 is quite weak as a stand-alone
move. Instead, a simple ~ liD into your favor
ite combo is a better bet for easy damage,
and throws can also be a good, safe option.
[70 4]

making it vulnerable to TC moves or ducking, and it's also very linear

and vulnerable to sidestep. His mix-up game also has one glaring
weakness: its complete lack of safety. It's therefore essential to find
your cha racter's best punishment tools for these moves and apply
them consisten tly to discourage M itsurugi's offense.

Command List
Nan~o

level

Input

Standing/@
Twin Splinters
Reaver

High High
High

spllttlil!i Gold

Mid

Knee Slice

12. 14
18
: '22

.15

High SS

12
38
42
28
28

13
34
64
19
19

Mid Mid
Mid MidSS
High

16,18
16, 18
, 26

15
15
15

Mid

32
48
24

32

19
19
17
14

36
20
32
' 18

33
18
18
16

21
38

15

-4

33

-12

SP-Iow

Shin Slicer
Shin Slicer Feint

Low
Mid
High

Drawn Breath
Drawn Breath - M ist

2. 6

13

-8. 6

15

2
6
6

' 4

-16

KND

12

LNC

-4

4
6

-a. -6

2, 4

NC

8
STN CH

13
7

TC I -FC
TC
SA I Clean Hit: A
Opp -BT (Hit)

-MST I Opp -BT (Hit)

Standing/@
Forced Prayer Divide
Forced Prayer Divide - Mist
M ask
Feint L
Tear Step
Wind Hole
Wind Hole Upper

liD
liD'*
liD'* .

tiD (counter hit)

'*liD
'*IID'fr

MidThrow
M id

'*liD~ (fast)

High
Low

'*..e.
~liD

Low
Mid

Rust
A ir Tale
Wind Hole Vortex

..e.oo
>@

Mid
Mid
Mid

Wind Hole VorteK - Mist

>@'*

ss

Wind Hole Lower

Wind Hole Lower
Heaven Cannon

ti

22

0
3
10

22

KND

-6

10

8-9

2
6
12
-16
<; -7

14

AT

STN

13
15

-2
LNC

12

TC

- FC

2
4
KND

NC
NC 1-MST
STN CH

15
7

TS
TS I -MST

Standing/@
Snap Kick

Obedience
Wheel Kick
Front Kick

liD

Stalk Shaver

..e.

Stalk Shaver - Mist

Hem Stitch

13
20

Mid-Throw

36,20

18

17

KND

12

Mid-Throw

36,12,18

18

17

KND

12

SPIow
Mid
High

12
18
30

12
15
16

-6
8
6

8
2
4

15
10

Mid Mid

24,26

17

12. -8

LNC, KND

High ,
Mid
Low Mid

'*
~

Low Mid SS

..e.'*

li

Dividing Thrust
Purifying Thrust

+. counter hit >

Full Crouch Attacks

Knee Slice

crouching

Upper Arch
Time:Hole

14
22, 42
23
18
20, 28
20,28
16

High
Mid Mid

crouching liD
crouching ~ @

t:Z liD@

15
15
17

16
10

KND

-4

26, 26
22

8
6
-10, 16
10

-2

IAT
at close range)
(only at dose range)
TC 1-FC

Heavenly Stich

crouching

Hem Stitch

crouching

Low

16

14

14

-2

while standing
while standing liD

Mid

28
24
18

17

15

-8
6

5
2
6

-3
6
-10
2

7
4
0
STN

13

-FC
TC I NCC (NC at max
range I against Astaroth
and Algol) I Clean Hit: B
-FC

While Rising Attacks

Silent Slash
Wind Divide
Front Kick

while standing

Mid
Mid

14

TC

15

Jumping Attacks
Field Reave

while jumping
while jumping @

2226
2430
22-28
58

27
23
20

Mid

32
26
32
52

20
33
42
28

Mid Mid

26,32

Mid
Mid High M id

High

Shearing Knot
Jump Kick

while jumping

Wheel Slash

while jumping @+@

M id

'*+ or ~~ or~ ~@

High

~+ or'frf-@

tilt or~~

Mid
Low

>+@

Mid
Mid

TJ I Opp - BT (hit)
TJ
TJ
STJ I Clean Hit: A

8-Way Run/@
Acute Gale
Drawn Air

' True\fa~u.um
Fiery Air

15

KNOCH

16

KND

15

RO

14

-2

11

20

13,-24

LNC,LNC

13, 7

32

32

11

STN

10

23,22.48

28

10,9.-12

2,3, STN

8Way Run/@
Heavenly Dance

+ or ~ ~ or~~@@

Hell Flash

~+ ()('fr +

Blunt Fla.mes

~:Z it or~~@@

NCJ RO I ~~ and
~ @ higher LNC
TC

1st two hits NC I

Clean Hit: C

CiiA': ;..:.; I I v;.; ': /W HEISHIRO MITSURUGI

Name

Level

Blunt Flames- Mist

tZit or ~~@@c:l>

Hell Divide

<?+
<?+c:l>

Mid High SS
Mid

crouching turn around @

Reverse Divide
Hidden Divide

crouching turn around @

Reverse Kick

turn around @

turn around

Hidden Kick

Mist
: Full Divide

d_uring Mi~t @

Wind Stitch

during M ist @@@

Wind Grab

during M ist +@

Wind Grab
Wi nd Torture

KND

. ,

during Mist @@+@ (counter hit)

during M i?t @@+(jSJ. coun~r hit

Water Parting Thrust

during Mist

@@

Divi.de

9uring Jv1is t

@+@ .

11. '

-1

~..

10

STN

10

KND

10

-12. -6

Revenge: H,M (All) less

than 29 damage

Wind Purify

-1

15

-MST

Wind Pu~f~

STN

15
15
6
6

R-0 !At ' . :,

KN D
STN:

I'"' ,,:.

AT

R-0 jBAjAT
BAI AT

R-0

;.,

,,

~.

MAXI
Character Overview I Maxi can be one of the most daunting characters to start learning to play
because he can often feel uncontrollable due to the amount of automatic stance shifting he does as
he attacks. While being able to constantly attack may seem good at first, if you just ra ndomly attack
without any kind of forethought or strategy, defeating even average opponents will be difficult. Only
through a lot of practice, learning all of the stances and transitions so tha t you always know exactly
which attack is going to com e at any point, w ill the true power of Maxi come through. Having full
con trol over the stances will allow you to keep opponents under pressure by using safe strings,
and then once they are hesitant to attack, you can use looping stance transitions to open up new
mix-up opportu nities.

PLAYSTYLE FOCUS

gr~at

Maxi is a character who offers

combo potential, mixed
with .a'large arsenal of close range normal and stance-based
1
attacks that allow you to play hi in a number of different
ways. He has a lot of fast basi strings and pokes such as
t?, <?<?. and ~+ tha you can use to put opponents under pressure at close ange while remaining relato these attacks, the threat of em is often enough to keep
your opponent guarding long enough for you to continue
poking or go for a throw att~r pt, and this is also a good
tactic for CH fishing. When,v.ou first start working stances
into your playstyle, it's best
focus on attacks that transition into stances with quick ollow-ups.
Once your opponent is he;Jtant to attack, you can begin expanding your offense even ~ rther through some quick stance
looping to try and hit them f"'ith unexpected att acks. Learning
to confirm whether or not l our attack hits the opponent, and if
it was a CH or not, is a verfj important thing to learn with Maxi
to avoid using a potentiqfly very unsafe attack at the wrong
time. It's very easy to flo\&< from a basic poking game to a more
stance-based style, and witching between the two can make
it very difficult for oppo, ent s to read and react to you. [ ->0 1]

METER USAGE
Although Maxi does not have
many Iilli attacks, having enough
meter to use them when you
need to is extremely important.
In no case is this m ore apparent
t han wi th ~+. where the Iilli
turns a solid attack into one of the
best punishers in the game, so
conserving meter for this attack
and its follow-up should be your
primary focus. While using the
@+ Iilli, Ll @ Iilli combo
does take the same amount of
meter as doing a C!l3. it also does
more damage, making it a much
better use of the m eter. His ~
can allow you to punish attacks
that ~+ won't reach or is too
slow for, however, so if you are
fighting against a character that
can take advantage of your lack
of normal punishment, saving the
meter for a well-timed ~ can be
crucial.

~11

:j

[!)

..

10_025

Maxi has more stances than nearly any other character in the game.
and learning to use them effectively is a key factor towards success.
Every stance and the attacks within it have a purpose. and provide
you with options to deal with many different kinds of potential retaliation. Whenever you enter a stance. try to do so with an attack that
is either good when blocked. or that can lead into a combo-string. as
this will make it much more difficult for opponents to interrupt your
transitions. while also frustrating them into making m istakes.

Right Outer (RO)

RO is one of Maxi's most deadly stances. which

you can also transition into from some of his best
pokes. such as ~ and t?@. RO @ is a very
quick High attack that is perfect for catching opponents trying to sidestep, and the @ follow-up
is a NC after the @. You can also charge the @
to make it a Break Attack and get a significant
amount of advantage if you th ink the opponent
will guard. RO liD is a strong Mid attack that is relatively sa fe when guarded and leads to a stun that
allows you to connect with RC @@ 1513. Ll @
IE afterwards. thanks to the automatic transition
into RC. This attack also has a right sidestep built
into the anima tion. which makes it almost impossible to evade in that direction, and quite evasive.

One universal option that you have no matter what stance you are
in is Maxi's auto-GI, which you can access at any time by pressing
@+@.This attack will Gl any Mid-hitting strikes, and upon doing so
will deliver a quick backfist that will stun the opponent and give you
a guaranteed ~@+@follow-up. Against characters that have very
strong vertical attacks that are fast enough to be used as potential
interrupts. having t his option available at all times in any stance can
li terally be a life saver.

Jnput

PrC)portios

RO @

14

TSR.-BL

RO@@

14,26

HM

NC, KND, RO

RO@I3

14,46

HM

BA, KND, RO

RO@

14

TSR, STN, -RC

RO@

18

TJ. STN

RO @@

18,30

MM

TJ, NC, LNC

RO@@

18,24

ML

TJ. NC, KND, -FC

tevel

Gmud

Hh

-2

10

t?@

-4

12

FC~@

-8

FC ~@@

-8,-8

4.4

FC~@@@

-8,-8,-8

4.4.4

'

Transiti9ns into RO

Inpur
@

...

RO @ is usefu l at times when you think your opponent is going to interrupt you with pokes such as
..(}@ or ..(}@. since it is TJ for a good portion of the
attack. You have the option of doing either another
Mid (iS), or a Low@ follow-up, so even if it's guarded you still get a mix-up. This is made even better by
the fact that the @ is totally safe. and the@ is only
slightly punisl1able. plus either of the follow-ups are
also a NC after the first @. so there is very little risk.

>@

STN

+@:@:@:@:@

Mx9

-31

LNC

Left Outer {LO)

lnpu1

Evasion is the primary focus of LO, with many

TC and sidestepping attacks. Unlike a lot of his
other stances, you also have two Low options,
both of which come out at different speeds so
you can vary the timing of your attacks. LO @ is
the slower of the two, but it is also more evasive
than LO @and safe, wh ile LO (iS) is slightly punishable. It has a canned follow-up in the form of a
Mid (iS), which can be very useful if used sparingly
to catch oppo nents t rying to interrupt after the
@. Both LO@ and its@ follow-up also give you
the advantage on hit, while LO @ leaves you at a
small disadvantage so your options can be somewhat limited after it; the fact that LO@ is faster.
however. still makes it a useful attack for mix-ups.
The main threat from this stance, however. is LO
@.which like RO @.can lead to massive combos
thanks to the automatic RC transition afterwards.
LO @also has a @follow-up, in the form of a High
(iS), and while it can be ducked if LO@ is guarded.
cannot if it hits. After any transition into LO, if you
do not press the attack button straight away to get
the LO attack. you will have to go through an automatic RC transition before you can guard. While
this is good for using LO and quick RC mix-ups, it
means you almost have to attack since guarding
takes an extremely long time.

..(}@+@

Onmage

lovo!

Proportia~

LO @

23

TC. TSL

LO@@

23,25

LM

TC. NCC

LO @

24

TC. TSL. STN on CH.-RC

LO@@

24,30

MH

TCrrJ. NCC, KND. RO

LO@

16

TC. -FC

Transilions inlo LO
Input

Lovol

Guard

Hll

@@

MM

12

~@

-8

17

~ or "ll' or~@

-2

KND

Ci-'iiPrf.'f) ,; IVS P.AY MAXI

Left Inner (LI)

Ll offers M axi some of his best pressure tools thanks to its
combina tion of speed and potential damage. Ll @ is a very
quick High kick that has excellent tracking and gives you a
combo when it hits. Even if the kick is guarded it still gives you
the advantage, so you can use it to set up CH fishing attacks
such as I:?. The fastest option from the stance is Ll . and
while this can be a good opt ion against opponents trying to
interrupt you, it. is extremely unsafe, so it can be risky to use
in this way. Its primary use is as a combo finisher after attacks
such as S>+ !llil.
Ll gives you a good change of pace attack from this stance.
and while it is significantly slower than the other two. it is also
a lot more evasive thanks to being TC for most the animation
and having a built-i n sidestep. On hit it launches the opponent,
and since it transitions back into Ll, you can follow-up w ith Ll
very easily for b ig damage. You also have the option to charge
it so that it becomes a BA; during the charge time the attack
remains fullyTC so you can easily evade High strings or slow
High attacks w ith it, and if the charged version is guarded, it
gives you enough advantage that Ll is guaranteed afterwards. Like LO, you also go through automatic stance shifts
after you enter Ll, but here you have to go through both LO
and RC before you can guard, so you have an even stronger
impetus to attack.

Right Cross (RC)

RC is a bit more of a risky stance, w ith the best and quickest option being the RC string.This is relatively fast, tracks well,
and is a NC. You can confirm the hit, and then use the lllil version of the to combo into Ll .The other two attacks from
the stance are primarily used for their evasive properties, so
you have to try and predict how your opponent is going to react
and guess accordingly. RC is TJ very early in the animation
so is good for avoiding {!. and Low attacks. plus it knocks the
opponent down on hit for a guaranteed follow-up. If guarded
it also puts the opponent in FC, which can limit their potential
retaliation options. RC@ gives you a TC option that's good for
evading quick pokes, but if you r opponent doesn't attack,
its slow speed means that it can be guarded on reaction. If you
do connect with it, however, the second @ follow-up is guaranteed and can ring opponents out from a considerable distance.

Behind Lower (BL)

Similar to ll, BL is best described as a pressure stance, especially if your opponent is near the ring edge. BL @ is the
weakest option from the stance in terms of offense because
it's a High attack that doesn't really allow you to keep attacking
afterwa rds. It s primary use is as a defensive tool to escape in
situations where you think your opponent is likely to t ry and
punish you, such as after~~ which is - 12, but doing BL
afterwards wi ll avoid a lot of punishment due to the backstep
during the attack.
The main t hreat of the stance, however, is the mix-up between
BL and BL @@. Both of these strings are a NC, and
they give you an almost perfec t Mid/Low mix-up because of
how fast bot h of the starting attacks are. BL @@is especially
deadly near a ring edge because it is such a good Ring Out attack, and because opponents are more likely to t ry and crouch
guard it at that t ime, you can often catch them w ith a lot more
Bl . The only downside to t he mix-up is t he fact t hat if
the opponent does guard BL , it's very unsafe because the
follow-up is High, as long as you are m ixing it up w ell, however,
t he reward can be more than worth it .

Input

Damage

35
60,

Ll

lllil

lvol

u0
u
Transitions into Left Inner
Input

Level

Guiud

llit

-5

14

c:t>+ j
c:t>@<?(@)

{!.{!.or if..fr

MMMMM
M

c:t>c:t>

Input

Damage

RC @

15

. Rc
RC @@~

15,25
. 15,20

MM
MM

RC@

30

RC@

. 30

Rc

30,23

..

LM

rem, r\Jc . .

o..

14

-8

-1.6

-6

11

STN

Transitions into RC
Input

L~vl

HH

llh

Pro parties

Pure/True Seven
Pure and True Seven is the abi li ty that allows Maxi to continu
ously cycle through his different stances. If you press c::> during a stance, you wil l begin a Pure Seven loop that moves you
forward as you cycle through the stances, and pressing<? w ill
start a True Seven loop w hile you move backwa rds. You can
also press..[!, or "11'@+@ to go straight into a Pure Seven loop
starting at diffe rent points without doing an actual attack f irst.
Once yo u have started either of the looping sequences, it w ill
continue o n its own until you either attack or g uard.
The most im po rtan t thing to become familiar with when learn
ing how to loop is the different animation that each stance
has during its active period . Som e of them can be difficult to
identify, and ot hers are o nly active for a very short period of
t ime so it can help to count the looping sequ ence out in your
head as you are doing it. For example, you could do<?@<? t o
start a True Seven loop from LO, and t hen count out 1.. 2 .. 3 to
know you wi ll b e in RO. Ll is easy to recognize during looping
because of the small crouch Maxi does, so once you've keyed
onto that, you know that the small hesitation after the crouch
during a Pure Seven loop is the period of time you are in LO.
By t iming your c::> and<? inputs, you can even keep Maxi between stance loops so that he goes back and .forth into the
same stance over and over. With a bit of pract ice you can make
this happen fa irly quickly, and it can add anot her layer of dept h
to your looping mix-ups. Once you know how st ances flow
into each other, you can start creat ing custom strings by using
looping to change w hich stance's attacks you put after each
ot her, w hich can be useful agai nst opponen ts familiar w ith the
norm al transitions. You can also use loopi ng to keep repeating
effective attacks such as LO @ . Since LO@ leaves you in RC,
you can press<? to True Seven loop back into LO very quickly
for another LO @ .This is a grea t way to score a CH and pres
sure opponents.

, Lo~ping S,equence

....

BL U
RC RO
LO RC
RO BL
Ll , LO

LO
BL
RO
Ll

RC

~uro Seven

.. Stnrtiug Stance

Twe Seven

RC
ll

BL
LO
RO

RO
LO
Ll

RC
BL

BL
RC
LO
RO
Ll

Impact

Dragon's Brand

ll

RO
RC
BL
LO

LO
BL
RO
Ll

RC

RC
Ll

BL
LO
RO

Guard

Hil

STN

Restart
Loop

c::>+ is o ne of Maxi's most important poking and interrupt ing tools because not on ly is it virtually safe, but it can
lead t o incredib le am ounts of damage. For most of the animation the attack is TC, soit's very use ful for going under quick
pokes tha t m any o pponents may use to try and interrupt,
and it gives you a knockdown on hit for good Okizem e. Because it 's so safe, you can almost get a mix-up if it's guarded,
beca use few options can beat both another c::>@+@ done
straight away, and a quick sidestep into a c::>+@ . Its only
downside is lack of range, but as long as you're close to your
opponent there is very little reason not to use it.

Snake Kiss
Although slower than his@@. <?@ is a much better option
to use as a close range poke and offensive pressuring tool.
It has some TC frames during the animation so it can avoid
High pokes, and whi le it is unsafe if guarded, the follow-up
LO@ is uninte rruptable. Because of the stun it g ives on CH,
very few opponents ever try to punish <?@. It's because o p
ponents often remain guarding after <?@ that makes it so
effective, since you can also use LO @as a m ix-up, and for
catching opponents t hat try to sidestep the second @. Even
after <?@@ wh ich is quit e unsafe, opponents still have to
take the High follow-up kick into account, which limits their
pu nishment options.

Input

Damage

Level

Impact

Guard

Hit

<?@

16

i17

8 (-@,25)

17 (-@ -16)

<?@@

16,24

M
MM

i17

2 (-@18)

8 (-@9)

Ci ;\ PTCR ,: IVS I_;.;y' MAXI

Guillotine Dance
Althougl1 Maxi lacks very good Low attacks, {7@+ can still
be quite effective if used sparingly. It does very good damage
lor a Low attack, and it's TC for most of the animation. but
its slow speed means that once opponents get used to the
animation, they can often guard it on reaction . It has good
range, however, and the first part of the attack hits grounded
opponents, so it can be used effectively in Okizeme and in
Ukemi Traps.

N orthern Lights

{7{7@ is arguably Maxi's best tool for dealing with the opponent's sidestepping and one of his best mid to long range
attacks in general. Although it's quite slow and very unsafe if
you try and guard after it, the fact that it transitions naturally
into Ll means that you can interrupt nearly all punishment attempts with Ll @. If you manage to connect with this attack
at the tip of its range, Ll @ is guaranteed afterwards, and on
CH you can get even bigger combos at all ranges. It can even
be worth sometimes wh iffing this attack intentionally to try
and bait opponents into trying to whiff punish, and then interrupt them w ith Ll @ or Ll @ .

Repel Spatter

Input

Oarnago

Level

Impact

Guard

Hit

!:1

18

i16

-4 {-@ -6)

12 {..:@ 3)

Input

Damage

level

hnp.,ct

Guonl

Hit

.;>+@

42

i24

-10

LNC

lr.put

Damage

Level

hnpact

Guard

Hrt

28

i25

-2

KND

!:1 can be used very similarly to <?. but it has a slight

advantage in being quicker, plus it gives you a wider array
of options because of the RO transition afterwards. !:1,
AO @@ is guaranteed if you connect the !:1 on CH which
makes it one of his best interrupt and CH fishing options,
and the RO @@ will catch opponents if they try to step after
!:1. Stopping at RO @also lets you use a quick BL mix-up,
with BL @@ being especially effective since opponents have
to be th inking about the natural Mid kick follow-up to RO @ .

Dragon Cannon

........................... ...... ......... ........... .... ....

This is one of Maxi's best approach attacks since not only
does it have very good range, but it's also TC for some of the
animation and is very safe if guarded. While it does launch
the opponen t on hit, there are no guaranteed follow-ups because of the recovery, but since it knocks them dowri'you can
quickly go into Okizeme. This is also another area in which
this attack is useful because it hits grounded opponents, and
they can only evade it by rolling to their right. Because of the
range, and how difficult it is to evade, it's also a very useful
attack if t he opponent is near the ring edge, since it can ring
them out from quite far away.

Rolling Sobat

.... ..................................................... ....

.;>@ is one of Maxi's longest ranged attacks, so it can be a
very important weapon to help him get back into close range
where he's best. especially if your opponent is trying to keep
you away. Although it is relatively slow and High-hitting, it has
a good animation so opponents can rarely crouch under it on
reaction, and if th~y guard it you are left in an almost neut ral
position. Between @@ and .;>+ you 11ave an option to
beat a lot of retal iation attempts, but quick opponents can sti ll
beat them so it's a bit of a risk. It also has very good tracking
and can ring opponents out, so it can be useful against opponents that anticipate .;> c:l>+ and step right.

Lunging Snake
At close range, ~@ is Maxi's best option for catching opponents that are sidestepping, plus it gives you a lot of the
same benefits as t:Z@ because it leaves you in Right Outer.
Like t:Z@, if you land~@ on CH, the RO @@series is guaranteed afterwards, and since its primary use is as an antisidestep attack, the likelihood of it being a CH is quite high. If
there is a wall or ring edge to your right, this attack becomes
even more useful, as you can often catch opponents with it
on CH as they try to step away, and the follow-up RO @@ is
very good at wall splatting and ringing out to that direction.

Mark of the Beast

t:Zt:Z@ is one of Maxi's best w hiff punishing attacks because
it does not rely on him to be in any kind of stance or have
meter to do good damage. It is relatively fast and has good
range so it can punish most attacks, even if you used a backdash to get out of its range. It's also quite safe when guarded
considering how much damage it does, and most characters
can only get a basic @@ or equivalent on it. When you get
the opponent down to low health, however, this attack becomes far less useful due the fact that it's cou nted as a poke
because of the low damage of each hit w ithin it.

Level

Illusion Serpent

Impact

Guard

Impact

Guard

This is another of Maxi's strong mid range whiff punishing options, but it has t he added benefit of being TC for a large port ion of the animation so even though it is quite slow, you can
still use it situations where you expect a mid range High. Th is
attack also t ransitions into RO, and on hit, RO@ is guaranteed,
leading to an extremely damaging stun combo . Like many of
his other attacks that transition into RO, the RO attacks are
extremely difficult for opponents to int errupt, even when
<?<? is guarded so you can easily continue your offense
afterwards. Unlike those other attacks, however, <?<?@also
hits grounded opponen ts so it's very deadly in Okizeme.

Rope Chorus/Rope Dancer

The FC ~@ series is one of Maxi's best Okizeme attacks because not only does it hit grounded opponents, it also tracks
them no matter which direction they t ry to roll. You also get
the mix-up between how many attacks you do within the
string, and va rying how many you use will allow you to take

FC~@

FC~@@@

8,8,8

L
LLL

Hit

i26
i26

advantage of the transition into RO after each hit. Because

opponents have to take all three hi ts into account when they
are guarding it, stopping it early and going into RO@ or RO
@ is rarely interrupted, especially if the opponent is still trying to get off the ground.

Falling Hydra
Falling Hydra is Maxi's longest range attack so it can be very
useful when used sparingly to attack opponents at ranges
where they think they are safe. It is also TJ for most of the animation so if you recognize the animation of some of the slower long range Low attacks in the game, it is a good option for
jumping over and countering them. Although there is nothing
guaranteed after it hits, it does knock t he opponent down and
leave you in FC, so FC ~@ is a very good follow-up. Even if
the attack is guarded, it still leaves you with the advantage,
giving you a good opportunity for a FC or WR mix-up.

Input

Damage

level

Impact

Guard

Hit

Return of Fear

Input

Dmnuoo

love I

ln>l>net

Guurd

~~ or ~~@

36

i27

-5 (- @ 1 2)

lovol

lmpnc:t

Guard

i1 6

18

If you are just outside of <?<?@ range, this is Maxi's next

best w hiff punishment option, and one of his better advancing Horizontals due t o how far he steps in during the attack.
The attack on its own is very good for wall splats and Ring
Outs because it has a large hitbox and is difficult to sidestep,
and because of the automatic transition into BL afterwards.
BL @@ is guaranteed after it hits, increasing the Ring Out
range. If you ha ve the meter and can combo with BL@ (;,
the ra nge at which you can ring an opponent out or wall splat
them is truly scary.

Crushing Tidal Cry

Input

WR @

46

KND

Although most of Maxi's punishment game revolves around

~@+@. WR can be a very good alternative for punishing
blocked Low attacks. or for whiff punishing Highs. especially
if you don't have the meter to add the (; to @+ . It can
do significantly more damage than a normal @+. and
it can also wall splat or ring opponents out from a considerable distance. There are no guaranteed follow-up s, however.
because o f how far it knocks the opponent away, but you can
quickly close th e gap w ith either ~~(ID or<?@. The main
thing to be care ful of w hen using this attack is the fact that
it's High, w hich means that it won't punish Low attacks that
leave the opponent in FC

The best thing about Maxi's throws is that they both allow for
very good Okizeme. @+@ gives you enough advantage for
a quick mix-up. and his +@ leaves the opponent with their
head towards you unable to Ukemi, making ~ and ~@+
perfect follow-ups. The on ly downside to these throws is that
neith er of them can ring the opponent out, plus they both
sw itch position s, so throwing an opponent when they are
close to the ring edge can leave you in a slightly worse position.

Input

Damago

Utj>pe Window

@+@

55

13

+@

52

13

+@ or +@ (left)

62

13

+@ or +@ (R ight)

45

13

@+@ or+@ (Back)

70

It's Maxi's right-side throw that really stands out. however,

thanks to the automatic transition into BL afterwards . Against
a large number of cha racters BL @ is guaranteed after the
throw. and even those characters that can escape it can only
do so by doing a left Ukemi. With the addition of BL @ the
damage from the throw starts to reach respectable levels.
but if you have enough meter you can use BL @ (; to pick
the opponent up off the ground for a full combo. Doing this
ups the damag e to almos t 90. and allows you to both w all
splat opponents. and ring them out from a throw, which
makes it more than worth attempting.
:.

~ BRAVE EDGE ATTACKS

Maxi's ~(!)+@ (; is not only the best (; attack he has,
but it is one of the best overall attacks in the game. The main
weakness of @+@ is its lack of range. and the (; version
alleviates this by greatly increasing the size of the hitbox. It
also transitions into Ll and turns it into a BA that gives you
enough advantage to either use a Ll mix-up. or quickly loop
into another stance. RC @(ID (; basically puts all of the same
properties that you got with @+@ (; onto the final of
that string, w hich ca n significantly increase the potentia l damage from attacks such as RO @ . Ll @ !; doesn't add quite
as many properties to the attack as the others do, but it does
increase one important one, damage, by a significa nt amount.

'

Because both ~@+@ (; and RC @(ID (; leave you in Ll.

finishing any combo after them with Ll @ !; if you have the
meter is the natural thing to do, and can lead to incredibly damaging' combos. BL @ (; al so changes the normal BL @@
quite a lot, as it picks opponents up off the ground properly
with the first hit. and then follows-up with a long range kick
that is excellent for wall splatting and ringing opponents out.

.. _..:?j]j[ti';,
In pur

Damage

level

~ @+@ ++@

30

i1 6

12 (- @ -38)

STN

U @@+@+@

60

15

-26

KND

BL @@+@J+@

18.43

LH

18

KND

RC @@ @+@+@

15,20

MM

19

14 (-@ 36)

STN

; fl1l'

\...... CRITICAL EDGE

Although his ~ attacks are usually more worthwhile, Maxi's
@lil does still have a number of uses that can fill gaps in his
defense. Unlike many @lil attacks. Maxi's does not combo
fully after launching the opponent, and neither does it hit opponents in a grounded position. What it does do. however, is
enable him to punish a lot of attacks that he would otherwise
be unable to. This is due to the fact that it has a lot more
range than most of his punishing attacks, even @+@ lm.l,
so if the opponent's attack has a lot of pushback, this may be
your only option. If you have enough meter, it also gives you a
strong guaranteed option after a successful Gl, which can be
very handy if it will finish an opponent off in a match.

Input

DOIIIOG8

lovol

lmpacl

Guard

.(!.~ .(!.~++@

20.15,52

MMM

i12

-23

Most of Maxi's combos involve trying to find ways of either landing

@+@ @lil or RC @@ @lil into Ll @ @lil since t hey are by far his
most powerful options. If you do not have the meter for both @lil attacks, t hen all of the same combos still work, you just won't have the
option of putting the Ll @ @lil on the end so you will get less damage
out of them. If you hit an opponent with @+@ it after launching
Combo

Stnor

Follow-up

~.!}@@

~~@+@

~.(J.@@

KND

them with an attack like ~@ it will slam them down to the ground,
and against many characters you can True Seven loop backwards
quickly by pressing>, and then follow-up with BL@ @lil. Between
having this option off a launcher, and Ll @ @lil from stun combos, it
is possible for Maxi to ring opponents out from a great distance no
matter how the combo was started.
Oamago

Hits

Co$1

Difficulty

66

@+@ lm.l, >, BL@ @lil

85

.(!.~@

!:?@

79

~~ or ~~@

BL@ @lil

77

Ll ~m.~

87

Ll @

Ll@ @lil

87

@+@ fm.l. >. BL@ @lil

95

**

'*+liD it

Ll @ @lil

93

<?@

RO @l. RC @@) lillt. Ll @ @lil

105

***

>@+@

BT @+@

76

Any stance @+@

After successful Gl @)+@

55

CH .(!..(!. or "()>"()>@

Ll @. @+@@. RC @@ fm.l. Ll @ @lil

116

* *iHt

CH !:?@

RO @@

61

RC @@ @lil, L1 @ @lil

104

CH LO @
Character specific

...

UKEMITRAPS
Maxi has very few UkemiTraps, and most of the ones he does have simply involve delaying the attack which is guaranteed, to try and get slightly
more damage. In most situations you are better off taking the guaranteed damage, and then using the advantage after hitting the grounded
opponent to close in for some Okizeme. If you happen to be near a
ring edge, however, it can be worth going for a delayed Ukemi Trap after +@ after attacks such as .(!.~@ or ..(7..(70 because it wi ll
launch them a ~ they Ukemi, potentially allowing you to ring them out.

...

Difficulty

Knockdown

Ukcmi Trnp

Diroccions

.(!..(!. or "()>"()>(iJ

@+@

84

Left. Back

BT IID+

..().@+@

87

All

.(!.~@

@+@

114

All

I:? I:? or~~@

@)+@

108

Front, l eft

('H;.\;f[ il '' : V~, PU\''1 MAXI

WALL COMBOS
Near a wall Maxi is a serious threat, as he
has attacks that can wall splat from a number of different positions, with or without a
CH. If you are facing the wall, attacks such as
~~. <?<?@. and CH t?@OO are all very
good options to try and wall splat the opponent that you can use at different ranges. If
the wall is to your left, ~~00 and <?00 can
work well, and similarly ~00 is good if the
Combo

wall is to your right. After the initial wall splat,@+ and ~liD give you the best chance to do a
second splat, but if the angle doesn't look like it will work, you should go straight into <?
and continue your combo.
As w ith his norma l combos, most things should flow into RC @liD Iilli towards the end of the
combo, so that you can finish it w ith Ll @ Iilli to get the biggest damage. One of the most
damaging options w ithout any kind of meter is to use multiple t?@OO strings on the wall,
but this can be quite range dependent; if you hit the opponent too low on the wall w ith a t?.
the RO @will whiff over their head and end you r combo attempt.
Difficulty

Damage

Hits

Cost

t?@@. WI. t?(ID@@

142

11

...

~~ or~~W!

@+@. W!, @@. RC @(ID Iilli. Ll @ Iilli

151

10

****

~@W!

~liD. W!, ~@. c:(>@+@ Iilli. <?. BL @ Iilli, .().@@

116

11

11 ,_..

CH!:1@@@W!

@+@. W!, <?. RC @(ID Iilli. Ll@ Iilli

174

12

***

Right Side Throw

BL @ Iilli, W!

159

11

'JII ... ...

Starter

Follow-up

CH t?(ID@@W!

l!JB. t?@

Character specific

APPLYING OFFENSE
Maxi is a character that offers almost unmatched options to keep the
opponent guessing, and his sheer number of attacks can be especially
frustrating for them if they are not experienced in fighting against him.
Against any opponent that you are playing for the first time you should
try out some basic string and stance-based looping series to see how
familiar they are w ith Maxi, as that more than anything will inform how
you continue your offense. If your opponen t is not familiar with Maxi,
then once you are in close and begin using a series of stance-based
looping attacks, it can be very easy to catch them w ith attacks they
do not expect and interrupt them in places they think they can attack.
Against opponents tha t are very familiar w ith Maxi's stances and
looping oppor tu nities, and know when and how to best to defend
against them, you should try and use a much less stance-based offense . That's not to say you shouldn't use them, as strings such as
t?@OO and<? still offer very good mix-up opportunities against
any opponent. Stringing together single-hit attacks such as ~@+
mEl and ~c:(>@t@, combined with quick stance mix-ups and pokes
such as t? once you are close enough can break down the de-

fenseof even th e most seasoned Maxi opponent. The main struggle

against this type of player is actually getting close to them, since they
often know to keep Maxi out and that he is weak at spacing so you
will need to make very good use of his long range attecks like <?<?
and~~ . r~o 1]

OKIZEME

GUARD BURST

Maxi's Okizeme options are quite limited due to the fact that many of
the attacks he has to use are both slow and quite linear. +@,
~~. and <?<? can all be quite effective providing you have the
time to start t hem, but they ca n all also be rolled easily to one side
or the other. Your main option for stopping opponents rolling on th e
ground is FC ~@@@. and whi le this only does poke damage, it does
allow you to continue your offense through a RO mix-up.

Maxi' s Guard Burst potential is extremely good so it's not a bad th ing
necessarily when your attacks are guarded. With the potential to be
played as a string-heavy character, Maxi can throw out a lot of fast
attacks that are almost uninterruptable once you have the offensive
momentum, and you can really punish overly defensive opponents.
Even some of his strongest single hitting attacks such as @+@
Iilli and <=(>+@are also very strong against the Guard Gauge. After a Guard Burst. your best option is generally <:=><? since it leads
to a very damaging combo if you have the meter, but +@ has
too m uch recovery to let you land this attack, so after that you are
be tter off using@+ 51.

If you simply want an easy and quick ground-hitting attack then 1:1@
is the best overall choice because it also has relatively good t racking.
If you happen to knock an opponent down while you are still in a
stance, then Maxi does have some stance attacks that can be useful
in Okizeme. RC gives you a good long ra nge option if you need to
close the gap quickly, or if you are already close then LO and BL@
Iilli ca n be very effective.

Guard Burst

IAttacks

RING OUT
Near the edge of the ring, one of Maxi's most basic and useful mixups, 1:1@@@ and 1:1@ BL @@. should always be at the forefront
of any Ring Out strategy. If you are playing against a charact er where
you connect BL@ Iilli after @+ 5I or Maxi's right-side throw, it
should also be one of your main considerations because there is very
little risk involved when attempting it.
Because of the Ring Out threat from his Mid attacks such as~~
and @+@. you can often have more success w ith Low attacks
such as..(),@+ that also Ring Out. Maxi has very little that will ring
opponents out backwards outside of his UB attack and the very difficult @+@:::@:@ string. One thing to remember, however, is
that if you r back is towards the ring edge, both of his standard throws
switch position so it can be very easy to reverse the situation on your
opponent.

6
7,

s'

~~or ~~. <?@, RC . ..(),..(),or 'fr'lf@@.

..(),..(),or 11'-friD. WR +@

. 10

@, RC @@. WR

11

1~

13

DEFENSIVE PLAY
Maxi has a difficult ti me playing defensively, since by the na tu re of
his stances and transitions he is a primarily of fense based character.
If you are playing against cha racters that can punish and interrupt
quickly for a lot of damage, the most important thing to do is limit
your looping and only use stance trans ition attacks that give you a
follow-up t hat is uninterrupt able. While you are on the defensive it
is import ant to capita lize on any unsafe at tacks that your opponent
is using, especially if they are -16 or more, allowing you to punish
heavily w ith @+ 51. Below that. Maxi can have difficulty punishing with anything that wil l deter opponents using attacks, so you
m ay have to resort to using his (! for that purpose when you need
to. r~o 11
Against slowe r characters that are good at spacing you may have
to rely on Just Guard and Gl more than usual against attacks that
you can recognize the animation of, purely to creat e an opening to
launch you r offense. Maxi also has a lot of attacks that either TC, TJ,
or have a sidestep as part of the animation, and all of these tools
can be very effective w hen used as means of proactive defen se.
The+@ au to-GI that you can do from any stance can also be very
useful against characters that favor M id attacks, and you can even
purposely extend a loop to try and bait them into attacking purely to
try and Gl it. [~0 2]

SPACING & POSITIONING

Maxi is not particularly strong when it comes to spacing because
his long range attacks are either High, like with @ and @,
or slow like ..(),..(),@. This can make it very difficult to try and space
against charact ers that have better and faster approach attacks .
..(),..(),@ is not to be underestimated, however, since even if you are
just out of range and it whiffs. you still have the option of using a Ll
attack to interrupt many whiff punishment attempts. At close ra nge,
it is very easy for Maxi to control the flow of the fight through attacks
such as <?,and strings such as <:=> LO @and 1:1@@. Once
you have your opponent focused on these basic t ools that recove r
very well , you can take advantage of Maxi's excellent movement and
try to step around any retaliation attem pts and punish them heavily
w ith <t>@+ 51. ~o 3]

CHAP i H'l .: IVS '' ,:,y : MAXI

POST-GI
Maxi has a very strong post-GI game thanks to some very damaging
quick attacks, and equally damaging slower options. Like a lot of characters, if you want guaranteed damage and have the meter available
th en using a (!13 is always a good idea, especially if your opponent
tries to re-G! and wastes their meter. If you want to go for pure dam
age, then @+@ !. Ll @ ! is the best option if you have the
meter to spare. If you do not have enough meter for that combo. then
you can also get respectable damage from both $::1@ and @,
both of which! are fast enough that they have to be re-Gled. If you anticipate a re-G I, then slower options such as <?<?@and <?@+@ are
both very useful and lead to very damaging combos. [ 70 4]

Maxi is a character that feeds off offensive

momentum, and becomes stronger against
opponents that play overly defensive . The
best way to shut this down is to not allow
the barrage of offense to get started, w hich
means either staying outside of his range
and trying to space him w ith long range at-

tacks, or getting up close and using quick pokes and CH attacks to keep him at bay. Secondly,
whenever you see the Maxi player use attacks w ith stance transitions afterwards, try to either
Gl or interrupt the follow-ups, because this will make your opponent have to be a lot more
careful and slow down their offense. By far the most important weapon against Maxi, however, is knowledge of the character and what he can do, and while this may be true of most
characters in the game, letting Maxi abuse unsafe stance transitions and strings is a sure-fi re
path to defeat.

KEY ATTACKS

When you are fighting against Maxi, th is is one attack that you can expect to see a lot of
because of th e potential damage it can deal, and how safe it is when guarded. The only slight
wea kness this attack has is that it does not track to the right at all. Because the use of this attack is so frequent. one of the main goals should always be to try and step it and whiff punish
it any time it was used ca relessly. [70 51

Thi s is another one of Maxi's main mid range poke strings, and like a lot of his strings, there
are weaknesses with it that may not be apparent at first. <?@ on its own is a very linear attack and you can easily sidestep around it to either side if you anticipate it, after guarding it,
however, you can only step t he follow-up@ to the left. Even after stepping the second @you
still have to take the follow-up liD into account. but you have enough time to crouch under it
and whiff 'punish. If you guard @@ it's very unsafe and most characters can launch punish it, although at that point it becomes a guessing game w ith wnether or not they do the liD
follow-up.

This attack can be extremely deadly against

players that are unfamiliar with it. so it's important to get familiar enough w ith the animation
so that you can crouch guard it on reaction. At
that time you just have to wait for the second
part of the attack to whiff over your head, and
then you can punish it heavily.
";

{!.{!.@ is one of Maxi's best mid range antisidestep attacks, and while it does have
some weaknesses, a lot of it does boil down
to a guessing game. The main downside to
this attack is that it's very slow, so if you are
at mid range and expect it. most characters
have a much faster option that can beat it.
If you guard it the attack is technica lly very
punishable, bu t there is the potential threa t
of the Ll @ afterwa rds, and that's whe re the
guessing game starts. Whether you choose
to attack straight away, or wait and punish
the Ll @. the most important thing is to always make sure you get the most damage
possible, to keep the risk/reward ratio in your
favor.

::~~liD+@
This is another one of Maxi's main mid ra nge
threats, and like {!.{!.@ it's also quite slow,
so you r first option should always be to try
and interrupt it with a quicker Mid-hitting attack. Most Maxi players are happy whether
you are hit with the attack or guard it because of how good it is on the Guard Gauge,
so if you cannot interrupt it, you should try
to evade it by stepping to the rig ht and then
whiff punish it heavily. [70 6}

Command List
Namo

Input

lovol

Damage

Block

Hit

Twin SnakesRight Cross

@@

High High SS

10,12

12

-8.0 1- -17

2,141 - @ -3

Lunging Snake
- Right Outer

~@

High SS

18

17

-21 - -13

101-@ 1

Water Cutter Left Inner

~@

MidSS

20

19

-51 - @ -46

141--26

Ton gue

,().@

SP-Iow

12

13

-6

TC 1-FC

Splitting
Spindle

1:2@

Low

20

30

-14

-3

TC

Nunchaku Slap
- Behind Lower

:>@

High SS

24

23

-5 1 -16

10 1- -2

Venom Fangs - .
Left Outer

Mid MidSS

14,16

14

-8.2 1- -32

-2. 12 1-@ -21

Steel Dragon

High

42

20

-10

KNO

R-0 1Clean Hit: C

Branding
Nunchaku Left Inner

~@:>

MidMidMid
Mid Mid SS

45

21

-@: 8

KNDI-@ : 10

12

R-o 1-u

Biting Upper

M id

26

21

-1<1 '

LNC

12

TC I R-0

Falling Fang

,().@

Mid

16

15

-8

Repel SpatterRight Outer

1:2

M id SS

18

16

-4 1- @ -6

12 1- 3

Snake KissLeft Outer

'

M id SS

16

174 '

-8 1- -25

17 1- @ -16

Guord Burst

Properties

Standing/@
NC 1-RC
15

- RO

-U

11

-BL

Standing/
NC I - LO

TC
- RO
TC I -LO

Standing/@
Fang Scratch

High

14

13

-8

Left Round
house

High

28

20

-8

KND

Crack Kick

M id

18

14

-6

Tiger Slaughter

,().@ @

Low Low

16

22

-18,-18

-8,8

Quick Slice

1:2@

Low

16

16

-14

Right
Roundhouse

:>@

High

28

20

KND

M id Mid Mid
M id Mid Mid
Mid

20,8,8,8,,..
8.8.8

25

-16 1-15

@+

M id Mid

18,31

17

@!+@@

MidSS

18

Mid

Hurricane

~~~

13

R-0

NCC I Clean
Hit: C
TC
13

R-0

STN

TC I NC, -16 if
first attack was
canceled and
blocked

-18

LNC

12

NCCIRO

17

8 1- @ -26

61 - 11

13

STNCH 1-RC I
Qpp - FC (H it)

35

16

STN

12

TC I Clean Hit: C

Low High

20,26

30

-25

KND

Mid

52

42

. -10

KND

TJ I Opp -FC
(Bloc!() I Clean
Hit: A

Mid Mid

20,19

31

-16

LNG

NCIR.O

Mid Mid Mid

MidMidMid
Mid M id Mid SS

3,3,4,
4,5,5,
6,6,30

20

-31

LNC

NC I R-0 I Clean
Hit: C

ss

TS I - Ll

Standing/@+
Serpent's
Pleasure
Serpent's

PleuureRight Cross

Dragon's Brand <>+

Guillotine
Dance

.().@+

Falling Sky

while jumping @ +

Rage of
Pleasure

:>@ +

TC I NC I R-0

Standing/@+@
Fury Right Outer Right Outer

+@ (just)

l eft Seven
Starsleft InnerPure Seven

'It+

CHA" i hl ! V~ !'! AY i MAXI

Name

Input

level

Right Seven
StarsRight OuterPure Seven

.,!7+@

Rope Chorus Right Outer

crouching ~@

Rope Dancer Right Outer

crouching ~@

Impact

Block

ss

LowSS

-8 1-@19

41-l -5

ss

8,8,8

-8 1-8 1-8 1
- l-17

4 14 14 1- l-5

Crouching Inner
Upper
crouching

Mid

16

-8

Quick Slice

Low

16

14

-2

crouching @

Low Low Low

While Rising Attaci<s

Purity Cross

while standing @

Mid

18

19

Crushing Tidal
Cry

while standing (ID

High

46

16

18

KND

10

Dragon Scream

while standing @@

Mid High

20,22

20

KND

Canyon Carve Behind Lower

while standing+@

MidSS

38

26

1 1-l-11

LNC

:7

2 1-@ 25

KND

10

RO I Clean Hit: A
.NC I R-0
TC )TS I -BL

Jumping Attacks
Leaping Snake

while jumping

High

2024

22

Cobra Fangs Left Outer

w hile jumping

MidSS

30

31

Jolt Kick

while jumping @

,:.

TJ

11

TJ 1- LO

'.'

TJ

Mid

22-26

27

Striking Snake

High

22

19

-7

11

15

Op'p -:-BT(Hii) ..

Northern Lights
- Left Inner

MidSS

20

26

6 ) -@ -35

14 1-l -35

15

STN CH I - Ll

Northern Blow

Mid Mid

20,35

35

KND

Dandy Surprise
- Behind Lower

Low low Low

LowlowSS

24

17 ) - @ -27

-9) ~@-18

8-Way Run/@

White Polar
Lights

26 .

Mid

36

27

-17

.MidSS

40

22

MidSS

36

MidSS<;-.

30

KND

13

5 1'-l 50

LNC

10

27

5 1-@ -12

LNC

33

-16 1- @ -30

-61 - l-22

' 10

8-Way Run/@
Stampede Wave
~+
-Left Inner
Return of Fear Behind Lower

"

~~or <l4~

;~

..

..
MidSS

40

'Mid-Mid'Mid..
''Mi.d .
Illusion Serpent
- Right Outer

>+

45

. d

11 1-l-8

22

STN

STN

9 :.

.;;
'.;.

Mid SS

24

29

61-IID-8

STN

TC I R-0 1-RO

KND .

11

TJ I RO

8-Way Run/@
RollingSoli<1t'

''::>.+@ ' '

High

'28

2.5

.,.2.

Rear Kick

~~or <l4~@

Mid

20

19

-4

..0..+ or. '()'f.'@@:

31

. 14 .

Kf\JD

.,!7+ or '(f-t@@

31

LNC

Falling .Dragon;.
Dragon Pounce
falling

,.

Hx~r~ :!.. '~.:q.r t11t or t:s ~~

Lynching

@+@

Dragon
Destroyer

left side throw

Leaving t he
Dragon Nest Behind Lower

right side throw

Parting t he
Waves

back throw

High-Throw SS

45

High-Throw

70

17

- BL
R~O

BackTumed Attacks
Reverse Snake

turn around @

High

14

14

-8

Reverse Tongue

crouchi@ turn
around A

SP-Iow

14

15

-7

Reverse Snake
Bite

turn around @

Mid

18

17

-8

16

Reverse Biting
Upper

crouchi'(ID turn
around B

Mid

20

17..

-6

16

Reverse Fang
Scratch

turn around @

High

16

15

-8

Reve rse Illusion

Kick

crouchi@ turn
around K

Low

18

16

14

-2

Reverse Blow

turn around @+@

Mid

40

18

STN

2
~

TC 1-FC

TC I-FC

TC I -FC
12

BA I Opp -FC
(Block)

Right Outer

ss

Right Outer

c:l> etc

Dragon Bite

during Right Outer @@

High Mid

14,26

15

-10

KND

Dragon Bite

during Right Outer @ 13

High Mid

14.46

15

10

KND

10

- LO I BA I RO

Hydra Talons Right Cross

during Right Outer @

Mid

14

18

8. - 25

STN

11

-RC

30

14

KND

10

NC ITJ

NC ITJ

,.

Falling Dragon

during Right Outer @@

Mid Low

18,24

Dragon Pounce

during Right Outer @ @

Mid Mid

18,30

30

LNC

23,25

32

-10

10

Left Outer

ss

Left Outer

>@ etc

Bloody Cross

during Left Outer @@

Low Mid

Wing Sobat

during Left Outer @@

Mid High

24,30

16

-2 1--1 81-2

-8 1- -91
KND

Circle Kick

during Lelt Outer @

Low

18

26

-11

-4

-35

KND

KND I R-0 Clean

Hit: A

LNC

11

TSITC I LNC
I-Ll

TC j -FC INCC

TC 1-RCjTJ I
NCC I KND I R-0
I Clean Hit: c
TC I -FC

Left Inner
Left Inner

~ etc

ss

Backflst Blow

during Left Inner @

Mid

35

15

Ravine Ca rveLeft Inner

during Left Inner @

MidSS

38

25

,_
-5.

- -66

C-iAPTER .:. !VS PLA'"I MAXI

Name

Input

Ravine Carve Left Inner

during Loft Inner Ill

leYel

Damage

Impact

Block

Hit

Guard Bum

M id SS

48

55

15. - 35

LNC

High

20

20

STN

Skewerin9 Hunt during Left Inner IE)

Right Cross

ss

Right Cross

@@ etc

Dragon's Cross

during Right Cross @@

Mid Mid

15.25

19

STN

TC I NC I STN I
Clean Hit: C

Cobra FangsLeft Outer

during Right Cross liD

Mid SS

30

30

0,- @-34

KND

TJ I STN I -LO I
Clean Hit: C

Dragon
Somersault
Kick

during Right Cross @@

Low Mid

30.23

30

-7

LNC

TC ITJ I NC

Behind Lower

ss

Behind Lower

<?@etc

Inverted Moon

during Behind
Lower@

High

22

15

Transforming
SerpentLeft Outer

during Behind
Lower liD

MidMidSS

20.26

18

Fury Kicks

during Behind
Lower @@

Low High

18,28

18

.:;.

18

.0,

- -42
13

-7

TS

-24

10

NCI-LO

KND

NC I KNDI R-0

Neutra l Guard

Neutral Guard

during stances liD+@

Neutral Riptide

during stances liD+@

Pure Seven

during stances ~

True Seven

during stances <?

auto-GI: M
{Horizontal. Verli
cal, Stab) Frames
8-191 Clean Hit: A
High

Clean Hit: A

ss
ss

Brave Edge
Hydra's Brand Left Inner

~@+!Dl@+IID+@

Backfist
Ceremony

during Left Inner

Ia)@+@+@

Hydra's Cross Left Inner

durin~Ri~t Cross
@mJA+B+@

Mid SS
Mid

Hydra's Frenzy

Twin Serpents

@@@@

Venom Wings

@@liD@

M idMidMid
High

Snake Wing
Sobat

<?@@@

Mid Mid High

Serpent Fang

1:1@@@

Mid High Mid

Biting Kick

1:1@@ delay @@

Mid

30

16

- 38

STN

11

BA I TCI-U I
Clean Hit: C

26

KND

RO I Clean Hit: A

14, - @ -36

STN

KND

12,

Nc 1BA 1- LI I
Clean Hit: C

C-iPPI H

!.

I v-s c'LI'Y YOSHIMITSU

MITSU

Character Overview I Yoshimitsu uses two ka tana and his fighti ng style is based on extremely
fast attacks and l;)okes, powerful m ix-ups and deceptive stances, as well as very good throws.
He's a <::omplex cnaracter to grasp and master and req uires a good skill in execution to be played
at his full potential. Most of hi~'focus is on getting close to the opponent; apply pressure and
mix-ups, and then try to keep t~ em grounded. He's a great choice if you like to use a wide va riety
~ of moves, love sheef speed anti take time to fully master your character.

/:
Damage

Safety

Guard Burst
.Ring Out

PLAYSTYLE FOCUS

METER USAGE

Yoshimitsu's offense is ideally suited to m id to close range

play. You need to focus on getting in close, as his long range
game is very limited. Once he's close, his speed and m ixups can overwhelm the opponent. On the defensive he's
very dangerous, as he's got numerous way to evade and
instantly counter-attack, as well as one of the fastest attacks
in th e game that can counter opponents who think they
have the advantage. He also has an auto-GI attack, @+@,
that can prove very handy.

Yoshimitsu's Critical Edge can

be hard to use in combos and is
rarely really worth it, but it can
be used in some Ukemi Traps.
He only has three Brave Edge
attacks, and wh ile they're good,
they're not, again, exceptional
or essential to his strategy. This
means that you can use your meter very freely and take advantage
of his powerful post-GI game. Not
having a single, super powerful
move in m ind that works every
t ime also only adds to his unpredictability w hen playing him.

On the offensive, Yosh im itsu really shines. He's got very

many different ways to m ix things up and break a good
defense. His m ultiple stances, l:.ows, unblockables, and
good throws are more than enough to crush his opponents.
He also has probably the best Okizeme in the game; knock-

ing an opponent down is often the beginning of the end.

[ -'>0 1]

:;=1\ll',ir. .,

'- STANCES
Input

Flea (FLEA)
Yoshimitsu hops on his katana in a very
odd-looking stance and cannot be hit
by throws or Lows. FLEA .C. + also
evades all High attacks, so the evasive
potential is very high. He ca n still move
forward, backward, and to the sides in
this stance, and can also hop toward
his opponent, hitting Mid and forcing
the opponent to block his next choice of
FLEA attack. FLEA launches on CH, is
perfectly safe, and can be charged to be
neutral when blocked.

FLEA @ is a rather slow launcher that

leads to great damage and is a good
choice if you've evaded a Low or throw
w hen ent ering the stance. There are
also numerous Lows for mix-ups in t his
stance. FLEA ~+ is mostly used in
mix-ups, because it's unsafe even on hit.
FLEA
is l)nsate when blocked, but
still good to use in mix-ups, and FLEA
13 ends w ith Yo shimitsu on the ground,
limiting option s for either him when it
hits or the opponent w hen it's blocked.

../Jr@

'

8
@

13
: +

flropn!tlos
TJ

TJ

TC

I..Uvul

20
30
28
30
18

TJ, DGF

TC

20

0 +8
+@

10

or

20

STJ, Flea

SM

TJ, auto-GI
TC, Flea
TS

.(). or 'If

TJ, Flea

10, 10, 10

LLL

TJ
TC, IND

.C.+@
Tronsilionsinto Flea
Input

lov~l

.C.ri.1+8

'

Guur~

1111

13

+@
@++@
<?:'@+@+@
IND @+@
DGF @+@

Manji Dragonfly (DGF)

In th is stance Yoshimitsu floats in the air,

using his kataM as a helicopter rotor. As
in FLEA, this stance naturally evades all
Lows and th rows. Again you can move
around, slower than in FLEA, but faster
than Indian Stance.
You can also main tain + to move
around much faster, but at the cost of a
bit of your hea lth gauge. You have a very
powerful mix-up with DGF . which is
a relatively fast Mid attack, and DGF .
a Low that's a bit too fast to really react
to. DGF . meanwhile, will take care of
sidesteppers.

SDGF+

10

STN

Input

Damage

Level

Propcrtiot:

TJ

24
18

TJ, DGF

18

TJ

10,60

TJ,AT

or .(). or 'If or >

TJ

or .(). or 'If or >+

TJ

+@

TJ. Flea

{l:-+@

TC, IND

'If+

STJ, SDF

Transitions into Manii Dragonfty

Input

lovol

Guard

Hit

-31

STN

-8

LNC

@+@
'If++@
~+ 13

' FLEA @
FLEA '\f@+@
IND'\f@+
SDGF 'If+

(J

Super Dragonfly (SDGF)

ooooooo

Yoshimitsu floats very high in the air in

Super Dragonfly stance. making him very
hard to hit. but losing health slowly while
up there. He can still move around and use
@+ to move faster still, but it doubles
the rate of health loss. The real threat in
this stance his SDGF . a very fast. Vertical, Mid-hitting unblockable. It recovers
veryquicklywhenwhiffed, making ita near
perfect move. Use SDGF @ if you expect
the opponent to try to sidestep around
it. SDGF @ is a special attack that needs
another well-timed @ w hen hitting the
ground to keep you safe. Yoshimitsu w ill
recover health during the landing if it's executed properly. Also. if executed perfectly,
he will gain significantly more health, but
the timing is extremely hard to master.

Indian Stance (IND)

0.

Yoshimitsu sits down and takes up a

meditation-like position. As in FLEA he
can move around, but much more slowly. His three main moves in this stance all
teleport you next to the opponent before
actually hitting, meaning this stance can
be used for spacing and mixing things up
from very far away. IND @ is a fast but
unsafe Low, IND is a moderately fast.
Mid-hitting Break Attack that gives good
advantage w hen blocked, and IND @ is
a slow launcher. similar to J:Z@.
IND .(!.-@+ w ill simply teleport you in
front of you r opponent w ithout attacking,
but you're vuln erable if the opponent expects it. IND <=:>@+ involves Yoshimitsu leaning towards his opponent and
the11 launching a vicious Low or just going back to IND for more confusion. You
also have access to an aLt to-GI move in
IND @+ that works against everyVertical attack, kicks included.
It unleashes an unblockable attack when
successfully impacting an attack, but it's
only good if you can perfectly time a @
whe.-~ you land 1rom the unblockable, and
then another @ after the somersault. or
you'll be open to severe punishment.

,r

,, ~ l\,i ;. ;W i YOSHIMITSU

Input

Dll 1a90

level

Properties

42

STJ, UB

30

STJ

@@

30

SM/L

STJ, Health regeneration

@:@

30

SM/L

STJ, auto-GI, Health regeneration

30
40,30

TJ, Flea

SM L

TC, BA.IND

120

STJ, UB

.(!.-+
@+@
or .(!.- or {?- or <?

STJ

or .(!.- or {?- or <?@+

STJ

Transitions into Super Dragonfly

Input

Lovnl

Gu11rd

Hit

{?-@

M,M,M

STN

Input

Damage

love I

Properties

40

TJ, BA

28
30

TC

TC

DFG {?-@+@

TC, auto-GI

24

<? or @+ .

TC

.(!.-@+

TP
Health regeneration

'

N!l+l3

TJ, DGF

11'+
+. @. @+

80,80

MM

TC, UB, TP

+. @. +

80,80,80

MMM

TC, UB

@+ . @+

80

TC, UB,TP

80,80

MM

TC, UB

.t1+13
or .(!.- or {?- or <?

TC

Transitions into Indian Stance

Input

.!J.-+
@+-!J.-+
<?<?+ .!J.-+
FLEA.(!.@+@

luvol

Gu"rd

Hit

SML,M

-20

STN

DGF.!J.-@+@
SDGF -Dt +@

-:4
...

PRIMARY ATTACKS

Shrine
Shrine is Yoshimitsu's primary launcher and main Okizeme
tool. It leads to a good combo. can wa ll splat, but is fairly
unsafe. It tracks slightly to Yoshimitsu's left. For a launcher.
it's very fast. The damage it leads to is very good w ithout
any use of meter, and near the edge it can easily lead to Ring
Out combos. For Okizeme purposes, it w ill track every roll
possible on the ground and deal great damage. The opponent
cannot escape ~ at all when grounded. and when hit by
it, the situation is reset and they must choose again immediately between getting oH the ground or staying down.

[;,put

24

Level

Impact

Guard

i17

-14

Hit

Knee Cap

... .............. ............. .. ............................ .

Input

Dom~ga

levsf

Impact

Guard

!lit

FC~@

22

i19

-22

KND

Onlllngu

level

Quorrt

Hi!

48

i15

-20

KND

48.42

HM

i15

-16

KND

Impact

Guard

Hit

i28

-17

KND

lmpoct

GuMd

Hit

Knee Cap is a Low-hitting sweep that knocks down on normal

hit and leads to a combo. It's only available from a crouching posi tion and cannot be sidestepped. The ra nge is also
very good and h ighly deceptive. It dea ls 40 damage w it h t he
guaranteed ~@follow-up, and leads to Yoshimitsu's dreaded
Okizeme. You can also combo with FC ,(),.,which deals less
damage but leaves you in crouching position, making the
threat of another immediate Knee Cap very present. It's a
great move but very unsafe, and despite the way it looks,
Yoshimitsu does not Tech Crouch during the move, making it
vulnerable to throws or High attacks.
Zig Zag

This move is used both in combos and as a powerful punishment tool. Although the second part of the string can
protect you slightly against punishment, you should never
throw this move into your opponent's guard, as it's very unsafe. In combo its use is very straigh tforward. In punishment,
it is handy becau se it's available easily from a crouching position, making it the ideal throw and High attack punisher, as
well as punishing any Low that leaves the opponent standing.
It can also wall splat for a potentially gigantic combo.

Samurai Cutte r

'"'~
'"'

Input

lmpnt!

This Low is useful for many reasons. First, it tracks sidesteppers in both directions. Second, it Tech Crouches very,
very quickly, making it an ideal tool to beat High attacks and
throws. It also Tech Steps a little to Yosliimitsu's left, evading some Vertical moves. And finally, it leads to combo that
deals at least one quarter life and can also Ring Out. It's a bit
slow. and can be blocked on reaction by seasoned players.
It's also obviously unsafe but not that much, making it very often worth the risk involved as it won't be blocked every time .

/'

Manji Carve Fist

Input

Oamaoa

level

This little punch to the guts is one of Yoshimitsu's trademarks

moves. It's hard to do as it requires a very fast sliding input. It's also a Special Low. meaning it can be blocked at
any height and jumped over. It's lightning-fast, however. and
leads to at least one quarter life combo on CH that can also
Ring Out It's also very good either when it's blocked or hits.
allowing more mind games to follow. The abnorma l speed of
the move make s it a perfect CH-fishing tool, and it will destroy many usual CH setups used by a lot of characters. The
move is not perfect, though, as it has very short range. can
be jumped over, and is easily sidestepped.

\_

.,,,~)Ut.
"
;'tr.:illJ

SECONDARY ATTACKS

Parti ng Thrust
This is a fast High-hitting attack with short range. Oddly
enough, it leaves you in almost the same situation whether
it's blocked or hits, meaning it's safe but not rewarding on normal hit. It can be used in combos instead of to slam the
opponent to the ground. It's use ful w hen near a wall or edge
as it allows you to land@+ for slightly more damage, and more importantly, Ring Out potential. It's also a very
good CH-fishing tool, as it's fast and can lead to a very damaging combo. It's very hard to use, because. like Manji Carve
Fist, it requires a very fast sliding input that must be practiced.

Input

Dnn.ngo

Level

Jmpoct

Gunrd

Hit

:+

26

it3

-7

.0

Inner Palm

Damage

hiJIUI

28

This is a fast. Mid-hitting attack w ith decent range. It's one of

Yoshimitsu 's better spacing moves as it advances quite a way
toward the opponent and gives good combo on CH. It's very
sl ightly unsafe but the~~ version allows for a follow-up
attack and can not be distinguished from c:t>c:t>. making it
very hard to punish. c:t>c:t> on CH stuns the opponent, leading to combos . while ~~ launches them. Both versions
deal the same damage on CH, but you need to be aware of
the differing follow-ups and not miss your combos.

Wood Cutter
This Mid kick into sword slash attack is particularly effective
when used in mix-ups from a crouched position aga inst players expecting t he Knee Cap. It's also safe when blocked and
leaves the opponent crouched. Iimiting their options. The
sword slash ca n be charged into an unblockable attack. There
are th ree levels of charge: one where the flames appears but
the move is still the regular Mid {but now unsafe and poor
on hi t). another that reaches unblockable status quickly, and
finally the third, which is the slow. fully-charged unblockable
attack. Both un blockable versions track the opponent during
the charge but the tracking stops a li ttle before the move actually connects. making them tricky to sidestep.

<:=>

22,22

>@(l) {sl ightly charged)

2~.22

>@(l) {semi charged)

Flagstaff
Th is move is M id-hitting and tracks sidestepping opponents
to both directions. It knocks down when it hits and can Ring
Out or wall sp lat, sometimes al lowing ~ to com bo and
leading to some ~+ mind games. It's a very solid attack
to use any time the opponent is moving around, but hesitant
to attack, and is perfectly safe w hen blocked. It's hard to go
wrong with t his attack as long you ensure that the opponent
w ill be w ithin range to at least block it.

Crying Spirit Sword

Another good spacing move that hits Mid, this one is actually
quite a bit slower than c:t>c:t> but advances more and leads
to bigger damage. It's safer w hen blocked, too, and always
leads to some extra combo damage when it con nect s. You
can guard-canc-el it just before it hits, cancel the Mid hit into a
Low attack, or cancel in to either FLEA or IND. Ail the.e possibilities make the move very unpredictable for your opponent
and can lead to good mind games.

TsukaAtemi

c:t> is abnormally fast for a Mid-hitting attack, and is mainly

used for interruption purposes when you want to get back
on the offensive. The damage it deals is not great, but it's
very safe when blocked and gives great advantage on hit, allowing for one o f '(oshimitsu's strong mix-ups. It's one of the
fastest Mid attacks in the game so it's a great opt ion against
characters that rely on TC attacks to maintain a continuous,
fast offensive flow.

Input

c:t> c:t>+
c:t>~+~
~

-~_,.,..._

levl

lmpoct

Damege

!.evol

Impact

Guoul

!Iii

l~pui

Oomaoo

.Levui

Impact

Giiulrt

Hit

<=(> or ')j ')j or ~~

24

i17

10

KND

Oomuuc

Love I

Impact

Guard

Hit

laput

Dtuge

Level

IMpact

Guatd

Hit

@+@

10

i8

Sword Smash
This unusual move begs to be landed as a CH. It's Mid-hitting
and very fast, practically safe when blocked. and gives advantage when i t hits. The damage it deals is poor on normal
hit, but on CH it switches to an attack throw for a total of 70
damage. Th is is a great attack to use in combos or as a fast
interrupt, but note that at its maximum range, even on CH,
the attack t hrow won't activate. so you'll lose a lot of potent ial
damage.

Fubuki

<=(><=(>@ is yet another great advancing attack that is great for

spacing purposes. It's a fast, Mid-hitting kick with good range
and it will knock the opponent down when it connects. The
reward it gives is less than c:(>c:(>@ on CH, but the knockdown makes it very worthwhile. due to Yosh imitsu's powerful
Okizeme mix-ups. It's also safer than c:(>c:(>@ and it's a kick,
which is less prone to auto-GI attacks. It can also Ring Out
from a good distance away and will wall splat for extremely
powerful combos - a very good move. and not to be underestimated.

Circium

.................
This move is a great alterna tive to ')j@, especially at t imes
when you need to be totally safe. Although it is slower and
deals a little less damage, you'll get better rewards on CH. as
it launches the opponent. When it's blocked it is very safe and
forces the opponent into a crouching position. It allows some
very good mind games on block, as Yoshimitsu can interrupt
a lot of retal iations and evade many others. It's also a great
tool for deple ting the opponent's Guard Gauge, so you don't
have to worry about the opponent blocking it.

'

Soul Stealer

STN

Soul Stealer is an au to-G I attack that will work on every High

and Mid Horizontal attack, including kicks. If it successfully
Gls and attack s you w ill often get a guaranteed @. but
if the autoGI happened early, only a basic @@ will work.
Sometimes it can also hit when close enough and stun t he
opponent, but nothing will be guaranteed afterwards. Each
successful auto-GI with Soul Stealer will counJ -towards getting better moves with the random Iron-Fist Possession command. This count does not reset after each round, but you
don't get any further benefits after 4 successful Soul Stealers.

lwatsubute
This rather slow. High-hitting kick may seem weak at first.
but it's deceptively hard for an opponent to recognize and
duck. When it's blocked it leaves you and the opponent in
a neutral situation. which for Yoshimitsu can mean a world
of opportunities for following up. When it hits, it stuns the
opponent, leading to a fairly powerful combo. It's also a great
anti-sidestep move, as it tracks well to t he left.

Dnnoage

Level

fmpoct

Guard

Hit

30

38

STN

C!-1;\f.'TEFl /: i VS Pl.A' i YOSHIMITSU

Yoshimitsu's throws are very good, not only because they

do great damage, but also because they do not allow the opponent to Ukemi. That means Yoshi's Okizeme game is fully
applicable after all throws other than the right-side throw. The
Rainbow Drop command throw deals very good damage and
can also Ring Ou t behind Yoshimi tsu.
W hen throwing immediately after canceling a stance. or
when you're backturn ed. Yoshimitsu gains access to new
throws t hat do more damage than the regulars ones and are
harder to escape.
Finally, his @+@<? and @+@cl> work differently than most
other t hrows. The first deals 30 damage and gives you back
those 30 damage towa rds your own heal th, and then a sim ple @ is guaranteed for a tota l of 44 damage. But if the opponent escapes w ith . you take the 30 damage and the
opponent gains the health boost, but the @ will still be a
guaranteed follow-up. The @+@cl> throw. meanwhile, gives
the opponen t 30 health and takes it from you. but if they try
to escape with . you'll get t he hea lth.

Input

(A)+@
+@
..(l.t:Z<?@+@
Stance cancel @+@
Stance cancel @+@
+@<?
+@cl>
+@ or @)+@) (Left)
@+@or +@ (Right)

~@. ++@ is a way to get much better damage from

the attack when you land it as a CH. It w ill launch the opponent
for a combo w ith cl>@ . It's slightly unsafe when blocked, but
pushes t he opponent back quite a distance. so most characters
won't be able to punish it properly. However. the third hit can
be sidestepped. Guard Impacted, or Just Guarded if the f irst hit
does not CH. You can also use t he Iilli version of cl>, giving
a full combo on CH and transforming the animation so that it's
similar to the Manji Carve Fist. The attack's speed remains t he
same, however, and t he move becomes a Special Low.
~~@ @+@+@ is a great anti-sidestep Mid. Both hits are
guaranteed on CH and lead to great damage, as a ~@ follow-up w ill launch the opponent. It's probably his best Brave
Edge all around~ but keep in mind that the second hit can be
sidestepped. Gled or Just Guarded when the first blocked. It's
a very good move to use in wall combos, too. Generally, his
Brave Edge attacks are not t hat strong, especially compared to
other characters, but they're only good on CH and cannot be
hit-confirmed, m aking them a gamble to use.

Yoshimitsu's Critical Edge hit s Low. but can be blocked after

the cut-away animation begins. It can work during some combos but the damage is generally not worth it, adding merely
10 point s of damage to regular combos. Despite the animat ion, there's almost no Tech Crouching during the pre-animat ion, making it quite useless as an interrupting option. The
real use is after a Guard Impact, when it's fully guaranteed, or
in some Ukemi Traps.

lllput

J)amage

~@@.@+@+@

~++@
~~or

z:Jt:l or cl>c:C> +:t!ID

Every time you successfully use@+@ to auto-GI an attack you'll be

building your Iron Fist Possession count. Once you've successfully
used +!Kl at least once you can press <?+ to access a ran
domly selected Tel<ken moves. Increasing your Iron Fist Possession
count will give you access to more powerful Tekken moves, and this
count will be kept between rounds, allowing you to build it over the
course of a match. Lower rank attacks include taunts and evasive rnanoeuvres. such as the Druknen Step (fromTekl<en's Lei), which allows
Yoshimitsu to evade into one of his many stances if timed against an
opponent's attack. or Heihachi's Shadow Step. Higher ra nked attacks
are often unblockable, such as Kazuya's Lightning Screw Uppercut,
and these can be very useful. [ ~o 1 and 2]

Low Rank Attacks

Namo

I O~m~go

IImpact

Level

i26

52

TJ. 'If'@ during animation

i52
i25

MM
H

25,30

TC

UB

Damage

Properties

Properties

Failure
Leg Lariat
Drunken Step
Shadow Step .

Mid Rank Attacks

GwJr~ lm~acts

Result

Random Low rank technique

Name

Random Low or Mid rank technique

Double Slap

i15

MM

20.25

NC, @ for second slap

Random Low, Mid or High4 or more rank technique

Golden Body

i9

UB

Random Mid rank technique

i59

60

UB. STJ

4 or more

Random Mid or High rank technique

Super Fist Bomb

Blazin g Kick

i22

M
M

22

l lnl(IOCt

Lovel

Steel Battalion

Drunken Step

Attack type

Horizontal (H)

. Dru nken Step to Indian Stance

i35

TC

High Rank Attacks

Horizontal (MJ

Drunken Step to DGF

Horizontal, Vertical, Stab (LJ

Drunken Step to FLEA

Vertical, Stab (H)

Drunken Step to Spinning Evade

TENTON
Lightning Uppercut

Vertical. Stab (M)

Drunken Step to Spinning Evade

Lightning Screw Uppercut

Due to his nature and rather large command list. Yoshimitsu allows a
lot of creativity during combos. Not all of them are optimal, but you
can find a lot of different ways to juggle your opponent. For regular
launchers, ~@ is generally th e bes t finisher. When near the edge
or a wall, you can use @:@+ instead of S> for a S>+!IDIIDIID

20

Ndfne

i57

i42
i62

M
M

I Damaoe
38
45
85

Proponios

UB, STJ
UB.TC
UB,TC

finisher that can Ring Out and does a little more damage (Combo A).
If you rea lize that S>IID+!IDIID won't land, replace it with t1 for
the same damage that S>@ would deal. Also, in every combo involving a CH S>S>, you can follow-up with either S>S>+ for simple
damage or S>+!IDIIDIID, ~ for carrying towards the ring edge.

CH;\i'TER 4: VS PlF~ ! YOSHIMITSU

c:t>IBJ

60

:+IBJ, c:t>+IBJ (near edge or wal l)

66

****

~~

c:t>IBJ

65

~NR1

~ , <=(>IBl

84

~~@

(!

111

19

CH ~')j(ID

c:t>IBJ

67

c:t> c(>(ID, c(>c:t> @+

67

64

****

CH ~ :@I c:t>@ @+@+@

c:t> c:t>, c:t>+IBJ, ~

(!

93

19

CH c:t> c:t>@

c:t> c:t>@+

66

CH c:t> c:t>@

c:t>+IBJ, ~

59

~. c(>IBJ

78

57

60 / 66

. CH ~ :@I<=(>@@+@+@
CH ~ :@I c:t>@ @+@+@

'B .

' DGF@

c:t>+IBJ. ~

DGF@

c:t>@

CH FLEA@+@

FLEA @. c:t>IBJ

61

DGF@+@

82

FLEA +OOJ; FLEA ~~

52

'lf'@ (enters SDGFI

78

c:t>c:t> @+

75

***

~@+@, FLEA c(>c:t>

66

~:, c:t>c:t>. c:t>+IBJ. ~

86

*****

90

~ :, c:t>c:t>, <=(> +IBJ, ~ (ID

90

~ :, (!

108

21

****
****

c(>@+IBJ, ~
<=(>@

65

71

<=(>@

76

~ :, c(>c:t>@, c:t>+. ~

82

****

~:,(!

106

20

****

@. c:t>IBJ

69

**

'lf'@ {enters SDGF)

78

@. @:@+@. ~tl+ID, FLEA c:t>c:t>

87

. l FLEA @+@
: IND@
SDGF @
l CH :@+@

::;

:, :, > ;: CH <?<?@
: :.::.':. : CH <?<?@
;.;

...

CH FLEA@ I FLEA ID
. FLEA@

'

~ :;. ': ... .

: 11@ I IND@
: 11@ I IND 1BJ
11@ I IND 1BJ

UKEMITRAPS
Yoshimitsu can use quite a few Ukemi Traps in various situations. Although not essential as part of his Okizeme. they
can be nice to use if your opponent Ukemis often. Every
Ukemi Trap done with .(l.t:1>@ can be done with the C!l3
too, obviously leading to considerably more damage. The ~
can hit at different tim ings, with the maximum possible delay
leading to 45 points more damage than a .().t:L><?@ combo,
while the worst timing only leads to 13 more points. But
while ,(7:1'@ hits grounded opponents. the C!1S wont, so
it's more risky to use.

Knockdown

UkcmiTrap

Directions

Dilficully

c::t>+

FC s::l@

65

All

~+.().

Slight delay. ,(). ti> <?@

65

All

SOGF @

Slight delay, .().t:L><?@

67

All

CH ~c::t>@

Slight delay. .().t:L><?@

58

All

***
** *
***

WALL COMBOS
Yoshimitsu's wall combos ca n be a bit inconsistent and tricky, but they're amongst the best in
terms of damage in the game, especially when you consider the low cost in meter. The best starters are usually@. s::l or "(;>-, but several others can be used. Starters like .:::>.:::>or>@
won't allow{).@+ most of the time. Note that you can also replace{).: with@ ~ if
you're unsure of your execution and are willing to use more meter. After a wall splat the best folCombo

Follow-up

low-ups are~ and.().@+@. s::l leads to a

second wall splat. andYoshimi tsu's usual stun
combo follow-ups will all apply from t his point,
including .().: into either your C!1S or the
@into Door Knocker finis her (Combo C).
Difficully

Damage

'(J>-@ W!

.().@+. . c::t> w!. s::l+. c::t>

123

@ W!

.().@+@.@.@ WI, .().:@. @. @+@@@@. s::l@

163

13

*****

180

15

c::t>@ WI
@ W!

.().@+@. @. @ W!, .(). :@. ~

186

25

@ W!

.().@+@. @. @ W!, @ ~. ,(). :@. ~

194

27

*****

'@ WI

s::l@ W! .().@+@. @. s::l@. @

90

'@WI

s::l@ W! .().@+@. @. ,(). @:@. c::t>c::t>@. c::t>!ID+@@@@. s::l@

100

13

*** *

'@ WI

110

25

'@WI

118

15

'@WI

128

27

*** *
*****
*****

c V\P i'l"~ ~ IVS P! 1-\Y ; YOSHIMITSU

APPLYING OFFENSE
Yoshimitsu's offense re lies on his many
powerful mix-ups, the sheer speed of his
interrupting options. his multiple evasive
moves, and his incredibly strong Okizeme
game. The only difficulty is actually getting
to close range to apply all of this. Whenever
you're successful w ith a mix-up, Yoshimitsu
will have the opponent at his mercy on the
ground. One of his best pressure tools is his
Manji Carve Fist; it's capable of interrupting
the opponent at times when no other character cou ld, which makes the opponent unsure
of their own offense. This is especially good
near the edge, as it can lead to a Ring Out or
a wall combo.
Going straight into FLEA and using FLEA @
is an extremely powerful way to evade punish Lows, throws, or a generic..().. ..().r::2<?
evades all Highs and throws abnormally fast,
and is his primary move of choice for Tech
Crouching to keep your offense going. Yoshimitsu's offense is his best 1sset. so you 'll
need to use all of his evasive abilities to keep
it flowing no matter what your opponent decides to do. The key is to land a knockdown
and then take full advantage of your Okizeme
game to keep the opponent pinned.

GUARD BURST
Guard Burst can be a strong part of your strategy w ith Yoshimitsu, since opponents will
fear his CH options and let him attack more
than they perhaps should, but it's not crucial.
You can wear the Guard Gauge down while
spacing thanks to attacks such as <?<?+
and c:t>c:l>+. <?<?tiD can wear your opponent's Guard Gauge down very quickly, but
it can't actually Guard Burst, so you'll need to
use something else to finish the job.

RING OUT

I Attocks

6
8

9
10

11

. c:l>c:l>+@. DGF@. <?@@

..().@+@@. FLEA IEJ, ~@+@

.~ ..()...().@

Defensively, Yoshimitsu can be good at punishing unsafe attacks. especially against moves
that leave the opponent standing. His is very fast. as is his . and they have decent
reach so they're very good punishers. c:l>@ can be very good too, especially when the opponent has their back against a wall or the edge of the ring. He can't punish moves that leave
the opponent crouch ing as well in terms of damage, but you can take a strong mix-up with
FC ~@. [70 2]
Another, but more risky way to punish Low attacks is using+ to go into FLEA to evade the
attack, and then use FLEA@ for potentially huge damage. This is truly a high risk/high reward
method of defense, but the damage can be well worth it. [ 70 3]

Once the opponent is on the ground, the one

tool you should be using to punish rollers is
~@. It tracks every possible roll direction
and hits for a very good amount of damage. "
It's also fast enough to be impossible to react ;D
to when grounded. When it hits, the situation is reset and the Okizeme game continues. The only issue w ith the move is its lack
of safety, so you can't throw it out too carelessly against good punishers. ..().@ can be
used instead o f ~. but only deals half the
damage. It's unusual for an opponent to get
up and instantly block Low, though, so it can
be a good alternative, especially when ..(]roo:
is hard to beat after a ..().@ hits.

Yoshimitsu is not incredible at ringing his opponent out, but he does have some good
tools for the job. ct>c:t>@ can Ring Out from
a good distance, and every combo that
ends w ith c:l>@ n'ormally can be ended with
@:@+@. c:l>+ when relatively
close to the edge for a Ring Out. The same
can be said after every ct>c:t> combo or CH .
..().1:1<?+@ is a great way to Ring Out behind you. [~0 1]

Req. to Burst

DEFENSIVE PLAY

OKIZEME

If the opponent often Ukemis immediately,

you can use simply use your knock down mixup again with attacks such as~@. FC ~@.
DGF , or DGF @. and they won't be able
to interrupt. You can also go t he tricky route
and use unblockable setups such as SDGF
which are part icularly effective in Okizeme.
Yoshimitsu is probably the best character
for Okizeme game, so it's essential to take
advantage of this and aim to knock your opponent back down every chance you get.

Guard Burst

SPACING & POSITIONING

Spacing can be an issue for Yosh imitsu, as his
long range game is limited and you 'll need
to get in close to apply your best mix-ups.
You'll need to use moves like ~~@+.
~~. <?<?+, or ..(7..(7@ to do this, ~ .. .'
though they all have their weaknesses. IND
teleport moves can also help you to close t he ::
gap and surprise the opponent. Yoshimitsu is
at his best at close range, so you shouldn't
try to space characters that are comfortable
at mid range; ~ or semi-aggressive use
of ~~ can be effective to annoy them.
[-70 1]

.1'

POST-GI
Mixing ~ w ith 1:1@ is a simple yet very
effective post-GI mix-up, as the damage f rom
~will encourage a re-G I attempt. ~ i s
the best option when near to a wall, where it
can lead to huge damage post-GI. ~~t1+13 ~
is also very hard to react to after a successful
Gl. It's a good way to finish a round, but keep
a look at your own health gauge before using
this attack. [ ~o 2]

Regardless of the player using him, Yoshimitsu relies on close range

combat for offensive pressure. His mix-up abilities are formidable,
but most of t he time, they're also ve-ry unsafe. You'll need to know
how your character can best punish each of his key mix-up tools in
order to fight against him effectively. Also, it's worth remembering

that Yoshimitsu is bad at blocking punishment against moves that

leave you crouched, so you can use them w ithou t much fear of heavy
punishment. If your character is good at zoning and long range spacing. you'll need to apply this to the maximum and prevent him from
getting too close.

KEY ATTACKS
. ,....,.

......... _.

~ is Yoshim itsu's primary launcher and Okizeme tool, but it; one
main weakness is its lack of safety when blocked. You'll need to learn
the heaviest punishment your character can use against this move on
block and punish it every time. [ -?0 3]
i=c~

This is a fast Low that knocks down and tracks sidestep in both di
rections and Yoshimitsu w ill use it often in his mix-ups. It's too fast
to react to, so you ~ll need to guess w hen the opponent w ill use it in
order to block it. Fortunately it's very unsafe w hen blocked, so again,
learn your best punishment opt ion to discourage Yoshimitsu using
this move.

Yoshimitsu's trademark interrupting tool, this can quickly become a

nightmare if you don't know how to counter it. It's amazingly fast, it
Tech Crouches, and it's perfectly safe whe n blocked. But it's also a
Special Low, meaning you can jump over it w ith any Tech Jump attack you have. The range is very short too, so backdashing into whiff
punishment can work well.
~liD
~ is a formidable w hiff and block punisher. It can lead to some
very powerful wall combos, can Ring Out. and deals good damage
on its own. But when you block it, it's very unsafe. There's a Mid
follow-up after it. but you can interrupt it w ith any attack faster than
18 fra mes.

DGF
While DGF liD cannot really be blocked on reaction, DGF can. This
means that you should guard Low as soon as you see Yoshimitsu enter this stance, and try to react to DGF and stand guard it. Beware
of any transition to other stances, however, especially SDGF. as you
could have to deal with an unblockabl e attack much faster than you're
expecting . [~0 4]

Command List
Namo

Input

Gunrd Burst

Level

Properties

Standing/@
High High

10, 14

12

-8.-6

2. 6

Parting Thrust

High

26

13

-7

.s

Back Hand

High

18

15

-6

Spirit Possession

High High-Throw

18, 30

15

13

AT I NCC (only Voldo.

Astaroth and Z.W.E.I.
can escape)

Spirit Siphon

High High-Throw

18. -30

15

13

AT I NCC (onlyVoldo,
Astaroth and Z.W. E.I.
can :9.~?apel

M id Mid

12.18

17

Rapid Gale

Gold Twilight

~@

Parting Grass

~@

SP-Iow

12

Manji Carve Fist

~@@

SP-Iow

10

NC
STN CH I Clean Hit: C

-14,-16

-2. STN

13

-7

10

-3

12, 10,10,
10,18

17

-14,-14,14,-14,-

-4.-4.-4,-4,

NCC

17

-14,-14,14,-14,-

-4,-4,-4,-4,-

NCCI BA

TC I STN CH I - FC

Stone Fist

tZ@@@@@

MidMidMid
Mid Mid

Stone Fist

tZ@@@@@ (just)

MidMidMid
Mid Mid

12,10,10,
10,18

High High High

High High

15

-9,-9,-9,-9,-

2.2.2.2.

NCC

High High High

High High

12,10,10,
10,18
12,10,10,
10,18

15

-9.-9.-9.-9.-

2,2,2,2,

NCC IBA

Low

24

28

-17

KNO

Mid Mid

16,16

14

-8.-6

2,4

Mid

12

15

-10

Mid-Throw

14,56

15

-10

KND

Stone Backhands
Stone Backhands

:>@@@@@ !just)

Samurai Cutter

~I:Z>@

15

TC

Standing/@

Sword Smash

@@
@@

Sword Smash

liD@ (counter hit)

Tsuka Atemi

Mid

14

13

-6

Shrine

Mid

24

17

-14

LNC

12

Autumn Drizzle

Mid

18

15

-8

15

Death Slash

tZ

Mid

22

28

-1 6

-6

15

Death Slash

tZ ilJ

Mid

82

93

STN

STN

Spine Divide

:>@

36

24

STN

Moonsault Slayer

~~

60

60

KNO

~NO

High

14

13

-8

High Mid

48,42

15

-20,-16

KND,KND

Rapid Grace

AT

TCIR-0

UB. Damage: 42 for

semi charged

10

OgP, - FC (Block)

..

TJ I UB

Standing/@
Side Kick

Zig Zag

@@

Mid Kick

~@

Mid

16

14

-6

Arc Kick

~@

Low

12

15

-14

-2

Kangaroo Kick

Mid

30

36

-8

LNC

TC I Clean Hit: C

Wood Cutter

tZ@
:>@

Mid Mid

22,30

20

-12,-9

KND.KNO

R-01 NC

Wood Cutter

:>@1lJ

Mid Mid

22,82

20

-1 2,STN

KNO,ST,N

13

R-0 I UB, Damage: 42

for semi charged

30

40

J5

STN

:BA .::

Mid Mid

18,18

28

STN

10

TJ I Opp - FC (Block)

-6

12

10

NC

R-0 I Clean Hit: C

TCI-FC

Standing/@+@
Polson Breath
Sad Stomach
Bad Stomach to
Backfllp Kick
Digging Cyclone

~@+

Mid Mid

18,14

23

Digging Cyclon~ - Flea

N l +llJ

MidSS

18

23

13

-FLEA

Deathcopter

'\)'@+

Mid

80

113

STN

TJIUB

Deathcopter Attack

'\)'@+~ or @

40

54

STN

TJIUB

40

92

STN

TJ I UB

DeathcopterTrick

STN

Deathcopter Attack -

15

Door Knocker
Cir~lum

32

22

24

23

-4

Indian Stance
Cyclone Lift

12

10

STNCH

Name

Manji Jump Kick

while jumping @

12

KND

TJ

8-Way Run/@
26

21

12

26

36

-1 4

26, 30,
10, 18

17

-1 2,17.
26,-18

26,30,
10,~'L

17

-1 2,-17.26,STN

26,30,
0 ,40

17

-1 2.-17.26,STN

8.-4.
18.STN

17

-12,17.-

8.-4.-18,

RO lTC I TJ I LNC CH

M id M id High
Mid

17

-12.-17.
26.-18

R-0 lTC I TJ I LNC CH

Mid M id High
Mid

17

-1 2,17.26,STN

8,-4,
18,STN

26,30,1
0.40

17

12,17.26,STN

8,-4,18,STN

26, 30,10

17

12, 17.

8.-4.18,-

28

33

-14

LNG

R-0 lTC

-16

11

TC I KNOCH

Shark Deathcopter

~jh~;k o;~thcopter ' Manji Dragonfly

Reverse Shark A ttack
Combo

Reverse Shark
Deat hcopter
.

'lj11& or

~~1El+l3@+@@

M id M id High
Mi.d

Reverse Shark Deathcopter.

.., Manji Dragonfly

. Mid Mid Mid

M idMidMid
M id

RO lTC I TJ I LNC CH
RO lTC ITJ I UBI
LNCCH

130

80

KND

KND

20x7

24

-14, -1 6.
16,-16,
25,,-5

KNDx7

RO lTC I TJ I UBI
LNCCH

R-0 lTC I TJ I UB I
LNC C H

R-0 lTC I TJ I UB I
LNCCH

R-0 lTC I TJ 1-DGF I

LNCCH

UB

NC

C'l !\I' rcr:;

,;

v~. f>IJ:'

I YOSHIMITSU

~+ or~~ or ~~
lwatsubute

~ or ~'t@

Wood Cutter

<>

Wood Cutter

<> or r:2 11t or 1:&~@0

High

30

Mid Mid

24,30

Mid Mid

24,82

20

KND

Mid

42

30

~ or ~'t@+~

Low

20

42

~+ or~,. or ~ If or

ss

-FLEA

+ or ~,. or ~ If or

ss

-Indian Stance

or

t2 11t or!:&~@

20

STN

11

-12,-8

KND,KND

NC I R-0 I t2 t2 or
!:& !:&: Damage: 20

KND

12

R-0 I UB I Damage:
42 with semi cha~e
8 1 t2t2 or!:&!:& K :
Damage: 20

-7

STN

Clean Hit: C

-20

-2

13

8-Way Run/Simultaneous
~ + or~,. or ~ ~ or

Crying Spirit Sword

~ .. or ~'t@+IID

~+ or~,. or ~ If or

Crying Spirit Sword to

Death
Crying Spirit Sword- Flea

~ or ~'t@+IDJ+@

Crying Spirit SwordIndian Stance

~ or ~'t+~+@
~ + or ~ ,. or
(;) ~@+@@+

Shark Attack Combo

+or~,. or

Shark Deathcop ter

(;)1f@+@D+0

Shark Deathcop-ter

(;)1f@+@D+0> or ~

Mid High M id

30, 10, 18

23

-17,-26,-18

-4,-1 8,LNC

TJ l TC

Mid High Mid

30,10,80

23

-17,-26, STN

-4,18,STN

TJ I UB

Mid High Mid

30,10.40

23

-1 7,-26,STN

-4,-18,STN

TJI UB

MidHighSS

30,10

23

-17.-

-4,-18,-

TJ 1-DGF

Mid High Mid

30, 10,18

23

-17,-26,-18

-4,-18,LNC

10

TJ ITC

Mid High Mid

30,10,80

23

-17.-26,STN

-4,-18,STN

10

TJIUB

Mid High M id

30,10,40

23

-17,-26,STN

-4,-1 8,STN

10

TJ I UB

Mid High SS

30,10

23

-17.-

-4.-18.-

10

TJ 1-DGF

40

39

-8

KND

TC I t2t2 ~r
!:&!:&+@:
Damage: 38

S>+or~~ or

or @
+ or ~,. or

Shark DeathcopterManji Dragonfly

(;)1f+D+0 +

Reverse Shark
Attack Combo

(;) 1f0+13 +@

Reverse Shark
Deathcopter

(;)1f0+13D+0

+ or~,. or
+ or~ ,. or

c:::> + or ~ ,. or
~ 1f0+13D+0:> or ~
or@

Reverse Shark
Death copter

c:::>+ or~ ,. or

Reverse Shark Deathcopter

- M anji Dragonfly

(;)1f0+13D+0 +00

Ninja Sun Flare

~+ or r:211t or!:& ~ or
.. or~ 't+@

Mid

Ninja Sun Flare -Flea

:>+ or

t2rt or !:& ~ or

ss

Ninja Sun Flare Indian Stance

:>+ or t2rt or !:&~ or

ss

Confusion

+@+@

Suicide

o+ri1+13

M anji Blood Dance

+D+I3@@@@

~ or ~ 't+ll!l+@
~ or ~'t+@~@+@

.c:::>+D+13+@

Double Suicide
Running Attacks

Throws
Jaw Smash

-BT
M id

110

44

STN

STN

UB

Mid Mid M id
Mid Mid

110,20, 15,
10,5

44

STN

STN

UB

Mid Mid

110,,160

44

: sTN

STN,

UB

-----@ +@

Higb-Throw

50

17

Jumping Body Slam

liD+@

High-Throw

55

17

Elegant Storm

left side .throw

High-Throw

60

17

Wheels of Hell

right side throw

High-Throw

60

17

Torn ado Drop

back throw

High-Throw

70

17

Sou l Possession

+S>

High-Throw

30

17

13

Damage only w hen

escaped

Hi.gh-Jh'row

30

17

13

D.amage,.only when
not 'es'caped

Soul Siphon

'

': +@'

Rainbow Drop

~t2:>@+@

High-Throw

65

17

Oni Killer

during stances @@+@

High-Tiirow

60

17

Nimbus

during stances +@

High-Throw

60

17

R-0

Properties

Input

level

Reverse Splinter Gale

turn around @

High

12

14

-6

Reverse Grass Part

crouching turn around @

SP-Iow

14

15

Rising Kite Super Dragonfly

backward ~@

M id M id M id SS

20

32

KND

15

Reverse Drizzle

turn around

M id

18

16

-6

15

Reverse Snowflake

crouching turn arou(1d

Mid

20

17

-8

13

Reverse Koragashl

turn around @

High

16

15

-8

Reverse Dust B,anlshment

crouching turn arourd @

., Low .,

14

17

-14

Poison Breath

backward @+

30

40

15

STN

18,18

28

STN

TJ I Opp - Fe (Block)

90
90,20,15,
10,5
90,160

30

STN

STN

UB

30

STN

STN

UB

30

STN

STN

UB

Name
Back Turned Attaclts

ri.l+l!l

TC J-FC
R-0 JTC I TJ 1-SDF

FC

J C 1.:--FC

: ;

Bad Stomach '

backward

Bad Stom ach to

Backflip Kick

backward during Bad Stomach @

Harakiri

backward {).@+@

M id

Manji Blood Dance

backward
{).@+@@ @ @@

M id M id M id
M id Mid

Final Harakiri

backward {).@+@@+@

M id Mid

Flea

"

Flea

Flea

backward +

ss
ss

Rolling Spark

during Flea @

Low

28

Skull Splitter

during Flea

Mid

20

Skull Splitter

during Flea l!J

Mid

30

Sakanobori - M anji
Dragonfly

d uring Flea @

MidSS

Tsurubebl

during Flea 13

Jum ping Flea - Flea

during Flea @,+

Vau ltin g Flea -Flea

during Flea

tl+ID

TJ

36

16

13

TC

17

10

15

TJ I TCI LNC CH

27

LNC

10

TJJTC

30

22

-8

LNC

13

TJ 1-DGF

Low

18

23

22

14

MidSS

20

38

12

STN

TJ

Mid SS

40

57

10

STN

STJ

42

12

STN

TJ

74

10

STN

STJ

Jumping Flea- Flea

during Flea <=(> or <?+

MidSS

20

Vaulting Flea - Flea

during Flea

S> or <?rl+l!l

MidSS

40

Flea Digger - Flea

during Flea {).@+

, M in e Spark- Flea
Indian Stance
. M a.nJI Dragonfly

TJ

...

ss

TC

SP-M id SS

during Flea +

ss
ss
ss

during Flea {). +@

during Flea 1J>+

10

STN

Gl

10, 10,10

-27

-15

TJ JNC

,.

Running Flea

S> or <?
during Flea S>+

Low Low Low

Flea Dance- Flea

during Flea {). or 1}

ss

Indian Stance

backward {).+

Indian Stance

@)

ss
ss

Warp Rolling Shark

during Indian Stance @

Low

28

41

16

Warp Heaven D ivid e

during Indian Stance

40

55

STN

30

45

-8

LNC

Flea St ep - Flea

TJ

during Flea

Indian Stance

Warp Kangaroo Kick

fac,:rard, on the ground

M id
1-

during Indian Stance @

Mid

Extermination Indian St ance

d uring Indian Stance @ +

ss

Divine Truth

during Indian Stance +

(impact successful) @

1-

- -

during Indian Stance @ +

(impact successful) @ (just)

Raging Kneel Indian St ance

during Indian Stance <=(> or

<?@ +
.

ss

Ra ging Kneel H ead

during Indian Stance <? or

@ +

Low

1-

TC

TC

11

TC

TJ I BA I Clean Hit: C

TC

auto-GI: H,M ,L
(Vertical. Body, Stab)

UBI Clean Hit: A

UB

STC I - Indian Stance

STC I Clean Hit: C

Divine Truth

1-

24

18

- 1-

1-

-35

-26

<> />PTCR .: ! VS PL/\Y

Nnmo

Warp

Input
during Indian Stance

{!.@+

Flea

during Indian Stance liD+

Indian Stance Healing Indian Stance

+l?l+l3

M anji Dragonfly

YOSHIMITSU

during Indian Stance

during Indian Stance

1/'!ID+

No Fear
Intrepid

during Indian Slance

Manjl Blood Star- Warp

@+K@@+@

Manjl Blood Star - Intrepid

@+K@@+@

No Fear - Warp

fJ+I3

80

62

STN

STN

80,80

62

STN

STN

durilriD Indian Stance

Mid Mid

80,80

62

STN

STN

duri@ Indian Stance

MidMidMid

80.80,80

62

STN

STN

TC I UB

@+K@t{ID

duri@ Indian Stance

Mid

80

62

STN

STN

TCIUB

Manjl Dragonfly

11'+

backward 1/'+

Manji Dragonfly

ss
ss

Flag SlapManjf Dragonfly

during Manji Dragonfly @

High SS

18

18

Dragonfly Blade

during Manji Dragonfly liD

Mid

24

30

Dragonfly Sweep

during Manji Dragonfly

Low

18

22

Spirited Away

enemy mid air during Manji

Dragonfly +@

10,60

21

Dragonfly TurboManjf Dragonfly

during Manji D@f.onfly S> or

<? or {!. or 1/' A +

ss

duri@ Manji Dragonfly

ss

M anji Dragonfly

Flea
Indian Stance
Super Dragonfly

@+K

during Manji Dragonfly

High-Throw

11'+

STN

TJI-DGF IBA

-5

STN

-24

KND

-1 6

-6

13

TJ 1-DGF

TJ

TJ

ss

30

30

-8

KND

6
6

---

during Manji D<agonfly

TJ

TJ

ss

{!.+

.~

TC
STJ

Super Dragonfly
Parachute Spin ner

during Super Dragonfly @

Mid

Transcendent Dragonfly

during Super Dragonfly

Mid

42

21

STN

69

29

STN
1STN

69

-32

STN

Acrobatic Bliss

during Super Dragonfly @@

SP-Midlow

30

Acrobatic BUss

during Super Dragonfly @@

(just)

SP-Midlow

30

Transcendent TurboSuper Dragonfly

during S'18-er Dra~nf@S>

or{lror
or<? AtB

Spinning Fall - Flea

@+K

Daruma DropIndian Stance

during Super Dragonfly

Manjl Dragonfly

duri@ Super Dragonfly

{!.@+

STJ
STJI UB

ss

STJ I auto-GI : H,M,L

lAIII
STJ

30

54

40,30

56

during Super Dragonfly

11'+
120

10

STN
STN

STJ

...

CHiAPTER 4 I VS PLAY! LORD GEO DAM PIERRE

DAM PIERRE
Character 1overview I Dam pierre is a card shark; he tries to confuse his opponents with any
tricks or bl1ffs he can come up with during battle. His blades always stay hidden away until he
starts an attack. He often fa lls down on purpose in an attempt to trick his opponent into releasing
their guard and can use this opportunity to strike if the opponent is unaware of his intentions.
Dampierre~annot be fully controlled, however, as you w ill have no choice over w hat many of his
attacks acfOally do. This makes him not an easy character to play with, as you need to keep in
mind what eould happen after certain attacks, and which properties change, reacting accordingly
when accor~gly when these random changes occur.

Complexity

METER USAGE
n<>'"""'''" ''" has a lot of moves that you
""nnnr uiiY:[,contr<)jj first you should learn the differ-

for each of these, and how to

situation. For example,
~""rrlhP great attacks, but sometimes
randomly when using them.
"l'c:,ro.; r,,l"nm rru~ho-!Prl to use some of his moves
i:!:.nrlnr'Y'I effect, especially at times
to stay in control of the battle.
n,mr,,;,""' fails at doing the intended
into Fake Pain stance or his
must try to react fast enough
tion into these, and make sure
hici~r.nt'"'"" in these stances, espehe used to transition into them.
timing and fast fingers, as
may get Stronger if YOU time
buttons during their animation.
be played fai rly simply using only
attacks, throws and one of his
""'-""'tt'ng attacks, such as -.!}@+. Bu t to
effective ly you'll need to learn all of
~~..:ttp r every move. [ -70 1]
mn~PC:

All of Dampierre's Brave Edge attacks can

also have different random effects, making
them either great or useless. For example.
his <?<? (;lEI can change into a different
jumping attack wh ich won't combo after
the first part of the attack, and Dampierre
can ring himself out if this happens near
the edge. ~ (;lEI won't often come out
as fast as possible and it also can make
Dampierre totally unsafe either when it's
blocked or hits, because sometimes he
just falls to the ground slowly. ~~ (;lEI
also has a random component, but this
time it will make the attack even stronger.
making this a very good and reliable Brave
Edge. When it hits,~~~ will launch
the opponent which can lead into a nice
damaging combo. With the random effect
this move is also a Break Attack, thus guaranteeing damage when it's blocked. This,
along w ith his useful, au to-G ling (!13, is the
best use of meter with Dampierre.

Fake Pain (FP)

He will transition into Fake Pain after some moves randomly,
such as tl@@ or l:Z@. You will notice this transition because
his animation atter these attacks changes, as he holds his leg or
arm in pain. Dampierre only remains in this state for a couple of
frames before he falls down and enters Poker Bluff. In Fake Pain
stance Dampierre has a couple of options to deal with his opponents. FP liD deals high damage, can hit grounded opponents
and is a Break Attack, granting frame advantage if blocked. After
this attack Dampierre will be in Poker Bluff, and can start a mixup. This can either be used in combos or to interrupt opponents
who try to attack during Fake Pain. His throws will only connect
if the opponent is in a crouching state and are the same throws
he would also to from neutral stance. They will also catch sidestepping to both sides, and are a useful tool for Ukemi Traps.
Poker Bluff (FP)
Dampierre can enter this stance randomly after some attacks
such as <?liD, ~~tliiD or +liD, and always if his ~~@ is
blocked, or if he whiffs ~~@. He will also always transition
from Fake Pain stance into Poker Bluff if he doesn't attack or is
hit during Fake Pain. During this stance Dampierre STCs, making him evade even some Mid-hitting attacks. When entering
this stance you have to check in whiCh direction Dampierre's
head and feet are in relation to the opponent. Depending on
this PB liD and PB @might or might not connect. PB liD will
always leave Oampierre in the direction w here his head lays
and PB @ always in the direction where his feet are. PB liD is
a Mid-hitting attack and will connect into a throw on hit. These
throws also can have a random effect, resulting in either more
damage or self-damage. Rapidly pressing buttons during the
animation w ill make it more likely that Dampierre will not only
receive minor damage, but also inflict more damage to the
opponent. PB is a Low-hitting attack and will always stun
the opponent allowing Dam pierre to combo. PB@ is the only
attack that w ill make Dampierre stand up again and will cancel
his Poker Bluff stance.

Input

Levol

FP liD

FP@+@

G.B
MT

Can randomly change

Input

0111!19

level

l'roprtios

PB liD

20,4,4,4,4,8.12*

TJ, AT

PB@

28

TC

PB@

18

STC"*

12,4,4.4,4,8, 12.

12,4,4,4,4,8, 12.

PB@+@

...

Can be bufied w ith button mashing

Only hits with his feet towards the opponont

: :;~\f'

PRIMARY ATTACKS

Night at the Carnival

...................................... ..................... ...

Impact

Input

Domooo

~liD

16

Input

Oarnuge

Level

Impact

Guard

20

i18

-11

Level

Guard

Hit

KND

@ is reasonably fast and knod<.s down on normal hit, allowing

Dampierre to combo with l:Z, for example. It has Tech Crouch
properties making it very good as an interrupting attad<.. It's also
very useful in combos and for punishing blocked attacks. It has
poor range though, so be careful when using it as a punisher. It
is also a High-hitting attack. making it useless for punishment if
the opponent recovers crouching. This attack leaves Dampierre
w ith only minor disadvantage when blocked. and because it's
fast with shO(t blockstun the opponent will have a hard time
to reacting to it and choosing their retaliation. So you can try to
attack with fast pokes after ~liD is blocked.
Worthy Opponents!

... ..............
This attack is moderately fast, hits grounded and stuns the
opponent on normal hit. It can also ring the opponent out to
the front and can wall splat near a wa ll. This is a very good
starter for Dampierre's combos and a one of your most reliable options for whiff punishment. It can also be used for
Dampierre's Okizeme, as most of his other attacks won't
hit grounded opponents. tl@ is also reasonably safe when
blocked, so it can be used without taking much risk.

Hit

CHl\P'fm 4 I VS f-><.AY LORD GEO DAMPIERRE

Asian Art of Karate

~~is one of Dampierre's best moves for whiff punishment
and is his most reliable Tech Crouch. Dampierre can also use
~~@ to counter retaliation attempts ~~ is blocked.
This can either be a Mid-hitting kick that will knock down the
opponent. or a Low sweep that will result in a stun on hit, after
which Dampierre will transition into Poker Bluff stance w ith his
head towards the opponent. The random effect of this move
adds a Break Attack propert y to it. which not only makes it totally safe, but also adds 20 damage and makes both random kicks
guaranteed after the opponent blocked the fi rst Break Attack.

Azure Nightmare
This move has nice range and can Tech Crouch under Highhitting attacks and throws . Even on normal hit it can lead into
a nice damaging combo. When blocked, t his attack is totally
safe, and because of the minor disadvantage frames you can
try to beat t he opponent if they don't retaliate with their fastest attacks . Unfortunately, this move can ca ncel randomly
into Poker Bluff stance. and Dampierre will fall down with the
head towards the opponent. After this attack, if he does not
fall down into Poker Bluff stance he will recover crouching, so
you can use a fast ..().@. WR @or c::> for further pressure.

Koh-i-nur Diamond
c::>c::>@ is great for catching sidestepping or ducking opponents from mid range. It's sa fe when blocked, and allows
Dampierre to recover almost as quick as the opponent does.
so you still have a lot of options to continue attacking . Even
on normal hit this attack stuns and can lead into a damaging combo or further mix-up. It also doesn't have any random properties, making this move easy to rely on most of
the t ime. It is not very fast, however, so using it in close isn't
always a good idea.

Shining Cipangu
This attack can be a Clean Hit for more damage and is Dampierre's only Low-hitting attack that can Ring Out. It's reasonably
fast and can be used to catch sidestepping opponents for good
damage. Blocking this attack on reaction is diff icult for the opponent, so they have to anticipate its use, which can lead to
them ducking more often. This can lead to Dampierre tieing able
to employ strong mix-ups w ith his Mid-hitting attacks such as
1:11:1 or ~~ IE.

Bravo! Encore!
This string is required to get the most damage after a lot of
Dampierre's launchers. The last two kicks can also be Clean Hits
for even more damage. Because of its speed, this move can be
good for whiff punishment and post-GI use. Although you can
learn the timing for each kick, t his Just Frame string can also
be done by rap idly hitting the@ button. If you press them fast
enough you will always be able to get all eight kicks. If you use
this move near the edge, using more than three kicks can ring
Dampierre out. while using only two to three kicks will ring the
opponent out first. This attack also has some Tech Jump frames,
so you can also use it to jump over attacks, evade strings or
escape throws. It shouldn't be used often outside of combos
though, because every additional kick reduces its safety. Also if
you fail to do the string correctly, Dampierre will sometimes fall
down and transit ion into his Poker Bluff stance.

Only the first kick

End Game
Similar to..(}@+, this attack can be used to hit sidest epping opponents, though it won't track as well to Dampierre's
right side. It has a built-in autoGI, which will parry any Horizontal or Vertical High- or Mid-hitting weapon attac!<. making
it a very useful defensive option. Unfortunately, this attack
does not hit grounded opponents, so using it for Okizeme is
not recommended.

Ring of Alberich
..(),..(), can be used in many of the same situations as
~~. It is much safer than ~~. however, and stuns
the opponent on normal hit. It also has decent range, but is
totally linear. It has no random properties that could make it
worse, so it can be used more safely and reliably than most
of Dampierre's other moves. ..(),..(),@ is not only totally safe,
but leaves Dampierre only with a couple of frames of disadvantage, so you can still try to attack with fast attacks or Tech
Crouching options to keep the pressure on the opponent.

Misty Waters of Laguna

Input

Damago

lcvol

hnpt>Ct

Guard

1lit

l~pbt

Damage

level

Impact

Guard

Hit

S>S>

30

MM

i22

28

KND

Input

Damage

level

lmpnct

Guard

Hit

20

i36

STN

Input

Damage

level

Impact

Guard

Hit

WR@

18

i18

15

STN

This Low-hitting attack has very good range and is almost

impossible to block on reaction, making it a great t ool for
use in mix-ups. It will knock the opponent down even on normal hit. but unfortunately cannot ring out t o the front. t?
is also very va luable during Dampierre's combos, as it does
hit grounded opponents and very often the opponent is left
stunned or is knocked down after Dampierre hit them, so
you'll have plenty of opportunities to take advantage of this.

Nightmare Incident Reenacted

c(>S> has good range, always knocks the opponent down,
and also can ring out to the front. After this attack whiffs, is
blocked or knocks the opponent down, Dampierre will always
fall to the ground, transitioning into Poker Bluff. When it's
guarded or whiffs he will fall down with his head towards the
opponent, but if it hits he'll fall down with his head away from
the opponent. This is important because PB and his throws
can only hit the opponent if the head is towards the opponent,
and PB @ can only hit if the feet are towards the opponent.

Another Swig ofThrill

oooooooooo0ooo000 ooo 0i o 000 o l i o 0 oo i o l l l oo iolol0oooOOOOOO IOOOI

tZ@ is a slow but very useful Low-hitting attack. It can hit

grounded opponents and can be used to catch sidestep. This
move has a very high chance {about 80 par cent} to go into
Fake Pain stance. If charged, however, this move on ly has an
about 20 per cent chance to go into Fake Pain St ance. The
charged version of this attack deals 10 points more damage
and becomes a Break Attack, giving you the advantage to
continue attacking.

Adriatic Pearls
This is one of Dampierre's best tool s from crouching to punish whiffed throws and High-hitting attacks. WR @will stun
the opponent when it connects, allowing Dampierre to combo for additional damage. It's a fairly quick attack fast, wh ich
makes it useful for poking and interruption. For example, if
the opponent forces you into FC then WR @ is a very good
tool to stop their slower attacks. This move also has no ran
dom properties, making it totally reliable.

Ci-APTER 1 i VS PliW I J.ORD GEO DAM PIERRE

Holy Grail of Caesarea

Although it's quite slow, this can be a very useful defensive
option. It will not only jump over Special Low- and Low-hitting
attacks, but will also evade throws. It covers good range and
will always knock the opponent down. On CH, 1}+@ will
launch the opp onent high enough for a combo. It also forces
the opponent to crouch, thus limiting their retaliation options.
Despite this move being unsafe, the blockstun is short. making it hard for the opponent to react fast enough to punish
it. Keep in mind that this attack may jump over a crouching
opponent w hen used at very close range, making it whiff.

Canal Grande
~is a pow erful natural combo with a delayable second
hit that can be used to confuse the opponent. If you delay
it too much, however, the second attack w ill never hit. The
second hit ca n also be a Clean Hit for even more damage
and can ring th e oppon ent out to the front. It is very linear,
so using the full ~ string will leave you open to severe
punishment if the opponent sidesteps. It has no random
properties so it can be one of Dampierre's most reliable Midhitting options.

\._,

. ; .. AW;ilJW.1!lli
'
' .~~ "~

THROWS

Both of Dampi erre's front throws can have at least one random effect. His@+@ not only has a chance to be clean hit,
in w hich case it deals 62 damage, but also has a high chance
to change to the @+@ random throw. This throw will not
only do more damage but also can to Ring Out to the front .
But unlike his normal@+@ throw, this random throw cannot
wall splat, making it worse near a wall than the normal@+@
but better near the ring edge.
His +@ throw on the other hand never changes its animation or properties, and can always ring out the opponent behind him. Randomly or by rapidly pressing buttons, this move
can do more than its usual 40 damage. The extra damage can
vary from 45 to 55, and can even deal 85 damage if you are
lucky. Also, his right side throw has a random effect: rapidly
pressing buttons during the animation may result in you not
falli ng dow n, w hich w ill lead to much better Okizeme.

@ Iilli is risky to use because of the random unblockable

attack cancel, which can make Dampierre unsafe even on hit.
But most of the time the random cancel won't happen, so
when you're lucky this can be quite a useful Iilli. <?<?@ Iilli
ca n be used in some combos, but they are not truly guaranteed, because if Dampierre does the random jumping attack,
the combo will end.
~~ Iilli is by far his best Brave Edge attack, so you should
save your meter for this one. During the recovery animation
you can still attack, Guard Impact or use his 1!13. but you are
unable to guard or to sidest ep. This is still not a bad situation,
however, because you cannot be punished for guaranteed
damage when th~ opponent blocks this attack. Randomly,
this move can gain Break Attack properties, allowing for guaranteed damage even when it's blocked. and it will also deal
20 point s more damage. When it hits, Dampierre has lots of
combo option s. The most damaging but hardest t o execute
would be the ..(7~@ Just Input follow-up. For an easier but
still effective combo you can also use@ or liD. and
for further Ring Out potential you can go for<?<?@@@@.

Input

@+@
+@
t@ {random}
@+@ or +@ (Right}
@.j.@ or +@ (Left)

...
. '

..

'

llanuig~

input

Cockaigne, the Land of Plenty

..(7~~..(7~~@++

l<lv~l

lnlpAGI

i2-i23

ouard .

,.,,~
, I

,.,

Hit :

Dam pierre's Critical Edge is basically a strong auto-GI, which

is active for a long time. Like the normal Guard Impacts his
~ will parry any move in any direction, except throws and
unblockable attacks. After a successful Guard Impact, Dampierre will use a follow-up attack which deals 80 damage even
without Clean Hit. This ~ has a lot of recovery frames,
however, so you're taking a real risk any time you use it. You
should only use this if you can be sure to Guard Impact a
string attack with it, making this ~ just like having a much
stronger Guard Impact.

~~ ~ and 11'11' are some of the

strongest launchers Dampierre has to offer,
and after both of them he can combo with
the ~..().~@ Just Frame attack. After any
combo involving the ~.().~@ Just Frame
string, Dampierre can end the combo with
<? (such as Combo Band Combo D). This
will do a lot of damage, but is not easy to do
constantly. For easier combos you can go for

Damage

Hits

Cost

DiffiGulty

37

~.().~@:@:@::@:@:@:@, <?

111"

13

~~(ID lE.

~~@

59*

11'11'@

<?<?@

55

11'11'@

~.().~@:@:@:@:@:@:@:@, <?

112

13

11'

32

11'@

.(7

32

..(7..(7

1:1

46

~.(7~

WR@, 1:1@

62

@+

~..().~@:@:@:@:@:@:@:@, <?

113

16

~~@

58

~.(7~

~.(7~. ~..().~@:@:@:@:@:@:@:@, <?

103

18

***

~.(7~

~.(7~@. WR @. 1:1

76

+@

~.(7~. ~.().~@:@:@:@:@:@:@:@, <?@

81

16

***

~.(7~@. WR @, 1:1@

55

120

13

***

Combo

Slarler

.(7.(7@

.(7@

~~@ (;.

~~@after ~~ @ (Combo C) or for<?<?@ after either 11'11' or@+ for nice

damage and better Ring Out potential. In Combo B you have to delay the ~.().~@ string a bit
after you hit with ~~ ~. because of the fast recovery of this move. After~.().@ keep in
mind that if the first @ after the launcher is<:fandom it will still connect, but if you use .(7.(7@
~ and the second or the third attack after the launcher is the random jump it will not only
connect, but also has the chance to ring out Dam pierre. Use Combo A to combo safely near
the edge. Also, after a lot of his stuns Dampierre can also combo with ~..().~. which, if it
doesn't fa il, can always lead into further combo possibilities, such as WR , ~.(7~@ (Just)
or~..(}.~ again.
..,

:, +@

' CH '1f+@

Follow-up

~.().~@:@:@:@:@:@:@:@

* Plus 20 damage if starter is Break Attack

CHAPTER

f.! lfS PLJ\Y! LORD GEO DAMPIERRE

UKEMITRAPS

Ukcmi Trap

In neutral stance Dampierre can try to catch Ukemi using

..&+ or t:?@ after the opponent is knocked down. Unfortunately, both can sometimes be Ukemied to the left.
After longer stuns like ..&..&, for example, you can nearly
fully charge t:?@, forcing the opponent to Ukemi in order to
escape the fully-charged version. Release it before it's fully-charged and it will catch the opponent's Ukemi and stun
them, allowing for further m ix-ups depending on the possible
stance transition. Dampierre can also easily catch Ukemi with
his Fake Pain throws, especially after t?@ and s::!@@ when
Dampierre transitions random ly into his Fake Pain stance. He
can catch any d irection using his throws from this stance. You
can input t?@ after t?@, to make Dampierre always combo
with FP or w ith t? if he does not go into this stance. You

Directions

DifficuHv

..&+

89

All

FP@+@or+@

60*

All

FP@+@or+@

95

All

t?@, FP @

94

All

***

<?<?

t?

37

All

WR@

t?@. FP@

82

All

At least 60, can be more depending on throw

* * Nearly fully charged
can also try to do another Ukemi Trap with -&+tiD if t:?@ does not transition
into Fake Pain . ..&+though, has to be delayed a little because if used immediately after t?@ it will miss.

WALL COMBOS
After the normal @+@ throw Dampierre can get decent and easy
wall combos using s::! or -&-&liD(;, for example (see Combo E).
His +@throw can also wall splat if a wall is behind you, giving you
better Okizeme or decent guaranteed damage. S:ls::! or S:ls::! (;
also do a good job getting a wal l splats. After these and some other
Combo

Starter

Follow up

@+@W!
@+@W!

starters you can go for the S>-&s::!IID Just Frame string most of the
time. If the angle is correct, however, you can also try to get another
wal l splat using s::!@ and combo w ith either c;>-&s::!, S>-&s::!IID just
frame string or both, as in Combo F.

Damage

Hits

Cost

Difficulty

s::!@

60

-&-&liD(;

93

**

17

** **

S>-&s::!, S>-&s::!@:@:@:@:@:@:@:@,

84

' s::! Sj (;
, W!

s::ls::!. W! S>-&s::!IID:@:@:@:@:@:@:@.

<?

116*

19

***

': ~~CIDw!

~@. W! S>-&~[ID, c;>-&~@:@:@:@:@:@:@:@,

109*

19

** **

s::!@ W!

Plus 20 damage if :l:l:l:l is Guard Break

<?@

A PPLYING OFFENSE
Use~~ tEIEI as often as you can if you have the meter, because it
is good when blocked and often even sate when whiffed. When it hits
it leads into a nice damaging combo. If th e opponent doesn't jump
over your !:?13 attempts, you can inflict nice Guard Gauge damage
and keep up your offensive pressure, because !:?13 only has about
a 20 per cent chance to transition into Fake Pain stance. When you
are at close range, @) is a very nice tool to interrupt and evade
some of your opponent's fast pokes. From far to mid range. mixing
between c:::>c:::>!ID. @ and@ w ill give you an advancing offensive threat. If you get into Poker Bluff stance after you attack, try
to continue attacking if the opponent hesitates or uses a move that
whiffs over your head.

From mid to close range you can use~~.~@. ..(} ~@ and

..(}@+, as you r primary offensive tool s, because they will all do
decent damage and have potential to Ring Out or allow for some
damaging combos. When you're right next to your opponent. @.
..(}@. @ and ~@ can be used as your pokes to both interrupt and
prevent the opponent from easily sidestepping. Keep in mind that
attacks like c:::>. ..(}~. @ or ..(}..(}@ are very good when
blocked. granting you the opportunity to keep on attacking, or coun ter
the opponent with either a Guard Impact. t?@ auto-GI or his (!lj. You
can also try to use a sidestepping attack to evade fast pokes and punish with moves like !:?!:? or ..(}..(}@. @+@ can be used sometimes
at close range; it you're lucky it can be very useful, but don't forget
that Dampierre sometimes takes a long time to attack or even cancels
it and falls to the ground. which will leave you very vulnerable . [ ~o 1]

react to because of its speed. and can ring the opponent out to the
fron t. Using ..(}..(}@ will launch the oppon ent which can lead, if close
enough to the edge, to a Ring Out to Dampierre's back.

GUARD BURST
Achieving a Guard Burst with Dampierre is not easy. because a lot of
moves that would deal good Guard Gauge damage are not only unsafe but also slow.~~ and~ are among the exceptions, so use
these if you wa nt to deplete the opponent's Guard Gauge relatively
safely. After a Guard Burst you can either go for ..(}~@ twice or
once, following with ..(}~@Just Frame combo. Alternatively, you
can use "\]'@+@ for a CH launch into combo. Make sure to not be too
close to the opponent, however, because that can cause "\]'@+@ to
whiff. If you have enough Critical Gauge you can also use ~~@) ~
for even more damage potential.
Guard Burst
Req. to Burst

10
I

11

....

13

15

Attacks

'\J'+@
~~~----------------------------!:?13, ..0...0.. @. ~@)@)
~<;;:!@), ~~ C?.IEJ, ..0...0.

@)

----------------------------------..(}@+. t?@.
11
~. ~00.

Only forst attack can break

OKIZEME
Dampierre doesn't have a lot of good ground-hitting attacks. His
strongest options are "'l'!ID+@ from mid range, ~@from close range
and t?!ID and 11@ for mix-ups between Mid- and Low-hitting attacks.
After t?@ hits grounded or rolling opponents, FP @ will always be
faster. if he transitions into it. than any of the opponent's attacks.
Also, if !:?@ is blocked and Dampierre does not go into FP stance,
this move is totally safe when blocked.

RING OUT
Dampierre has some good options for ringing the opponent out in
any direction. ~. ~~ and ~ ring out to the front and are
Mid-hitting attacks . ..0. + is a Low-hitting attack and very hard to

DEFENSIVE PLAY
Dampierre does have some decent tools for block punishment, but
they are not really great compared to other characte rs. His @) is
relatively fast at 14 frames, but it's a High-hitting attack and has short
range. If the opponent is very unsafe then you can a ~so use @+.
but this can work out badly if he randomly spins, so often ~@)@) or
just will be better. His whiff punishment is more interesting,
because with attacks like ..(}..(}@ or ~~ and ~~ ~ he can
severely punish with high damage and ring out potential. ~~ or
~~ (ill~ are both useful Tech Crouch options as well.
Dampierre's <? can be used to evade backwards quickly to escape
the opponent's pressure or m ix-ups. Keep in m ind t hat Dampierre
sometim es falls down randomly, but it's not easy for the opponent
to react fast enough to punish this. He transitions into Poker Bluff if
he falls down, m aking it possible to interrupt the opponent from the
ground. Because his Critical Edge is basically a Guard Impact, playing
more defensively and watching out for the opponent's strings can be
really effective. For example, against some forced Brave Edge attacks
like Pyrrha's @) ~ or Astaroth's @ ~ you can always
safely use the (!1j against the second hit. It's also useful against
regular strings of course, such as some of Hilde's charge attacks and
Cervantes's WR @+@.

CHM'1EF<41 VS P ..flY i LORD GEO DAMPIERRE

After Just Guarding, ~ is a very good option. This attack should be

fast enough most of the time to hit the opponent duri ng their recovery and Dampierre can combo after it for decent damage. If you know
that th e recovery from the opponent is long enough for ~..!J..<J:::l@ to
hit, then it wi ll be the best option, because it will deal much more
dQmQge Qnd c;Qn ring out. [ 70 2]

again givi~g you th e option to sidestep or backstep. His WR +

@cancel includes a backdash which w ill leave Dampierre at midto fa r ra nge depending on t he position it was used from . Keep in
mind that th is takes longer th an a norm al backdash, but will cover
more range.

POST-GI
SPACING & POSITIONING
You can use the built-in backstep of @ to quickly retreat, which is
very useful when t rying to keep at the ideal distance from the opponent. <J:::l<J:::l (;is another great tool, as even when it's w hiffed you
can try to sidestep or use to escape strong mix-ups. ~~@
also has good range and recove rs well when blocked at mid-range,

To fight against Dampierre you'll need to know his stance transitions,

and you shou.ld learn where his random changes can occur in order
to counter them appropriately. Don't forget that Dampierre is in a
grounded-like state during his Poker Bluff stance. so you'll need to
use attacks that wou ld hit grounded opponents against him. A standard ..!}-@or ..().should do the job, but these attacks won't do huge
damage. Depending on your character, attacks such as <J:::! or similar

After a Guard Impact you can either use t he Just Frame cC>..!J..<J:::l@
for the most damage, or land <J:::! before the opponent is able to
block for moderate damage and Ring Out potential. If you think the
opponent might re-G I you can use I::? I:? or <J:::l<J:::l G. as these are
fairly slow attacks due to the sidestep required to access them, and
they deal a lot of damage if you use the ~..!J..<J:::l Just Input followup. [70 3]

attacks should work well. Always try to interrupt his Fake Pain stance,
because his throws will always catch sidestep attempts and his attack deals good damage and will give Dampierre a mix-up opportunity
from Poker Bluff. Dampierre's attacks that have good range are usually
fairly slow and often linear. so plenty of backstepping and good spacing will make him much less of a threat.

KEY ATTACKS
..
Dampierre w ill always go into Poker Bluff stance after th is attack,
leaving him lying on the ground, so your usual punisher might whiff.
Look for your most damaging attacks that w ill hit grounded opponents to punish this move heavily. If cC>~ hits you. remember that
Dampierre will always go into Poker Bluff stance with his feet towards you, so he can only hit you with PB . a Low-hitting attack.
This means you should always guard low for a short period of time
a fter ~~ hit you. Also, this attack is linear, making it easy to sidestep to the left or right. [ 70 4]
<J:::l<J:::l@ I <J:::l~CID G
Be careful after blocking these attacks. because Dampierre can, after
the Brave Edge version. attack and Gl ve ry early during his recovery.
After sidestepping <J:::l<J:::l Iilli make sure to not hesitate with your
punishm ent, because Dampierre can also reta liate very quickly, even
when it w hiffs. After the normal <J:::l<J:::l, Dam pierre can follow up with
@to interrupt slower punishing attempts. Make :Sure to use at least
i1 3 attacks as they will beat both kick follow-ups and are fa st enough
to hit Dampierre before he is able to guard.

This sweep is not very fast but has a very confusing animation for a
slow, Low-hitting attack. Try to get used to this animation, so you can
block it and punish accordingly. If Dampierre charges 1::?13 you can
easily jump over it, or even better use a fast Tech Jump attack. 1::?13
won't leave Dampierre at advantage if he transitions randomly into
Fake Pain stance, th us allowing you to punish even the Break Attack
version of the move.

At close to mid range you have to watch out for this move. It can
either Tech Crouch or Tech Jump depending on the random effect that
occurs. This means it's best to use Mid-hitting attacks often at mid
range to counter this move. At close range the Tech Crouch and Tech
Jump frames w on't often be fast enough to evade fast pokes. When
blocked, th is move only leaves Dampierre at a minor disadvantage, so

make sure to counter w ith quick attacks, and be ca reful when Dampierre has enough meter to use his t!JEI after this move is blocked. If he
falls down into Poker Bluff, make sure to react quickly with ..!}-, because slower moves may not be fast enough to interrupt his attacks.

Keep in mind that Dampierre not only Tech Crouches before this attacks hits. but also during for the duration of its recovery, so make
sure to punish with Mid-hitting or Low-hitting attacks. Thi s move is
also very linear so it's worth sidestepping at times w hen you think
the Dampierre player will use it. [ 7 0 5]

Command List
Numo

Input

l evel

@@

High High

10,14

12

High

18
10,10

14

-8

STN CH

17

-15

NC

MidMid SS

10,10

17

SP-Iow

12

13

-8

20

37

18

KNO

Standing/@
Resolute Shuffle
Planchette's Guidance

t:l>@

Heart-Piercing Saber

~@@

Heart-Piercing Saber- Fake Pain

~@@ ... (random)

Prearranged Victory

~@

.. .

MidMid

End Game

8,6

2,6

NC

STN

NCI-FP
TCI-FC
auto-GI: H. M
!Horizontai,Verticall i5i14
Opp - BT (iHit}

(ID(ID

Night at the Carnival

<=l>

Canal Grande

~(ID@

High

16

14

' M id Mid

20,30
18
24

19

15
24

14.10,9,7

Invisible Afterglow Dampierre

~@

M id

Misty Waters of Laguna

tt

Low

Rendevous at the Masked Ball

<?

Rendevous at the M asked Ball Poker Bluff

Azure Nightmare

<=l>~~(ID

Azure Nightmar e- Poker Bluff

<=l>~~(ID !random)

High High High

High
High High High
HighSS
MidMidMid

<? (random)

TC

' 18,,15

LNC,KND

10

15

28

KNO

TC

11

STN

BS

14,10,9,7

11

STN

BS 1-PB

10,10,10

22

-4

STN

NC I Clean Hit: C
- FC

TC 1-FC

ss

TJ 1-PB

Standing/@
Nobleman of the Salon

00

High

14

13

12

16

-8

STN

-8

Gaze Upon the Darker Side

<=l>@

Mid

Worthy Opponents!

~@

Mid

20 "'

18

11

Rumors of the Salon

-&

Low

16

14

1 4

Another Swig o fThrill

t:t@

Low

!:t@ (random)

36
36

-6

Another Swig ofThrill -Fake Pain

Another Swig ofThrill

!:tl3

20
20
30
30
18

2
STN

68

STN

68
17

-6

16,3,2#2,
2,2,11,17

18

25

LNC

10

19

STN

11

Anot her Swig ofThrill- Fake Pain

!:tl3 (random)

Gondola Dreams

<?@

LowSS

Low
LowSS
High
Mid High High
High High High
High High

Bravo! Encore!

STN
STN

15
-FC

15
15
10
10

-FP

BA
BAI-FP
-PB (random if input is
failed) I Clean Hit: A

Standing/@ r
~ Dazzling El Dorad~ ..

Dazzling El Dorado - Poker Bluff

I Shining Clpangu

@+

M idMidMid

20

@+ (random)

Mid Mid SS

13

19

STN

13

~+

Low

32

29

18

KND

15

@+@

Mid

10

23

STN

STN

+ (random)

ss

il'+@

Mid

30

30

14

KNO

SP-Iow

12

TCI-FC

18

12
14

- FC

14

14

-FC

Clean Hit: C

Standing/+
Rose Quartz of Destruction
Rose Quartz of Destruction Poker Bluff
Holy Grail of Caesarea

UB

-PB
9

LNCCH

Full Crouch Attacks

Prearranged Victory

crouching@

Invisible Afterglow Dam pierre

crouching @

M id

Rum ors of the Sa,lon

crouching@

Low

While Rising Attacks

while standing @

High High

10,10

24

Soaring Lion

while standing @

Mid

14

-6

Adriatic Pearls

while standing @

Mid

18

15
18

-15

STN

Eternal Father's Name

while standing @+

Mid

40

60

KNO

KND

12
15

TC
UBI Cancel

J umping Attacks
Spice Filled Calicat

while jumping @

High High

8,10

24

-4

while jumping (ID

Mid

20

10

Wish Upon a Rainbow

while jumping @

Mid

24
22

6
2

TJ

Killing Time

21

-8

TJ

Koh-lnur Diamond

t:l> o+ or~ ~ or~ ~@

Mid

28

-4

STN

Obvious Outcome

~+ or il' f'@

High

18

28
18

16

STN

High Mid

26,28

30

11 ,16

1, STN

NCC

Mid SS

22

28

10

- PB

TJ

8-Way Run/@

, T~murRuby

'+ or !:ttt or~~@

13

8Way Run/
Nightmare Incident ReenactedPoker Bluff
Nightmare Incident Reenacted Poker Bluff

<=l>-+
t:l>o+(ID (hit)

MidSS

24

22

KNO

-PB

Aslun Art of Karate

~~ ()(till~ (raMont)

Mid Mid

20

20

14,16

LNC,KND

TCI RO

---

CHAP i l:H 4 I VS PL;W i LORD GEO DAMPIERRE

Name

Level

~~or z:l~@ (random)

-or z:l~@ (random)

Mid Mid
MidlowSS

~~ or z:l~@ (random)

;!}+ or 'itt-

Perilous Perfume
In Search of Margaret- Jar of
Oath in the Moonlight

Spotted Arlecch ino

Unbridled Columbina

16
22,16

20

CHAIYJ EH 4 IVS PLAY I VOLVO

VOLDO
Character Overview I Vol do is a highly unorthodox fighter, skilled in contortion techniques and
bizarre evasive movements. Voldo's greatest strength is in confusing his opponent; making them
unsure what he's doing or going to do next. He has the power and safety to be played as a
straightforward spacing and mix-up characte yGt his real advantage lies in his evasiveness and
the mind games his st~ces_..catlfreae~to.-so"'playing him at his most effective w ill require you to
be creative and /~Jttal5fe .
.,_..,."'

....

'' "'''""''" (!lEI is powerful, but you

have many occasions to
unless the opponent uses a
that you can interrupt
It is still one of his
so when you have
it to stay unpredictat times that you
It can also
nN,O:O<,:> your COmbo
can c:>r::> IEJ3, so
available to ensure
mage when you land
starter should always be
.ifriority.

f:\Mnn't''

10_028

'-

sTANCEs

.':<Alii
:;:r;

Blind Stance (BS)

........... ............ ..

Blind Stance is Voldo's special

back-turned state: he's unique
among all characters in being able
to move around freely while backturned, and has an entirety different
set of attacks i n this state. He can
even guard attacks and Gl while
back-turned, but doing so will return him to fac ing forward. In Blind
Stance Voldo's attacks give him
an answer to almost any situation
and his throws become powerful
evasive tools. He gains incredible
knockdown mix-up tools such as
BS {\.@ +, BS ..0..@+@. and BS
WR and has faster basic attacks
at his disposa l. So being in Blind
Stance at the right times is very
important to Voldo; you'll w ant to
make sure that everything you do
at least gives you the option to
remain in Blind Stance, especially
when you're near to the opponent.

M antis Crawl (MC)

>@

1:?13

-4

KND

>@@

-8

-8

-16

-1

-9

STN

-&m

>>@

STN

..0,{1- or 11'11'

LNC

l evel

Guard

IHt

ID+I3

12

KND

BS {\.@+@

15

KND

SM

-10

STN

level

Guard

Hit

Transitions Into Mantis CrawiiHoad Towards)

lnpyt

Mantis Crawl is Voldo's hit-andrun stance: upon entering it you'll

usually have an instant mix-up you
can apply, after which you'll often
be best served exiting the stance.
There are two variations of Mantis
Crawl: head towards {MCHTJ and
feet towards (MCFT). Wh ich one of
these you en t er depends on what
you use to transition into Mantis
Crawl. The fastest ways to enter
MC from standing are through the
S>+@ evade (>@+@ in BS)
and-&+@. You should aim to use
MCHT almost exclusively, because
the primary th reat from MC is the
S>S> run, which hits Low, and this
attack has no effect on sta nding
opponents in MCFT. Once MCHT
S>S> connects, you can follow
up with a MCFT S>S> to run back
over your opponent. From BS you
can enter MCHT more effectively
th rough {\.@+@ and @+@:@,
and can continue with a mix-up between the MC S>S> run and MCHT
@ even when these are guarded,
though you'll need to mix in MCHT
@to catch sidesteppers, or flip into
DR to evade some fast attacks.

BS >r.iJ+I3
DR (facing) {I. or 11'

Grounded (facing away) @+@

BS@+@:@
Transitions into Mantis Crawi(Feet Towards)
Input

S>t1+13
DR (Facing away) {\. or 11'
-&+@

Cl <1\f> i 1-R ,: IV~; f>LAY VOLDO

Transitions into Death Roll

Death Roll (DR)

Input

Death Roll is a sp ecial grounded state from w hich Voldo has a

few unique attacks available. As w ith Mantis Crawl. the attacks
Voldo uses are the same w hether you're facing the opponent or
not, but there are some differences in the ways they hit. Though
Voldo appears to be grounded during DR, he w ill be t reated as
standing if the opponent lands an attack. DR is a fast Mid
swipe that leads to a stun w hen it hi ts. W hen guarded, t he opponent can punish with ground-hitting attacks, but even many of
these can be evaded w ith either DR@ or DR..(!. or 1f into MC,
so you always have options to counter your opponent. DR @ is
a Low hit that knows dow n and be charged for a 3-hit combo.

..(!. or 1f

r.i.1+13

Caliostro Rush (CR)

Input

Caliostro Rush is a forward or backwards evasive movem ent during whichVoldo is too low to be hit by High attacks and has access
to his powerful s et of WR attacks. Using WR @from CR gives
you another valuable evasive advancing attack. and CR + is a
low that. w hile very unsafe, is again highly evasive and can easily
hit from mid range and can ring the opponent out. In BS, CR gives
you access to your BS WR attacks, w hich are som e of Voldo's
best moves. It also has the excl usive CR +. w hich can't be
executed from WR and is another powerful, evasive Low attack.

Power Slave
The ..(!.@ series is one of Voldo's primary offense openers,
leading to potent ial m ix-ups even w hen guarded . ..(!.@ on its
own is relat ively fast and covers a very good dista nee. It also
has a low enough hitbox to ensure t hat evasive attacks w on't
be effective against it. You have t he option to hold down
to
enter BS, or to press again for a second hit. It's the threat
of this second h it t hat makes the BS tra nsition so effective;
if you use ..(!. often, t hen t he opponent m ust wait w hen
they see -.!7. g iving you a little time to apply your BS mixups even when it's blocked. The second hit of ../7 can
be sidestepped to the right after the first is guarded, so you
should lim it its use if this happens and sometimes use -.!7m
into BS ..(!.@ instead.

Scorpion Tail I Blind Scorpion

t?@ on its own is a safe combo starter of decent speed,
but it's the t?l3 version of the attack t hat makes this one
of Voldo's best m oves. !:?13 takes Voldo into BS, leads to a
combo w hen it connects. and allows for BS m ix-ups when it's
g uarded, making it o ne of your best offense starters uri close.
W hen it's guarded, it is im porta nt to pay attention to how t he
opponent reacts; do they retaliate, and if so w hat wi th? Or do
they sidestep or backdash to gain a better position? Regardless of what they do. you have an option that w ill deal w ith it.
See the Applying Offence Offense section for m ore on thi s.

Blind Toss
This attack can o nly be used w hen you're back- turned and
in either W R or CR states, but this lim itation doesn't prevent
it from being a t ruly lethal part of Vo ldo's offense. It t racks to
the left. is com p letely safe w hen blocked, evades High attacks and leads to a very powerful combo w hen it hits. It's
great w hen used from grounded as a surprise attack, so look
out for this opportunity any time you're in t he back-turned
grounded state. Using it as part of your BS Okizeme game is
also very rewa rd ing for little risk, and you can mix it up with
BS CR + , BS -.!}@, and BS cl>cl>@+@ to keep the opponent guessing.

{!.-~.:::>

BS -.!7 ~.:::>
+~

Reverse Evil Bow

BS ..&+ is one of Voldo's primary evasive tools, and also
happens to be a powerful Low attack that knocks the opponent down when it connects. It can be effective w hen used in
mix-ups with BS ~+ or BS <?@, but some opponents
w ill be able to react to it and guard. leaving you open to punishment. It's still worth the risk. however, because its range
and tracking make it great for hitting opponents as they move
around and its evasiveness allows it to easily beat many incoming attacks. Once it con nects, you can use BS CR to advance and force a BS mix-up or wait for Voldo to stand and
then enter MC with ..&+.
Mantis Crawl

Once in BS, this is your best way to enter MC and apply a

mix-up, even w hen it's guarded. Though this isn't a fast attack, its animation is deceptive and once it's guarded the
opponent can do nothing but guess whether you'll use an
instant MCHT c:>c:> or MCHT @ . You can also use ~ or '\)'
to flip straight into DR. which forces the opponent to use
ground-hitting attacks and the flip will evade linear attacks.
MC ID+I3 is another option to evade most High- or Mid-hitting counter attacks in this situation for a combo.

.. . )LJ~v'
-....~-4

SECONDARY ATTACKS

Mute Low Kick

' Input

Damage

Levu!

hnpsct

GuDrd

i22

-16

Hit

1111 gives Voldo a mid-range Low attack that he can use to

frustrate the opponent after combos or hitting them with attacks such as ~-!),@. It has great range and gives advantage
when it hits, so you'll be in a good position to follow up with
~..&. c:>c:>. or ~. If you're at mid-range and don't
want to enter BS then you should use this any time you think
the opponent will hesitate. It's quite unsafe when guarded.
however, so be careful not to use it too often against opponents
that can punish it heavily and always mix it up with .().-.().-@ or
.().--!).in order to discourage your opponent from blocking low.

Blind Blade
At mid range this attack can be used to control the opponent's movements due to its long reach and great tracking.
It's also fullyTC throughout, so you won't have to worry about
High-hitting attacks or throws when using it . .().-.().-@ makes it
very hard for opponents to space Voldo, especially if their advancing attacks are High. Learn the best direction to sidestep
against your opponent's most-used advancing attacks and
use .().--!),@ to really limit their options and make them play
more defensively. Afte r it connects you are left with great
advantage, so attacks such as 1113, -!J.ID. or c::>c:> w ill
be hard for your opponent to beat.

Death Ensnare I Blind Elbow Rush

In BS you'll need a fast Mid-hitting attack to deal w ith some
faster characters that will attempt to poke you out of the
stance. as you can't always rely entirely on your evasive options. BS c:> is fast enough to be ideal for this purpose.
and can lead to either advantage in hit from @@. or a
powerful combo if you use @@. though you'll need a
@ (ill~ available to get major damage. These are very
linear strings, so you'll be at risk of punishment if they are
sidestepped. This is especially true for c::>. so you
should try to use it only when you're certain that will
hit the opponent.

Input

Damage

Lcvol

lrnp~ct

Guard

Hit

~~ or '0-'\l'

36

i19

-12

Input

Damage

level

Impact

Guard

Hit

BS@@)

18.18

MM

i15

-10,-7

l,STN

i15

-12

STN

18,10,10,10 MMMM

CH.AI'1 i tR d IV S F!AY i VOLDO

Asylum Step
Another of Voldo's signature evasive attacks, 1:1 can evade
underneath all High attacks and many Mids if timed correctly.
It doesn't lead to great damage, but it's still a very effective
follow-up to gu.arded attacks if you think the opponent w ill
retal iate with something you can evade. It is not a safe attack,
however, and some characters can punish it heavily, so you
must try to use it unpredictably and not in the same places
too often. You ca n also use it to pick opponents up off the
ground with the
variant. This leaves them standing next
to you and gives you enough advantage for a strong mix-up.

1:1m

Demon Elbow I Satanic Elbow

Voldo has two versions of his elbow attack: @ and
@. c:l>@ is a t iny bit faste r, but@ has the
advantage of leading to a stun from which you can land a
damaging combo, making it the elbow of choice to use as
an advancing Mid combo starter or a mix-up tool when you
have advant age. Both of these attacks are linear, so they'll
be harder to deal with when used at their maximum range,
t hough they're safe when guarded so you can use them as
part of your mid range offence offense alongside {].{].@ and
1:11:1@.

Rat Straight
In BS, Voldo is best played using evasive counter-attacks to beat
his opponent's attacks. and BS +@is one of the key options
that lets him do this even when at a disadvantage. It can autoGI all Mid-hitting attacks other than kicks and stab-type attacks.
and will send the opponent flying when it does, allowing for a
quick CR + follow-up if you're within ra nge. This makes
it an essential part of your BS mix-up strategy since you can
reduce the opponent's likelihood of using Mid attacks after
your stance transitions, which simply makes their other options
even easier to evade or beat. You can also simply move around
in BS and use this when you see the opponent use a slow Mid
attack, and it's great for getting wall splats or Ring Outs.

Lunatic Spin
WR 13 is one of the fastest and safest ways to enter BS,
so it's an important attack that you should use to link your offence offense together and flow between the stances. It w ill
ca tch sidestepping opponents and leads to advantage when it
connects, which means you can use it from CR for a safe way
to advance into BS with much less risk of being sidestepped
compared to using -&m. It can be sidestepped to the left, but
it's not easy for the opponent to do, especially at its maximum
range . When it's guarded, Valda's usual BS evasive options
will work very well, and you can use it from the ground to get
straight up into BS. This is a good choice after applying a DR
mix-up at times when you think staying in the stance would
be a risk.

Praying Mantas
+isn't a particularly fast attack. but it has great reach, decent tracking, and hits grounded opponents for a good chunk
of damage. It's best used in Okizeme immediately after landing attacks t hat knock down but don't lead to combos, and at
times when the opponent is likely to guard, as using the tran
sition into CR gives you and instant but risky mix-up between
CR and CR +. This is great near the ring edge, since
t he opponent must guard CR +to avoid being rung out,
so you can sometimes not use the CR transition and follow
up with a fast M id-hitting Ring Out option such as~ or
~@!mi.

Voldo's normal throws don't have great range, but their damage is decent and he has the potential for Ring Out from
them. +@ will Ri ng Out to the front and left, while his
left- side throw will Ring Out to the front, w hich is great when
used as a BS throw because the BS throw animation automatically brings Voldo to the opponent's left side. Both of his
regular throws leave him in a good position for Okizeme, with
+riD and c::>c::>riD lm1 being particularly good follow-ups.
BS c::>c::>+@.l has differing animations depending on the
sex of the opposing cha racter. Either version will leave you
in a great position to follow- up with +riD. though this
can be rolled to the right. To catch opponents rolling to the
right you'll need to use c::>c::>c::>(ID or c::>c::>riD ~. and
mix-up with !:?!:?@for a ground-hitting Low attack. Remember that none of Voldo's throws w ill leave him in BS. so
following up with +~riD+ or even whiffing ..C.m above
a grounded opponent can sometimes work to lead into another BS mix-up.

c::>c::>(ID is Voldo's most important Brave Edge attack for

a variety of reasons. Firstly, when it connects it leads to a
powerful comb o. and it can also be used after other combo
starters to increase Voldo's combo damage, so having it available can be very important and will dictate wh ich attacks you
should use because there are times (such as after landing CR
@@)when it will be the only possible option to combo into.
Secondly, it gives you good advantage when guarded, allowing you to mix- up throws with advancing Mid attacks such
as c::>c::>c::>(ID, +riD. or -.!}.{1-(ID, but the second hit can be
sidestepped when the first is blocked, so you shouldn't use it
often when you think the opponent will simply guard.
The c::>@ ~gives you another safe way to enter BS, but the
second hit can be easily Gled, Just Guarded, or sidestepped
when the first is guarded. This means that you should aim
to use it only as a punisher due to its speed. unless you're
sure the opponent w ill block both hits. When the second hit
is blocked, you're left in BS WR. w ith both BS WR and riD
being uninterruptable by the opponent. The DR@~ leads
to good damage when it hits, so it's worth using if you think
your opponent will guard low after you enter the stance. It
also gives you advantage when guarded, giving you time for
another mix-up or to exit the stance safely.

Wheel of Madness
The full animation for Voldo's ~ leads to very high damage, but you won't often be able to combo into this version.
Instead, you'll enter MCHT and slam the opponent to the
ground, giving the opportunity for a guarant eed@ follow- up
from MC. or DR riD+. This version can be added to the end
of many combos for additional damage, and if you use the
MCHT @ finisher then you'll be left in BS in a great position
to mix- up BS {\-@ and BS CR (ID. Because this ~ takes
Voldo into MC it's actually not entirely unsafe when guarded;
your opponent is in FC and you'll have some options to evade
their retaliation attempts, such as -.!}. or 'It into DR, or using
MCHT @ to TJ fast Low-hitting attacks, though some characters will have an option that is truly guaranteed to connect.

CHAPIER ,:.I VS PL.AY VOLDO

Voldo's most useful combo after starters that lead into BS, such as
~~@and BS '@.is BS @ followed by BS c:(>c:(>@. This leaves
you in a goqd position for CR mix-ups and allows you to easily add the
partial ~ after the BS @ for additional damage when you have
it available. BS <?@. BS @. BS @ also works and deals
more damage, but leaves you too far away to land the ~ . Voldo's
fully connecting ~ can rarely be used in combos. though you can

land it after a CH BS <::> or CH BS CR @ (Combos Band D). Voldo's

elbow attacks are great combo starters, especially ~@.You'll
need the @ ~ to get the most damage from these, however,
and can always end the combos with your ~ if you have it. You can
use BS ~ to turn around in BS combos, allowing you to follow
up with a regular ~ or ~ ~. as in Combo C.

Damage

Hits

Cost

Oifliculty

@.@ ~

75

**

ttl3

BS ~@+@, MCHT @

58

..

tt@

@ ~

63

~~@

BS @. BS @

65

@ ~. @13. MCHT @

102

MCHT@

52

..

80

..

Combo

Stnrtor

Followut>

, 0 +13
@

~.MCHT @

c:(>@

BSWR@

55

WR@@ '

56

BSWR @

BS .@, BS c:(>@. BS @

81

BSWR @

BS c:(>@. BS @

73

MCHT @+@

~or "\l' DR@ ~. DR @+@

87

***

DR@ ~

DR@+@

70

@~

BS~@

49

CR @@

@ ~

72

CH @

Iilli

57

C H~@

DR@ ~. DR@+@

70

...

CHBSCR @

@J3

109

CH BS CR@

BS @. @ ~. ~ . .!}or "\l', MCHT @

102

***

CH BS .@

123

**

i cH +~

:,

UKEMITRAPS
By far Voldo's m ost useful UT is after landing c:?c:?@ or <?<?; an instant BS WR is g uaranteed and w ill stun the opponent for a combo
if they UT in any direction. BS W R @ can be used in the same way,
but it won't stun the opponent for a combo. For combos ending in BS
.:?@, BS @ you can exchange the BS @ for an Ukemi
Trap with BS -6-@+@. Once the opponent stays grounded you can
use BS ..!).+. MCHT@ for extra damage.

Difficulty

Directions

Knockdown

UkomiTrap

c:?c:?@

BSWR @

89

All

***

<?<?

BSWR@

67

All

'l:l@@ 01' ~

95

Left

0/ 4

**

@+

128

All

CR@@

139

All

**

WALL COMBOS
Vo ldo's best w all-splatting options from normal stance are ..(7..(7 and t?@. What you follow up
w ith will depend on whether or not your wall-splatting attack brought you into BS. If it didn't.
then using 1::?(3 for another splat into BS c::>c::> is a good idea, as this gives you many options
for finishing the combo. If you wall splat straight into BS using either{!...!). or BS <?@. then
BS <?@is the most reliable follow-up, though you can land BS CR@ if you wall splat from just a
tiny bit further out and this will lead a nice damage boost. Any tim e you wall splat with your ~

Combo

Star! or

Follcwup

l::?@ Wl

!::?@. W! @+@'l:l. WR @@

-6-..!).@ WI

available then using it instantly w ill lead to the

most reliable damage. You can also go straight
into c:(>c:(>@ Iilli after a normal wall splat, and
then follow up with either another c::>c::> Iilli
or +'l:l, and if the opponent Ukemis after
this you'll get a WR guaranteed.

Domogo

Hits

Cost

Difficulty

70

BS <?@.WI BS c:?@@@. @ Iilli

90

11

**

..(7..(7-@ Wl

BS <?@.WI .:?@@. ~

92

CHCRWR @.
BS@ WI

BS CR @. BS <?@. W! BS <?@. BS .:?.:?@. BS .:?~@

105

..(7..(7-@ WI

BS WR @ , BS <?@. W! BS CR @. BS <?@. BS .:?@. ~

122

10

APPLYING OFFENSE
With Voldo it's important to remember that regardless of what situation you're in, chances are that you have a strong evasive option
that the opponent won't expect. When facing the opponent, !::?.
@, and CR + are all very hard for them to beat from m id
ra nge, and can even be hard to punish when whiffed, as their evasive
properties last up until they recover. While a standard, spacing-based
approach in normal stance can often be enough to compete on even
ground with many characters, it's only when you introduce his many
stance optiof)S that Voldo becomes truly awkward to fight against.
Enter MC any chance you get. especially when the opponent is at a

disadvantage and is like ly to wa it. M C c:::>c:::> is your offence offense

starter once in the stance, and if that hits you can often run back over
the opponent in the opposite direction. At this point you can slowly
move forward a little to realign for another MC c:::>c:::>. or flip into DR
and use DR or@ to start a mix-up.
Many of your best options for whiff punishing and approaching will
take you into BS and usually leave you right next to the opponent. This
is exactly what you want. as Voldo is at his most threatening when
he's w ithin range for the BS throws and BS WR . After having at-

C>-~Ai'TEH

!..I VS PLI\Y! VOLDO

tacks such as ..&8. ~~@. or t?l3 guarded, you'll be in a good position for a BS m ix-up, so you need to watch what your opponent does.
Your primary options here are the BS throws for evasion, BS +@
to auto-GI (this will deal with all Mid or SM attacks that aren't kicks or
stabs), BS ..!}@+to evade underneath attacks and catch opponents
who don't guard low, and fi nally an instant BS CR . which will also
evade High attacks and hit opponen ts who 8-Way Run or guard low.
If your opponent retreats, then BS CR @ w ill catch them for a very
strong CH combo, and you can also use BS CR @+ for a delayed
mix-up. If the opponent often uses an attack such as ..!}@ that seems
to stop all of you r options then you can consider using BS ..!}@+@
or BS ']}@@ as a counter. BS ']}@@ deals more damage than BS
']}@@. but it doesn't jump as quickly, so after some transitions you'll
still get hit by a ..!}@. [ 70 1]

OKIZEME
Many of Voldo's best attacks also hit grou nded opponents, so his
Okizeme game is extremely strong . When facing the opponent,
@+@ is your most powerful ground hit. lt''s your best option immediately after most knockdowns in normal stance, and you can mix
it up w ith CR @+@. ~.:::>~. and the CR throws. If you think your
opponen t will stay on the ground you can use t?8 to pick them up
into enough advantage for a mix-up between t?l3. t?@ and throws.
In BS, you have BS CR as you r primary ground-hitting Mid attack.
This is very powerful, and can be mixed up w ith BS ..!}@, BS BS CR
@+@. and BS ..!}@+@into your MC options. Using DR is also a good
idea against grounded opponents.

RING OUT
Voldo has some enviable Ring Out options, especially in normal stance
with the opponent's back the ring edge. From here you can mix- up
between~@+@. ~~ ~.and CR @+@.You also have..!}..!}@
to Ring Out opponents trying to move to a better position. In BS, there
are no Low-hitting Ring Out options, but the BS throws give you a good
chance of landing a side throw, both of which can Ring Out. You can
also use ..!}@+@ into MCHT .:::>~ to Ring Out, but this is a very risky
tactic, as you'll ring yourself out if the opponent sidesteps it. [ 7 0 2]

GUARD BURST
Voldo's best Guard Burst attacks are not ones that you will use very
often. though BS 'It@@ ca n be useful against grou nded opponents
as they rise. A Guard Burst strategy is worth attempting only against
a highly defensive player that w ill block often. @~will deplete
th e Guard Gauge relatively quickly, but can't actually Guard Burst.
This makes it useful when the opponent's gauge is flashing and you
want to finish t hem off and save the Guard Burst for the next round.

Guard Burst
Req.to Burst

I Attacks

; BS ..!}@+@. c:l>@ ~.
. BS ~@@. DR@~

~@@,

:><?@.

BS >@. BS ~@~@. >@

~~@+@. 9@, DR@+@. DR

fJ.

>@@.

~~@, t?. BS @+@. @+@

' @+@. BS CR @. BS ~@

DEFENSIVE PLAY
Stances such as MC and DR force the opponent to change how they
fight and use different attacks in order to hit yolf. which limits their
moveset in your favor. These are risky to enter, and you won't be
able to move freely between them at times when you can't afford to
take damage, but using transitions into MCHT can be effective at mid
range; the opponent won't want to wait for you to apply the MCHT
~.:::> mix-ups, so you can use this for baiting them to advance or attack you. At times when you rea lly can't afford to get hit, ..!}..!}@and
-&from mid range will be your safest choices to space with.
If you have~ ~@ ~ available, then using Just Guard against the
opponent's most often used attacks can be very rewarding, but using your evasive attacks should still be your defensive priority. If the
opponent knows that Voldo is not a fast character then they'll want
to capitalize on this when they're up close by using fast, safe pokes
to shut you down. Ensuring that you 're in BS as much as possible
when up close can make this much easier to handle, as your evasive
attacks are safer you can use the BS @+@ auto-GI to shu t down
sa fe Mid poking. Being in BS can also cause your opponent's combos
to not work properly and cost them a lot of damage when t hey hit
you, though you'll be risking being back thrown often if you don't use
enough of yourTC attacks to discourage throws.

..

SPACING & POSITIONING

Voldo, rega rdless of whether he's in BS or not, is very good at spacing,
and can give even the longest range characters a hard time. In normal
stance,..!}..!}@, t? t?@, ~~@+@,and CR @+@all have great range
and w ill evade High attacks and even some Mids. You also have z;1@
to jump over Low attacks for a DR combo, and there's FC ~@+@
for really long distance whiff punishing. In BS, CR @ is your primary
threat alongside CR @+@and CR gives you the ability t o move quickly between ranges without worrying about High attacks. ( 7 0 3J

POST-GI
After a successful Gl Voldo has many options
to confuse the opponent and still lead to
huge damage. After Gling in normal stance,
the simplest follow-up is either $j(ID(ID or
~13 into a combo. If you think the opponent
will re-G I, you can use c:!>tl+ffi or <?l!l+@ to
hit them as they recover. From BS, you have
<?@ or c(>@ to lead into a combo, or BS
CR (ID for timing m ix-ups that are perfectly
safe and lead to damaging combos. [~0 1]

Voldo's evasiveness can force you into using specific attacks in order to hit him reliably, but
this doesn't have to be a problem if you simply use one or two of your attacks that hit grounded or very low Low more often. Against Voldo in BS you should ideally use a Mid-hitting kick
attack that either hits grounded or low to the ground and will track sidestep to your left. as
this will deal with both his + auto-GI and his evasive throws. Rega rdless of whether he's
in BS or not, many of his best attacks are TC, so you should throw him less than other ch<;~r
acters and use lows instead. Voldo's Okizeme can seem very strong, but when he's facing

KEY ATTACKS

This attack can be used to wear down your

Guard Gauge, so it's a bad idea to simply
guard it too often. After guarding th e l irst hit
you can Gl the second, but this will leave you
open if the Voldo player only uses the first hit
of the attack. learning to Just Guard the second hit would solve this problem [ ~0 21

After Voldo enters Mantis Crawl, this will

very likely be his instant choice of attack. It's
Low and extremely fast, so you won't see it
coming. Sidestepping is your best counter
for this. and for MC in general, but t his won't
be an option if Voldo enters MC after forcing
you to guard BS ~+@. [ -70 3]

!113 is perfectly safe when guarded, and Voldo has many BS options to beat your retaliation. Many characters do, however, have at
least one attack (usually a fast, M id kick) that
will defeat Voldo's options and prevent him
from using this attack to lead into BS mix-ups,
bu t you should at least use a quick~@ toreduce his options heavily and force the Voldo
player to use a weaker, more dangerous mixup. Th is also applies to some other BS tra nsitions, such as ~m. WR 13 and <?.

Death Roll doesn't lead to great rewards tor

Voldo, so if you ca n punish him heavily when
he uses it th e Voldo player can be discouraged from using it completely. After blocking
DR @ or (ID you should instantly sidestep
around to Voldo's side and then use a groundhitting Mid attack. I ~o 4]

...

you, you can safely roll to the right to evade

most of his options. Rolling to the right will
also ta ke him out of BS if he moves past you.
which can ta ke the Voldo player by surprise
and cause them to use an attack they weren't
expecting.

Command List
Nome

lnpul

level

@@

12,14

13

-8, -6

8,8,8

23

-12,-12,-12

3,6
-2.-2.-2

Standing/@
Scissor Claw
Grave Digger

@@@

High High
Lowlowlow

Dark Shredder

c(>@@@

High M id M id

14,12,16

17

-8,-10,-14

4,0,KND

c(>@@B

High Mid Mid

14,12,16

17

-8,-10,-10

4,0,KND

Mid
SP-Iow

20
12

18
13

-16

2
8

Low

14

High
Mid Mid
Mid Mid
Mid SS
Mid
Mid-Throw
Mid High High

14
24,32
24,27
24
20
20
24,14,16

High
High

14
20

High SS

20

16

16
22

-2

1:?
1:?13

Mid
Low
Mid
Mid

2~

18
18

>@

Mid

28

19

@+

Mid

24

25

-15

STN

@+~

MidSS

24

25

STN

c(>@+

M id

32

18

-14

-4

12

S>B +ID

Mid Mid Mid

32,10,28

32

-14,-14,-14

-4,-4,-4

NC I Clean Hit: C

~@+

Low
High

34
80

29
43

-18

KND
KND

14

; ~f~J ~:d

Mid
MidMidSS
Mid;jS

22

27
27

-16
12

STN

10

22,18

STN,KND

Dark Shredder facing away

Scorpion Claw
Silent Toe Cleav er

~@
~@

c(>@
Guillotine Scissors
Power Slave
Power Slave- facing away
Asylum Step
Treasure Lift
Hell Scarecrow Spin
Standing/@
Mute High Kick
Bending Kick
Bending Kick M antis Crawl
Mut e Mid Kick
Rat Kick
Scorpion Tail
Scorpion Tail - facing away
Lunatic Flip
Standing/@+ @
Praying Mantis
Praying MantisCallostro Rush
Guillotine Scissors
Alternate
Guillotine Scissors
Alternate
Evil Bow
Web Weaver
Standing/@+@
Katar Splitter
Katar Splitter
Mantis Crawl
Standing/@+@
Super Freak

~
..().

~m
1:?
enemy on the ground l:?(i)
>@@@

c(>@
c(>(3

~@
..!}@

'

-1

14
19
18
18
25
25

-12
-12,-14
-10,-10
-8
-16
-16

-8

LNC,STN
0,0
2
-7
10
0,0,10

8
10

NC I -BS (2nd hit)

2
KND
KND

-10
-4

13

LNC
STN
KND

10

- BS I R-0
TC I - GRD I R-0 I
Opp -FC <Guard)

>@+
+
ID+ I3

~+@

13

TC
TC

UBI R-0

@+@

Super Freak
@+@c(> or > or ..(). or 'iJ"@+@
c(>@+
Super Freak Lu nge
Super Freak Lu nge-"B+I3
M antis Crawl
...,...
1
Super Frea k (Inner-o-rO
"'~ut~e""r)' ~ or '0:+
Super Freak (Inner or Out er) _n_ or L'l.fJ+,..
-Death Roll
v
v
""'
Super Freak Re!!:eat
@+@
Super Freak Retreat """'fJ+I3
Caliostro Rush
vFull Crouch Attacks
Shadow Toe Cleaver
croucning @
Fencer Mantis
croucning @
Rat Drill- facing aw ay
croucning ~
Rat Kick

Frolicking Port de Bras

Kick - Death Roll

-6

NC
NC
NCC j 1st two hits NC
IR-0
NCC I 1 st two hits NC I
-BS I R-0
STNCH
-FC

NC j -MCHT
-MCFT

ss

Invincible
Invincible
TC

ss

TC 1-MCFT

SP-low

Mid

ss

12
18
26

22-28
22-28

24

-8

-FC

15
12

15

during Death Roll @

Low SS

25

- DR 1- BT

CHAPTE~ 4 VS PLAY I VOLVO

Blind Elbow Ru.sh

Blind Asylum Step
Treasure Lift
Faceless Flap

'

'

'

\
\

while being attacked : A

C'-<,\PIER ,;. ! VS PLM I ASTAROTH

strength to crush his opponen ts with

range he can control and push op.,..,.,,,...,, ,.n,r r.-b. i>ror'>tou'\ <mrl once they are at the ring edge he
es~l,eC.1 811Y.
is deadly throws. His lack of speed,
do()dc~incler~;tar~'dit1d<l)f the game so that you can control
ntaining a very solid defense. It's
p and play, using him effectively

a good defense w ith Astaroth is very ;..,;:,~"''"

cause the golem is generally quite slow and h"\ r.tn>o::
have the ability to force his way out of disadvanfa<le
quick pokes like many other characters. Defensive 'n ntonrl<:
such Gl, Just Guard and well-timed movement are
essential against most characters for creating holes i
offense big enough to launch a counterattack.
Even punishing opponent's' unsafe attacks is not as straig
forward w ith Astaroth as it is fo r other characters, uo::1;ou::s"'\
his quick attacks all do very little damage and leave him at
a disadvantage. In these situa tions, you are usually better
off using a throw mix-up on your opponent to go for big
damage; even using the crouch throws to punish attacks
that leave the opponent crouched can be very effective.
Your ultimate goal should always be to stay within throw
range with Astaroth, as once you do gain momentum, the
threat of the throws and knockdowns can be frightening
when combined with his strong Okizeme and RO pressure.
[70 1]

, ,,l'l

' - PRIMARY ATTACKS

Bull Rush

At mid-range. r::(>~@ is one of Astaroth's best approach attacks because it comes with very little risk when compared
to many of his other attacks. Being a Kick. there are many
auto-Gis that ca nnot counter it, and because it's TC from early
in th e animation, it's very reliable for going under High attacks. When it hits you're left at significant advantage, and
can force a mix-up between another~~@ and a throw. The
charged version, while slower. is TC for the entire animation.
gives advantage if guarded. and launches the opponent for a
high damage combo if done at close range. The FC version
is much harder to 8-Way Run than the normal one, and is a
better RO tool as it knocks down on hit.

28

Lvol
M

i18

-1 0

~~or z;Jz;J or ~~13

36/48

i38

f:c~@

30

loput

Dnnan

~~or z:J~ orr::(>~@

-1 2

Lovol

I!Up~tl

i17

Damage

level

hnpoct

Guad

Hit

20

i16

-8

40

i41

Dama

Hades Knee

10

This attack is slightly faster than ~~@and while it does not

TC quite as well, it can still be used to evade High attacks and
is good to use when you are have a slight advantage since it's
one of his fastest Mid attacks. Using it like this also increases
the odds that you will CH with it, which allows for a very powerful follow-up such as <?<?.Another benefit of this attack
is that it tracks reasonably well to Astaroth's right, and is also
faster than most of his other tracking options.

Guard

Hades Contr o l
Along with ~@. this is one of Astaroth's primary attacks for
controlling opponents at mid-range. In terms of both ability to
push opponents around the ring when guarded, or for catching
them if they try to move, >@ far exceeds Astaroth's other similar tools. For its range it's extremely fast and even when guarded
you are in a relatively good position, especially if you are using it
at the edge of its range. On hit it puts the opponent back-turned,
but the advantage is so great for the golem that you do not have
to fear any fast BT attacks. If you get a CH, it turns into an attackthrow that gives you a guaranteed crouch throw attempt.
Bear Fang
When you are close to your opponent and looking for a quick
Mid attack, >@ is Astaroth's best option. It's his fastest forward
facing Mid attack, and leaves you at significant advantage when
it connects, and is safe when guarded. It's also a very effective
Okizeme tool since not only does it hit grounded, but it catches
opponents rolling to the side very reliably. Although it does not
bring the same damage benefits as ~@ when used as an interrupt, it's much safer if guarded so it can be a better option against
some of the better punishing characters. The fully charged version is mainly used in Okizeme when you think the opponent
won't roll and gives huge advantage even when guarded.
Canyon Creation
Although this attack may seem very slow and linear, it's in fact
one of As taroth's best attacks for keeping opponents out or
controlling space. If you charge the attack it becomes a relatively fast unblockable attack with good range, but the beautY
of this attack is the fact that you can cancel it w ith @ at any
time during the fisrt half of the charge. When you cancel it
you recover crouched, so you have access to all of his FC attacks. with WR @ being useful if opponents to sidestep the
unblockable. By varying the timing on when you cancel the
attack, and what attack you do out of it. it's very easy to catch
opponents off-guard with a quick throw ot\I:!IIIJ.il.

lnpul

I
Onmngc

Lovol

lm110CI

40

i29

65

i59

Guard

Hit

-4

KND
KND

CHArTER 1 ! VS f'LIW I ASTAROTH

\..,...

''"'l~t.
' -~'''t,~
:.

SECONDARY ATTACKS

,,tS~Jl

Decimation

'

or:o

' '
<

Input

Damage

level.

Impact

Guard

10, 14

HH

i13

j~~:ir,;,..:.,.

This is one of t he fastest attacks that Astaroth has access

to from a neutral position, and as long as it's used sparingly,
it can be very effective for interrupting your opponent. Any
t ime you land the second hit, it turns into an attack-throw
that allows for a free crouch throw attempt. The second hit
is only ever guaranteed on CH, however, and landing the first
normally allows the opponent to easily crouch under t he second. Because you cannot confirm the CH on the first attack,
this makes it qu ite a risky choice to go for, but because of the
speed it can still get you out of situations no other attack he
owns could.
Input

Dark Tamer

~@

This string is one of the most versatile series of attacks in

Astaroth's arsenal, and is a very good choice of attack for
when you wa nt to keep offensive momentum. Both pa rts of
this string can be charged and released at different points,
and charging tlh e second attack changes it from a High to a
Mid. If you land eit her the fully- cha rged kick, or non-charged
on CH, the High follow-up is guaranteed for good damage
and wall splat or Ring Out potent iaL If the kick is guarded,
the opponent can crouch underneath the High follow-up but
if you alw ays clilarge the for it, you can confirm the hit and
re lease in time for the High, or keep charging for the Mid if
the kick is guarded.

Minotaur Crush
At close range, this attack is one of Astaroth's fastest and
most reliable t racking Mid attacks, and can go a long way towards det erring opponents from stepping many o f his other
close range opt ions, which are all quite linear. On CH you
get a stun that gives you either a free crouch throw attempt,
or you ca n go for guaranteed damage w ith a strong groundhitting attack like !1. Because both sidestep and the use
of TC attacks can be very effect ive against Astaroth, being
able to stop both with this one attack is a really useful option.

Titan Ax
When you are trying to control ring posit ion, or stop the opponent from stepping at long range, this attack i~ .one of
Astaroth's best options. Even though it's unsafe, as' long as
you only use it at the edge of its range t here are hardly any
characters that can punish it. Connecting at long range w ill
give you a kno ckdow n that sends the opponent flying for a
considerable distance, making it a very good Ring Out t ooL
At close range_
, however, it does not knockdown on hit and
leaves you at a disadvantage. The normal version sends the
opponent to the right on hit or guard, but if you press
{..(!.
on player two s-ide) you can change the attack so t hat it sends
them left instead, w hich allows for even more ring controL

it

Ax Grave
This Low attack falls somewhere between ..(!. and !1 in
terms of speed, and comes w ith some of the advant ages and
disadvantages -of both. W hen opponents are concerned w ith
Astarot h's throw s and Mid attacks, using this attack occasionally can be very effect ive. Because it" both knocks down on
hit and hits grounded opponents, it's also a very good attack
to use in Okizeme because, if it connects, you basically reset
the situation and get another Okizeme opportunity.

. ~ oom

Poseidon Tide
This is one of Astaroth's most powerful single hit attacks and
is also highly evasive and almost impossible to sidestep. On
hit, the attack t ransitions into an attack-throw that sends the
opponent flying across the ring, but unfortunately it can never
Ring Out. If you keep pressing after the initial press you
can make Astaroth continue spinning around with his axe for
additional attacks, but if you do this you lose the opportunity
for the attack-throw on the first hit. The extra hits are useful if
the attack is guarded as you can stop at any point. making it
difficult to punish. While you are spinning you can also move
in any direction, w hich is useful for closing in or adding to the
evasiveness.

Hades Cannon

~cvel

lmpnct

i28

-10

LNC

Goard

Hil

lmputl

Guord

Hit

i20

-10

The damage and Ring Out potential alone make this attack
by far Astaroth's best whiff punisher after successfully stepping an attack. It also has excellent range and hits grounded
so it can be used in long-ranged Okizeme situations where
most of his other attacks would not reach. Even if the attack
is guarded, it's still totally safe thanks to the pushback and it
does significant damage to the .Guard Gauge. While the Iilli
version may do sligh tly less damage, it's possible to follow up
w ith the ..(),."\)'@)+@ air throw for a large amount of damage if
it connects against a standing opponent.

....
Reverse Spiral Ax

Damage

Level

Damago

level

The fact this attack is only available from crouch actually goes
a long way towards making it as useful as it is. You'll primarily
use this attack as part of the mix-ups revolving around the
<?<? cancel as it's one of the best options for catching an
opponent that i s trying to step at that time. Similar to+
you get a lot more damage if you hit with this attack at the
edge of its range, so make sure to keep this in mind any t ime
you start spacing w ith <?<?.

Ax Side Cannon

lnvot

22
Although it's slower than some of Astaroth's other CH fishing
tools, the potential damage that can be achieved from this
one makes its use more than worthwhile. If it connects on
CH you can follow-up with any of Astaroth's high-damage,
ground-hitting attacks, including ..(),...(),.@ for a ground stun.
The range is also quite deceptive so you can often catch opponents off-guard w ith it while they are trying to close in.
Other than damage, this attack is also considerably safer than
most of his oth er strong interrupt attacks, so it ca n be used
a lot more liberally.

Hades Div ide

Out of all of Astaroth's Mid anti-step attacks, this one is probably the most useful. and also like those other attacks, it's
best used at the tip of its range, where you get the benefits
of extra damage and guaranteed knockdown. Once you are
inside tip range you w ill only get the knockdown on CH, but
you are still left at good advan tage on normal hit and are left
at good range for a th row mix-up. If the opponent is near the
ring edge this attack becomes even more useful w here on
top of the RO t hreat of t he normal hit, you can also pressure
opponents with t he charged version that leaves you at advantage even when guarded.

lnpul

Damage

Level

Impact

Guard

Hit

<?<?

22/32

i22

-10

6 / KND

<?<?rJ

32 /37

i43

STN

Cf-> AP!'t R l. ! VS PL M I ASTAROTH

Astaroth's throws are the main thing that opponents fear

about him and mixing them up well and trying to get into
range to use them should be a big part of any game-plan
you have w ith this character. With very few exceptions. you
should always try to use Astaroth's command throws instead
of the normal ones, since not only do they do more damage,
but they are also much harder for your opponent to escape.
His big damage all comes via the ~./}l:Z':+@ command throw during wh ich he throws the opponent up in the
air, since you can follow up with a number of different attacks.
.}}.}}(ID is the st andard follow-up and inflicts good damage, or
you can use the Iilli version to re-launch the opponent and
then use@+@ air throw. This is an excellent choice any time
you are near a wall or ring edge because the air throw can
both RO and wall splat for a hugely damaging wall combo.
You cannot land the ./}'\J'-(ID+@ air throw if you pick the opponen t up off the ground w ith .}}.}} Iilli because they do
not get launched as high, so the only times you can land
this throw is if .}}.}} Iilli hit s when they are standing, or if
you connect with 13 at close range. If you do land the
.}}"lf+@ air throw, however, it can lead to massive damage
and has the poten tial to both RO forward, and wall splat. The
~./}l:Z>:@+@ command throw does less damage than
the (ID on e, but it leaves you in a much better position for
Okizeme, and you have the option of adding a Iilli onto the
end for more damage and the ability to RO backwards. You
can also often land the@ command throw more often than
the (ID one because opponents are more likely to escape w ith
(ID due to the damage. Both of the crouch throws are very
useful punishment tools against any Low attacks that leave
the opponent in FC if you guard them. Both of them can also
RO, wi th the @ one being used for forward RO, and the (ID
one for backwards. Having the option to RO with so many
different throws is one of the primary factors that make him
so deadly near the ring edge, because there is no way for opponents to effectively counter all of the options.

The majority of Astaroth's Iilli attacks add an additiona l throw

to most of his command throws, making them do slightly
more damage. The extra damage on the crouch throws can
go a long way towards easing Astaroth's relatively weak punishment options from crouch, especially in situa tions where
the extra damage would help to finish an opponent off at the
end of a round. The only time you would not want to use
a Iilli on one of the crouch throws is if you are going for
a backwards RO with the @+@ one, since the e~tension
does not have the same RO property. .}}.}} Iilli is the crux
of many of Astaroth's most damaging combos and setups,
especially near a wall or ring edge, where you can follow- up
with the@+@ air throw for RO or a wall splat. Because of
the damage potential, this attack is also one of his best whiff
punishers to use after stepping an opponent's attack. The Iilli
version of ./}./}@ adds a mid-range Low quake effect to the
normally close range .}}.}}@, and if the opponent does not
guard it, they will be stunned and you get a follow-up such as
for a good combo.
The differences between @ and the Iilli version are
actually quite significant, and t otally change the situations in
which you wou ld use the attack. The Iilli version adds a second Bull Rush after the first, and both of them have the ability
to hit grounded opponent s, making it excellent in Okizeme
situations. The first part of the attack also has the ability to
absorb a single attack, and when it does, the second part
will take on the properties of c(>(3 and launch your opponent. It's the absorb ability that makes this attack so useful
because you ca n use it in situations where you are at a disadvantage to rega in momentum.

@+@ or liD+@ (Left)

@+@or+@ (Right)
@+@ or +@ (Back)
~./}l:Z@+@

~-.!}l:Z:@+@

~-.!). tZ <?+@
~./}l:Z<?:!ID+@

Opp. in air @+@

Opp. in air -.!}'\J'-+@

Cest emus Doctrine

Astaroth's (!J3 is an extremely long range throw that is unbreakable and leaves the opponent stunned on the ground for
a follow-up of your choice. Opponents are unable to crouch
under it once the animation has started, but if they were
crouching beforehand, or using a TC attack, the (!J3 will whiff
over their head. Like his normal command throw, ..(,!,..(,!,
or the ~ version are generally the best follow-ups in terms
of damage and Okizeme, especially if you are near a wall and
ca n ta ke advantage of Astaroth's massive wall damage. Even
though it ca n lead to such high damage and is unbreakable,
it can still be di fficult to land this (!J3 again st opponents that
are used to fighting Astaroth, as they wi ll tend to be crouching and using more TC attacks more often than normal.

= ================. >,:hy

COMBOS

Astaroth does not generally allow for the same level of creativity or long combos away from
the wall that o ther characters are capable of and it's usually bette r to keep things sim ple w ith
him. Luckily, many of his simple combos are also quite damaging. Many of his good combo
starts such as '* or <l=>>fJ either require CH or are slow charged attacks, which means
you have to try to set them up in advance either through spacing or fram e traps. For the most
part, Astaroth's combos can be split into two gfoups: those that allow for .i)...(). and those

Combo

Oamago

Hits

Cost

Difficulty

>

47

>>@)

>@)

80

'*'*13

..(!,"lf'+@

103

CH >@

Crouch throw (escapable)

66/76

**
*

CH ~@+

t1@@

62

<=l>'* ~

73

CH ~

>>

61

c:l> 'l:l..(!, t1 >@)+@

..(,!,..(,!,@

73/83

Starter

Followup

! CH ~'*
A

that don't. Any time you can land it, ..(,!,..(),

is usually the best follow-up bo th in terms of
dam age and ring positioning as it sends the
oppon ent far across the ground towards a
wall or ring edge .

CHAI'TE!'l ,:, i VS PLAY I ASTAROTH

Starter

Follow-up

Damaoe

Hils

@13

..(!....(!..@ (;, (8)+@

Cos!

Difficulty

106

12

~..(!..~>@+@

..(!.. ..(!..@ (;, c::> c::>

90/100

**

..(!.. ..(!..@ ..().- {\.-@ 1?]3. ~ c:=:>

105

CH 6T@+@

CH @

..(!.. ..(!..@. ..(!....(!.. (;, c::>c::>

94

<?>rJ
>>rJ

@@ ..(!...(!.@. ..(!....(!..@

110

@@ ..(!...(!.@. ..(!....(!.@ (;, c::>c::>

119

UKEMITRAPS
Astaroth doesn't have many attacks that knock the opponent down to leave them in position for Ukemi Traps, but
the ones he does have can lead to massive damage on unsuspecting opponents. After any of his straight knockdown
attacks such as <?>@and <?m you can catch opponen ts
wi th either of his crouch throws if they Ukemi, or repeat
the attack again if they stay down. Similarly, after his
command throw, or CH c::> stun, 13 w ill catch any
Ukemi attempt and lead to huge damage, and if the opponent stays down you can hit them w ith ><?m. If you

Knockdown

Ukemi Trap

<?<?

Crouch Throws

Directions

Cost

Difficulty

85/95

All

124

All

140

All

'

125

All

136

All

. ~ ~13. {!.'If+@
c:=:>~~~<?+@ c::>c::>l3 . ..(!....(!..@ (;, @+@

CH c::>

Damage

~13 . .,. "' ~ c::>c::>l3. @+@

<?+@@

..(!..~<?@

use this setup too often, opponents can learn to see the difference between
the attacks and react accordingly, but used sparingly it can be quite effective.

WALL COMBOS
Near a wall, Astaroth's combo potential is finally unleashed, because
even though he does not have many follow-ups, the ones he does
have are tailor made for long and extremely damaging wall combos. Simple wall splats from attacks such as his air@+@ t hrow, CH
~@@. and FC ~@can easily lead to combos that take off over half
of the opponents health, or more if you have enough meter. The key
Combo

Startor

~..(!..~>@+@ ..(!....(!..@ (;,

@13 . ..(!....(!..@ (;, @+@ W!

I @13. ..(!...(!. (;, @+@ W!

I FC~@WI

lies in being able to pick opponents up off the floor after stuns w ith
..(!....(!..@ (;, and then using the @+@ air throw to re-splat them on
the wall. Because this is such an integral part of his wall combos. you
always need to pay attention to your position in relation to the wall,
and make sure you step in the correct direction for the ..(7-{l.@ to keep
you aligned with it.

Followup

@+@W!

Damage

Hils

Cost

Difficulty

~@@W ! ,

@ ..(),-..(!..@, ..(!....(!..@

173

12

~@@W!,

@ ..(),-..(!..@. ..(!....(!..@

191

19

~@@W! ,

@, ..(),-..(!..@, ..(!....(!..@ (;, @

200

20

126

135

157

~@@ W! @.

..(!...(7@, ..(!....(!..@

FC~@W!

~@@ W!

CH~@@W!

~@@ W! c::>tiD. ..(!...(7@ ..(!....(!..@

@. ..(!...(7@, ..(!....(!..@ (;, @

APPLYING OFFENSE
Offense with Astaroth is generally split into t wo distinct styles: the
first is a mid-range ring control game that is designed to push opponents towards a w all or ring edge, and the second is a close-ra nge
mix-up style based around his throws. At the start of a round your
aim should be to use attacks such as @+, <?<?@. and <?<? to
try and limit your opponent's movement while using the blockstun
to push them towards a wa ll or ring edge. These attacks can also be
useful if you are having troub le against aggressive opponents and
you want to keep them at range so they can work as both offense and
defense at the same time.

Once near a ring edge, you can naturally shift into close-range offense
by using attacks such as c::>@, @, and 'l:l@+ to put opponents
under pressure and allow you to attempt to throw them. The beauty
of these attacks is that on hit they give you enough advantage to
reset the mix-up by going for another Mid attack or throw, and on
CH they knock down so that you can continue the pressure through
Okizeme. If your opponent is playing defensively and you do not think
they will attack, you can use attacks such as <?0 to gain enough
advantage on guard to force a th row mi x-up on them. [ 70 1]

OKIZEME
Because of the slow nature of many of Astaroth's attacks, Okizeme
ca n be even more of a guessing game with him than it is w ith other
characters. In most situations. your initial tools should be a mix of
<? and e.+@ since they are his fastest attacks that give you a
good Mid/ Low mix-up. W hen using <?@you also have the option to
charge it for m ore dam age and advantage if the opponent guards it.
but this can be rolled to the side easily so you have to react quickly
if you see the opponent roll. c::>@ ~ can also be quite effective
against oppon ents that stay down as it's relatively fast and has good
range, but you may need to realign yourself before using it if the opponent is rolling . [ 70 2]
The best attack for dealing with opponents that do roll often is I:Z@@.
and the only downside to this is that if they don't roll. they can easily
get up and guard it. If you are absolutely sure the opponent won't
roll, however, e,.e,.(ID can deal massive damage with wall splat/RO
potential on the ~ version. One unique option Astaroth has is, that
if th e opponent has their head towards you on the ground you can
use his I:Z@ or @+@ ground throws to pick them up and leave you at
significant advantage. The primary goal of any Okizem e situation with
Astaroth, however, should always be to make them get up immediately so that you can use another throw mix-up on them .

GUARD BURST
RING OUT
The only thing more frightening than facing off against Astaroth in
open play, is having to face him near a ring edge. Attacks such as
FC 'l:l@, CH c::>@. and his @ command throw, w hich are already
some of his most potent attacks, w ill all ring an opponent out forward
exceptionally well. Even an attack such as I:Z@ that sees little use
in open play becomes viable near the ring edge because of its RO
potential, and the fact t hat opponents are often more concerned with
countering his Mid attacks and th rows.
Unlike other characters, Astaroth is not only strong at RO to one side;
he has many tools to cover all directions. CH ~@@ and 'if@ are
both very good for ringing opponents out to his left, and WR @ or tip
range <?<?@ w ill do an equally good job to the right. Even with his
back to the ring edge Astaroth's RO potential is not to be underestimated since tihe ~ version of his @ command throw, or @ crouch
throw will both ring the opponent out behind him. With the sheer
amount of options at his disposal, even seasoned players can rapidly
panic under Astaroth's RO pressure. [ ~0 3]

M any of Astaroth's best Guard Burst attacks also happen to the ones
most often used for controlling the ring position and pushing opponents towards the ring edge. What this can often mean is that w ith
proper spacing and use of the right attacks. you can often have an
opponent's guard ready to burst by the time you get them near a wall
or ring edge. During Okizeme, it can also be worth using some of his
slower attacks such as t2@ even if you think they w ill be guarded,
because they will still be effective against the Guard Gauge.
Guard Burst
Rcq. to Burst

5
6
7

8
9
10

Attacks

C'iAi>"ff.'.H t. i VS PLAY i ASTAROTH

DEFENSIVE PLAY
Because of his slow speed, Astaroth is generally very bad at getting guaranteed damage
through guarding opponent's' attacks, even if they recover quite badly. In most instances you
are much better off using the advantage to go for a mix-up between a throw for big damage, or
c::>c::>@ in case they crouch. If you can get used to the animation of slower attacks or strings,
using Just Guard can be very effective with Astaroth as it w ill nearly always allow for a free
throw attempt.: throwing opponents in unexpected places such as this also greatly reduces
the odds that they w ill successfully escape it. Against many Low attacks, however, Astaroth
can get good punishment through his crouch throw, since a lot of them leave the opponent
in FC. [-70 4]

If you need to play defensively, using his

spacing tools such as <?<?@and <?<?liD to
try and keep opponents away are your best
bets, but if they do get close, a more active defense is generally better fo r Astaroth.
Since his slow speed makes it difficult to
fight out of situations where you are at a disadvantage, you need to make use of other
options. More than most other characters.
Astaroth players should always keep some
meter for a Guard Impact as it's one of the
more effective ways to halt an opponent and
regain momentum. Using a good step into
../7-&IID can also get around a lot of attacks,
and similarly c::>c::>@ is good for going under
High attacks. The @ version of c::>c::>@ is
especially useful since you can use it to absorb a quick ..(7@ from your opponent and
punish them heavily. [ -70 5]

SPACING & POSITIONING

Spacing and controlling ring position is one
of the strongest aspects of Astaroth's game
thanks to the sheer amount of long range
attacks he has. With attacks such as @+liD
and <?liD he can out range most characters in the game, and thanks to his very
good backstep, he can also make them whiff
easily and then punish heavily with attacks
such as ../}../}@. Positioning is arguably the
most important factor for an Astaroth player
to master because he becomes a lot more
fearsome once the opponent is near a wall
or ring edge. To do this effectively you w ill
need to be constantly watching when, and in
what direction your opponent tends to step,
and then use the correct attack to keep pushing them in the direction you want. @+liD is
one of his main tools for this again, since you
have the option of pressing ../} first to push
them in the opposite direction to normal.
[ -70 6]

POST-GI
As Astaroth lacks a fast powerful attack that
opponents have to fea r and re-G I, most of his
post-GI game is centered on taking advantage of the guaranteed throw attempt, with
even his ~ being guaranteed. If you just
want to knock the opponent down and continue your offense through Okizeme, then
iFC ~@ and <?@+liD are both good options,
with the former also leading to a potential RO
or wall splat. Should you feel tlhat the opponent will re-G i, however, Astaroth has some
very powerful attacks that can capitalize on
this. c::>c::>CJ and ..(71:?@ are both good
examples since their starting animation can
sometimes trigger the opponent to re-Gi,
and they are slow enough to not get caught
by it. [ -70 7]

Regardless of the player using him, Astaroth relies on throws for offensive pressure, and it
wi ll be a very difficult fight if you cannot break throws effectively. To try and alleviate some
of this pressure you should become familiar w ith which of your character's attacks have TC
properties, artd make sure to use them liberally in this fight. Even if some of those attacks are
punishable by other characters, Astaroth's slow speed often means he will be unable to do
so, and punishing every missed throw attempt as heavily as possible is key to defeating him.
Although Astaroth is a very good spacing character, it's important to remember that most
of the attacks he uses for this purpose are all slow and have very bad recovery, especially
if they whiff. Because of this, players that are very good at spacing can make him whiff

and then close in for punishment whi le he

recovers. Similarly, if the Astaroth player is
trying to close in to get into throw range, a
lot of characters can keep him at bay using
Horizontal, Mid-hitting attacks because of the
slow speed of his approach attacks. Faster
characters can also pressure Astaroth heavily at close range where his lad< of speed is
most apparent. as long as they remain cautious of his fa st but risky S>.

KEY ATTACKS
Command Throws
Dealing with the command throws is the
most important aspect of any fight against
an Astaroth player so it's important to become familiar w ith them. Learning which
throw Rings Ou t in which direction is essential when near the ring edge, and since
more damage comes from the !ID command
throw, breaking that more often in open play
is recommended. Because they can be difficult to break. you should always be prepared
for a throw break so that you can react faster
w hen the throw does inevitably come. Even
if you are using TC attacks to try and evade
the normal command throws, you should
always be ready with a throw break in case
the Astaroth player anticipates this and uses
a crouch throw. [~0 1)

Ill

S>
This is Astaroth's fastes t and most damaging
interrupt attack, but it's important to remember that the second hit is only guaranteed on
CH and you can crouch under it otherwise.
Because the Astaroth player has to commit
to this attack, it's important to crouch and
punish the follow-up every time to discourage the use of it.

-!}~~
This is one of Astaroth's primary spacing
and punishing attacks and learning how to
deal with it is second only to dealing with
the throws. Astaroth players will often be
watching for you to step, and then timing the
-!>-!> so that it is difficult to avoid; if you
vary how far. and how often you are stepping, it will make it much more difficult to
do this. If you get used to the animation, it
is also possible to Just Guard the attack because it's slow. In both cases the recovery is
huge on the attack so make sure to use your
strongest punisher.

S>
This quick TC Mid attack is another one of
Astaroth's best close-range attacks. but it's
not w ithout a weakness. Although this attack
has some tracking to both sides, it has considerably more so to the right, so it's best to
step it to the left and punish it on whiff. It's
also important to punish it heavily if you do

guard it since it's unsafe enough for most characters to get good damage. Even on hit it only
gives slight advantage, so you can take advantage of his general slowness by using quick attacks afterwards to regain momentum. [ ~o 2]

S>S>
Only Natsu and a Patroklos can genuinely punish this attack when guarded, so for other
characters it's important to find other ways around it. The most important thing to remember
is to try and limit the amount of High attacks you use, as this alone w ill go a long way to reducing the effectiveness of this attack. It also has very little tracking, so in situation s wh ere
you are forced to guess (such as after a ground throw), sidestepping whi le being ready w ith a
throw brea k is a good tactic. The charged version often gets used at mid-range, since it gives
Astaroth advantage if guarded, also has similar weaknesses. but since it's a slow attack you
can also try to Gl or Just Guard it once you are used to the animation. [ ~ o 3)

CHt,~r::~

Com mand List

Input

~.Alvei

Annihilation

@@

High High

Annihilation

High High-Throw

Destruction

@@ (counter hit)
@(ID

Decimation

Nante

Guard Burst

' ., "L"-Y: ASTAROTH

Properties

Standing/@

20

-7.-8

3,2

24

20

-8

13

High Mid

18, 24

20

-12

~@@

High High-Throw

10, 14

13

-12, -6

-2,AT 13

Decimation

c::>@@ (counter hit)

High High-Throw

12,14

13

AK Blow

~@

M id

24

20

Hades Break

.(l.@

Low

18

Double Discus

!:Z@@

Low Low

Discus Breaker

t:Z@(ID

Hades Control

<?@

Hades Control
Poseidon Tide
Poseidon Tide
Rush

8
AT
7

13

AT

-12

STN CH

21

-14

-4

26, 32

36

-18, -24

KND

Low Mid

26, 42

36

10

High

18

19

c::>@@ (counter hit)

High-Throw

21

19

-&!:Z<?@
-&!:Z<?@@
@@@@

Mid-Throw

30,60

MidMidMid
MidMidMid

NC

STN

BA I Clean Hit: C

10

15

13

34

-14

AT

10

30, 8, 8,
8, 8, 8

34

-14,-22,-22,
-16,-16,-16

- .-12.-12,
-6.-6.-6

Opp -FC IHitJ

Opp - BT (Hit)

Standing/@
Great Divide

(ID(ID

Mid Mid

20, 38

21

-12.-10

-2, LNC

Ax Side Divide

@@~

Mid Mid

20, 20

21

-12, 2

-2, 10

Ax Side Cannon

c::>

Mid

22

20

-10

13

Ax Volcano

Mid

32

25

-16

LNC

10

AKVolcano

~rn

Mid

52

75

Hades

-&

Mid

24

21

-14

-4

11

-4,-6

LNC

Mid Mid

18, 20

19

'-20, -18

Mid Mid-Throw

21, 21

19

-20,-18

2. 13

<)::>@

Mid

20

16

-8

14

<)::>(lJ

M id

40

41

STN

M oloch's Vise

High

13

-8

Valarion

CJ

High-Throw

54

28

KND

Hades Knee

c::>@

Mid

26

17

- 14

Dark Tamer

~@@

Mid High

19,38

18

-12, 0

-3, KND

NCC

Dark Tamer

~ Ci@

Mid High

38, 38

46

-6. 0

4, KND

NC

Dark Coercion

~@ r.l

Mid Mid

19.30

18

-12. -8

-3. 5

Bull low Kick

.(l.@

Low

16

15

-14

-2

Reverse Tamer

!:Z@@
<?@@

Low High

26, 42

26

-18, 0

0. KND

Mid M id Mid
Mid

28, 38

19

-12, -14

-2.2

10

28, 40

19

-12

KND

13

NC

28, 40

19

-12

KND

13

NC

11

Ax Offering

[:Z(ID(ID

Ax Offering

t:Z(ID(ID (counter hit)

Bear Fang
Bear Fang

AT! NCC
BA I Clean Hit: C

Standing/@

Command Kicks

Mid Mid ~

Castigate

Low-Throw
Mid Mid

Bluster

low-Throw

AT
STNCH

NCC

Standing/@ ' @
rrtanAx

@+@

Mid

29

-20/-18

-8/ KND

Flip Titan Ax

'fr@+@

Mid

29

-20/-18

-8/ KND

Minotaur Crush

~@+

Mid

19

-17

Breath of Hades

<?@+@

Mid

26

21

-18

Breath of Hades

<?r.l+llJ

Mid-Throw

26, 30

62

STN CH

KND
KND

11

UBj AT

U.vel

Input

Name

Guard Bur$1

Properties

Standing/ +@
Guard

CJ:~;~sher,

Body Splash

'

,.

20

22

12

13

Opp -BT!Hitl

@+liD

26

19

12

13

Clean Hit: B

Clean Hit: B

Clean Hit: C

BA I Clean Hit : A

Body:Splash

1iJ+I3

Mid

36

34

1 2

STN

Ax Grave

~@+@

Low

24

24

18

KND

Flying Divide

~liD+

Mid

42

44

KND

Flying Divide

~ llJ+ I3

Mid

52

58

13

Ax Lower Cannon

=@+@

Low Low Low

8,8,8

41

12

Low Low
Low-Throw

8,8,8,14

41

Mid

120

82

Ax Lower Cannon
{Additional attackl =@+@
Demented Moon

~~@+@

LNC

AT

LNC

UB

Full Crouch Attacks

Hades Break

crouching @

Low

18

20

14

-4

Dark Split

crouching @

Mid

24

20

14

-4

Bull Kick

crouching@

Low

16

15

14

Bull Rage

crouching~ @

Mid

30

18

-12

KND

13

11

TC

While Rising Attacks

Reverse Spiral Ax

while standing @

High

34/54

27

KND

10

Hades Rising

while standing

Mid

32

20

-12

11

Rising Cyclone

while standing @@

Mid Low

18,50

16

16

NCC
-

Jumping Attacl<s
Great Annihilation whilo jumping @
i Greater Divide

Great Kick

while jumping

while jumping @

High
Mid

2228

27

14

KND

15

~@: no KND on hit

KND

13

~@: no KN D on hit

2632

30

Mid

2226

26

-11

15

12

8-Way Run/@
NC I Clean Hit: C

Tomado Spike

+ ()( ~ 111 ()( ~~@@

Mid Mid

32, 35

24

18, 4

STN, KND

Tornado Spike

+ or ~ 111 or ~~@0

Mid Mid

32, 85

24

-18,-

STN. KND

Poseidon Crest

~+ or'!r i'@@

Mid Mid

16,20

16

12, 1 2

2. 2

Double Discus.

t:? lt or ~~@@

Low Low

26,32

36

18, -24

KND, KND

NC

Discus Breaker

t:? lt or ~~@

Low Mid

26,42

36

-18, 10

KND; STN

BA

Hades Divide

=..@

Mid

22/32

22

10

6/KND

Hades Divide

=.-a

Mid

32/37

43

STN

10

BA

Ax Crash

+ @

High

32

16

-14

10

CH STN I Clean Hit: C

Ax Volcano

~ 111 or~ ~@

Mid

32

25

-1 6

Ax Volcano

~111 or ~ ~m

Mid

52

75

Hades Cannon

-!),+

or '\}.f'@

Mid

55

28

-10

AzazeiTackle

t:?lt or ~~@@

Mid Mid

32,31

31

-16, -4

Canyon Creation

Mid

40

29

-4

Canyon Creation

=.-m

Mid

65

59

Bull R!Js~

+ or ~111 or ~~@

Mid

28

18

-10

10

15

TC

Bull Rush

+ or ~111 or ~~13

Mid

36

38

2-13

LNC

TC

~ + or '((-t@

Mid

30

35

-6

STN

=._ or t:? lt or ~~

Mid

32

32

-2

KND

UB I NCC I Clean Hit: C

8-Way Run/@

10
UB

KND

8
UB I Cancel with @ -FC

8-Way Run/

Stamp

of Hades

Lower Command
Kick

CH1\PTER 4 i VS PL!\Y I ASTAROTH

left side throw

High-Throw

On Silent Wings

right side throw

High-Throw

Death Crush

back throw

High-Throw

60
62
75

Cursed Wrath

enemy mid air @+@

Throw

30

17

Hades Destroyer

@+@

High-Throw

50

17

Bludgeoning Crush

enemy crouching ..e-00+@

Mid-Throw

45

Drop of Lava

enemy crouching .e.+@

M id-Throw

55

Throw

20

High-Throw

64

Beat Down

Brutal Grasp

head to self, enem@on

th~round t:2@+ G or

t:2 B +@

Titan Bomb

~~..e.t:2'@+@

Titan Bomb

~~{!rt:2'@+@

Flight of the Wicked

~~..e.t:2'@+@

Flight of the Wicked

~~..e.t:2~@+@ (fast)

Obsidian Drop
Obsid ian Drop

Lower Hades Split

Reverse Dark Split
Lower Dark Split

High-Throw

"

enemy mid air ..e.'\J"+@

(fast)

G: !i\PT[G 4 i VS PL/\Y I a PATROKLOS

aPATROKLOS
Character Overview I After Patroklos receives the spirit sword he changes his style of fighting to
take advantage of the powerful weapon. This style is very different from Patroklos's original style
and, as befits the wielder of Soul Calibur, it is an extremely powerful one, too. He no longer uses
his shield any more and he is considerably faster. He's also much more difficu lt to use, however,
so you'll need to focus on mastering many Just Attacks in order to succeed with him. If you are
able to do them consistently, a Patroklos can be a very challenging character for your opponent
to fight against.
.'

PLAYSTYLE FOCUS

METER USAGE

Many of a Patroklos's attacks require a precise

Just Frame input. Be prepared to spend a lot of
time in trai ning mode if you want to use all his
attacks, and learn his most powerful combos.
It's obviously necessary to have very good execution skills if you want to play with a Patroklos,
and you'll need to spend much of your focus
on your own inputs during battle. Aim to pressure your opponent as much as possible using tJ.>@:@:@ and -.!}~c:(>~. and using your
fastest pokes to link your offense together. You
goal should be to force the opponent to hesitate, so that you can apply powerful mix-ups
and knock them down for Okizeme. You can
also punish them heavily w ith -.!}tJ.>>~:,
so knowing when to switch to defensive play
can be invaluable. [~0 1]

Because it is possible to combo with a Patroklos's Critical Edge after moves like -.!}@
or c:(>c:(>@ hit the opponent, it's a good idea
to keep some meter for situations like this.
Sometimes the command -.!}!:?>~ can
be difficult to do in battle, for example for
punishing fast attacks, or if you want to interrupt your opponent w ith a fast attack. At these
times you have the option to use -.!}@ Iilli
to be eliminate the strict execution, but this
shouldn't be something you need to do often.
FC ~::Iilli is fast with good range and is
very useful for getting the most damage out
of your combos. >>+@ ~ can also be
used for punishing, and can lead to very good
damage. His + auto-GI reduces the need
to rely on your Critical Gauge for Gls.

Dawn Haze /Twilight Haze

These two useful forms of movement are a true specialty of
a Patroldos. .().I:?<? allows you to evade High-hitting attacks
instantly and t akes you into FC quicker than holding .().@
does. This allows you instant access to your powerful selec
tion of FC and WR attacks. Using this inpu t quickly enough
grants the possibility to punish moves with .().1::?~@@
that you cou ldn't punish w ith FC ~@@ and makes it possible to use ..U,.t::?<?~@:@ in your combos. .().~~ brings
a Patroklos for ward whilst evading underneath High-hitting
attacks. and also takes him into 8-Way Run state instantly.
This opens much quicker access to a Patrokloss range of
8-Way Run moves. since. as with .().1::?<?. you don't lose any
frames when u sing this movement to enter the state. So un
less you're already using 8-Way Run then you should always
use this command to access moves like ~~@ .

.'l~pul

........... .. ....... .......... ...............

::

' .().I:?<?
..n,.~~

TC.-FC

"::(lTI; ..

'- PRIMARY ATTACKS

Sakura Twister

Oamano

Input

Damage

Level

Impact

Guord

Kit

.(J.t::?s~l!l ...

36

i1 3

22

KND

Input

Damno

Level

IJnpact

Guord

Hit

14,14.18

LMH

i22

24,22 13,LNC

Input

Dornnue

level

lrnpnct

Guar~

Hit

1::?:

tO, 10

MM

i17

18,8

12.STN

This is one of the very best punishing attacks in the game.

and is also an amazing tool for interrupting the opponent.
It's extremely fast. with decent range and deals very good
damage. Th ere is a Just Attack version of this move that is
even faster and deals a little more damage. Performing it re
quires you to leave only a single frame between pressing @
and . and you must release @ before pressing @ . Sakura
Twister is a move which you'll use in almost every one of a
Patroklos's combos. so mastering the Just Attack version is
very worthwhil e. It is, however. very unsafe when blocked. so
you shouldn't overuse it as an interrupt attack, even though
it's always tempting to use when you're in FC.

Sakura Air Combo

You need to do two Just Frame inputs for the all three hits of
this attack to occur, but it is more than worth it. The first hit is
a Low and almost impossible to react to. Most of the time the
opponent won't be able to block it unless they predict its use.
If you hit your opponent w ith all th ree hits, you'll be rewarded
with great damage and a knockdown. or possibly even a Ring
Out or wall splat when near the edge. This means you 'll be in
a great Okizeme position, and even though this attack doesn't
hit grounded, it should be a major part of your Okizeme strat
egy, as if you time it as the opponent rises they won't be able
to beat it and must accept your powerful mix-up.

Reverse Pheasant

1::?: is another

Just Attack that you 'll need to practice.

Press the second @ the instant after the first hit connects
or is blocked to have the second hit occur. This move is com
pletely safe when guarded, and the opponent can't Guard
Impact the second hit if they block the first, so when on the
offense it's an almost perfect tool. When it hits it will stun the
opponent. allowing you to combo for good damage. It is quite
linear and prone to being sidestepped, so you'll need to mix it
w ith Horizontal attacks and throws.

CHN'T:R ~ 'VS i'LAY I a PATROKLOS

Rising Crescent
.&~~~is a faster way to access ~~ or l=ll=l. since
you won't have to be in 8-Way Run to use it. This move is
quite fast, very safe, and has exceptional range for its speed.
When it hits, it allows for a combo on normal and on CH. You
have to pay attention to whether it was a CH or not, because
the follow-up you'll need to use is different. thanks to the
CH crumple stu n. If you want decent damage regardless of
the type of hit, you can simply use..(!.~<?~, but better
follow-ups are possible if you react to the hit in time. As a
zoning attack, this move is very hard to beat, so you should
aim to use it from its maximum range as often as possible.

Sakura Fury Combo/Sakura Moon Combo

Both variations of this 3-hit combo attack deal incredible damage and the ~~@+liD one w ill also Ring Out, so you should
make use of this near the edge of the ring if your opponent
hesitates. The Sakura Fury and the Sakura Moon Combo are
both combos on normal hit, and in fact you are only able to
continue w ith the second and third attacks if you've already
hit the opponent with +. This makes it a hard attack to
punish, since the first hit has very short block stun, so it's a
perfect tool for use in powerful mix-ups alongside ~@:@:@.

\....

SECONDARY ATTACKS

Shade Thrust
This M id-hitting Vertical attack is very unsafe when blocked,
but it has a second Just Attack hit that can make it perfectly
safe. Th is isn't a very hard Just Attack to perform, so you
should be able to easily add it to your already powerful FC arsenal. You can u se this for mix-ups, for interrupting, or as part
of your poking game, and you can sometimes add the Iilli
version to the end of it in order to keep your opponent guessing. If the opponent tries to interrupt the final hit they' ll be
stunned for a combo; use either "'t+ or ..(!.~<?~:
as your follow-up.

Knee Seduction
This kick is fast and reasonably safe, though its range is
very short. When it hits on cou nter hit, you can combo w ith
it+, fol lowing w ith a Sakura Twister. When it.hits you
keep the advantage and can continue w ith fast poke's. It can
be a great addition to your poking game if you use it both up
close and from FC, but it is quite linear so you' ll need to use
it alongside pokes such as ~@a nd ..(!.@.As a kick, it's also
useful against characters that rely on auto-GI attacks often.

Winter Funeral
@is a fast. Mid-hitting Horizontal attack that w ill throw the
opponent to the ground some distance away. This means
there's very little the opponent can do about it other than
beat it w ith a f.aster attack. It can Ring Out from a good distance and is very useful in combos. This move is excellent for
whiff punishment because of its combination of range and
damage. Its command makes it slightly hard to use in this
capacity, however, so you' ll need to be ready to input it very
quickly. It is highly unsafe when blocked, so you should use it
carefully against opponents that can punish it severely.

Input

level

~~or l=ll=l or ..(l.~S>~

Input

J)amag&

liD+ c::> ..().liD <?<?liD+

''

l.:~-'l:"f"'(J

.,,;-.,:F:~.
' ,,~.~A ,
>0

'

, Jt!",. """

'

Horizon Sweeper

....... ..... .... ......... ..... .......... ..... ..... ... .. .... ... .
This move has a very good Tech Crouch and can be hard for
the opponent to block on reaction wh ile moving around. so
this is the best time to use it. As an S-Way Run attack, it's
also possible to use ~~1::2@ to access it from standing.
When it hits you'll be at adVantage and in FC, so you'll have
uninterruptible options to continue your oftense. Following up
with FC @ . FC @. FC ~: , or FC ~@:@ will force your
opponent to wait after getting hit by 1::21::2@. allowing you to
use throws or t::?@:@:@.
Fall Kick Extinguish

..... .......... ................... ..... ... ....

htllUt

. .
o.a~tage

l~val

hllfiOCI

Gu3td

Damage

Levol

Impact

Guard

Hit

Damage

level

Imp oct

Guard

Hit

14,18

HH

i17

-14,-5

-2,STN

Damage

Love I

lmpnct

Gunrd

Hit

18,14

MH

i20

-16,-2

LNC,KND

Because of the built-in Tech Jump this move is very useful

when the battle is almost decided and your and your opponent's health bar is almost empty, as i1'11 beat fast Low pokes
whilst allowing you to attack. It will knock the opponent down
on normal and counter hit, giving you an opportunity to use
CL Patroklos's powerful Okizeme game. It's also a generally
good attack to use as part of your poking game up close. and
you can use it to evade and punish slower Low attacks, such
as Natsu's ~@+@.

Half Moon Slladow

........................... ..... ..... .. .. .......... ........ ....

This Low attack may be very slow, but its animation makes
it surprisingly d ifficult to block on reaction and it brings a
Patroklos toward the opponent. It stuns the enemy when it
hits and you can combo after it with ~1::2'~(!):@ for very
good damage, or apply your Okizeme game instead. using
~~@@. ~~c:::>~ and 1::2@:(8):@. It's very linear and
easy to sidestep, however, so you can't use it against moving
opponents, and should avoid using it when you're very close
to the opponent.
Wingbeat Slicer

................ ...... .. ............ ................ .. .... ....

CL Patroklos's @ is slower than that of most close-combat

characters, but its range is quite good and the damage is high.
When it hits you'll keep the advant age and you can continue
with another or mix it with a throw or 1::2@:@:@. This
is an attack you'll need to use at times when you need a fast
Mid but don't have time to input a more complex command
such as ~~ or ~1::2'~ . and as such is extremely
useful at the end of a round .

M ist Cutter

.................
If the first hit of Mist Cutter hits the opponent, the second
on e is always guaran teed. It's safe when blocked and when it
hits you'll always stun your enemy, allow ing for a short comboor a very strong Okizeme mix-up w ith either ~~@@or
"if@+. The range is quite nice and its tracking is great,
so it's perfect for catching sidestepping opponents. Unfortunat ely, both attacks are High-hitting, so it can be dangerous if
the enemy blocks the first one, since they can duck and whiff
punish you with a WR attack.
Shade Barrage

.................
Shade Barrage is a good choice if your opponent doesn't
want to get up from the ground because it wi ll pick them
up and can Ring Out from a good distance. Additionally, it
is a combo on normal hit and is very safe when it's blocked.
The second hit is a High, however, and some players may be
able to duck it if they block the first hit. It can also be a useful
whiff punisher when used as ~~c::>~. but in most cases
~~will be the better choice.

Input

CH.t",F'ER 4 IVS F'L!W i a PATROKLOS

Mirror Blade
Mirror Blade is an auto-GI move, which w ill counter every Midhitting attack the opponent can use. It is special in comparison
to similar moves, such as Pyrrha's @+@or Z.W.E.I:s @+@
because it will charge up its retaliation power with every attack
that is success! ully Guard Impacted. The first, second. and third
t ime it's used. 0. Patroklos will retaliate with @, and if you
are able to react to th is in time you can follow-up with your ~
When you Gl an attack with Mirror Blade for the fourth or fifth
t ime a Patroklos will counter with~@ and you can use Sakura
Twister after this. After the sixth and seventh time a Patroklos
w ill attack with a fast Horizontal move and you can combo w ith
'It+, -!}t:i>'~@. Finally, when you've used this move
successfully 8 t imes against your enemy's attacks, 0. Patroklos
w ill use the Sakura Fury Combo (@+@ -!}@ <?<?@+@).
Once you've used it enough times, you can choose which of
these follow-ups to use by pressing c:>, <?or-!} for the 0-3, 4-5
and 6-7 use follow-ups, respectively.

Patroklos's throws deal very good damage and you have

the potential t o Ring Out w ith both his @+@ and his
-!}t:i><?@+@ command throw if you are able to use Sakura
Twister successfully after it. These possibilities make this
mix-up very dangerous near the edge. However, the combos
after the throws from the front are not so easy to do and it
will require lots of practice to master them.

After -!}t:?<?+@ you have to use Sakura Twister

(-!}t::2'~:@) at the perfect moment for maximum damage. The Just Attack version is requ ired here, and if you're
successful you can follow-up w ith another -!}t:?<?~@:@ .
You should practice t his a lot since it is more than worth it;
t he opponent has very little t ime to escape, and the damage
is incredibly high. After the@+@ throw you can combo with
'It@+@ @. {!.t:?<?~@. a Patroklos's side throws deal
very good damage, too, as well as his back t hrow, which can
also Ring Out.

o. Patroklos's Brave Edge attacks are all quite good in different

ways, bu t none of them are completely essential to your success. If you have no trouble inputting -!}t:?'~:@ , then
you'll never really have to use his -!}@!mi. There are combos where you can use -!}@ lml as an easy alternative to
-!}t:?<?~@. and if such a situation occurs at the end of a
match then it's well worth using to avoid any potenti?JI input
error. Generally, it's a better idea to keep your meter for the
Cri tical Edge and for FC ~@:@ !mi. The range of t his move
will be increased if you use the Brave Edge version, and when
it hits you can combo with 'It+@@, -!}t:?'~@. His
<?'@+@ lml does less damage than the version w ithout
lml, but it is possible to land a combo after the lml version
(again, 'It+@ into Sakura Twister is t he simplest option).

Transcending Rapture

a Patroklos's Critical Edge is very fast and it is guaranteed any

time -!}@or c::>c:> hit the opponent if you react fast enough
to ensure you don't waste it. It's also one of the very fastest
attacks in the game, and as such is capable of punishing many
moves that would' usually be considered safe when blocked.
This alone makes it essential to a Patroklos, and means that
you should learn which of your opponent's attacks you can
punish in this way. It doesn't deal a great amount of damage,
but due to its application after easy to land attacks and its punishing proficiency it is always worth keeping your meter for it.

Input

@+@

Patroklos's combo starters are generally very safe and fast. He has many options to combo
without using any of his meter. while still dealing very high damage. In most cases you'll have a
choice between two key attacks after a combo starter; 'lJ"@+@@ and ~11''l:l:@ ; the former
is the easy option, but can still lead to good damage. while the latter is extremely hard but can
lead to a Patroklos's biggest damage. It is also possible to have a Clean Hit w ith Sakura Twister,
which can further increase its combo damage. After ~'l:l~'l:l you'll need to change your combo depending on if you hit the opponent on CH or not (see Combo A and Combo C). In these
cases you'll have to notice how your attack connected very quickly if you want to continu e the
combo. thoug h you can always combo with a ~!:1<?'l:l: for decent damage.The Just Attack
version of@:@:@ can't be air controled. so it allows for more powerful combos, and can also be
Combo

S1artor

~@ @. {l.t:1<?'l:l:

85

~'l:l'l:l@

tiD@

58

...

~~@

75

~@

(!

67

~@

-G'@+. ~!:1<?'l:l

67

***
.....

~@+@

~!:1<?'l:l:

54

!:Zl:1

~I:Z''l:l

54

***

@@(ID

(81:@:@. ~!:1<?'l:l:

101

107

t:Z: .(!. I::Z;~@::@.

'.

1}@+. .!J.t:Z<?~:

!:Z:

~I:Z<?'l:l :. {l.t:1<?'l:l: ' {!.!:1<?'l:l:

104

*****

<?<?+00@

~I:Z<?'l:l:. {l.t:1<?'l:l: ' {!.!:1<?'l:l:

103

*****

CH ~'l:l~'l:l@

~@. -G'@+. ~1:1'l:l@@

74

CH ~'l:l~'l:l@

.(l.t?<?'l:I::@Jt. 'lJ"@+. ~t?<?'l:l:

104

<?<?+@ @

-G'@+. ~t?<?'l:l@@

65

CHWR @

'll"+. ~1:1<?'l:l@@

63

~1:1<?'l:l@@

..O.tZ<?~:

65

FC 'l:l:@

58

~1:1<?'l:l@+@

~I:Z<?'l:l @:@ @. -G'@+. ~1:1<?'l:l@@

89

......

~1:1<?+@

~t?<?'l:l:' {l.t:1<?'l:l:

103

*****

CH 1:11:1@

....

Difficulty

Domnyo

'l:l@

.... ; ' !:Z:

Follow up

a Clean Hit. a Patroklos's (! is guaranteed

after moves like ~@ or ~@ hit the opponent. but you have to input the command
for the (! very quickly, especially after ~@.
Because of the Just Frames and the complicated commands in the combos, it is very difficult to do some combos successfully and
consistently with a Patroklos, but the resul ts
are more than worth it. so you s hould practice
th em until they feel natural and easy.

....

....

UKEMITRAPS
o. Pa troklos

has quite a few Ukemi Traps, but

some involve ..C.t?'~:@, which is hard to do
and very unsafe when blocked, so you should
use these only when you can afford to risk punishment and need the extra damage to finish
the opponent off. After ~~@@ you can use
'It+ to catch all directions other t han
right at times when you need a more powerful

Knock~ own

Ulcemi Trap

''@+@

{).t?'~:

65

Back. Right

****

~~@@

'It+. .C.!::?'~:@

77

Back, Left

***

~@+@

'It@+, ..C.t?'~:

71

Back, Left

Directions

Difficulty

follow-up than the guaranteed ~~~@@ . If the opponent uses a backwards Ukemi,
however, the 'It@+ will connect, bu t you won't be within range for the Sakura Twister
Finisher to hit.

WALL COMBOS
o. Patroklos has plenty of great wall splatting attacks, and the best of
t hem incl ude!::?@:@ :@,~~~~.@. and@+@~@~~@+@.
After most wall splats you can follow-up w ith ~~~@@for a second wall splat but it's often not worth doing this. Using~!::?'~@:@

Starter

Followup

~!::?'~@:@WI

instead can lead to more damage, but only if you can execute the
two..-Just Attack Sakura Twisters after it (Combo F). If you can land
+@~@~~@+ near a wall then you 'll have the potential for
a massive combo.

Damage

Hits

Cost

Difficulty

~!::?'~@:@, ..C.t?'~:' ..C.t?'~:@

109

*****

t?@:@:@ W!

..C.t?'~:' .C.!::?'~:

98

*****

@WI

~~~@@, W! ~@ . .C.!::?'~~:@

100

****

~~~@WI

+@~@''@+@

86

@+@~@~~@+@ W!

~@. W!

151

11

**** *

FC ~@:@:Iilli, 'It@+@, .C.!::?'~:@

APPLYING OFFENSE
Because of his speed. his throws. and his
amazingly good Mid/Low mix-ups, a Patroldos is incredibly powerful as an offensive
character. His range may seem to limit him
at first. since you can have a hard time approaching some characters. but once you get
in close you can really dominate your opponent with pokes and damaging counter-attacks. You can use Sakura Twister to interrupt
your enemy's actions for very good damage
and Okizeme, especially after ..[!,@, when
you can make use of the easier command for
this move (FC ~@). His..[!,~~ movement
can help you to keep your offense going, because a Patroklos will evade all High-hitting
attacks and throws.
Any time you think your opponent will hesitate and rema in guarding, you should be
ready to apply a mix-up with Lows such as
~@:@:@ or t?~. The opponent's behavior will change quickly if you hit them with
~@:@:@ a few times in a row. Once your
enemy fears these Low attacks, you can be
gin to add the +combos into you mix-up
for potentially huge damage. Additionally, you
can make use of a Patroklos's throws if the
opponent freezes in front of you. The damages of his throws are very good. but like with
so many moves of his, you have to master
the inputs after his @+@ and {!rt?:>@+@
throws. 1~0 1]

OKIZEME
Once the opponent is on th e ground near
a Patroklos. you 'll have many options to
pressure them into rising into your mix-ups.
~~() hits grounded opponents and can
be quite annoying if used repeatedly, and
~'if@@ can pick the opponent up from the
ground to combo or Ring Out. Your opponent
will be forced to rise sooner or later, so try to
anticipate this and have your ~@:@: @ and
+ mix-up ready. You can also use groundhitting Low attacks, such as {!r@+@ or ..[!,@,
and mix them up with !::?: to wear their
health down w ith smaller attacks, and not
ri sk them interrupting you from the ground.

RING OUT

Patroklos can be very dangerous near

the ring edge. He can use both his @+@
and his {!rt?:>@+@ throws for a Ring Out
and has many other useful tools, such as
{!r~:>~, @, !::?@:@:@. and {!r{!r@,
all of which can Ring Out on normal hit. If
you have your back to the ring edge, make
use of + c::>{!r[ID ~~@+, which again
will Ring Out on normal hit, and <?<? can
be used to Ring Out to your left. After landing
a stun near the edge, such as after ~() or
CH ~~()and!::?:, it can be worth changing your combo follow-up to {!r~c:>{!r(ID@
for an easier Ring Out.

GUARD BURST

The Guard Burst game is a Patroklos's main weakness. You'll very rarely have an easy time
breaking your opponent's guard. His best attacks for the job are @+@ and f!il. Unfortunately, these two attacks are quite slow and easy to sidestep, so it's hard to make your
opponent block them often, unless you're facing a person who plays defensively.

If you are able to land a Guard Burst, you should go for the Sakura Fury Combo (@+ {!r[ID
<?<?+) or the Sakura Moon Combo if you are near the edge of the ring in order to Ring
Out. However, the inputs of these combos are not easy, and it can be even harder to react in
time w ith this after a Guard Burst. In this case you can choose to do something not quite as difficu lt, for example .::>@, 'if@+, and then {!rt?<?~(ID. This will do less damage than the
Sakura Combos, but it is an easier way to inflict damage on your opponent after a Guard Burst.
Guard Burst
Req.to Burst

Auacks

8
10
11
12

13
14

15

{!r{!r(ID@, ~ t?(ID
~@

----~------------------------------------------:>(), ~@, @+@, FC ~@:@

{!r{!r@, S>~@. !::?@. <?<?@+@, :>@, ~@@. W A (), @@

FC~@

--~~------------------------------------------<?<?@. ~~@. .::>@. <?<?@. FC ~@+@

DEFENSIVE PLAY
Due to his ability to punish many moves heavily and the good range of his attacks, a Patroklos
can be strong defensively, even though it's not the ideal way to play him. You can whiff puni sh
with moves like ~~(). !DJ@ or {!rt?<?~ . Make sure you use Sakura Twister to heavily
punish blocked Low attacks, and any unsafe Mids. His {!rt?<? movement is also very useful
when you want to evade High attacks. and again allows you to punish with..[!,~~:.<?@
also serves welj .as a retreat ing and evasive attack against pokes. [ ~o 2]

Ci-l;',i'' ! ,, H 4 i VS PlAY I a PATROKLOS

The speed of his (! is w hat rea lly makes his defensive play pow erful, however, since you can punish so many blocked attacks w ith it. If
you 're aware of your opponent's unsafe attacks, even those that other characters can't punish, then you can really take them by surprise
and limit their moveset any time you have your(! available. You also
have the + auto-G I to limit their use of Mid-hitting attacks, and
if you can land this successfully a few times in a match you'll have
some very powerful follow-up options available.

POST-Gr
After a successful Gl, the +@ combos are the best option most
of the time if you're quick enough to land them. You can also use
.(}~~~ followed by for decent damage and to push the opponent towards a ring edge. Using your (! after a Gl isn't recommended unless it w ill finish t he opponent off due to its low damage.
If you think the opponent w ill re-GI, you can either delay your +@ a
little or use @@@for a powerful launch. [ ~o 3]

SPACING & POSITIONING

Patroklos is not a great spacing character, despite the speed and

range of ~~. This is primarily because he lacks a way to approach
w hile defea ting sidestep. ~~@ ca n work. but its range is not great
and it's High-hitting, so you'll lose to TC attacks often. @ is another
tool you can use for spacing, but it's quite unsafe so you won't be
able to rely on it too much. All of this makes .(}.(}@ and ~~@ important for this purpose, because they're both safe w ith good ra nge
and the ability to track sidestep

Playing against a. Patroklos depends largely on the skill of your opponent; if they're consistent
enough with their inputs and punishing then they can limit your moveset considerably, so
you' ll need to play very safely and try to keep him out of close range as much as possible.
Some a Patroklos players may try to surprise you by interrupting your offense w ith Sakura
Tw ister. It is very important to punish this move as heavily as your character is able, since it
w ill be a serious threat if left unpunished. In general it is a good idea to be patient against

a Patroklos and try to keep him at bay

through mid-range spacing. Many of his
moves are very fast and will stun on normal
hit, so you should keep this in m ind and avoid
letting him apply his mix-ups by moving often
and interrupting his slower attacks.

KEY ATTACKS

Be careful not to use many unsafe moves against a Patroklos because a good player will punish you w ith Saku ra Tw ister, which deals
good damage can Ring Out. When you block this move you have
to punish it as w ell as possible, since it is very unsafe, so landing a
combo after blocking it will discourage the a Patroklos player to use
it for interruption. [ ~o 4]

....

It is very hard to block this move on reaction; it is not that fast but
the animation makes it very hard to identify as a Low. If you let a
Patroklos use this move often you'll be subjectec:fto a very powerful
mix-up over and over. This means you need to either try to interrupt it,
or take a chance and block Low sometimes when you feel like the opponent is about to use it. When you do block it you can punish it heavily. Even if it hits, but the a Patroklos player doesn't f inish the Just
Attack string, then you can still land some guaranteed punishment.
..;

This move stuns you on normal hit, allowing a Patroklos to follow-up

with a combo. Don't underestimate the range of this move. It is perfectly safe w hen blocked. but it is easy to sidestep, so this should be
your main defense against players using it often. If you do block it, take
the opportunity to apply a mix-up.

This is a very strong attack that many a Patroklos players w ill use as
if it was perfectly safe . It is not safe, however, as you can sidestep
the second hit. If the a Patroklos player stops at the first hit. you
can launch them after blocking it. If they use the second hit you can
sidestep to the left to easily get around it. Doing so w ill allow you
to whiff punish w ithout having to wait and see if they use the third
Brave Edge hit.

Keep in mind that the~~@+ variation of this attack can Ring Out,
so especially near th e ring edge it's essential to try and interrupt
a Patroklos w ith a fast attack rather than be subjecte d to the mixup between this and 11@:@:@. The first hit is a little unsafe w hen
blocked and a Patroklos can't continue with the second and third hits
unless the first hit connects. [ -?0 5]

Command List
Guard Burst

PrOJlCrtics

Standing/@
High High

12,14

12

-8,-8

2.4

@@ (fast}

Mid

30,10

24

-13

LNC

m!

M id

30,10

26

-23

LNC

High M id

16,20

22

-8,-16

0,4

Willow Slash

20

21

-6

Grasscutter

12

13

-4

'14,14, 18

22

Petal Slash

@@

Rising Red Moon

Rising Red Moon
Tou sled Hair Slash

NC
TC I R-0 I Clean

Hit: C

TCIR-0

-13,LNC

Winter Funeral

IE@

19

-21

KND

13

Moonlight Thrust

.:::>

16

-6

15

Soa ring Bird

24

19

-10

LNC

12

Waterfowl Slice

.&

13

Reverse Pheasant

~@@ fjust)

Heartening Strike

<?

18

17

-8

10,10

17

"1 8,-8

-12,STN

24

17

-12

13

-8

TC I R-0
-FC
NC

12

Standing/@
Rising Sun Kick

High

14

Knee Seduct ion

S>OO

Mid

12

15

-13

Page Heel Kick

~00

M id

16

16

-8

Crouching Side Kick

.&00

Low

16

15

-14

-2

Fall Kick Extinguish

~00

Mid

20

20

-14

KND

<?00

Mid

26

18

-8

Keeper Side Kick

STNCH

13

TJ

Standing/@+@

auto-GI: M (All)
i5-i11

M irror Blade

@+

Half M oon Shadow

.&+

Low

11'+

ss

.Rin g of Heaven . facing aw ay,

24

34

-16

STN
TJ

Breaking Wave

during standing I +@ Mid @

High

20

20

-3

11

TJ

Island Divide

during standing I+ Mid

M id

20

25

-10

LNC

TJ

Standing/+
Sakura Fury Combo

+ when hit,
S>.&<?<?+

Mid-Throw

20,18,44

24

-14

-4,6,STN

12

NC

Silver Moon Combo

+ when hit,

Mid-Throw

20,18,33

24

-14

-4,6,KNO

12

NCIR-0

Crescent Lash

.&+

M id

20

-2

KNO

13

SP~ow

12

12

-4

.:::>.&~~@+@

Full Crouch Attacks

Stal k Chpper -

crouch1ng@

Sakura Tw ister

crouching ~

M id

36

13

-22

KNO

14

Sakura Twister

crouching ~ {fast)

Mid

42

12

-22

KN O

12

18

17

-20

-4

TC I Clean Hit: C
TC I Clean Hit B

Petal Slicer

crouching

liD

M id

Shade Thrust

crouching ~ ljust)

Mid Mid

14,18

15

-20,-7

-4,KNO

Shin Kick

crouching@

Low

16

14

-14

-2

Rising Moon

crouching ~@+@

Mid

16

22

-16

STN

while standing @

High

28

17

-4

15

Opp-BTCH

13

TC ISTNCH

- FC
TC
-FC
15

Wh ile Rising Attacks

Stone Seed Draw
Crescent Blade

while standing

Mid

18

17

-8

Rising Front Kick

w hile standing @

Mid

16

15

-8

High

2024

-5

TJ I Opp -BT

Jumping Attacl<s
Sh adow Biossom

w~ile jumping @

_,

M oon Divide

while jumping liD

Mid

24-28

28

-6

13

TJ

Rising Heel Flam e

while jumping

Mid

1620

24

-8

TJ

CliiF'TEI< 4 !VS PuW I a PATROKLOS

Rising Crescent
Shade Barrage
Crescent Strike

Shadow Descent
Vermilion Moon
S~;~owGate

Cf !;\PTCH t, I \IS FVW ! ALGOL

METER USAGE
Algol's ~~@ mEl is a great
combo starter and w ill give you
advantage when the opponent
blocks it. ~@ l:ml and~~@ l:ml
can be useful in combos and for
their Ring Out pot ential. If you
manage to fill both levels of your
Critical Gauge you should always
try to combo with his ful l Critical Edge. This attack w ill almost
w in a round instantly if used correctly in a combo because of the
huge damage it inflicts. His normal Critical Edge can also lead to
a combo for decent damage at
times when the full version would
be overkill. He also has a useful
in ~{!.-~@. so you can
""''"'"'"'<> meter by not relying on
Impacts often.

p~
~~:

r:l

1.:1.

..

10_03 1

Oamar l'klil (01)

In Oamar l 'klil Algol has an attack in every direction, which
makes it good for mix-ups from far range . When entering this
stance, Algol will jump forward a good distance, so if used
when too close to the opponent you'll jump over them and
most of your options w ill miss. 0 1 @'s purpose is to catch
sidestepping opponents, forcing them to stand still and deal
w ith your mix-ups. This move gives Algol slight advantage
when guarded, giving you the option to continue attacking.
0 1has two uses: first. you can use it as a strong mix-up together with 01 @. which is a Low-hitting attack, and second,
it's very useful in combos as it will catch airborne opponents
and will inflict extra damage.
01 @+ will only hit opponents w hen Algol jumps over
them, so you should use it from close range only, allowing
you to evade attacks and hit the opponent in the back. This
attack, and especially its ~ version, is also very good for
combo purposes: not only w ill the normal version give Algol
very nice Okizeme. but using the ~ version w ill make him
teleport to the other side of th e opponent. recovering fast
enough to combo for even more damage.

Oadim Thuban

.............................. ... ............. ............... ..

ln~ut

Properties

<?tNH::!~

Enter Oamar l'klil (01), TJ

BA

01@

30

01

30

0 1 (mid-air hit)

22, 18

MT

pi@

24

0 1@+@

1.5 .

SM

TJ .

01@+@@

15;25

SMSM

TJ

SMSM

TJ, Teleport

01 @+@@ ~
Tran.sitlons into Qamar l'klil
Input

' 15,25,30

..,

~,

Guard

f'roperties

<?11~~~
~ ~

-01
M

-01

~~ mil

Input

- Ql

Damage

IJ>vl

lntp.'lCt

Guard

Hit

i18

KDN

~~

30

Input

Damage

Level

Jm.I8Ct

Guard

Hit

16,16

MM

i15

8.-6

2.4

This attack is reasonably fast. has some Tech Crouch frames,

and leaves you at only a small disadvantage w hen blocked,
w hich is grea t for such a potentially powerful attack. Near the
edge@ can be used for Ring Out or wall splat purposes.
At times when you have maximum Critical Gauge this attack is
an excellent starter to use his full ~. making it incredibly deadly. @ can also sometimes hit sidestepping opponents. and
deals good Guard Gauge damage, so there's no harm in throwing it out when you think your opponent will block.

Beemin Acubens

Algol's has very good range for a standard of this
speed, and can also sometimes hit opponents w ho try to
evade to the side. After hits you can either use
again or an attack w ith similar speed and ra nge to be sure
that the opponent can't interrupt your offense. If th is attack is
blocked from mid range you can try to backstep or sidestep
to evade the opponent's retaliation, because you'll only be at
a small disadvantage and from this range a lot of characters
won't be able t o reach you with their fastest attacks.

Murzim Sinn
This is a useful Break Attack that will leave Algol at frame
advantage when blocked and also stuns the opponent w hen
it hi ts. {!,- ~ hits grounded opponents as well, making it
an excellent tool for his Okizeme mix-ups. Remember that
the frame advant age when blocked is only minor, so you
shouldn't follow up w ith slow attacks. and that it's also quite
linear, making it easy to sidestep and punish if used predict
ably. Try to use this move when you are sure the opponent is
likely to just stand and guard, since ~{!,- is another attack

that deals good Guard Gauge damage.

Cl 11\?TC:l 4 i V!'> ?LAY ! ALGOL

Mettalah Mufrid
This move can be used either as a powerful block punisher
against highly unsafe attacks, or in combos after m any of A lgol's
launchers, since it's very difficult and sometimes impossible for
the opponent to Air Control to evade the second @. Because
of the stun this move inflicts on normal hit. Algol has a lot of
options to start a combo, leading to a lot more damage than
either his (ID(ID or~@@ would. It is lacking in range, however,
so in order to land it you'll have be close to the opponent, which
limits its usefulness in punishing attacks that push Algol backwa rds w hen blocked. This move is also highly unsafe, so using
it outside of pun ishment and combos can be very risky.

Martie Eltanin Nath

Opponents can have a hard time reacting fast enough to block
this attack due to its speed and animation. It is only slightly unsafe if used with the projectile (ID follow-up, and has some late
Tech Crouch frames to avoid High-hitting attacks. If the opponent sidesteps t he Low sweep, using t he (ID follow-up will leave
Algol vulnerable to severe punishment. The projectile can also
be Gled, sidestepped. or blocked .The projectile sometimes has
a very strange effect when it's blocked, either leaving Algol unsafe or giving him frame advant age.This effect varies from character to character, and because of the distance and time it takes
the projectile to reach the blocking opponent it can be hard to
react to it prope rly. After .(}liD+@ hits and the opponent tries
to Ukemi into any direction, the following projectile w ill launch
them off t he ground, allowing for very damaging combos.

"- SECONDARY ATTACKS

Adip Saiph

.....
f:',:jtj:!fl
"
:i. natpag

22

..(l.-..(7@ is one of Algol's best weapons against opponents

who sidestep often . It hits M id, has decent range, and leaves
you even w ith th e opponent when blocked, which means that
Algol can continue with other offensive or defensive options.
After this attack hi ts. A lgol can combo with his (!13 if you
have enough meter. The only downside of this move is tha t
it's slow and must be used while moving to avoid it being
even slower.

Alshain Najm

~..(7~ can be used instead of a normal Guard Impact to

counter some sirings or single attacks. and can Gl all M id- and
Low-hitting attacks. It also can Tech Crouch 'under High-hitting
attacks and throws which gives it even more reason to be used
to counter some strings of the opponents. Near the edge it can
Ring Out t he opponent and do a wall splat too. which makes
it even better in this situation. On block though this attack is
ve ry unsafe. and it's also fai rly slow and linear. Make sure to
only use this move when you are sure to hit, as a combo ender
for example, after a slightly unsafe move of Algol which was
blocked, or to interrupt opponents' strings with either the autoGuard Impact or the Tech Crouch. If used right. this move can
be rea lly annoying in specific situations for any opponent.

Oamar Aladfar
Although this attack is quite slow, its animation can be very
confusing, making it hard for an opponent to react to it. When
it hits it knocks the opponent to the ground for a decent
combo. and it can also Ring Out if used near the edge, so
it should be one o f you r first choices any tim e the opponent
hesitates. This attack also has some Tech Crouch frames and
has enough Hor izontal reach to catch opponents either t rying
to Ukemi or sidest ep. If you have enough meter, this is another attack that you can combo into Algol's (!13 for incredible
damage from a Low-hitting attack.

. . . ,,
....
wvol

Input

Haris Shaula

Damago

Level

lnipftct

Gunrd

Hit

..... ... ....... ..

When you duck under a High-hitting attack or throw, FC '\}@)
w ill almost always be fast enough to hit the opponent during
their recovery for good damage. Even on normal hit this attack w ill stun the opponent, giving Algol the option to combo
further with t?@, for example. You can also try to use Ukemi
Traps or start Okizeme mix-ups after it connects, which can
be more rewarding and can lead to further mix-ups when
successful. This attack Tech Jumps over Low-hitting attacks,
and can also be a Clean Hit, which adds nice damage to its
already decent total.

1)1>111~9e

Wazn Nath Tawr

'

'

i27

Input

Damage

level

lmp~ct

Guard

Hit

<?+

10,10

SM

i24

-13

STN

Damage

Level

Impact

Guard

Hit

30

i17

-12

KND

ORn1ngo

lovol

lmpoct

Gunrd

Hit

16,24

MH

i14

-13,-10

1,KND

Using <?<? will allow Algol to start his highly damaging

combos from a safe launcher. Not only is this move safe
against most characters when blocked, but Algol also Tech
Crouches under High-hitting attacks and throws. This attack
also inflicts ve ry good Guard Gauge damage, so use it as often as the opponent allows, especially if their health is flashing red. as you won't care if it hits or is blocked. Keep in mind
that this attack is not very fast, however, and is quite linear, so
it's best used w hen you either have frame advantage, have
successfully G led, or if you anticipate a High-hitting attack.

Rastaban Nath (Dual Wings)

<?+

is one of Algol's best tools for spacing and whiff

punishing. He will shoot two projectiles, one to the left and
one to the right side, thus limiting the opponent's freedom
to move around the ring. Each of these projectiles does 10
points of damage and can also bounce off walls. making
them hard to predict for the opponent. Having some projectiles active (a maximum of 4 is possible) in the ring will not
only limit the opponent's space, but can sometimes make
Algol's moves safer when blocked, or even better on hit if
the projectiles hit the opponen t during Algol's recovery. Avoid
using this attack at close range. however, because both projectiles w ill mi ss the opponent and Algol will take a while to
recover, making it easy for the opponent to punish you.

Alderamin Lesuth

'fnlpnct '

22

,.
Input

c:::>c:::> is a relatively fast attack with very good range. It will

kill an opponent's attempts to step completely, so it's another

of Algol's best spacing tools. It can also Ring Out and it's a
good evasive option against other High attacks due to its Tech
Crouch frames, but it is still a High-hitting attack. making it
risky to use. It's not completely safe when blocked. and can
be punished heavily by some characters if they duck it, so you
can't overuse it.

Theemin Dhanab
For its speed, c::(>@@ not only deals excellent damage, but
also can Ring Out and wall splat. It is one of Algol's best tools
for block punishing, although its range is not great and you
have to watch out for the pushback of the opponent's attack
to be su re it'll hit. It can also be used at close range as a
fast, Mid-hitting poke. If t he opponent ducks, the first kick
will force him to stand, ensuring that the second kick also
hits. Keep in m ind that the second attack is High-hitting and
some opponents can duck under it after blocking the first and
punish you.

Input

Cl it'YUl 41 VS P _IN ! ALGOL

Sadalsuud M arkab
>@+@ is neither a standard attack nor a standard au to-GI
move. The purpose of this attack is to catch any kind of backstep or backwards sidestep the opponent uses. Any movemell'it or attack with t2, ', or ~ inputs, such as attacks like
>@ or t?@ or jumping backwards, w ill trigger an attack
throw if >+ is used. When this attack th row connects,
the opponent w ill be launched out of Algol's throne, giving
you the opportunity to combo. If you use this move w isely it
can prevent the opponent from backstepping and really limit
their spacing ability. If the attack throw does not connect.
Algol takes some time to recover, making it a risk to use if
you're not sure that the opponent w ill be retreating.

AwwaiQam
t2 Tech Crouches for most of its animation and w ill stun
the opponent when it connects as a CH, allowing you to
combo for decent damage. Because of its combination ofTC
and fast speed, it's great for interrupting strings that contain
High-hitting attacks, since after evading a High it'll usually be
quick enough to beat any following Mid attacks. It also has
great range, allowing you to use it for mid range spacing to
prevent the opponent from retreating, and it'll be very hard to
punish when blocked at its tip range.

Algol's fron t throws are not very threatening unless you use
his ~'*@+@ command throw often. The damage and the
Okizeme after this throw is very good and of course, because
it is a command throw, it's harder to escape. If you r opponent
often escapes Algol's '*~@+@ you can try using a short
step to the left before you throw with +@ to get his extremely powerful right-side throw. This w ill deal even more
damage than his command throw, and can Ring Out near the
edge. The +@ throw leads to great Okizeme, since the opponent is right next to you and can't Ukemi. This allows a
straight mix-up with t2@ and~ until they rise.
The mighty Algol does not escape th rows in the traditional
manner. After a normal throw break he w ill teleport backwards a short distance to safety. If you happen to escape a
throw late he w ill also not fa ll to the ground like other characters, and w ill instead teleport even further further away and
use his throne to recover standing.

Algol's '*'* it is very useful, as it will not only grant him

advantage when it's blocked, but it also gives him a lot of very
powerful combo options after it hits. FC "(t it is basica lly
the same as the normal version of the attack, but is now entirely safe w hen blocked and it gains an extra hit and higher
damage. After it connects, you ca n com bo ~ or ~~.
~and~~ have Brave Edge versions as well, which w ill
not only relaunch grounded opponents but w ill let Algol follow-up with his options from his 0 1stance. This can be ve ry
useful in combos, or even as a combo starter, because it can
lead to longe r, more damaging combos than w ithout the it.
0 1 @+ (; can also be used to lengthen your combos
and increase damage. Algol can teleport after the last projectile of this attack, resulting in a very short recovery and a
position switch. This w ill allow you to ring the opponent out to
the same side he started the combo on. The teleport ca n also
hit opponents, but th is w ill rarely happen, as the opponent
has to run into it in order to take damage. Last but not least
<?@+ has a Brave Edge version, too. Algol will shoot 4
projectiles instead of 2, making it even easier to control the

opponent's movement.

, ..

:j{~~tt\l,

\.... CRITICAL EDGE

AI Qam ar Qa hhar I AI Sham s Qahhar
Algol's (! has two versions. The regular version has Algol 's
throne fall on the opponent. not dealing much damage, but
stunning them long enough for you to combo afterwards.
This attack will catch standing, grounded, and airborne opponents and has infinite range. When it hits, Algol will automatically teleport near the opponent allowing you to combo
afterwards. If you input -&~ @++ fast enough after
his @. however. and have another full stock of your Critical
Gallge, then Algol will continue his (!, sitting down on his
throne and mashing his opponent into the ground. This wi ll
do a serious amount of damage, but will consume all of your
Critical Gauge. When used in combos, you'll often take away
at least half of the opponent's health gauge and can cause
even more damage if it hits as a Clean Hit.

~p~

Lo~o1 t~J;-~t:~
:GMid
M
i1B ~ . . -18 . STN

~ -

{!.~c:l>~~'* @+ +tRl
-&~<=l>~~ @++ -&~<=l> @++

15,125

MT

i18

KND

,;~1f~tr

COMBOS

=============================================

Algol has many different combo possibilities depending on the ring

position. his combo starter, and his Critical Gauge. You can often use
I! after a combo starter to lengthen the combo, and the
same applies to~ ~.~~ ~. and 0 1@+~. You can
chain some of these together, w ith Combo C being a simple example that can be expanded upon by continuing w ith 0 1+ ~
after the ~ ~. taking you into 0 1. At this point you ca n. if you
have enough m eter. use <=l:>@ ~ or end the combo with @@.
Combo

Damage

Hits

Cost

Difficulty

@+@

84

<?<?

~@+. <=l>@ ~. <?@

101

CH t?@

-& +. @ ~. <?@@

80

~@ ~

0 1@

63

<=l>~~

55

**

94

11

**

131

Statler

Follow up

<?<?

j <?@@
<?@@

@@ is a nice ad~ition in many combos since it's easy and very reliable and is often impossible to air control. Of course if you have a full
Critical Gauge, you can always combo into his (! ~~ @+ +.
Keep in mind that after som e strings that stun the opponent for example, the damage of his (! w ill scale dow n very quickly, making it
ha.c,dly worth the cost. In some combos Algol can also use his projec
tiles to re launch the opponent, w ith Combo A being a good example.

~~ ~. 0 1@+ ~. <=l:>@ ~. <? @

_.

WR @

@. ~~ @++

FC1f@

-&

54

t?@

@. -&~ @++

164

<?1:3

<?@. ~~~. Ql @+~.@IE.<?@@

114

12

(! -&~ @++

165

@ Iilli

<?

76

**

-&~@

(! -&~ @+ +@

157

**

~ ~. 0 1@+liD

82

UKEMITRAPS
After some knockdowns and stuns, t?@ is
fast enough to catch the opponent in every
direction for nice damage and a potential
Ring Out. )::!@@ ca n also catch an opponent's Ukemi. Afte r ~+@ the follow-up
will ca tch the opponent if they use an Ukemi,
and they will be launched from the ground allowing Algol to combo for good damage.This
can happen often, because even if the opponent didn't wa nt to Ukemi, trying to guard

Difficulty

Knockdown

Ul(ami Trap

~+@

. c::>c::> lllil, @@

95

All

**

t?@

~@@

67

All

~-~

1:1@*, ~ ~):jc:(> @++@

197

All

***

@@

1:1@, ~@

77

All

**

* Has 10 be slightly delayed in order to hit during the opponent's Ukemi

the Low-hitting ~+@with ~@can result. if input a little too late, in an unintentional Ukemi.
A couple of characters, however. such as Pyrrha or Pyrrha Q , will not be relaunched but will still
be hit w ith the proj ecti le if they Ukemi to the ir right side.

WALL COMBOS
Algol has some very fast and useful moves that w ill wa ll splat, with
c:(>@@ and c::>c::> being two of the best examples. c::>@@ can also
be used after a lot of wa ll splats to get a second w all splat before
continuing your combo. Depending on Algol's recovery you can either use c::>@@, c::>c::> lllil, @. or )::!@ @ after the next wall
splat to get decent damage, and after c::>@@ and )::!@@ you can

Domoge

Hits

Cost

Difficulty

c:(>@@W! )::!@ @ 0 1@+@ @ c:(>c:(>@ ~ @@

125

13

***

c::>c::> w !

)::!@@

65

)::!@W!

c:(>@@W! )::!@ @ 0 1@+@

77

**

)::!@W!

)::!@, W! c:(>c:(>@ @. @@

117

**

)::!@W!

@@. c::>. ~@

88

Combo

Starter

Follow-up

ct>@@W!

E.

even Ring Out. Near a wa ll, though, comboing wi th Ql @+ can

be quite risky, because if the opponent is too close to t he wall, Algol
w ill not be able to jump over them, so his projectiles wi ll miss. So using thi s combo follow-up near a wa ll is not recommend ed. Note that
Combo D works only from speci fic angles.

....

APPLYING OFFENSE
From close range Algol can use attacks like IIDIID. @@. or@@
to keep up w ith faster cha racters in speed and poking. and do quite
nice damage. At mid range. he can pressure with S>S>@ Iilli. -&-&.
@. or ..(7<}@. But none of these attacks will leave Algol at decent
frame advantage when they connect, with the exception of S> Iilli.
so you won't actually have much scope to keep on attacking. At long
range Algol lacks decent advancing attacks to quickly close the gap, but
this is where one or two well-shot projectiles should come into play.
There's also a nother option if you don't w ant to play defen sively from
fa r range: you can use his 01 stance to get close quickly w ith a mixup. Out of this stance you can use @. liD. or @. as each one of
these has its p urpose to keep the opponent guessing where to guard
or when to sidestep. 01 @+ will miss from far range. however.
because if Algol does not jump over the opponent he will shoot his
projectiles in the wrong direction. If you need to encourage the opponent to stop s idestepping. try using attacks such as ..(7..(7@. ~@@.
or S>S>@. Because Algol's Guard Gauge damage is decent. the opponent will quickly stop and very likely try to evade rather than staying put and blocking. [-70 1]

for th e opponent to just lie on the ground. So whatever the opponent

does, if you guess right. you'll always come away with nice damage.

RING OUT
Algol has a lot of Mid-hitting attacks that can Ring Out; S>S>@. ~.
and S>S>@+ are all great for the purpose. 0 1 @ is also a strong
option if used in combos. as it will ring the opponent out from a
very good distance. You should use t?@ if the opponent can't re liably
block it. or go for the -&+@@ Ukemi Trap and try to Ring Out the
opponent after the relaunch. Be careful, though, using 0 1 near the
edge might Ring Out Algol, especially 0 1@+.
If you are at the edge you can swap the positions fairly safely using
Algol's @+@ teleport. <?t?-&~c:::> will also jump over the opponent
and can be used to swap positions near the edge. Also, Algol's rightside throw can Ring Out, making the opponent think twice how to
react near the edge if you use a step to their right side. M ixing this
side throw with~~ or c:::> will make the side t hrow a deadly
mix-up.

GUARD BURST
Achieving Guard Burst with Algol is not very difficult. A lot of his
moves do solid Guard Gauge damage and some of them are also very
safe. S>S>IID, ~. and FC 'lf all have decent speed and deal
good Guard Gauge damage . ..(7..(7@ is also a very good attack when
aiming for a Guard Burst. becau se it gives advantage when blocked
so Algol can, if the opponent is very likely to guard, use another
-&-&to get closer to the Guard Burst and still have t he advantage.
After a Guard Burst. @ is one of Algol's best options to start a
combo. It doesn't require Critical Gauge. though if you have enough
Critical Gauge you can use it to increase your damage after you land
it. Sometimes @ will be too slow due to Algol's own recovery
after his attack. This means it's better to use ~ Iilli. S>S> Iilli. or
@@to be sure to start a combo after a Guard Burst.

OKIZEME
For Algol's Okizeme, mixing t?@ or -&+@ w ith ..(7..(7 and
~@ is a very good option. If the opponent is not able to guard t?@
on reaction you can easily use this over and over again. But if.they
start to guard it constantly, just go for -&+@ because this attack
is safer when blocked. -&-& will inflict decent damage even when
grounded. and if the opponent ducks because of t?@ ..().+@. or
throws. landing this attack will allow you to start a combo. Even if the
opponent blocks ..()...(). it will inflict huge Guard Gauge damage and
leaves Algol at a slight advantage. Also. if the opponent just stays
grounded and w aits for Algol to attack. you can relaunch the opponent from the ground using ~liD Iilli. ~~ Iilli. or if you don't want
to use meter or don't have it. -&+. All of these moves will also allow Algol to combo after the relaunch, which makes it very dangerous

Guard Burst
Req. to Burst

Altacks

WR

@13. ..(7~@

8
9
11

WR @), > @. Ql @

12
13

DEFENSIVE PLAY
Algol has some very nice punishment tools.
which makes him very effective when played
defensively. For block punishment you can
either go for c:(>@@, . or <?@. all
of which deal good damage. In open play,
@@ can lead into the most damage, so
you should go for that if you know it will hit.
For whiff punishment you can use ,
or if the opponent's recovery is long enough,
c::>c::> Iilli or ~ Iilli. This last one should
be fast enough to hit the opponent most of
the time before th ey can block.

If you duck under a High-hitting attack or a throw you can either use FC "'J'@ or WR to punish. Both are very strong combo starters and have decent speed. You should also keep in mind
that ..(7~@ is a very good move to auto-GI an opponent's attack. so you should use it to
limit their options whenever possible. Using it also allows you to save your Critical Gauge for
other things like Brave Edge attacks or Algol's strong Critical Edge instead of a Guard Impact.

SPACING & POSITIONING

When spacing, Algol can rely heavily on @+or@+ Iilli. You can also mix these with
his oth er projectiles to cover even more directions. W ith +@ and <?t?-&~S> Algol can
position himself fairly sa fe ly to the back of the opponent. Rem ember. however. that you have
to be close enough to be able to swap positions w ith these moves. Algol has really some
unique options and ways to control the opponent's movements due to his projectiles even

Ci !N' I ' I'

IVS Pl.i\Y I ALGOL

from far away, thus making him a character

that can control the ring like almost no other can as long as you use them at the right
times, so don' t hesitate to throw them out
any time you think the opponent w ill let you .
[~0 2]

POST-GI
After you Guard Impact th e opponent one
option is to go for his guaranteed (i;J. If
you don't have enough Critical Gauge you
can try following up with~~. <?@,
or c(>c(>@ ~- Near the edge using c(>@@
is also recommended, because it will Ring
Ou t or wall splat. c(>@@ is also pretty fast,
maki ng it hard for the opponent to react fast
enough to re-GI it. If you think the opponent
might re-G I, then going for <?13 or <?<?
w ill be effective. If inputted fast enough, it
w ill beat the opponent even if they didn't reGI and try to attack you, and will allow Algol
to land a potentially very powerful combo.
r~ o

'D

31

Learning to react tot?@ should be your fi rst priority when fighting against Algol. Being able to
block this attack consistently will make Algol much less of a threat, especially-near the edge,
because he cannot Ring Out you with Low-hitting attacks or front throws without using t?@ or
t?t?@, and t?t?@ is not reliable for ri nging out. You should also try to react fast enough if you
see his <?@+animation, since he takes a ve ry long time to recover after using this move.
Attack throws are very good to use as punishment against it, because using one will make all
of his projectiles disappear. When Algol has his back to the ring edge you should be careful, as

he w ill very likely try to swap positions. If you

anticipate his +@ teleport you can try to
hit Algol during his recovery and should have
time to land a combo starter. Finally, avoid
using too many High-hitting attacks against
Algol, since he has a great selection of useful
Tech Crouching moves.

KEY ATTACKS
c(>c(>@ ~
This attack is more or less linear so try to sidestep when you think
the Algol player w ill use it. After evading it, make sure to punish Algol
as heavily as possible. This attack will Tech Crouch under High-hittil'!g
attacks, so m ake sure to not use these too often and be aware of the
fact that c(>c(>@ is very good for Algol when blocked, so don't use
moves that are too slow as retaliation. [ ->0 41
.r@+ .
Try to counter this attack immediately after you see the start-up animation, because Algol takes some time to recover. If you are too far
away, keep in mind that the proj ectiles wil l float to your left and right
side, so ensure that you advance without sidestepping.

.;

..

=' .

If you are not able to guard this attack reliably, make sure not to do an
Ukemi after it hits you. When it hits you can either guard the projectile or
roll to the left or right. You also shouldn't just wait on the ground for the
projectile to fly over you, because Algol can relaunch you easily, which
is exactly what the Algol player w ill be looking to do. If you manage to
block this attack, remember that the projectile can be Guard Impacted,
sidestepped, or if your character is fast enough, punished after blocking
the projectile from close range using attacks that are i14 or faster.

. ~~-() : ' :
This attack is r~ot very fast and only gives A lgol a minor advantage
when blocked. If your character is fast it shouldn't be a problem to

..

counter nearly every move Algol has to offer. But because of the
Guard Gauge damage, the advantage w hen blocked, and the possible
combo when it hits, this move is still very dangerous. If you anticipate it or the Algol player uses it a lot, you have to sidestep t his attack
or try to pressure Algol, preve nting him from using it often.

If you cannot block this attack you should learn to do so quickly. This
move can be very dangerous if you are not able to react to it fast
enough, especially near the edge. When blocked, this attack is unsafe, so make sure to use your character's best Mid-h itting punishment move, because Algol can duck under High-hitting attacks and
throws during its recovery.

Command List
Name

'"' "'

Lovol

Properties

Chertan Aladfar

@@

High High

13

Alnilam Wezen

c:(>@@OO

High High M id

18

Theemin Lesut:h

~@@

Hadar Salph

..(!.@

SP-Iow

Qamar Aladfar

1:2@

Low

Alaraph Nihayah

<?@00

High Mid

Standing/@

-8,-2
-18,-12,16

22

-14,14

12

13

28

31

-6
. -16

16,30

21

Mid M id

16,16

High

20

High High SPM id

Mid Mid

16,20

2.6

NC

LNC

NCC ( LN C (Behind)

O,STN

NC

TC 1- FC

KND

15

TC I R-0

-1 2,-14

O.KND

13

NCI R-0

15
15

-8. -6
-6

2.4
4

16

16,20.20

14

-S,-14

STN

Mid Mid

20,22

19

-16,-14

LNC. KND

Standing/@
Beemln Acubens
Sham Algleba
Talitha Elt:anln Nath
RasAigethi

~0000

M ata r Acubens

..(!.00

Mid

16

16

-8

1::200

Mid

20

21

-1 3

M id Mid

~6.10

16

Mid

30

30

AwwaiOa rn
. M et allah Mufri d
Alshain N afm

<?00@
<=(>..(!.~@

NC

1st two ilits NCC

LNC

TCINC
- FC

12

STN,KND

-22

Clean Hit: A

TCI STN CH
NC .I R-0

TC I R-0 I auto-GI:
M, L !All) i 4-i14

Standing/@
Menkar Pherkad

Theemin Dhanab

c:(>@@

High

14

13

-8

Mid High

16,24

14

-1 3.-10

1,KND

2
-2

~@

Mid

18

17

-10

Fil Qadam

..(!.@

Low

14,

15

TawrRigil

1::2@

Low

20

Nimr Marfic

<?@

High

22

18
19

-14
-18

Nimr Marflc

<?13

High

22

38

-2

5
STN

SP M id

20

21

-13

STN

: M erikar Scheat

-13

NCI R-0

15

- FC

0
15

Standing/+
Eltanln Nath
(Menacing Eye)
Shams N ath
(Condensing World)

c:(>@+OO

Mid

20

53

-15

KND

Eltanin Nath
(Water M irror)

..(!.@+@

SP-Mid

20

21

-18

STN

Eltanin Nath
(Heavenly Gaze)

'11'@+ 00

SPMid

20

21

-13

STN

Rastaban Nath
(Dual Wings)

<?@+@

SP-Mid SP-Mid

10, 10

24

-13

STN

A lphecca l'klil Nat h

..(!.1:2<?@+00

Mid

60

73

KND

KND

Sabik Sheratan

00+@

ss

Sadalsuud Markab

enemy going back <? 00+@

,.

TJI UB

Standing /@+@
TP

M id-Throw

35

Low SP-Mid

20,20

<=(>00+@

Mid Mid

16,18

Thuban Duhr

'11'00+@

MidSS

Thuban Kalb Nath

during Hadar Saiph @@@@

SP-M id

30
10,10,

Martie Eltanln Nath

..(!.@+ hit or guard @

Alaraph Anchentenar

1' Shams

Qadam

during Hadar Saiph

LNC

Clean Hit: C

28

-14,-14

KND,STN

1st hit -FC

18

-10

KND

13

STJ

10. 10

52

Mid

50

60

-4

KND

STJ
STJ I Clean Hit: A

Full Crouch Attacks

Hadar Sal ph

cro uching @

SP-Iow

12

12

-6

TC I -FC

Hadar Acubens

crouching @

M id

16

15

-FC

Qadi m Sulafat

crouching ~00

M id

22

15

Cursa Scheat

crouching

Low

14

14

-1 4

-2

crouching '11'00

Mid

40

16

-15

STN

crouching @+00

SP-Mid

20

21

-16

STN

,. A lruccaba Vega
Elta n in Nath
(Call of E.a rth)

13

TCI-FC

-FC

13

TC I TJ 1 Clean Hit: C
TC 1- FC

While Rising Attacks

16

Opp -BT (Hit)

11

TC

4,STN

NCIBA

-7

TJ

TJ I Opp -FC (Hit)

-10

KND

15

TJ ) ~@ : No KND

AKrab Saiph

while standing @

High

20

18

-6

Haris Shaula

w hile st~nding @

M id

26

20

-14

DhihTarf

while standing @@

Mid Mid

14,20

15

-1 4,-16

4,4

DhihTarf

w hile standing @13

M id Mid

14,20

15

-14,-2

22-26
19-25
l- 1925

24
23
28

LNC

NC I Opp -FC (Hi I)

Jumping Attacks
Alrakls Salph
Alrakis Vega
; Algorab Skat

while jumping @
while jumping @
' while jumping

- 1-

High
Mid
Mid

Suhail Sheratan
Adib Saiph
Alya Gienah

Murzim Sinn
Thaniah Oarn

left side throw

right side throw
back throw
~+@+@

Alioth Saiph
Adhil Ao;ubens
Alioth Acubens

Alnair.Aiterf
Sabik Sheratan

AI Shams Oahhar

M id-Throw

15, 125

18

STN

Clean Hit: C

PYRRHAO

I Pyrrha Q is Pyrrha taken to an extreme of risk and reward. Her style is

of her mother. specializing in dealing high damage wi th fast attacks and heavily
n 11r u sninntho opponent's m istakes. Pyrrha Q w ill give you the range and power to stand up to the
r---~tr.*;";:."t characters, and she'll do so with her own style and ferocity that leaves little room for
error on either your part or your opponent's.

~ I I IU .U.f.l

i .HIIIII#

METER USAGE
Playing Pyrrha Q effectively requires you to learn the moveset of the opponent's character and know their weaknesses. Fast reactions and frame knowledge w ill give you a huge
;:,ri,,;:,nt;:,c,A when playing Pyrrha Q. Her primary punisher is
also called NS (), which is one of the best, if not
bes t. punishing attack in the game . Pyrrha Q also
of TC attacks that she can use to make the

She has plenty of strong

Gauge damage, and her c:::>:::>te
cover enough range to
pressure. Pyrrha Q, hOINever.
really strong
This means you can't
and m ust instead
ful spacing. Learni

that deal a lot of Guard

Double Nemesis Step
can always maintain
ffer in having neither
threatening throws.
e Mid and Low m ix-ups
~'"~!,!" pressure and careand DNS attacks as
ld be your first goal.

Pyrrha Q's Critical Edge is extremely useful in combos. Having it available vastly increases your damage
potential and will force the opponent to be much more careful and
defensive. This means that aiming to stock and keep at ieast one
~ at all times is your best strategy. Keeping your meter for Brave
Edge attacks. meanwhile. is not as
important as these attacks are not
as useful as some of her standard
ones. All three of them, ..!} ~.
FC tZ ~ and ~ ~. deal a
lot of Guard Gauge damage, however, so if your opponent's Gauge
starts to flash yellow or red they
can be very much worth using. You
\ also don't need to use meter for
\st~dard Gls because of her+
a\u t<Y-GI being so useful.
I!I~~I!J

,,

-:

~.'~
. ~;'')r-...l!:il?'M

--- ~........--..,__

;
. ~/

1 0_~~
~4
1iF

' .
, .' '.' ,
:

~:....

Nemesis Step (NS) I Double Nemesis Step (DNS)

This gives you access to some of Pyrrha Q's best attacks. All
three attacks from Nemesis Step are unsafe when blocked
but relatively fast. -&~S> is one of your best options
against sidestepping opponents, as it wi ll always stun the opponent when i t hits and has a Tech Crouch that starts from
the 2nd frame so you w ill easily evade High-hitting attacks.
You can w ait just a bit after using Nemesis Step, making WR
attacks and throws possible. Input -&~S> while in Nemesis
Step to enter Double Nemesis Step. From here you can execute DNS . you r most devastating single attack. While using DNS, you will move low enough to duck under many Midlevel attacks, making it one of the most powerful approach
moves in the game. Practice inputting -&~c::>-&~S> as fast
as possible. so that you can buffer DNS (ID for use in massive
combos.

Input

Damage

lvl

-&~S>

16

TC

-&~S>(ID:

30.35

M (AT)

RO

-&~S>

20

TC

{!r~S>-&~S>

16

TC

-&~S>-&~ S>

42,30

M (AT)

{!.~-&~ ~

PRIMARY ATTACKS

Descend Splash

....................... ........ ............ .............

TC, RO

.
liput

..

A>lill'

. "'"'ll'ffi1
Damag~

lvl.

ltn11nct

Gunrd

Hit

14

i1 4

14,16

MM

114

The @@ Series is Pyrrha Q's simplest but most effective

poking tool. The range is very good for a standard liD and
it can hit opponents who try sidestepping to the right. Using
only the first @ sometimes is a good idea to change your attacking rhythm. Doing so will often make the opponent wait
for the second hit. and you can easily buffer NS or DNS
during the animation. Also at times when you need to finish
off your opponent. mixing up liD and -& is a fairly safe
tactic, as these are fast enough to beat incoming attacks and
hard to punish unless predicted. liD is the same speed as
NS . so every attack you can puni sh w ith that can theoretically be punished with liD. which makes it a good option
when you aren't able to react to a surprise attack with NS .

(ID(ID

Apollyon Strike

lnp ~l

Damage

LVI.

Impact

Guard

I! it

..C.~c::>-&~c::>IID

42

i15

-14

STN

{!.~{!.~

42,30

M!ATI

i15

-14

KND

{!.~{!.~ @:

42,40

M!An

i15

-14

KND

Input

Damage

lvl.

lrnpet

Guard

Hit

-&~S>

30

i14

-16

STN I -2 (Tip range)

-&~S>

30,25

M(ATI

i14

16

KND

-&~@:

30,35

M(ATI

i14

-16

KND

........................................ ............. ......... .

DNS can rival your C!I3 for its power as a single. fast attack. Using this attack in combos is a must to get the most
damage out of them. It can also be used to interrupt slower
attacks and to punish unsafe attacks or whiffs. Delaying this
move or even adding one or two extra -&~S> inputs will
make it hit sidestepping opponents even better. Many op
ponents w ill stop sidestepping or 8-Way Running if they see
the Nemesis Step animation. so this move will rarely whiff if
used correctly. It is unsafe w hen guarded, however, but it has
a huge pushback so most characters won't be able to pun
ish it effectively. Against those that can. such as Leixia w ith
or Mitsurugi with c::>. you'll need to be much more
sparing in its use.
Nemesis Strike

Pyrrha Q's NS has the speed and range to heavily punish
a great deal of unsafe attacks. It is also a great whiff punisher and can be used as a fast interrupting attack. but it's
unsafe, so you mustn't overuse it in this capacity. Pressing
:<? the instant the attack connects will trigger an automatic
follow up, addi ng an additional 35 damage to its total if your
timing is perfect. After this follow-up connec ts the opponent
will be knocked down and can be rung out or wall stunned
to Pyrrha Q's left. In open play you can use Nemesis Step
again to close the gap quickly or follow up w ith S>S> or
@+@.

Styx Cannon

Input

Damage

Lvl.

lrnpllct

Gunrd

c:(>c:(>(ID

32

i26

-2

JG

Input

Damage

LVI.

Impact

Guard

..e.~c:(>@

16

i1 8

-16

.Hit
STN

..e.~c:(>..e.~c:(>@

26

118

-16

STN

Input

'
~ ~ or z;J z;J or c:(> c:(>@

Damage

lvl.

Impact

Guard

liit

28

i18

-11

Input

c:(>c:(>(ID is a fairly linear, Mid-hitting attack that will launch opponents for a combo when it connects. It has great range and
will also hit grounded opponents, making it an essential part
of Pyrrha Q's Okizeme strategy. When it's guarded you are
left at a small disadvantage so you can pressure with @@
.e.@ or NS . You can also try using another ~~(ID if you
think your opponent will continue to guard to further reduce
their Guard Gauge. Using NS @ after ~~(ID is guarded can
be really useful if the opponent either tries to hit you with
fast High-hitting pokes or tries to sidestep another ~c:(>(ID
or NS (ID attempt.
N em esis Zapper
As one of your most reliable TC attacks, ..e.~c:(>@ can be
used to punish High-hitting attacks heavily whilst also tracking sidestepping opponents. It isn't safe when guarded. but
it's well worth the risk unless your opponent can severely
punish it, because it leads to a very powerful combo when it
connects. It's best used after having your basic pokes guarded to discourage High-hitting retaliation attempts, or after
using an attack such as c:(>c:(>(ID that leaves you at a small
disadvantage when guarded. You can also use her DNS @
(..e.~c:(>..e.~c:(>@) for 10 extra points of damage and to cover
more range .

Demonic Exaltation

.................
~c:(>@ is an advancing horizontal attack that can TC under
High-hitting attacks and Throws. It's best used when the opponent begins to sidestep your c:(>c:(>(ID attempts from mid
range. Some fast characters can punish it when blocked, so
use it more sparingly against them. After it connects you
are at enough advantage to continue your offense with fast
pokes or throws. c:(>c:(>@ doesn't have the range of ONS (ID
or c:(>c:(>(ID, for example, so you have to make sure you advance enough w hen using it as part of your spacing game.
Because c:(>c:(>@ and the highly unsafe ..e.~c:(>@ are the
same speed, mixing between them is a good idea to avoid
the opponent getting comfortable with punishing you.

Plasm a Blade

~~ is best used to punish after sidestepping a linear at-

Damage

LYI.

Imp ct

Guard

Hit

c:(>c:(>@

30

i15

-15

LNC

Input

l)amo g~

lv!

Imp ct

Guard

Hit

>@)

28

i27

STN 13

tack. In this situation its speed can allow it to punish attacks

that 1::11::1 co uld not, and it's also a safer option at times
when the opponent manages to recover before it connects.
c:(>c:(>@ and~~ are actually the same attack, but ~ ~
must be used from a sidestep or 8-Way Run, and is a little
sa fer when guarded. Generally, c:(>c:(>(ID is the better choice
of launcher, but the speed of ~~ can make it invaluable
against faster characters that force you to fight up close.

Dark Nova
This attack will leave you at real frame advantage when
guarded, which is not something to be taken lightly given
Pyrrha Q's attacking options. Using th is when you think the
opponent will wa it wi ll not only allow you to pressure further,
but also deals a lot of Guard Gauge damage. When it connects, you can combo w ith either an instant DNS (ID or (!
for a huge amount of damage. It's not a fast attack, it lacks
range, and it doesn't hit grounded opponents, so using it at
the right times is essential

Envy Heel
Using !:?@ is essen tial for Pyrrha ~2 to apply effective mixups. It has more range than her-.{).@, jumps over Low attacks
and hits grounded oppon ents . It also stuns on CH for a damaging combo using DNS @.On top of all this it puts the opponent into FC, limi ting t heir options. This gives you the opportunity to use her @+ auto-GI, because in general, WR
attacks are Mid-hitting. However, t his move does have two
main weaknesses; it's linear, so it won't hit sidestepping or
rolling opponents, and it leaves you at a slight disadvantage
when it hits. You can still continue you r offense, but you'll
need to use more evasive attacks, such as ~ or +@.

Erebos Edge

<?<?

is a TC launcher that's not safe when blocked. but

most cha racters can't punish it severely and m any can't punish at all if used at its maximum range. Its range is deceptively good, and it can be used easily after retreating due to the
command. The !:?!:?version allow s you to choose between
retrea ting or sidestepping into t he attack depending on the
kind of attacks your opponent is using to space you, so this
can be highly versatile in its application.

hupijet

Guard

Hit

i28

-10

LM

i28

-16

KND

Lvl.

lh,patt

Guard

Hit

i20

-6

KND

lv1.

l.npact

Guard

Pride Stream
The!:?!:?@ ser ies begins wit h a Low-hitting attack that allows
Pyrrha Q to somewhat mix-up her attacks as she approaches.
The follow-up attack can be charged to become unblockable
after a relat ively short period. If the opponent always tries to
interrupt the fully-charged unblockable version you can semicharge the second@ instead to get a CH. The timing for this
"mid-charged " is well worth learning. The uncharged version
of the second hit is unsafe w hen guarded, and can also be
sidestepped if charged fully, so you're taking som e risk when
using this attack, but can also get high rew ards, especially
near an edge or wall.

Shield Rush
Firs t. do not confuse this move with her 11'11'@. This is a different and better attack. Using -.{).-.{).@ w ill cause Pyrrha ~1
to do a techstep to the right side, allowing it to evade Iinear
attacks and also hit sidestepping opponents. -.{).-.{).@ always
knocks the opponent down, granting a guaran teed ground-hitting follow-up such as <?<?@or~ . This attack can also be
used for Ring Out and to advance f rom mid range. The recovery is so fast that your opponent will have little t ime to react to
it when it's guarded, so attacking wit h@@ or-.{).@ can work
well. You can also use Pyrrha Q's @ + auto-GI to counter
opponents who will attack often after guarding this attack.

Erinyies

Input

@+
Parrying a Mid, SM or SL attack wit h @+ results in t he
same situations as with Pyrrha's @+ but w ith stric ter t iming required; Parried Hori zon tals lead to a s tun. Verticals lead
to a 3-hit combo (if you input @@ quickly enough), and kicks
lead to count ering with a kick of you r own. If you find it hard
to react to the different possible counters, you can leave out
her weakest combo. the Kick auto-GI and focus on the followups for Horizontals and Verticals. You can, for example, always
press<?@ after a parry to get the Vertical follow-up more consistently. Th is way, if a Horizontal is parried, <?@will hit, and
you 'll have enough tim e to still press for the combo and
end it with DNS .

Damage

i4-i8

CC,/,f>-F.:R 4 ! VS f>LAY! PYRRHA 0

llamago

Styx Shower

l vl.

As Pyrrha Q's most powerful ground-hitting attack, this is a

vital part of your Okizeme game. It's the best option you have
to prevent the opponent rolling to the left after being knocked
down, causing '*<> to miss them. You'll need to mix these
two attacks up well against grounded opponents to force
them tO stand. Because both c::>c::> and <?<?+@ do a
great job in breaking the Guard Gauge it is still a minor victory
for Pyrrha Q when these attacks are blocked. Unlike <>c::>.
however, this attack is unsafe against fast pokes or C!!i!s. so
having it guarded effectively stops your offensive flow .

Pyrrha Q's throw range is fairly bad, bu t her t hrows can be

used after Nemesis Steps to surprise opponents. Her @+@
throw inflicts average damage and can't Ring Out. It does allow for a better Okizeme situation than c::>c::>@+@. however.
The +@ throw can be followed up with either ~@ or ~;
the opponent has to make a second choice of which throw extension to escape. If this second part is escaped, you'll recover
as fast as your opponent does, leaving you both in a neutral position. This throw escape also does 2 extra points of damage,
mean ing +@~@ or~ alw ays does at least 42 damage.
You can also decide not to use the follow -up at all and maintain
your advantage. After the+@ on its own, only the opponent
will fall to the ground, leaving you in a very good position.

Input

Damago

@+@

25

13

+@~@or ~

40,25

13

c::><>@+@

55

@+@or+@ (Left)

62

13

@+@ or +@ (Right)

70

13

@+@ or +@ (Back)

65

13 (Voldo I Astaroth I Z.W.E.I.)

c:>c::>@ +@ has a small escape w indow but it leaves you in

a disadvantageous back-turned position. Following up with
~@ if the opponent doesn't roll is an option, as is BT +@ if
they try to attack. You can also press@ to cancel the BT state
and tty to pressure again with throws or c::> . Besides
her normal throws, Pyrrha Q's right throw deals 70 damage
and can easily be mixed with sidestep into~~@ or 1:11:1.
Normally opponents won't be afraid of Pyrrha Q's throw s, so
they'll be unlikely to duck in order to escape t hem, but 70
damage can be enough to make them change their minds.

BRAVE EDGE ATTACKS

All three of Pyrrha Q's Brave Edge attacks are not Natural
Combos; they actually require a CH in order to be guaranteed combos. This makes them much worse than most
Brave Edge attacks when compared to other characters. This
means they are rarely worth using your meter on, because
you will need it for her more devastating C!!il combos, but
they are still useful for w earing down your opponent's Guard
Gauge w ith relatively fast attacks. Outside o f that, ~owever.
these attacks cannot be recommended as a good use of your
Critical Gauge.

Pyrrha Q's Critical Edge is a fast single strike that leads into a
damaging attack-throw. It's best used in stun or air combos to
greatly increase your damage ou tput. Using her C!!il in air combos will not follow-up with the attack-throw, but will instead
slam the oppon ent to the ground, allowing you to continue the
combo w ith DNS . You can also use it twice in a single air
combo, but doing so deals the same damage as DNS and
costs your entire Critical Gauge.This is much easier to execute
t han ending w ith DNS so it's worthw hile if it means getting
the win in the final round . It can also be used to interrupt attacks, or to attack whilst at a disadvantage, but this is a risk and

reQuires vou to judge vour opponent's actions extremely well.

::;;,\l}j.

'k
Input

Damage

lvl.

~@++@

25,20,30

i16

-14

KND

FC~@+@+@

25,20.30

i16

-14

KND

<> + +

25,30

MM
MM
HM

i13

11

KND

Input

O..mage

lvl.

Impact

Guard

Hit

~~c::>~s::!c::>@++

42.48

MM

i10

-21

Guard

After standard launchers, you can use Pyrrha

Q's @lEI followed by DNS for considerable
damage if you have it available. Comboing
after @ gives a few different possibilities due to the height of the launch; you can
use <?@ slightly charged followed by your
@lEI. and then. during the freeze as the @lEI
begins, you can actually confirm the Air Control direction the opponent uses and judge
the type of g round slam that w ill occur. If
the opponent Air Con trols to th e front, back,
back-right, left or back-left you w ill have to
combo with DNS as in Combo B, but if
they AC to t he right, front-right or front-left

you have to combo with {).+@. If the opponent. It's possible, no matter in which
direct ion the opponent ACs, to check the slide type after the @lEI and choose your follow-up
attack accordingly. You also need to delay DNS after @ hits; if it's not delayed it will
come out too early and miss.
Despite using DNS in nearly every combo, you still have to end some combos with NS .
It will Ring Out the opponent to the left or wall splat for even more devastating combos. You
should always go for the Just input version of NS :. giving a chance for a Cl ean Hit for more
damag e, as well as the:<? attack throw, wh ich can also only be a Clean Hit w ith the Just input.
For example, NS @ or DNS @ into NS w ithout the Just input w ill deaf less damage, not
only because you are not able to get a Clean Hit, but also because you won't get the follow-up
animation for the Just version of NS . When looking at these combos, keep in mind that
Aeon cannot be hit w ith the NS @ or DNS @ into NS ::<? attack throw at t he end. unless
he is near the edge.

Darnaoa

Hils

CosI

DiHicully

104

124

DNS@

51*

<?<?

DNS @

55

***

<?

DNS @

59

<?

@lEI

110

**

DNS@

63

"*

, @

@lEI. DNS (ID

96

** *

NS @

NS:@:<?

75**

NS @

@lEI

98*-

{).{).

DNS@

69

{1.{7@

<?<?@

42

WR@

ONS @

57

~~

t!J,DNS@

62

***

"il'+@ (stun only)

DNS @:<?

74

CH@

DNS@

57

CH<?@

DNS @

83

CH @ (illl

DNS @

73

CH<?<?@

DNS@

60

CH @+@@@

@. DNS @

96

CH t:Z@

DNS @

57

DNS@

61

Slarre r

Follow up

<?t.l
<?t.l@

DNS@:<?

~~@or @

WR

D +I!J

49 damage for cl>~

-add 10 damag e using DNS@ as a staner

@lEI

,.

CHA'' I f-'1 .; i '/;, ':1 AY i PYRRHA 0

UKEMITRAPS

Ukemi Twp

Pyrrha Q doesn't have many useful Ukemi Traps. She can, however,
use @ to catch teching opponents after knocking them down
with -&-&. This w ill catch all Ukemi directions w ith the exception
of left. She can also often catch Ukemi w ith just a simple {!.-@, but
this won't lead to advantage when it connects. After NS at its tip
range, for example, it w ill hit the opponent unless they Ukemi to the
left, and the same applies to DNS .After landing NS or DNS
at its tip range, you can follow up with another DNS , which w ill hit
opponents who Ukemi backwards.

Difficulty

Directions

55

Right, Back

{\.-@

56

Right, Back

DNS@(tip) ' {!.-@

58

Right, Back

126

Back

CHNS@
(tip)

DNS@(tip)

DNS@:<?

WALL COMBOS
Having the opponent near a wall really adds to the threat of Pyrrha Q's
already high-damaging combos, since NS @:' will wall splat to her
left side. You can then decide to either follow-up again w ith NS :<?
or start an easier wall combo. Because NS :<? w ill knock the opponent to the left you have to check the angle first before trying to
do another NS :<?.@and~@+@ are her strongest
launchers after a wall splat. Depending on the angle, the stun f rom
the second wall splat can prevent her @+@@@ from hitting
the opponent. So you can decide to stay sa fe but deal less damage
Combo

with @, or go for more damage with @+@@@. Just as in

regular combos, you can add a ~ after your launcher to get some
extra damage. This is generally not worth wasting meter on unless
you need to do just a tiny bit more damage in order to w in. Keep in
mind that missing an Attack Throw after NS when you 've already
hit with NS :<?won't give Pyrrha Q a stun, so she can be punished
for attempting it. which can effect Combo C, for example. You can
just use a single NS in order to eliminate any risk, but will sacrifice
your potential wall combo damage.
Dornage

Hils

CosI

Oifficully

NS :@:', W! @+@@@. e . DNS@

166

NS :@:<?, W! @. DNS@

129

*** *

163

143

****

197

10

Starter

Followup

<?D. NS :@:<?WI
NS:@:'W!

DNS @. NS :@:> W!

NS :@:', W! @. ~. DNS@

!:1!:1Dw!

NS :@:', W! @+@@@,e. DNS@

, <?@+@ NS :@:<? W! NS :@:', W! @+@@@. e. ~. DNS@

'damage including second hit only

APPLYING OFFENSE
Keeping up the pressure on the opponent is extremely important w ith Pyrrha Q. NS @.
@and<?<? are all strongTC options, and because of this can be used while at a disadvantage to keep your offense going. Mixing @. DNS and NS @or DNS@ will form
the core of your offense, all of which will also deal good Guard Gauge damage when they are
blocked. Pyrrha Q can be considered a moderate risk/high reward character. This means that

getting punished a few times after using NS

@ or DNS is an acceptable risk, because
if you land an attack the damage you deal is
likely to be much higher than you can receive
as punishment. Use of the 1:1!:1@ series is

another risk worth taking, as many opponents won't recognize the animation in time
to guard it. After it hits, mixing between the
two follow-ups is again a situation that is well
in your favor. ,
1]
Because Pyrrha Q's punishment is so strong
you can get a lot of damage out of ducking
against High-hitting or throw-heavy characters. Thi s is especially worth doing if you notice that your opponent is using weak attacks
such as..(!.@ often, making the risk for guessing incorrectly much lower for you. Also keep
in mind that wh en playing against slower
characters such as Nightmare or Siegfried
you can use more unsafe attacks, because
they won't be able to heavily punish you.
Characters like Natsu and Leixia, however,
who can be played safely and have good punishment tools against Pyrrha Q's NS attacks
won't afford you this luxury, so you'll need to
use safer attacks more often and try to match
their offense with judicious use of your pokes
and evasive attacks.

OKIZEME
After almost all knockdowns, @ should
be your first choice for Okizeme. It has great
range and deals high damage as a grounded
hit, so it will force the opponent to rise or
roll to their left out of the way. Once your opponent begins to roll this attack consistently,
you can start mixing it up with <?<?+
to hit opponents trying to roll to the left.
Pyrrha Q does not have any good groundhitting Low attacks, so using ..(!., a fast and
relative ly safe attack, is usually your best option. This may not seem great, but because
Pyrrha Q has such strong Mid-hitting attacks,
few opponents will risk guarding low to avoid
a simple ..(!.@, and when it hits you'll recover
in FC, so your NS attacks w ill come out one
frame faster. As an alternative to ..(!.@, you
can also run up, sidestep to the left and try
to grab w ith th e ri ght side throw. Again, your
opponent is u nlikely to duck, so there isn't
very much risk in going for the throw.

RING OUT
If your opponent isn't guarding 1111@@
consistently then it's worth going for it any
chance you get when near the edge of the
ring. Even if the first hit is blocked, your opponent may hesitate with their reaction, giving you time to mix up the partially-charged
and fully-charged versions. For Mid-hitting
Ring Out attacks you have lots of strong options, the best of which are NS :<?, @
with DNS combo. and S:!S:! for ringing
out behind you. If the opponent tries to ring

you out w ith an unsafe attack, you'll often have the option to punish it with NS @:<?. which
will result in you ring ing them out instead.
When using S:!S:!@ with your back to the ring edge you can follow up with BT @+@ to Ring
Out the opponent even further, but you ca n also Ring Out yourse lf fi rst if you are too close to
the edge when attempting thi s. so checking the distance between you and ring edge is very
important. Unfortunately only your back throw is capable of Ring Out. It will ring opponents
out behind you. so when playing against Voldo, for example, using throws against his Blind
Stance at the edge is a good option.

GUARD BURST
Using attacks that deal heavy damage to the Guard Gauge is easy and very useful with Pyrrha
Q. S>S>. S> mEl. and <?fJ@ are all great for this, and the opponent's gauge will flash yellow after guarding them just a few times. Once the opponent's gauge flashes red it will likely
break after one or two more attacks are guarded, so you can make use of unsafe attacks to get
the Guard Burst, such a <?fJ@. ..(!. mEl. or +. After breaking the opponent's guard.
the simplest follow-up is @+@@. 8 , DNS .This combo doesn't cost any meter and
is easy to use. If you want to ring your opponent out to the front, however, comboing with
S>S>. DNS @ is the best option.

Guard Burst
Roq.to Burst

5
6

Attacks

<?fJ
<?fJ@

:7

@+@. 'll'+@

:8

{Jr mEl. <?@. <?@@

. <?'. <?<?+S:!@

10

@ mEl

13

~.@+

DEFENSIVE PLAY
You have a lot of options when playing defensively wi th Pyrrha Q. Backstepping into DNS
or S>S> makes punishing whiffed attacks easy, and DNS lets you cover ground extremely
quickly. Poking the oppon ent with or and then sidestepping or backstepping after it
hits or is guarded is also a very simple but effective form of defensive play.
Knowing all of your opponent's unsa fe attacks is essential for Pyrrha Q's defensive style of
play. This not only includes punishment, but also evasion and using her @+ auto-GI at the
right times. With every character. there are some strings you can easily auto-GI or evade with
TC attacks such as NS@ or 1111. Slow attacks, such as Maxi's Ll
or Pyrrha's 1111@fJ

CHAP i t=-~l

.-:.! VS ~;.u~. .y i PYRRHA H

for example, should be countered w ith @+ .

consisten tly. [ -7f.J 2]
After Just Guarding successfully, you can use
the obvious NS or attempt a quick DNS
@, or follow-up with a simple @@ or @@
if you're unsure about the attack's recovery
and need to be safe. Using Just Guard needs
a lot of training and character knowledge, so
focusing on Just Guard punishment shouldn't
be one of your primary goals until you're very
familiar with your opponent's character and
the attacks they use most often. [70 3}

SPACING & POSITIONING

The range of Pyrrha Q's ~~makes spacing relatively easy w ith her. Though it's a linear attack, sidestepping it requires good timing, and the threat of DNS @ or means
that you have a genuine mix-up when the
opponent sees you approach. Staying at
the maximum range of~~ is the key to
spacing wi th Pyrrha Q, as forcing the opponent to guard this attack is one of you r primary goals and it is hardest to sidestep at

this range. You also have ~~@ and <?@ and its follow-ups to prevent siclestep w ithout
risking punishment. [ -)CJ 4)

While fighting Pyrrha Q you should always be

aware that she doesn't have any threatening,
fast Lows and that her throws deal average
damage and can't ring you out. This means
that playing de fensively against Pyrrha Q is
often the key to victory. Faster characters
can have success playing offensively, but you

would still be limited to attacks that are safe against NS . Punishing NS and NS@ consistently is essential to make' the Pyrrha Q player stop using them as often, and guarding t?@
and t?t?@ on reaction will reduce them to using t?@ and ./}@ as the ir Low-hitting attacks,
so it's important to lim it their offense the same way they limit yours. Although you can evade
a lot of Pyrrha Q's attacks by sidestepping or backstepping, some of her strongest attacks w ill
still hit you, so pay careful attention to the t imes that ct>ct>, DNS and NS @or DNS@
are used while spacing against Pyrrha Q.

POST-GI
After you Guard Impact successfully you can either go for the guaranteed C!la or a fast but
powerful attack such as DNS or NS @ . If you expect the opponent to re-G I these attacks
then you should go for eith er ~ct>@ or <?@fJ for a potential Ring Out and the highest damage. Near the edge you shouldn't use DNS after a Gl at all; NS will be the better choice.
because it can lead to a wall splat or Ring Out and its speed makes it hard to re-GI. Mixing up
the timings on your NS after a Gl is great in this position.

KEY ATTACKS

Despite all of its strengths this attack still has some weaknesses.
Firstly, it does not give Pyrrha Q real advantage when guarded so as
long as you attack quickly you can beat anything she follows up V\Yith.
Secondly, it can be easily be sidestepped, rolled or Ukemied to the
left side, giving you the opportunity to punish her accordingly. Keep
in mind though, that ct>@ has very short recovery frames, so you'll
have use a fast attack to punish after evading it. ,
:,

DNS@

... '

This is a very fast and highly damaging attack so your strategy against
Pyrrha Q should revolve around not getting hit by it. Although this
move is quite linear, you have to be careful with your sidestepping,
because Pyrrha Q will redirect after using DNS repeatedly, so a delayed DNS can still hit you. This move is unsafe, however, so fi nding an attack that your character can punish it with is essential. Some
cha racters won't have anything fast enough to reach; in this case you
must be sure to take advantage of the disadvantage that Pyrrha Q is
at to apply a m ix-up.
NS @andDNS@ '.: ..
While playing against Pyrrha Q you should always watch out for the
way your opponent uses this attack. They may use it to prevent sidestep, or as a TC attack against your Highs. Either way, it's important
to give them fewer opportunities to land it. and to punish it as well
as possible when you guard it Punishing it a few times in a row can
make a huge difference and w ill force the Pyrrha Q player to use it
less.

N$@:'
./}~ is a very fast and extremely damaging attack, but against
it's unsafe when guarded. Be sure to punish this move to the best
of your character's ability, especially if the Pyrrha Q player is using it
as a fast interrupting attack rather than as a punisher. It can also be
sidestepped to both sides, though going to the right is easier.

. !:1 t?@@: : ;
.. . ..
..... '
'

Until you can block the first hit of this string on reaction, your focus
should be on reacting to the charged unblockable version. Sidestepping it to the left is easily possible if you react quickly, or you can
simply use your fastest or most evasive attacks to beat it. If the attack
is not fully-charged, it will be unsafe when guarded, so make sure to
punish it accordingly. [-?0 5)

Command List

:Tar1aiosEd!ie
Deimos Strike
Deimos Strike
Arch Pnidati.o~
Deimos Strike Arch Predation
Under Blaze

TC I NCC [ 1st h it -FC

-&liD w hen hit, :' (just)

TC I NCC I R-0 [1 st hit -FC

!::?@

15

-FC

Dark Nova

"@

. ik e r R:oL1:st .hit ;. FC

Standing/@
High
M id

Depi~ved ~~el

Mid

Flame Under Kick

Low

Envy Heel

Low

Evil Temple Kick

High

-s
-s

-.

15

14
22
18

13
14

-6

1622
10

15

-14

-2

25

-16

20

-1 4

16

STNCH
TC 1- FC .
TJ I STN CH

13

TC I auto-G I: L {All) i3i11

Standing/@+@
auto-GI: lVI (Honzontal. VertiCal,
Body) i5-i9
'

Megaira Hilt

STN

Jtiekt~.jud9~e~t

KND
KND

Phobos Strike :..:

>A.rch Predation
Low Low
Low Low
SP-I'vlid Low

Lust Impale

16,25,25

26

-12,-20

-2.KND

TJ ITS I NCC I RO

16,25,25

26

-12,20

-2.KND

TJ ITS I NCC I R-0

10,8,8,8

20

-15.-15,
-1 5,-1 5

-5,-5,-5,-5

30
30

NCC I KNOCH
7

TC [TJ
TC [TSI UB
TC

crouching@
crouching

liD

crouching !::?@@
Deimos Strike - Arch Predation
'P~I~os $trike .:. .
Arc!> Predation '
Spring Under Kii ck

crouching !::?@@ when hit.

:'

crouching !::?@@ w hen hit, " fjus t)

18
12,25

14

-8

16

-10,-20

2
O,STN

NCC [ 1st hit -i':C

12,25,25

16

-10,-20

O,KND

NCC 1R-0 11st hi t -FC

12,25,25

16

-10,-20

O. KND

NCC I RO [1 st hit -FC

14

-1 4

-2

crouching @

Low

16

FuiiT~rn Blade

while standing @

M id

Greed Escutcheon

while standing @

lvlid

standi~g@

M id

l'vlid

18
26
18
20
20
26

High

22-28

- FC

-FC

While Rising Attacks

Gaia Kick

w hile

Gluttony Satellite

while standing @+@

l'vlid

Gluttony Satellite

w hile standing f!+ lil

while standing @+@

lvlid

Erebos Edge
Jumping Attacks
Jumping M jrli'g"e .,.
" s atellite.' '''..':' ;:: '::

17

-8

18

-12

6
STN

12

18

-2

LNC

15

0
STN

- /

TC I UB

LNC

TC

18

-12

68

-12

22

- 12

24

-9

KN D

23

-6

TC
TC

-rc
TC

TJ I R-0 I !:S@: -S, KN D

13
: Inverse Shieli(Rush
Pride Stream

13

R-0

TC

R-0

C'iAP~E'~

.: i VS PL4'r PYRRHA n

Nttme

Pride Stream

TC I R-0

+ @
Desce nt
Wayward St ar St rike
Erebos Edge

~ ~ or z:l lll
-17 .. or "\l'-t
<?+ or t21t or ~ ~

Mid
High

+ or~ ~ or z:llll@

21,7

27

-14

19

-8

KND

M id

40
26

22

-12

LNC

Mid

18

15

-15

LNC

13

-6

TC I R-0 I LNC (Behind)

9
9

TC I R-0
TC

8-Way Run/@
Pla sm a Blade

-17 .. or "\l'-t@

Round Murdere r
Broken Promise
Killer Order
Evil Driver
A rchenemy Riding
Back Turned Attacks
Flipside Slide Blade
Flipside Under Slide
Blade
Fllpslda Sw o rd Braze
Fli pside U nde r Blaze

left side throw

right side throw
back throw
+@-IJ.@ or -17
+ @+@

High-Throw

55

17

12 '

14

-6

SP-Iow

14

15

turn around
crouching turn around

Mid

16

16

M id
High

14

6
-8

16

17
15

Low

18

16
M id
Mid
Mid-Throw

30
30
30,25

Mid-Throw
High

N em esis Zapper

during Angel Step@

during Angel Step

Evil A rrow Kick

Nemesis Side Step

17
17
17

crouching turn around @

turn around @

Arch Predation
Arch Predation

62
70
65
40,25

High

turn around @

Fllpslde Hig h Kick

Fllp slde Sprin g
Under Kick

N em esis St rike
N em esis St rike

High-Throw
High-Throw
High-Throw
High-Throw
High-Throw

during Angel Step (fast)

during Angel Step when hit.

<?

during Angel Step w hen hit. <? (just)

during Angel Step @

"ll'*

-8

2
2

17

-14

-2

18
14
14

-16
-16
-16

STN 14
STN
STN

30,25

14
14

-16
-16

KND
KND

20

15

-14

KND

High

16

18

-16

STN

Mid High
Mid

20,10,21,7

..

Nemesis Zapper
Jet Stream Rush

during Nemesis Side Step @

Nemesis Zappe r
Apollyon St rike

during Double Nemesis Step @

High

15

-16
-14

STN 14

during Double Nemesis Step

16
42

18

Mid

Lust of Babylon

during Double Nemesis Step when

hit,<?

M id-Throw

42,30

15

-14

KND

Lust of Babylo n

during Double Nemesis Step when hit,

.
<? (jt.ISt)

M id-Throw

42,30

15

-14

KND

12,42,30

16

-10.-14

12.42 '

16

. -10,-14

O,STN

12,42,30

16

10,-14

O,KND

IAlastor Strike

Alasto r StrikeLust of Babylo n

Alastor Strike l ust of Babylo n

15

Clean Hit: C
R-0

15

R-0 I Clean Hit:

R-0

ss

during Angel Step 1:12 or

during Nemesis Side Step @

Alastor Strike
Alastor Strike L~st C?f Babyl!ln
Alastor StrikeLust of Babylon

TC I -FC

12.42.30

TC
8

STN

15

TC. NC~NC I ~~ or
z:lz:l K : Damage: 22
TJ

TC

There are SQmQ cllaracters thatamn't selectable until you've unloc~eO

their own unique style. or. in the case of Devil J n. ore a style only.

them lhrough playing the g~une and achieving various things. Some
of these. Algol. Pyrtha n. and a. Patroklos. are covered in 1ull m1he VS
Ptay clu~ptor. Th010 oro a fow others, ho+Never. that either don't have

and can't be sctected as a preexisting character. Everything obout

these extra f8\'' characters w i!l be tovereod on tho following pages.

EDGE MASTER
Character Overview I Edge Mat&r makes.:! lon.g-ao..-.'8it6d return In SOULCALI8UR V.
As with his frat 11ppea.-anee in the original SOULCAUBUR, he's able to mitate the fu!l
fi:Qt!ting aty1es o! evtry selectoblc character in the game. a~fde from thG Oovil Jin {To1d:fffi)
tlgl'ltlr'IO style. Th smears dear old Edge Master can ftght ltke a gifl, and even breathe fire,
shou 1d he bO using Aeon's fapparently imitable) sty~e. -,01}

.Nst beiO<e t~ t>egonr>or>g ol evety tO<.W>d. a ranoom lighting sryle ,. solectod. and Edge
Mas rer will be equ pped w1th the Masler version of the ..veapons 9$80Cated with tha1
sryle He w1!1 then swetch StYle w hen a now round beg ns (though n i.s porfcctJy possible

to be allotted tho same style twice or more in success1on1.

Thera nro nodiscorn'l>lc differences bet.veen Edge Master and tho other characters when
lighting with ft particular style. When imitating Xiba he does goin &ecess to the classic
~.0.1!1 s1rlng, ho.....-aver. Booause he can use the styies oi nil the main mate and
lemate cast. playing eUectively vvi th Edge t:1aster requires you to leoma hugo amount of
intormruion, oot only in knov,ing how to use each characters' &nacks and obilit as, but also
how to plev onch rrnnchup ogoinst cve:rv other fighting style. As such ho is tho true ex-pelfS character: on9 that enables you to demonstlate your d&ep knowtcdge of the game.
and .anl)in vietorv BVen in the face of d'minished odds.
There ar& some advantages to usil\g Edge Maslet in a f.ght. It can be hard for your oppo.
ncnt to teep tracl:. ot the different opttoos you11 hallS in each fight. and they won't be able
10 g&taleel fO<
prek!<ences or app:oadl. Tney wil wuggto to 1111 k\10 alflythm. and
env eff8ctMt smttegie:s they dov91op il one round .... tnOfe often than not boc:ome redun.
cbnt 1n the noxt. 'bu wil atso be~ to oonsur~ shih yos ONn pauoms and tactics bv
necessity, malong -;ou oop<ediclallle and <0011> to shut down . Thos moy ""'" help you to
stov etNM and miJ<up woll. E..., EdQe Moster's appeatallCG can coun1 ., your lavo<, as
wh1f4 you know exaccJy what a3:atks yoo.l re performing. your ~nt may f nd tt hard
to reeoonte the telltate a.n.mauon of some slower anacli:s. slc....ing hi:s.1"1er reac-t10M and
prompting mlst8\es.
121

vwr

,,1

\'\then pla)l'ng nga1r\:lt Edge Master. it may he!p to consider some d lffiltent ideas ~
pared to notmlll matches. Don't expect to win simply bOcauso your opponent is 11ying
10 use random styles: this cou'O cause vou to become complacent. or evM fr'USlftlted if
you'to losing. FOC\IS on the feK:t thal the J)la>;er will mostli ~ly be more comfonable with
cc:trtoin &tylo&; a lock of familiarity rnay be evident by rcpctlllve use of bu ic lactics. or of

basic poKe3 like (!!)@aM

<J.. :Spacing can lle useful if tho E!lge MoSior player hasn'l

grasped tht mo.to poo.vsfful mix..ups of a glven style, as 5/ha mnv bocomo prone to dashin~ in tor grab anQmpts. Remember that in most cases you will know mo1e about any

given match-up than your opponent. as your

character rerna:ns constant. so trv to abuse
basi:; tact cs that are hard to overcome for the
normal chlmcter.

To maste1 Edge Master would be to master

the entiregame. and given that even the very
best playefs au~ COr'ISH'u'\tl-t imr..roving using
only theit CN,n charactar, this fa-at is probably
impossibb.

:r--

"'

'

KILIK

'

' Character Overview I Edge Master's fO<mer student neatly becomes tho ma.ster in his
( latest role. Ki!il( can use multiple styles as well. but only those of the male characters. and
ev.:n then only t1ose available to Edge Master himself. This does mean.in-portantly, that
heocaf'l breathe fire. r~o 3)

Fighting with or against Kim, shares vinually an ihe same prir)ciples as thQS& <leSC(ibed
aba...o rolstiog to Edgo M 3c tor. Wo

~c

O\ ly ~If the etyloc ~ilob!o to him , co i c not quito

so diffiettlt to fight against. but will be easier to use ii you are generally mor~ familiar with
the ma'e roster~ tighting styles.

"!!pllr.t

Gu:11d

i22

13. 17

ELYSIUM
Cheracter Ovorvlow I Aft sbntlenng for more than & dote-" ytWS. Soul Co' !bur DWOko
when ot ..nsf 1110 rei>W> ol Soul Edge. But the sp;rit sWO<d hod pooblom; Its "'"""""
host. ScofriCd. had grcwn \'Jar)' of t.S power. end no IOOgor possi&ssod a w~l WOt1hy to
Wi~ll

PVRRHA 0 DI FFERENCES

Tho rollowu"!Q ouocks change si-Ghtly when Etvsium mimics Py~rha 0 .

.....

Nemesis Strike
'''''''''
''''''' '
''' '
' .'.
Elv:~ilun's Nomo:sl' Slriko not ooly dual!: moro dam&(JG thJn Pytrh\'1 Cl'$ but tll$0 has o d1fferom
onlmotlon. rho ncrWu:H AtM<:k tollowup wi1h <>can ~tso bo CloM Hit whan Ftyslum rnimte.!l
Pv11hll Q, \-.1\lef\ r)OrmoUy I' not tho cas&... But tho JIU1<:k thow(:{ln' t fUno Out or wnu spl.t~ t. which
rnolio' It wo.-co noor tho \ dOo c:ompaad to Pynha O's &Civiva!OIH.

"'' ' ' '''' ' "

{i.tlo?@
{i.tl~(jj)

......

..........................

01111' '

l'fYPI

lmflll I

38
38,30

iM

IH

...........

,, "'

Hll

IG
IG

SI'N
KND

{).~~@ :>

A.pollyon Striko
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . 0 0 0 0 0 0 . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

lllis anacl< OCMs """ dJmage thoro "'""" os _

....,. S<nte M<f coo o1so bo Ctcon Itt 1o<

bOll> thO normol .oted< OliS (I!) aod 1o< ""'normal <:> fdlov.'<JII.The ..IJst Aaac:t< :o f-.n> wol
"""'Rono 0.1 noat t'-> ocgo. ' - ' ~ICh is not thO casotor """'"" Q's Also. bocluso ot tho
ecbh ONI dafNooo lot Ol (;l(lf'nbM t.an be much Slfonotf th.ln Pyftho 0 '$ 1.'1610M.

6~<:>6~(!jj

50

o(>~.Po(>ti.P!!B>
.(>~.&~~:

50.30
!50, 10.30

.I...

ol5

STN

115

~NO

i1S

.,.

KNO

Phobos Strike
. . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . o . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . .

(!!h@
ilD ,(E)(jj) <:>

16.34.30

MM
MM

(lih00101:o

16.34,40

MM

1tl.3<1

126
126
120

20

STN

20

KND

20

( NO

Oelmos Strtka
.....
,,,,,,,, .......................................................................... .
S!mllllf to NS IE. lhc :"~o twooi{8C~.s danl mello da.moge th~" Pvt1ha ~.-rs and tho natWu:n AU4<k '
foi!O\o...upcon boCioon H1t,A$ with PhoboS Suiko. the nnoek thtovJCOIVIOI Flin{l Ovt Of'W'l)II 8PilU.

"'

011111

lo!Y~I

"''!j!n~l

0 111\!dl

MM
MM

110

110

20
20

LNC

{1-@llll

12.33
12,33.30

{1-@[iil:~>

12,33.40

MM

i lO

20

KND

{).(D)@

KNI)

, ~.:;;,

BRAVE EDGE ATTACKS

As with Ap:>llyon Suike. these <tnacks do more damage than

PyHhal ns Bfaw Cdt;e anad~s and can even ring thG oppo.
nant out neor tho G<:lgo if exocvted with the Just Attack :

anad< throw.
~

lnJltll

' -& ++1111

FC 1:1'@ @+liJ+I&J

12,50

MM

i lG

"""'

"'STN

12,50

~1 M

116-

SlN

--

;;:s.

CRITICAL EDGE

lmplllll

Royal Vexation

i19

22

"''

KND

Allhovgh El-tsium is a mimic ch~Hb~tOf. she not only has 3

couple of slightlV changed anack.s when she mimics ~Yrha

fi. bul has het own Critical Edge regardles-s of who she m'm
ics. This ~ has iniinite range and

wmalwavs ful~t connect

n o matter il t11e opponent is standing. grour!ded, ot .ailbcrne.

Elysium ;:~tso does o slight ~odtst~P before the tim imp<lcts.

Her(!!} is not one o f the faster Ofles though, so it ;s not rea II;
vseiul for interruption or punishment. it is great in combos
thovgh. Keep in mind that.. OOCOuse of the damage scalinQ.
;his C!m i s no; uselvl in mar.y stvn combos and wi1J then of
ten do 19ss damag9 ::han a normal combo would. FOf example
il usOO a!tQf Pyrrha Q's NS @ th9 @la dOGS IGSS d::maga Ulan
NS @:' woukl'w dona OOcausa of tha damaga sca:ling.
4

Elysium's combos don't change much from those of the character she's imitating, except
at times when her C!m is used in combos or if she mimics Pyrrha Q. Kocp in mind that
every time you hit with a stun, following up with her t!m will be possible, but will be sub
jec:ted to seve1e damage scalin!J due to the amount ot hits involved.

the damage or the combo. When mimicking

Pyrrha Q, all of the DNS @ an<l NS 1m combos
wiiJ do more domagQ, but the NS (ID combos
'WOn't Aing Out or wall splat anymore it fol ~o-.ved4
up with the ' attack throw. DNS @:.. how
evet. w111 Ring Ovt.. but as mentioned only with
i1s Just Att~ version.
4

Aftol no:mallounchsrs or other combo startG(G that M ock the opponent down. her @D is
very likely to work as a combo. It also catches Ukemi most of the timo. whicfl 'Will inetease

C!lmt;.:,

Su11er

Fn!!IW(IIP

(P;rtha QJ @

<?@. ~

"116

l)'ynha QJ DNS @

NS ;@:>

97

"

IPvnnoll) Ct< @ Iilli

DNS@

llvyi00
ll irt'11 GS t1

79

(iJij

86

20

>liD. <?@. J S @ Iilli, I1T !il+OO. ~

~~ Ill. @@Ciil. "@+@, <).@]<@ Iilli. . @. .. flSJ. ~
Iilli, ~. <?@. Iilli

142

25

~ .

132

3S

116

28

(NtttSvll!J:

106

22

(Pyrfhol CH 111111

91

zo

'

(H;Id<)C3 @

112

21

l !V<Obi <?<?@ Iilli

A

Oitlit~~!tJ

I ILO;,,.; <l=<?Q

'
4

..

 , UI!\'II.(IS ('mt.:KF.N)

DEVIL JIN (TEKKEN)

Charaetor Overview I Devil Jir'I'S tT&l:.ker"'l fighting &ty1e ll"'ai<CS on appct~!ilMO in SCULCALIBUR V.
whtch will baa we!oome addition for Tekken fans and anyone Vvtlo likes to tight with their fsrs.
Usir~og the 'Mishimn Famil., Fighting Slylc; Devil Jin can Quickly rvsh his oppo1'8nts down, s:>re~
S1..uirrg thGm with bis fasltl!r anack:?. Md launchino and puni.shino them wilh his famed 'Wind God
Fisr N.JGF), Devil Jin's style favors players with quick 1eactions .vho base their personal sty1c
around hav10{1 flow!ess oxecvOOn. This revolves .around mastev of the WGF. a WJiy fast ltn.t'Cher
that Qi\'OS tldvanHl96 V\,ohen blocked. It'S & uni<ruo fast dGfGnsive ar'ld Off91lSiVG lOOI prefect for
pressuring. block punishment, and whirt puni5hmont. As Devil Jil is unarmed. mngod coml)&t in
comparisOil lO thG rest or the cast is his main V'v"eakness.

!"""
! ,,,,,

D.tii118 !1U
Throw:~

StU~ftd

Punishment
Safety
Armor Brook

111111~111

,,,,,,
I,,,,,
! ,,,,,,

I,,,,,,,
I

Ring Out
Okl:t:cmo
MhcUPif

IIIII

Movornont

I,,,,,,

Comple-xity

! IIIII

II

RMQO

PLAYSTYLE FOCUS

METER USAGE

OtWil Jin users will nec<l to control the tioht lrom mid to
closerango due to his lack of long-rnngo oruions. At m idrange, \VGF should be use<J to eillter punish whiffs or beat
slovror moves. s.coring v<>u a laUilCh. Being a Htghhittin{l
attad:. makes it vulnerable to Tech Crouch auod<.:s. how~ver.
Devil Jin has the potential to dominate almost &vety Charactor in the game a1closer('lnoe thanks to t~aving !he fastest High and Midhining anacl:s in the o~m& in 'the form of
his !AI and 'iabs' and his ~@. whid' is rcpiDocr
mem (or a standatd . At this range WGF should also
be u sed to apply pressvro wnen at adVantaga or vou can
uso Lasor Scraper <f!)IAJ~l to catd'l, launch. or Rin.g
Out sidosteppers. -!}tl, his advanced movement. allows
Devil Jin to uso a crouch dasll' mixuP to rapid tv close the
gap w hilst 1emllining Tech Croud'IC<I in Ofdor to t) rGssure his
opponents with attacks sud\ as WGF. WR (Kl, WR Oil. and

Building up meter shouldn"! bo

a problem with Devil Jin as his
metagame revolves a1ound him
maimainino a constant of1ense.

~ .0.~ . [->0 1)

..

11/111111

Because his sli:lplt:~ combos yield

so much damage and RO potential. sav1ng vour merct in otdcr to

lond a launch combo into yout (!IS

ts worth doin!), Yov can also pri
orittle using Gl lnlo WGF co11"1bOS
and his strong Brave Edgo game
with Q\h(Q) fi1) for Okizon"'G <m
boo, fiilflll (llll tor a damaging

throw, and

~ol).~tl [!]J tor a

RO cornbo hom \VGF.

FLY/Crouch Daah ICDI

Oev1l Jn's Actvt~nood MoV'(!mont. or croucll Oa~h' (CD), reQuires tho plt~vor ;o ln.pul -!} t!to advanco while crouching.
From hoo you hii\IG ;he ophon to nput CW 1or WGF. l!l1or a
SIOV.'O! UI)I)Or<Cut et10Ck. IKIOO tor hi$ Spinning Demon swoops
or vou can cencol the movement wth ecthe: r:2 oc .0. 0< 1::1
into hsWR OJ)11()ns Advanced MOYement rs best used during
Okizema"' oc~ to disguise VOUf ll"'oo(.Uf) fflPULS wttn tho CD
aNnatCn 1111\d tOtco y0u1 ooPQnent -c'l\0 guos~ OJMOS.. "
lhey wl not bo fl a PQSitiiC)n to ohysic.aly reta"kote .-.pu:~.~ng
mu- crOUCh d6$he$. well 9~~9~~9-&~ and so
on. WIII11N yOu tO 'VWve Oesh' (WOf \JP to )'OlM' ~t.
al~ you 10 enkNce his Tee. C1oueh CO tn.uPS mofe

'"
TC!fJ

<0'@ 1
~~IISJ[Jl)ii!I-(J

20. 12,10,20

MM

TC!fJJf1.0

~.c.~

TC

to r>e<kJrm <:>~~ and

thentnput .0. t1Q ropidtymu'tiple umes toc.ontJnuevourWD.
'FlY' Stanco CQn bo onttred m.:Jnually from -9>+@ or from

<lUd<lv Anochtr nechOd of WO "

COfiJ'IOCN'IO

t$ or the: las t hit of ~@@@1}. When ttwlso

hll. Devil Jin can on'Y combo into FLY@, though his urlb!od:.
ablo anJck. t$ out~ronteed as well. When t."tose are blockod.
hO\vovor. or whon mMuo!ly cnlo1ed, Devil Jin's FLY optiOns
tHo ou oxu omoly_ t!l)t}l, 1herefore easy to sidestep to bolh
sido$, wilh FLY !AI only trocking to his right.

...._ PRIMAI{Y ATTACKS

:';.,.

,,

~~~(1!)

30

"'
H

\1\t-on ploy~1g Dovll Jl1\ you $1"'.ov1d be satisftOd wth noth

.no toss than teno~no the 'A'Gf CFas:test fnpu;> ve~ ot this
anlde oYOtv SllnQft lme. OV\W' the sla.e tUs.1g Uppercut.
SiMJ)Iv w torm tiS q,u1 n fast as posstie. nak-ng suro
10 pro" lho t') Mel l)le tt at the ~ ,mo. Tho WGF as
wry fast. gwos ldv'ln~ ~ blockOO. and has a Wge hill
box lor a H~h anoc~...... _ it to boot o<her ...,.... WGF
..,.,.,.., alwavo bo In lho bock of )'OIJt ..,;nd when ptay;ng DeW
J nas yOur' wt1,1f puthsher from mid-range. '?WI primery prn
sutno 1001 ond VOUI' beSt block punisher at clo3EH'~mge. It$
on~ down.sde i.s lhAt it's highly vulnerable to Tech C1ooch nl
taQ(s, stonoa3, ond mcwement:;. In oombos it catl't be A!r
Comrollod, so vou can l~nd up 10 <1 ol tham in o ffl't/,

~-&~ID) (F',.""" '"""'

35

f lt'lsh Punch Com bo

...........................................................

tnp"

........... ' ............................................

Rlslnw Upparcut /Wind God Fist

Wh01 Dev11Jln lacks .n anga W'l SOULCAUBUA V, llQ fllOIO

than mnkos tfP tor!nspoe::l with his i tO@@@.lhis 'jab string'
aiiO\vs hm to poto foGtOI than:yoryolh91 &.Drbctorin tho go mo.
@@(W 61SO WOIK$ O:J;) VOIY darn&gln.g punisher w ith the t'lbility to puncs.n biOCI:.Od 10 anacr.s. svchas Leixia's: ~''. tlla t
no ono ols.o OthOt than Natsv can punis:l"l It can also wa'l splat
1/ld Rino Out . ~. as (!J@@ is laun::hpurwshabte by 1.he
entire~JI 'Nhlnblod..OCI. you shoukloriyCYOr poko 14th
on 115 own, a-,cJ U'f 10 hlt-ccnL,m the if'Wd ~L

Twin Lene-r
Thi:s is Owl Jin's '(iXW oq1.11vaklnt. ~@@ at 15. giv~ very

good frnmo odvom~oo whon it hits and puts your opponent

into fC. Th s i!llows you to tolow-uo with a mixup of 18J(!XID,

anothot ~tOilE. or u:)CKifiD't11ID to tract. sides;ep. ttuows,

or f.n&lly -G~il Although a very good clos~range pok
lng toot, ti[6Jffi) is very line&r making its libe!ill use vet y 1isk.y
UQalmu s!dostplng opponents. Note !hat ~@(ID has a

hiddon Bravo Ed'oo n01 liG:uK.I in his cornrmnlllisl. lni)Jtting

~IU'I tlii will IWI vou
guoramocoWGF.

al 14 upon INL.ng, al owing foc a

16JIl!l

,,,

l(jj

i14

.a

LNC

I.NC

r,
110

"' "'

6.-G.IS <1,ot,KNO

Laser Scraper/laser Cannon {LS) (LC)

This is Devil Jirl's primary sid.astep<<HCiling toO! from close-~ nge. t~s it is fostal'tcl the first hit w ill track in both directiollS.
It's best used aher @1@ or~ @(!) ere eit her blocked c; hit,
but the last hit is ver., unsafe ~...nen blocked. so ;ou can't
use it too often unless you'te sure of what your opponent
wJI d'o . Vt/h<:' ' fighting ag<:~in st loss ptediCtab!~ cppoMnts. it
is advise<! to vse <?@@)@ instead. t.JJ 3 hi ts of LC are
CH-<:onfirmab!e, wilh a Ring Out opponunity ar.d the last hit
being safe w hen blocked. Note that t:oth third hit : ariations
can be easily sidestepped w the right.

'
.-.

E ~

Ot... 8!1"'

l<"lt>l

'~@@~

10,10. t4

MMM

'~@@@

10, 10.23

MMM ili

O~m.1ge

J.e1t.t

Imp.

12, 15

LM

.,,...
2G

Spinning Demon

'"""'
i17

~"I":

...,

DEVIl JlN (i'EKKf:N)

Gurli

!lit

14.18_.18

4 , 6.LNC

14. i4,6

-4,--Q,l<ND

G~d

H1

12.1

lfl,1i3

KNO,KNO

bllll

111!1'111'1

GIONII

1!41

i"15

KN D

Cu;!nl

Hlt

i3

LNC

hllJ.t

Gu.mi

Jlit

i15

11

LNC

Spinning Demon i$ a very u selul Lov:-hitting sweep. It's too

fast for 1he opponent to react to, it's highly da m<:~ging , and
will !(noel< me oppor..ant eovvn tor an Old~me mix-up. us
<lnlvweal<ness is that both hits 8re severely punishable .vh<:n
blocked, and its tracking is a little weak \O the left. Mix i< up

w ith WR . V\1R @. and \+VGF 01..<! of Advanced M<J~ment/

CO wher. pressuring ;:x.u opponMt, fo:cing tMm to keep
s till <lnd gu~ss batw~era bei ~ knocked do-wn. lauru::hed' with
\IVtl @. poi<Cd wiU\ WR . or launchOO with V.JGF if lhO)'
panic anc11r'r' to attack.

~ SECONDARY ATTACKS

, :"'7~,

Demon's Paw
With all othe: characters having the advanta9e i:l range ove-r
Devil Jin, he neOOs to close the gap against his opponents
s.onu:fh:ru, and c:)@ is his ~uic'koo t Mid-hitting option. It'S
$t!fe when bto~ed and is verv good for Ring Out and wall
splat purposes. =?c::- is best applied during O"i?.eme irom
CD. mixing it \JP with .::>{!.~@@ and WGF. N-ot$ that the
move is incredibty lino<ll', howovcr: ond therefore susceptible
to being sidestepped. c'1il also has a very distinct anim&tion. msl(ng it l'elative!y easy to Gl and JG.

Demon Steel Pedal

l~p!!l

>@ is <:roe of Devil Jin's besi Okizeme \ools. A quick, IAid

hitting lUck that hits gro.<Jnc!ad, ! is ~st usf'd when you1
oppoMnt is w r; clos.e or righ1 t~ t your foet. Aft9< landing
OM Jin's 9@+@ thrO'w. <?I!J is guaranteed if you do
not ha..-e enough m eter for liD+
On CH <? wit al

llrtr.l

Iii

am.

low yov iOcombo into lS for a guaranteed launch and p.o:en

tia1 w~U com:Oo or Ring Out. @ is unsaie w hen b&oc!<ed
at dOseraoge. but if spaced correctly w :n be un-punishable
at tip range.

Uppercut

\tVR@

This fast. Tt!C:::h C!outhil'lg laur\Cher is a big part of Devil Jifs

WR punlshm~nt and tnb<"\11> oame. and c~ull)~ one of his tlet
ter CO options. Because Oe-vr1 Jin's punishment is OJery simple, his WR punishment w::;l usua!lt just mean using \1\'R @
t'or a guiHMtMd lau r"'ctH~r aMr bloCking a Lov.. attaCk. \t\'Mn
oo the offensi'l(l w ith WR ~l because it is ao unsafe mo..e
to just throv; out on its own, mi:< it up Nil:h {!.~@ aro<t
\f>JR@ out oi Detil Jin's CO. When it hi1s you can dash a ht1le
and then combo into <>-&t1~ Of c:>-6-~IAI~
with th<t
possit l, ty for a Ring Out.

T1unotnl Kick
.............................................................
WR

XI

t ii

th.a s:arr.,g ~poed o~ \.VR (ii) fol'ui

I,,..

On~~

Lirl~l

WR @@

12.16

MM

c:>{J.~IA:
{J.~IAQ1

28
Gl

"''I'' 1 ' '

Ill

liS

12 .:1

2,.tl

10

K" O

124

\ 6

AT

t:.llft> whA I'\

blocked. making it moro su!lable as 3 DOIJng opdo' It can

11110 be usod as 3 sate M'<thitllng attact trom hh~ CD. 3ddiOO
to '(OtJt mit~ps. WR on it$ ov.-n htt.s grour'CS9d ~enos.
I'Tltles c. a usehA Oblemc aod ''VhOn en~ \ '\'0
~ tx.c. stdt to us.'1Q Wft 1D1lD more chen. as h fist
ICioc:'lton ltSOV"'"' is 12\'llhenblocted.. end N';;l'fput~ by
~

fot dt3C"lOfS

Dragon Uppercut/Heaven's Door

.........................................................

Q~~@ i$ beM used when pu,)$$UfU''I0 w; th CD m ix-ups.

'v\'1'\.on it hit;, c>.C,~~ filJ ha.s tho t~bilily to Ring Ou;
an opponem from up to three charoc1e1 spoee::; tJt.;:Jy from
tho Odoe of the ring. =:>.n.~ ts &190 Sl C. making it often
worth the ri$1:. M astery cf the pefioet WGF 1$ a necessity,
II o;-{}o~~ mJ vo:sion C8lfl be combo"'d l her i~ in ord9f
10 ltklg Ovt yovr cpponent from 1he stan.ng poSitQn on the
l maltf $toge5. 1: is ........ beUOf 10 lt\OUI cl> ~~ZI. .OS lhe

AT e'Sion doe~ I'TO'e datr.ago. lMds t.O bea.er ObierM, and'

can Ring Out fOf t~c Sbo"''O tcSk as 1he reoutar ver&IOR.

Htll
Cy-ctono
.............................................................
Spir:~I/Oomon

he's more geared tQ'.vards prOSSIKO. Oovll Jin locks

strOilg, safe traclYig oplions. c:>c::> io hi$ bo.sl M id OPtion
O~ use

tOt uacking sidestep at mlckange. or when dosing th~ Ql:IJ)

on :on ng oppononts. However, o-co(>lBJ ,, unsofo w hon
btocl..ed. so use the ~ or {!.(Kl sof.os 10 keep them guess
lng , MOI'e 9ll.petienced pliJYeiS will CI"Ouctll.llder the . CIS it
a H.o'\ maklng ue @ aM -.& follow1Jos ~neuuptble with
quOcl: ~ 0< ~. wllich os why c:>o .,_ be used
b sldeslep pre-l(!fltion ody and not os n a~ $"\flf'IO.

Ofteepitating Sword
.........................................................
is a much safer opLon for C\IIChlng sdesteppi."''g
t C) a oorr.'bo
w hon it M s. It lS, hov.-ever. A Hlgh-hhtlr.u ot10c:k, ma\in.g it
vuh'lGrab!e to TC move$. It i s also relouvrv slow. bvl il's oomplcttl!~ safe w hen blotXBd so ,..ou can uSt it any tiiT'. e vou
lhink 1he oppoMm won't try to im<!n upt you with lMil fasl
ttt.oe:U. ond you'll have the chanoe to 11te dlon:;.ivc rnoa
sures d 11's bloc\ed
opponc;,nts th~ n @. and it w l!l ttlv.Dyl lo~d

Aratama Strike

-6-(i) 15 one ot Devil Jin's kN1 docont Guard Bvrst rt'IO'Ies.

It's M1dhir.ing and rs pefecllt sal& whon blOCked. but it a~
nuts both .,'Ou <.mdVOuf oppooont into FC. When 11h ts h does
tho wmo: It ._von't lead to much den1ooo. but h 191M)S you
tit {IOOtl f1ame ad'lantage, allow ing you to onfotoo a P0\'1mful FC miJ~<"up with WA @@. WR (ID, t hrows. WGF. and
..:><!<~.

Double UIIIUdc

{J.@o@) "' o'*l<. lJ launch no IMiedt """ -

.. O.W J.,
tO be.Jt lo.v ittfacks while leacing Into ~00 combo$
w uh WGF Because of 1ts speed, rt c:on bo used m place of
WGF as an easier. t-ess exeaJ1ion dOOGt!den1 OPtion tor !joCk.
p unl'-'\mAnl, rn:.klno i 1 :-. M fM h 01 w hnn you nH:d ouar anteed

to ood a round. Again, li\:e m~ny ol Ow 11Jin's I'I"''IVeS.

./.HIJI{ ID i-s verv unsafe when blocl\ed, moo11lng that they
should be reserved strictly fo f eithor oOGy b!OCk ptmishme nt
or for launctling you1 cpporlQflt's slov.-or LO'o'JohitM g attacks.
damt~go

,,

I'

c:><:>IDI!!I
c:>c:>r&l!!.HH!O

14. 12,2d

MHM

117

14,ld.-8

14,1?., 14

MHL

117

. td,. lt 20 2.4,KND

2,-'I.KNO

II

1n1

11

26

Thl,.. quitk. Tocn Jvmp LV!... h1Wno ~nod.: con bo nlo1li.Od up W1~h
'i:)~ r&l \,.hr.lt'l mc.. iFlO ir4 Ofl lour oppcnont itom r'l"'idr!J'Igo.
(IS Lh
:~olort up on1mt'tions of bLh movoa.s look vtJry simil:~ .
wnen 1 lntG it will kncxk. thil o,oponunt dC~-\11'1. loodifl!ii ll'lto
Oldu~me mi:wp3. Boc:ouso 11~ 13 h LS cround6d tor !X'OcJ
dfl.mao& ,, .o1.so mJI<osior vtX; good 0 izemg. Lool r~~tllr s.uccossfu1 11- row::; and othor knockdown InC\' OS. 5uch ~$ fBl(&IIID
al"lcl ~(;_), ~ ~ i$ ~ro v..ttan blod<ad. and s ~9 s,ood
rramll' 9d...antao.a whoon it hi1!l. mill~ rflQ 11 IJi :nrong miUfJ Loot

00\lii.J n"$ lh rr)'N op~ioM eonl~Od 10 olOt of dQJTIQ9Q 'w'it!On l'lu

has li1G noco~o..~ry rnoL{Ir. +[OJ lml. LhrJ 'Obht~r 1LIO'"I' Uuc.v

duels 70 dl!ms(lo Md cembo aa:>ily set up. as. ~,, J""' i:; on
l.'"10 AS.l111i'11 Offr,)n~i'lO wl:h hit; ~ko g mo. waF, Drtd CD l'flf)!w
..:p.... Simply oolnp Qll OJ t1!8J in~o 0:JII1(or&tlon aflCJr IQI'Idl'"l(l
pOkes or .a r1~u bloCk pun .;~hmGnt, NI1on yc1.1 r CJQI'on onl will bo
oxpooling cho 1i ?~r:.l niLlromlhOSG s.tnl"l(IS.. C31"1 work vot v '"011.
Tho ~1il+(m s~of"let'rread' ~lir0\'1 will auota"'tM <?m!l or
'NGF ~~erw111rda. Wl~h m~Jtor l'l'l'llllllblr:~ . @t{II ID will ounranteg a follov,.up combo \"'llh ct>ct>1J(). cct> \I\1GF. or ~6il
copQndin(J on .,ow OJ)(.!OnQn~ 'a :Ji:u..

13

(!lt(1!)
[i]Jo@

13

~~ ' + ~
IE+~. m1+1E+

10
1l

I!J._(m or rnl+~ IRIOI'tl

13

~'f ~ or tiih1911Lofl}
lil~ or @ i&d<l

'3

. r

--- ---~

'' - BHAVl IUJGE ATTACKS

IL''!l ll~Wlr)t'IJ worth ~vlfiCJ motor for I!() .ij. ~lil]~ m:BI I~ ~'OV
tJX~CIJtlon i~ Qn pQr.r."'tt os vou vt:ll ba bio to Ring Ou l ~-our
OPPOfl~nl aft or m succos.sful WC3 F fro-11 up 10 Lhroo d~.srac
tor ...IJ.liXIZ Jw.Gy from t '"10 OO'Qe Of tl'e rir.g E~911 wi11\(1Ui 9
R1rt{l OlJt opptiur"1ilv. ;hfl ox1r:r dn mr~oG m~l<o ::. 11 ju~~ .:1~ 9=10d
an. l111nd1R{I VVGF. l[U, but for hoi f thO r'Y'ID1()t CC$~ Pr CtiCltl I'(
SQS@k;ing, tii+IID ID wiiii.Xl ~'Our mostu:;act 1(!1! mo'r'O with
OwlI Jln. o:. It w1ll bQ_)fOIJr most o.:JMI:!Qing thr0\"1 OP'I.ton v.lhan
rni>:II'XJ up ...~ lh hi$ 1Jl 111 throv...!l . ThtHlamaoa- and O tlz~,~omQo
U1a1 tM LIIIS-Gr Throh' (JWO!l you rr.al<o!l 1Lwoll worch lh ~lur
COSt. Vllth ::1 PQ"tto'itru CO ml:<-l,lp ait91"._\181rtJs. (!l.J () 6m 1$. .0
Vf,tfy ~wono Oki~omo tool ll:} 1: IDIKID 1.0 ouaaolao:.J dBffiDrJO
af1or lel')dln.g It on .:1 erounduo OOtrun l. 'tl ~;riD tml is n0"1
lla.tsd In D()"vll Jrn's commond list lxJt is poton[iDII'r' Ll vory
powor ful l liJ onock rr l.l!lod 1/oiOII. Tnu roQulrad nf)ut i!J. ..ery
r.o ...1: 'r'Of.l nl,lo\t lo F)f'.Ots ~CBI]!I (ilSI ~~ ~uit:ktv .B!'l J')O::!l~iblo-,
aliding you.- iii'I!JCI r!lo or th urnb ovor ~h.o 'outtons O.i y.oul' StiCk
or pad.
)en 11 hits. Devil Jin is. Ill .., 14, allowing ~01" a cr.m
tll\tMd WGf. 'i)rilniJ h1m e wau splllil ond o Arf\{'1 Ot~t opporw.
nity rrcm ll sDro. MIO.hirtting PQko. WR IECil @IJ i~ O~il Jln's
1-eo,t lrnp01 t&n1 Gm tool. .AJthOIJQh iL gi';'Oil odo,ootJQO ..-.tflton
blcc1<ad. 1ho string roqu m~ a Cll i1 ord'.er to- combo Mel 1:9
vrJrv s. ~Y t<l Gl or JGif 1hrwl'l oui n 1r.a ooan. ileca~Jse Oe.il
Jin'Gothor lmi .0\Ulct.:J C'.'lfl loo:;l to fnO!l.:#ivo C.:ln'll-00 end Flii'IQ

'':':\:~

II

ct>.{\.tl@&l [8] '"

00"111 t~Jo~IIJ

?1

2'4

(KI

?0

liT

11i'

I I!)

12

MM

16

~ ... liJ~+ml~li:l

Z(J

l.

i). }

W'S 18J~r8J+lm+J

10, 10,36

MM

tiiAI

C8lic

.,.,

KNO

11
STN

J~

L.NC

Ou1. yOIJr

..

mol~;~r' will

br.;

~ttor

CIHTI <.;A L EDGE

S.pOr'l t el

.awht~re.

- - ----~---------

,,,

Damon Losor Cannon

i t t lltl i!t !' t l l r i 1 1 -~ i ' " il'- 1''" " .. '- "

Oa.11 .,.hnts. t!m oniOl:; tho m.1n.y oonorit ... ol '::loll"i{l ic~t. <lDnl
C[JII"ri:J, 003Y ll) o:Jrnba ln'.o. Md hlghl~ 0'1.3:Sivo, txting :91m ul11
neousl~ TaCh Crouct .gr.d Tech Jvmp. BtOCa'-'SG if:; so ovasi~"'
i1 ia worth throv.~no ou1 .n-:~ ~ 'J')IInio movo Q.:linst overzt.N~'O~IS
o~OOr'ltn~s no1 povilft{lll1:ootion 10 't"'='Ur n10Lor. AnoLI'Ior bO'iu::.

--

. :. ?~.
. _. -lq

~ I

'rl

,JJ.tJet>-&tJ91!J+~

KNO

Is that It's lOU.I~ s.a1e whe-n guardGd. m.o~~tir~ i1 U10 S9ftr~l

!"1 1M glltml], .or.d tyOIJ can
tJ\ton com nuo vour ofron... u n1torNnrd~ 1ha.nks Lc Oevi J 1n'$ speed. Ul"l le~~ tOY ,;~re r.t
tht.~ <XiQO of lhO rina. whGro WGF or et>-&~I]J.Ja will !line Out. launching in tc oa. . il J n~
@II 'w1ll Ql'o'(l 'y'OIJ {I t/f Jr)' gJ.,y, MlfJhly lloJtT'il.IS)iOIJI COr'rlbO O'ft My L!Jun(t.Or.

WGF IS Devil Jin's pnmary combo anack, and

a~er

you land one,

becouso tho- ottock c.on't bo Air Controlled, you can lollowup with
up to lhreo moru of thom fOf very impressive damage tCombo A).

WR @ l:l OO(IthOt (JOOd combo starter. and hom thiS you .01) oitll(lr
fol!ow up with o &mall dash into a WGF. 01, if you hava tho n'otor, uso

di!IIIW

~~~1!91" Ill) lor rnv, higher dQm~g9. ~I}@ oi'IO e>llers yo<1 the
CI\Onoo lor multiple WGF combos, ot if you don't want to risk falling
thOvery strict inputS required you can just foU()V(-UP with your Gli fof
goiXI damspa !Combo C).

o....*

.,.

...

WGF

\tV'CF.WGF

8S

'"'0

WGF

O@;.@.WGf

WGF

'ft"GF. Y.'GF, WGf

WGF

~-&~ lllJ

.....

WGF

!!Iii

109

WR III

~.WGF

40

WR IIIJ

~.()~@tl !llll

75

1}-.l)oQll

<!-<!-@~

71

{1../Jo(!!J

l1@+@. WGF, WGF

78

\\--1>\lll

C!D

{1../Jo(ID

WGF.WGF, \'VGF.

<~<!>(!)

WGF

44

~fill

[51

<l><l>ll!J
<l><l>Wl+

WGF

(!)..@ lllJ

<l>~.WGf

CH ?o@

LS.WGF

ous

!!Iii

CH tl(JJ

WGF

h i!OW1!fl

llJ+UiJ !illl. ~~. W ()F

OJ!IIc!!lty

...

.. ..

32

SG

0
2

G3

80

..
...

..

. !.

UKEMI TRAPS
Oevil Ji1\ has a ooup!e of \'ery useh.l Ukemi Traps:, espe<::ia1ty
off his @, frorn which you can end up getting a very
strong mix-up, If the opponent Ul\emis, .().tl@~ will catch
in Gverv direction ior very good cf.amage. but the maio thraat
oomcs due to its huge Rir.g Out tange, ntakii'IQ it ver>, dcadtv
anywhere nea1 the ring edge. You also hate the option of us
ing .[}~ !&'!. wll tch again catches a'l directions. bvthas the
added boocfit of the first pan hitting g1ounded om::onents.
Once you have made the opponent stop \ ISing Ukemi. you
can t he n start landing his @ + ~ for a strong grounj'ad hit.

<;.j_ Tk'

Dt:YI.L JIN(TJ:.K.KEN)

Kncelolcwn

Uk$11oi iltp

c:>c:>@

Oeloy, c:> ~~Ol

84

All

c:>c:>@

Oel;y, .;>~~

49

All

L9t;, Right

I:? I:?

GO

All

1:?@

35

Lsf., Rl9ht

CH <;o<;o@
CH <;o@
' @+@ Iilli

Dl.!f.cu111

' ~

..

WAL L COMBOS
Devil Jin gets to w.~ll splat easily, using string attacks such as WGF.
9 @. LS. and LC. LS and LC a1e uns.afe, but w ill track sidest9P
pcrs at the wall, while WGF and o:t> afe both safe High and Mid
sp!atting options. respecti\'$ly. @@@ is another fantastic wall splat
fish:ng tool as it is comp!eltllt hi t-co1~firmab'e, so yov can use @@.
Col'l!ll(l

!hen sidestep and @@ aqain. satti'9 up o w.:~ll splat by pressing @

if the @ @ connects. Because o f this. Devil Jin's wall pressure is
fast. simple, re!iab!e, and very eftective. After any wall splat ~or
@ will resplat. realigning you f01 your wall oombo. For the most
damage, try to vse LS into yovr ~ tO finish yovf oombo (Combo El.
Oil!lr.u!ly

""'
2

81

c;>@, W! <;>@@. ~@+@

100

11

@ @@ WI

<;>@, W! @ . @'!3@. (iJiJ

115

16

@WI

@, <;oc;>@@XID. W! WGF. (iJiJ

120

U!etlljJC

Sltt11tr

fWIIIVJ'Ul)

VlGF 1N!

<:o. <;o<;>@@~ @. W! ,0. ~@0' ll

104

CH <;o @@)~ @) WI

c;>@, W! ,0. ~@0' ll

C" <;>@@@WI

,.

....

"

::

APPLYING OFFENSE
The only other dla (QCttH than C31\ match Devil Jin's jab speed at
close;~nge is Nos!u with her i lO @@. To put it simply, Devil Jin has
the abililt to 'out box' aUhis opponents once he has closed the gap.
Becowe his opponents will be focusing on keeping him tJWay with
thei: r.anged, edged \"''eapons, Devil Jin playa is will need to use his
Advanced Movement <CO) to QuiCkly enter into t.'}a range where you

can pressur-e .vith V\IGF. Be-cause it's so fast and gives good advan
tage when blocked. Oavil Jil'l can prcssu{O with anothor WGF. !Al.
or ~ 10 slop the oppcnem from ducking. If you land~@ ll,
'NGF is guaranleed. or you can exchange it for another CD mix-uP.
utilizing WR :ID and c:>.C. ~!ID.

"""actor OPOOG$ from 0<190 of the '"'0 both

.(}~@Zl ond .(}~(Alp 1l1l1 wilt R'ng Out.
and con do so from even futthOr oway if you
IOYn<i1 withWGF ond fouow-uo with ~.(}~Z!
lim. ThiS CM bo odhio"'ld by IM<hng WGF Ot
the start ol e rcxmd on tho ~mn!lor stogos.

GUARD BURST

<>cOoeD). whi'O luloar, rs a fa,st advancing Md wilh Rtng Out POtontl811 that should bo usod to

d111C0Ufogt opponontsloo~ing ;oduei: <.rodor yourWGF.

~~~~ os 1 ros~y ~down Low.

but tt .s r<UtNCiv rost. advances and uacts wolto den! W'lth sldostcppors As OM Jln \....JI bo
on the consuw oftonso. mote< con be bul< up YOIY quid<tv to omJ)Iov h s iD dYow gamo Wllh
the t.g~~lv d.'lmlgtng 'Obllte<auon +ml I!IJ dYow mO<Od up wlh (iilt$ lf\IO ouamnteecJ
+OIHl!ll lind Ito fynher guar;1n:ood followups. Ths matos l1os throw oamo '""Y """'Y for the
opponont, nd can fuflher eriClOUtege them to~ often
1

OKIZEME
WCF Is o very poo.vertvl Okzeme tool for OoVII Jin in that, despite bono o High ounck. octually
Ms grounded opponents. Th1s move olono Wl!l forco your opponent to either rlso or Ukemt, at
which po.nt you cun st\lrl cotdling them with (B). LS, or onotherWGF. 1!1 hsolf Is t1 (IuiCk.
grounclhittino Mid auodc that will combo on CH .shov'<l your oppenont fiso ond onempt to
ettt!lr.:k. you. A5 inflicts significanl <famagc on grounded opf)Onoms h will also go o long
Wi.IY towards rorcmg tho opponent 10 move, allowing y<11.1 10 lunher prossuro thom with LS or
WGF. U you hovo mmor, la)...aiJ mJ w ill inlllct moro domnoo on tho groumJ, with OPPOrtunities
to fotlowup with either (6) or WGF.

RING OUT
l)ovl Jtn has o vfJ!Y SlfOI\0 Ring Out game. with pato and puniShment tools such as tl\-9 hit

eonfluf'lflbkt :00 and WGF thai con p!OSSUl'e the opponent hOllvUv. 11"1 tho ~s.o of WGF
you ll:lw: the throat of a R1ng Out. and are lett tu t'JdvtM\t&I)O whon il's blocked for ono;hor at
tompt. (jj) Is a S3fo
Ml:t that Will
Out and C3n bo miXOd up with CD
otlho odgo of t.he nng to fO<ce '/0\.f _,ont to gucs bctwoon boong hit by on unsooobta,
domogong ~noc:l<dc7.<rn ~. ore safo Rrog Out llficl. Wth vour _.,..to bade roughly dYoo

""''"lC"O

R>o

To bolonco out hi~ incrodlblo rus.h down po

tenM I. O<lvil J1n is verv wook when h comos
to Guard BurstillQ hls opponent:; I IGltld<.Sany
real WOfk8ble tools that can offocwclv woor
dQ>.vn 1he opponom'9 Guard Gauoo that 1\o
can work into h1:1 ouodc How. Tho OI\CS tNn
can be usod won. sucnao ~ ID>and <:> <:>m.,.,.
qu.-e senino up. Oov" ~n doos hcr.'o"'YBf have
scme_y..,od post Guard 8urot GPIons. As
With"" post Gl game. Dovll J" """ ~
orthe< go for mur:.pte WGf combos 0t tDte
1113< Rtng Out CllPOflut>ly wl\en rougNy,.,..,.
tho odOO wlthWG~ ~~~!!Ill ID as long
th0101S ono.rgll meter fe< otiNsta slnglo lllJ.
Altarnorolv. WGF Into IIIli wlth o fur sncte
s1ock Wt!l also tood to masslvo, OO!ly domage.
Gu11rd Burst
Ritq IO!III'll

IAII ~h

(M)r&l

8
9

o<:>m
<:><:>00

10

<J@

12

1111D. ~00

13

~~

DEFENSIVE PLAY
Oov,l J n 'Wih bo n croub!e ..,.etsus opponents w1th good spo~ng who kn<J~N how to kcop him
01bay wth consttnt pressure at thft 1ip renge of thoir woapon, Howovor. thilnks to mQ\I(!S like
WCF end OOIAJ(jjJ. Dovll Jln hos somo of tho best zoning and pynishmontln tllo gomo.

being 110 moans lhrlt It con heav ly pynJSh movos th::lt the rest of tho cast cannot.
Simitarly with WGF. it bcung 50 fo3l moans
that where othor cl\eroetors con punish wnh
@lA!. Devt Jrn con t~yrl(ll, [ r l 21

This atso mokoe~ t t1 gron1 kcop out tool, au

opponents onocklng with anything but TC

mOVG will be bonton. and h'o not on c~sv &l

1ack to whltl pun1r.h. Oovil Jln oun otso punish
blockod Low attacks lron 16 upwmds wnh
WA rw Into a launch, FOI lono ...ange whiff
punishment. WGr 01 iii) wdl work
QuitO nicely, As you CM set. htS llll\blO $PGOd
ma1ces h'l'n t>olh on oHoct1'0 offons.....e and
defe<lsl>e cnaracte< I l Jl

SPACING & POSITIONING

5fll(lng f0< Devl Jtn .n tile SOUlCALJBUR

~nY<~tSOrS QOing to be a lot hotde<. ThiS IS beCliUSO whiff pun1sf'lit'lg d'UY.CtOfS Wllh klnge,,
ro:nged \Y(I.:tpons hiJ Astoroth and Ivy con apo
p:y their s.oocing gamo so much oasior thM
he can. WGF Is not oolng to work as well
<fve tO 1ho dispmhy 1n ronoo botwoon WOF
ver&u::; wonpon:~ such os ~ toroth':~ Ax&. This
forcos Cavil .J.n to ctoso tho gop very co1uotut
ly. ond uso odvanclno ouoclcs such us ol>..:>(ij)
to :roi'\O your ww Mklo tholr :mocillQ gomos.
Do not tor{l(lt t!Hit Oovll .Jiu llM voty woal:.

Of.VrL JlN (111l<t.":f;..l()

Htldong options. so your srmcing and etdvl'mc

lng ol1cnso will have to bo Ci.'lfOiu 11y planned,
using LS and LC well to compenso10 for the
linoanw of his other auneks. {.,. 14

POSTGI

Po$t.OI 0&.11 J,n has a WlfY eaw time. as al

his options w-. come from 811her WGf .nto
..thor_WGf_OI<:>~I:I~ (!IJ
101 Aong Out. The od!f catch hefo 10 that your
0)(0CU l~ w ill have to bG <>" f)Ointf you wane
to scoro s.g.nitk ant damogo. ~thOugh o sanglo
otock of mott~fwill moko up for 1h10 with WGF
Into CE lOf' ensv dJmage. You can uMI o shon
WO Into a WGF tOCOtCil players whO mlglll at
tompt to roGI, Of 11me o CO to catch thorn.

Oe-.<1 Jn's ottcn5e os based 11(0\rrd tl gh

Nttng ottaclc3. $0 ho'$ "''""' &g3>n$t ''"~
Ted> CrO<Jcll attad<s. stan<:u. and speoal
TC m<M~mont. Oev~ J n also lUIS o hord tlmo
goulng closo, as his fists do not have tho

ranga thin other dlilrDt:tO<'s Odged mapons do. I'III\'Ofl usng Cllel~ors wtlh ll1<M) seta
that wor~ w<>ll fOI' specong and zoo01g will""""' no problom ~~ tho 0&.11ar t>av. On tho
other hand, DeW ..hn tS a major throat to dOSotH&ngo fghtons, :tueh os Natsu and l~xi3. so
these types of Charactots w II ncc<l to use TC artacks morQ ottoo and tty to use as few un$llfe
ottacks O$ possiblo.

KEY ATTACKS
<:>~ I:I!ID (WGFJ

Jus1 r&membor that WGF 1$ a t-hghohin.ng

anode My klnd ol f&sl sale TC attodc W1il

droco<rago 0&.11 Jn plo)<Jts from or;orus"'
lhl' mcwc_The same goos lot c:hati)CIOfS
w.th TC SlenteS and $p&Cial tnOemenl such
u Pyrrha und Pauoklos: use tnt$() ohcn to

~1:1

Both hits ot <:>~~ ore VO<V unsafe .vhen l>lod<tld. aAo-o mnv characters 10 !Jnd
combo SlartOfs. Colrectly ~nrsh c>pponents being too J)(Odtetablo with ths Low to s1op t.hom
lrOI'O risking n
euttino dOwn the>r LOw oftensr.oo Ol>lrons ~~D!Dcan also be sdoo
Slopped totha ~.but thdi$An>at10fol predicting the ......... as ( COil0001most rf1'4X)Ssille
to react to. especiafY when undcl pressure from a sot d ~PQnMt.
61

-n.

elmlntue laroo d'lunks or 0\lvil Jn's ot1en59.

I,)

~@

Oovil J n's big weal:ness is lf&Cking ond os

peci&Uy lr&e:J;.I'l!Q sidesteppers withoul usil\9
uMnfc auad:.s. As his taswst Midhinii\Q pole
option. he mus1 rely on ~:!Iii. bul it's
ncrtldj)jy 11001. f\Jrish lho ll<>v<l 101 g<>lting
too prtldictoble and Slop l:lt!Xi!) .n oilho dO.
focto()n 10 launch him.

no

II

1mlt!(j) ILSl I >1.MJWltLCl

1..5 Is Dovll J..n's best uacldno and CH lru nch

option agtllnst $idestepping opponents lllo

fit3lt.vo httS OfG 14 when blocked, whh the
lllud lo ~ nclling hil baing 16, which l'neun:l
most dlnfacrors can punish It with a oombo
stoftOt. Tho tnol hit of both LC Dr'ld LS can bo
sdostopped ;o 1he tight. m&king tl\i~ tho $lm
plor option for oul\fSIHng this StMg.

<:><:>W
<:><:>@ Is sale wtlen blod:ed, but -v lno"'

The best W3'f to deal With Qre-..iJ J1n's qu-ICkest

g01p cto3<1r ts to smply side stop t In e tl'lcr dt-

t&etlon. ~ hs anima lion IS vory rooognl:nblo,

<:><:>ll!J is olso very eosv 10 Gl and JG wth o
llttlo proctlco.

II

There are a total of 50 Ad1ievements/Trophies that you can unlock in SOULCALIBUR V, and
this section wi!l make It easy to uni<Xk all of them. Almost all oi them are prooression-based.
be it through solo pl:ay or in competitive \ersus modes. There are a few that may require a
little skill. howavar ...

SINGLE PLAYER PROGRESSION ACHIEVEMENTS/TROPHIES

These AchiGIBmeots/Trophies can on;v be
attained thro~h SOULCALIBUR V's single
player. offline modes. All of them are ptogressive and simply reQuire you to either
complete a mode. reach cenain milestooos
w ithin it. 0( defeat specific op;:l<)nents. Of
0\ltSQ, actually defeating thQ oppOiletltS in
tho various modes can range drastically in
drtticult;; if you are having trouble against a
specii1c character then please tefer to theVs
Play dl<~p l er lata r in the guid-e for tnctics on
ho-w to defeat 1hat <:hatacte(. (~0 1)

STORY MODE ACHIEVEMENT/

TROPHIES
All oi the Achie\o-emem:Trophies associated
with the main stor)' will unlock as soo.n as
you finish the t&.quited episodes. If you are
havif't9 ~ll\y uouble clearing a1w of these
stages. please refer to the Game Modes
Chapter earlier in the guide tor some useful
hints and suategies.

Single Play-er Progres:slon Achlavcmcnts/Trophies

1/1111!0

XbiiY l&l

., IDM~riptinn

Purge of tho Holy

lOG

B<onre

S10ty: lear episode 1.

Shields Come Together

200

B<onze

StCf'y: ctea episcde a .

RC:1'urrtt.:.tiOI'I qf Ord(H

JOG

Sil ~r

Stocy: dear episcd'e 16.

Hom i& Fantw~y

75G

Gold

SIOt'y: d ear fiMI episode.

QUICK BATILE ACHIEVEMENTS!

TROPHIES
Th& best way to start wotlcing towards this

Path to Glory

lOG

Brcnlc

Ouick O~ttfo: dofeat so wafrioc's.

Road to the Duel

200

B<crue

Quick Batt!o: dOfat t50 warriors.

g roup of Ac:hievementsrrrophies is to use

the Seatch Criteria function in the Ouick. Bat

SuddM Tdmptl!ltion

$!IV(:(

Po rfcctTr.:~incc

"00
200

8rC<U<>

WarVeteran

400

Si!t~er

Usurped True Name

200

Bronze

Quid< 6a0l~; w1n eoainst 10 (lla>Nrs with tittes

tilld us-e the cblained tide on tt~ plwer lloonse.

Pursuit of Obsoulon

15G

6r()(lre

Quid< 8an!e: def~at Harad:l TEKKEN.

SkUI9 for Duel&

200

Sil'ler

tie menu and search by opponent stength.

star1ing from Beninner. Every time you ciGa(
out the four rows of available opponanls, refresh !lle list so vov ca.n find opponems ~ou
haven't beaten ~~ec The names of u1t-fought
::~dvc tsaries will be highlighted in green end
defeated ones in white. ( 40 21
Onca you have beate n everyone in Beginner, moi& up a difficulw aftd clear out fW
Af~l()ne in Intermediate and so M, vvol'!<in.g
you( way up the (anl<:s to Advanced. Using
this method will alfC\"' you to got used to
the tactics that the differeot CPU oppooents
employ at the d iffe~ent difficulties. and also
develop gradually as a player by buildin9
your skills up on each diHicultY before go-

ing <>~' to the next. Each A(hievemeni/Troplw

will unlock autOff'\!HicaU; aher the defeat of
the wt~rtior at ench t&Quired milestone.

PERFECT TRAINEE
To unlock this Achievement/Trophy simply
beat the Arcade mode's Asia route w ith any
character. The difficulty setting doesn't ma1
ter, so if y'Ou are having difficulty cleafing the
Sx Stages. VOl. may want to drop it down w
thE! Easy setting. If you auompt to clear it on
Hard. however, you can tty to go fOI' the War
Veteran Achievement/frophy at the same
time by doing it without oootinuing..

Quick Sante: defe-at all warriors,

Arcade: clear Asii.l route.

A1tatlo: cle3f a roole without continuing on

hi!rd diific:ul1y.

L~Mdafy souls; w1n

t.-ith Suwe Edge.

USURPED TRUE NAME

You can easily get this .A.d'lievement,ITrophy while you a(e in the eatly stages of working towards the Path to Glort Achievement/Trophy. VVhile vou are dele.a!ing the Beginner group of
opponents. simply pi~ ones first that have a Tide vou do not have. and then once you defeat
them, exit 'bac" out to the Astral Home and go to y OU( Player LicCf\Ses. Locate the title of 1he
warrio1 you just defeated from th.&lisl of available Titles and then set it as your active ona.
Once that is c'on&. rep&at th& same process a iunher 9 more times to Quickly unlOCk this
1\chievement/Trophy. [ ~o 3}

PURSUIT OF OBSESSION
You- will naturally unlocl( this Achievement/Trophy 0\lll!( the coutse of time if you are \\'Orking
wwards the Sudden Temptation Achievel'nent:'T(ophy, but if you vvant to battle Harada soone1,
it is quite easy to set up. Using the Sear<;h C(iletia func1ion ftom the Quick Banle menu set the
Area (0 Japan, and Strength to Ad,anced. NCY1.'1l yov just have to keep refreshing the oppotlent
list until vo-..1se-e Harada's name appoor. He has an A3 rank with the 'Mishima Style Master'
Tit!~. but he is moot oosily idBntifiablo by the tutban, glasses, and tiger karaU:)Qi he is wearing
irl his profila pictut&.[40 4}
When fighting Harada TEKKEN. he will fight using the Soul of Devil Jin and anempt to presSI.Ire you w ith constant VVGF att~cks, makh)g him extremely vulnerable to Tech Crovch attacks. He is also svsceptibl& to f)!&SSuf& from @@ attacks and tracks badly to his tef1 nand
side. If ever he enters FLY Stanca, step to either side and all of his opticns wlll w hiff. Oflce
you have shown Hata<la TEKKEN hovv to aciUalt>; play his own game. you wiU unlock this
Achievemen!/Ttopily.

SKILLS FOR DUELS

De1eating anv opponen1 i!l Legondary Souls can be t!iffioutt undc1 oven tho bost of
coJXttons. but whB/'1 you put th~ extra constrai nt on il, it ups 11\G cho!lengo even
mol't . To give yourself the best chance of lsnding the finishing blo,... on one oi the
opponents ond winning the match v.~th a BttJVO <!go attat*. you should 11rst concenuat9 on building up your Critical Gauge. Us& the first few rovnd'5 to trv and mount a
solid offonse that focuses maintv oo buildif'lg your mater. while ~lso weakening the
Goord Gouge of your opponenl. [ ~o 51
The a!m shOuld ldoally be to get to the final round w1th as much meatr as possible.
and with tho opponent's Guard Gauge flashir1g ted. This may require you to try and
u~o a fow moro throws than usual to avoid breaking it in tho penultim&UI round, but
it will bo more than ....'Orth it. In the final cound. uy and wear down their heal:h while
avoidng t~e Guard Btust until thoir Mallh is low enough so that vou oould klll tMm
with a Brevo Edge an~c:k once ~J do OOrst their guard. Thi$ tactc 1s especially U'S&ful wkh chaJecuus that have w:ry poo.ICriul singe hilt Brave Edge auacks sud\ as
Moxl Of those tl1oll can end powetful combos wilh lllem lou XlbO.

CUSTOM IZATION ACHIEVEMENTSrTROPH I5

Not all Ach~vemontS/Tro-phios ere ior d01r19 tattle m SCV: and tl'll$ small gfoup
rewards your ceotive t:.lents rather than your skills on the battlefield.
ll~m

Xbox3C~ I

"'

OtniiftlOII

A Soul Conl o11c:cs

!)()

6!0!'It0'

Edi! a pl ayer k enlt.

PflS-IOIHitO At11S I

20G

Bronze

CrootiQr"': create a ChWIOIOI with IUII>QI\ c;oo1di

nation (us.ed SWMhing oxcopt 101 heohl,),

Colol'fullllut l on

lOG

Bron;;o

CrootiQt"'': tale a thumbniUtw m~nueltv Stilting

a decor~liOfl frame an(IIXI~rouno.

Livf,ly Pub

!)()

eronze Change lhe BGM in OQtl()nS

II

A SOUL COALESCES

At the A$Utll Home rna1n menu,. pc&$S "Start' to cd1 QUI' ptayer hcenae. Choos,e your
dl$p&av picture hom those readily available or a pf':oto you took tn character creation
ancl.uoch 10 voor player liconse 1 0 - tl'os Ad>....,.ni/Ttophy.

PASSIONATE ARTIST
All you need to do to unlott this Amiovcmcnt/Trophy is to ptece a sing4e item o!
clothing on eithef a 1Ggl.dar (I( origi1la1 dwacter. attec:h a stieter 10 that tem and
sele<:t 'Finish Ed~' to save your chan;;es. [ ..0 6]

II

COLORFUL ILLUSION
Whilo VOU oro Creation mode and going fot tho Pass1onoto Artist Achievement/Tro-

phy, you shoold also atteMOl this OM to get bom ol them Quickly and eas1l'l Using

tho Photo function in charaet~l' creation mQnu. s-et a Oecoratlon M-~me n e1thef the
ba0<9rovnd o foeg1ound in your I)(OViow vvindow and then sot t background from
tl'te hStS availat>le to vou. Once you have selected vov perfect pos1 and scn1og for
your chO(CCIO(, tako a ! napshot to unlock the Ach 1evemoni/Troptly.

LIVELY PUB
To unklct. this AChievement/Trophy you will need to enter the OptiOM menu from
the A:strsJ Home. and then Sf!!Qct St<lge Music Settings.. Once vou Bleln th1s menu.
simply change thO bad<gtound music of ant stage from lis cuuQn: OOCI. to ona of your
choosOV Them on you have to do i:s return back out to the Astral Homo to receive the
AchioW<ntn1/Ttophy. (->0 7J

ONLINE VERSUS PROGRESSION

ACHIEVEMENTSrTROPHIES
These Acnlovem&nts{Tiophies can only be attained b't playing SOUI..CAI..IBUR Vonline. While ell of these ato l)(ogt&ssive. some of tnat pte>gresstOOequlras y<l"J LO w1n
so if yooJ l'r&strvgghng against the onrne competrtion. do not hesi1&1Q 10 refer to the
(:h~racHu dusplers in Ihis guide to level u-p your charac1er Dnd lo.Dm n'IO(O about voor

11

m&l(h.UI)O.

..

tfUIII

:,

Boglnnlng of Dettlny

"'

Xllon; )1;0

,.., IOo:~ct~r~'lioll
6 10I'IZ(:

f\e.ohH et' 3 Ri'f(lll

Oromo

Win COtlSOCllliv'o r'nbt<:het On ):box LIVE.

BrOtl%0

Fioht 30 limos on Xbox UVE.

FiOht 751il'tlots on Xbox uve.
Fioht 100 tlfnO~ ~ Xbox LIVE.

Conqueror of tho Arona

150
20G
26G
70G
lOG
26G
IOoG

Synehronlto DNA

BIOf'IZ(t

EUifllfll Sloop

3GG

Sitvor

Awt~k~ nad to Vlolonco

lOG
20G
30G
lOG

Bromo

Bronzo

Upl~d !I ropl oy o f yur wilt

6G

8 1002(1

Ploy !){lei: -'fiOth<t! pl(fy'Or'l'l IOJ)Ill)'

lOG

BroMo

AICOdO: CIOilr O. IOodOibO&fd r'OviOwl\1' (I

ICCOC'd bOilOI lhM your rival.

Proof of tt Fighter

Morconnry ofWnr
Strotog1st ofWor
Hero C4tvod In History

C.tmy OutVour B4ll&re

Courogcou11 W11nlor

Reason to Aght For

First St op of t1 Logond
Sing'& own
N ot~

P~al so

Ofl Rlvols

M aakAnothor't M omorv

Si!Y'(:r
SINtrr
Bt01"120

Win 5tim:s In Qof'lO:::l'('St Ot"' Xbox LIVE.

Sd'J\1r

Win 20 t~s 0 1'1 Xbox LIVE:.

GOld

\"'iin 50 t"mos or. Xbox LIVE.

uso E:lo in o~'(Ot nlmc:h.

~nkocl

Matth: vhfl 10 1im.os wilh Ezlo.

Br01"1 ~6

!Wllch E4 rnn\l.ln rbnk6d matCh.

!leaCh E1 ronk irt tllnked m.otdl.

Silvt!r

Ro.(JO'I 01 rank In ronkod m~tdl .

BEGINNING OF DESTINY
From the Astl'al Homo. ontet the Soul Unk tPS3: @/Xbox360: 0 ) to bring up o list of everyone
you have fought against onllno. From here you simply need to serect thrcc of thom 61'(1reg
lster them os Ri\'ols lOunlocl: this Achievemontlrroprw. O'Ovloustv. you nood to h<lVO played
against at teost throe peOI)te onhne before you register thomas Rivals and unlock this. so
don't be shy about ontorif\9 rhose tobblt~ s.

MERCENARY OF WAR
Both Ranked and Player Matches. count tov..ards thls Ath,0\1\?mont/Trophy, so it docs no1
mouoc which you prolor to ploy, 4nd it dooso't even moltOf if )'Ou ,,._,i,, or loso tho::;o matchos.
As soon as rou havo takon oan in your 3011\ l'natcl\ you wll un'ock this A<:hlovcment/ nophy.
The samo rulos lllso MOly to 1116 Strategist ol War and Hero Carved in Hstory Aellievement/
Trophy. you iust nave to tnke pan in many mote matd'IGS to unlock them.

CARRY OUT YOUR BELIEFS

Pi~ one charnctcr and stick with it for at least 5 mntc:hes in ony 0 1ll ino mode. It doesn't mauer
if you Wtn or rose thoS<l matchos, the only impon~nt tactor is then you novcr switch chcuactGr.
If you use Ezio in Ranl:cd modo as you 11y to unlOCk this it will brir.g you hulf way tO'v\'ilrds rhe
Et<Nnal Sleep A<tllevamootfnophy.

COURAGEOUS WARRIOR

Simp~ win a lOtal of 20 Onll"'e Ranked 01 Player Matches. This C31'1 bo easily aclhCVCd through
cnsuat Player Matches. or by matching up against lmvat rMt~:O<I opi)O(lems in R011kcd Match.
slthcugh this wi 1sovoroly d1minish hov. c~1UCh XP you receive. Once yo._, have this Achievetn'lonVTrophy, yoo,t will b& nearly holf way IOwMdS unlocking th<l Conquoror of tho Arena
f:v:tlievomoni/Trophy.

SYNCHRONIZE DNA
Simp;y play as Ezio Auditoro for a singlo PJevor Match. Oo this wit h yo\,r friends Onlino whi!<l
referring to tM Ezio Auditore soctlon in tho Character Guide. so ttlat you c&n train up for the
Etemal Sfcop rDnkod match Achievement/Trophy that requites his use.

ETERNAL SLEEP
nle 10 wins ~ov htwe to get ''' OfdGr ~o unlock thisAehie"omom/ffophy aro cumulativo, so you
do not have to worty about trying to ge1 then'l consecutively.

AWAKENED TO VIOLENCE
You ean auain this wtlite \vorking on tho Couraneous Wturior and Conc1uoror of tho Arena
Achiovon'lemsfl'fophies by plnyno in Ronkod fvlatch the whole timo. Simply kot~p on winning
in order to earn as much XP as possible M<J onk up quickly. You will be rewarded wi1h mote
experience points ror dofcatinO enemies of GQu&l rank 10 vou so you eann01 prev on \>vGOker.
l()'vV$r renked' opponents.
U you 3(0 suugg'i"9 ;,, your mmcl'los, refer to 1ho c:laracter ehoptor for your chosen chorac1or
for (l$Sistonco. Md as sooo as vot hove dofoatod enot.gh OJ>PM Cnts, ~rev 'W'ill reach E4 Ranlo;
t~od unlock this Achievomont/Trophy. Continue battling your way tluough Online opponents
t~nd eorni"9 XP. and V0\1will cvon1ualty bo able to unlock tho Rooson tO Flghl and F!irst Stop of
D Legend Achievements!Trophios OflCtl ~ou teach the- roquirod amounts.

SING'S OWN PRAISE!

NOTES ON RIVALS

. ACliiF.VJI.MF.NT & TROPH\' GUII)E

the Arcade mode.You can stan by registering

a group of new. or lov~ ranked players as Ri
vals, and then examine their Plaver licenses
to see if they have plaved through Arcade
mode. Once you lind someone wi!h a tim-e
that yOU feel COIYlfOHable beating, aiJ you

Once vou have vvon your firs1 Online match

a rep!a; of llle opponent that just bested ;'ou

and download a replay irom one of their
mau:n
: es to study their tactics.

~'Ou can return t o the Online menu a.nd upload your replay from !h er~ to oosily unlock

M ASK A NOTHER'S MEMORY

the Sing's Own Praise Act.ievemem/Trophy.

Unfortu-nately, to unlc.;;k this Achievement/

Similall'/, aher suffering your first Online de

Trophy you will need to take advamage of

have to do man is go mrough Arcade mooo

the fact that another player is suvggling

and bener their time.

teat. rettm to that same menu and dcwmload

i1\

TECHNICAL ACHIEVEMENTS/TROPHIES
l'hese AehievementS/Ttophi&S are obtained through both Online and Offline play, inoh.Jdir)g
Offline vetsus. AU of these ara progressive and will be eventuillfV ~rn locl:.ed through repemect
play ptoviding you play using everything the game has to oHer you such as JG, Gt, G'm . @Iii.
W !, RO, and so on. Just keep on playing! Note: you eani\Ot uS$ practic & .noda to quickly gat
!ltcsc Achievements/Trophies.

SOUL FULFILLED
Progressing through th& Ft:>tal Soul ond

Throbbing Soul

Achievtlm~Us/Trophies

on

\'Our quest to reach tOO highest possible

laval (99) and unlocking this final level related
milestone will require a significant amount of

time and XP. For Offline modes. Quick Battle

offers y-ou the best XP rev.ards. and .vflil&
vou are battling in there vou can alro ..vo:k to
wards the Suclden Temptation Athi<WamMt/
Trophy. The XP tewards from this mode do,
hov,evet, diminish as your level increases. es
pecially once you aro O\cr lovol 50. so if you
are COI'Itemplating doing it, it is best to st.tu t
earl;: Online Ranked Matches give V(l.1 significontly more XP. so if you are able, thtough
that is how )'<>'. can un1cx:k this AchiBW;mMV
Trophy the fastest. ( .,0 1]

TECHNICAL FEATS
A number of tho Achievements/Trophies in
!his section require you to trv and master
a specific element with in
multifaceted oombat system . You can wor1c tov,ards
many oi these goals by battling against any
human or CPU oonuo!lad opponent out.side
of Training mode, tegardless of whethOI the
matches ate played Online or O ffline. As
long as you play the game regu lar~;, most ot
these Achievements/Trophoes '.'.'ill come nnt
uraUy over time. bvt if you wa01 to get some
of them faster, you can tt, a fQv.. things to
speed the process up.

scvs

Fot OO<afnple. if vou are v10rking t ov.ard s

Hands of t he Abyss. then playing on snwll
s1ages such as Cavern of Ll'!)ht (lll<l Oafkn&ss

~
History

n.ae,i(ll!on

Xiltll MO

PS3

5G

OrCf'\ll)

Btutle in $ 0ULCALIBUR V fo: 1he frSll1me

(excludlf\9 training andVS OOtCe).

F<:tol Soul

.SG

Brcoza

F1a~r level reaches S.

Throbbing Soul

15G

Bronre

P1avtr le'Od reeches 50.

Soul Fulfilled

30G

Silver

Stalwtlrt Barbtulan

100

Bronze

PIJ.,rer level l eaches maximum.

Perform a wall hi150 times.

Adorod b V Hc:.vcn

100

Brooze

Perform 20 ~pple breal:'s.

U ke a Flow i ng Stream

tOG

Bronze

Sucoossfol!f petfOl'm a just {l ~rd 5 times,

Momen tarv Pl easure

ISG

Bronze

Sucoossioll; perfOl'm an impact 100 limes.

Blade Sword of OeaU1

lOG

Bronz<(l

!CO. v.ith critical

Han ds of t h e AbV$$

100

B10m~C

VJin b') fin!) Ovl 50 tim es.

Panler of Sw ords

20G

Bronze

P.erfect v.-in 50 times.

Win d of Bnt1h:

100

6f00 2..;'l

Allt,ufng Kaleidoscope

100

Bronze

Gale Forco5

200

Bronze

Never Ending Effort

tOG

Bronze

land an utwck 20,000 limes.

Footprint$ of Soldiers

lOG

B fOnle

Defee! 100 !"113!e ch&rac1ers.

Give in to Temptation

tOG

Bronto

Dcfe&l 100 temate ( h&racters.

Fancy of a Mad King

15G

Bonze

Go.,d bufSI 30 times.

Repo <~t&

Unwritten Hi.;tory

Pll!ti~m

edge~

lime--s.

Reach oVI:'!r 87,600 m in toU!I m:)Veme.'ll

diSitlnC 10 baltle.

Land a Bravo Edge 100 Lmes.

~.0.

11'1e opponent 251imes wi1h an anad:

~fte b

quick. mo.-e.

Un!ocl:ed autcmaticatty onoo a.t otMr 1f()flhi~

l)eeo &()ok~ on 1he P$3 ver$lon <>11he
g<>me
fl~;e

will be beneficial. Similafly. a stag& w ith a lot of walls like L\.ovano: Grand Festival of Gua.ndi
Temple, will help gfea!tly when ~ou are trying to get the Statv..1ut Barbarian Achievemen V
Trophy. f -+0 21

vs

The foll owing ;>3!JeS contain profiles and fv ll arhvOfks f01 all of SOULCAU BUR
characters.
The Sto1y mode focuses o n just a few of th0 O'l:<)in chor.:~c te-:s, and leaves the ~mel ln es an d
fates of variovs other cha:actrNs unexplained, S() many questions remain to be ans.veH,, tl

'

Story I i'<~ lrcki~$'S f.)th(lf. 3 bla~ksmi;h .'\SmedRo;hion, often

$;>01:: of the l{s mi$~ing mothe:. Sophiti;~. he ~id. \~S ~
faira$~he wa$ :s;rcng. ar.dwisea~she ......,:; iuSt He f~.aleel

been poisorMXi b'i Soul Edge. Furthermore, Palrol:los had

3 sister. PyttM, v.no had been abducted by o mtH!cttecJ
woman wie!diC".g a ring b:<ide.

young PatrotJoo 'Nith to!c:.-of her <.fvino MIS!ibn to se"te the

\b\ling to frd his siste1 <~nd <r~ng~ i\11$ mother. P<ttrol:fos

studied unde1 scvcrol mt!:;tc5 or \he f.ghllr.g arts. \\'itli

VI'Orfd ircm chaos b)rd&St:O'tin;) !.he cursed sword Soul EC~.

Pauokf.os du.wmW o! $Ctnd..'lf becoming a hotvwarrior ftim$ell .:~nc olltt\!lll; metoting hls(l"'Ither.

ha'l oonvietoo and false conf,(lenoo. he IY.:IM'd hims.e!f into

" ....JO~t\ of vengeance. Finally. aft~r yeers of trainif'l9. P<:~

Bu l at the cgeo of 15, on the very night he wQ!l hiS lif$1

tfQklcs leamed that Graf Dumas of Hung~ry w<.~s

sword.figh;ing tourn;ment ?atrokloss. rrfu would Change

iorew:. His <iather. in the lluocsof {I touil)l(l illness, rewaled
the tllrth 01 the family's uag'c past: Sophiti:t !;ad fallen in
balUe: ~o a gfOt.lp o1 malfested - these whose souls had

warnots to hunt doNnartd desuoy tha maMastOO.He <!<iCily

bid farewell to his homcl~nd . "I' m corning fOt' 1oo, mal:est
ed. n..e swotd c4 jt:Stioo shows oo mercy!"

r ccruitir~

Rcl>'ttionshlps I His sister Pynha was k idnapped and hor CurTont whereabouts are ,~,:~~:t~
His mother Sophltia was killed by a m alfestcd ;)nd hi$ f3ther Rothlon died from ill

Story 1 No one kne\v his r:N~1 name; a suange ali;;s a nd

Bvt Z.W.E r s. lile wbs t~vt to change. He rescued a for

\ague: rumors atout his origins were all anyone had to- s;o
by. They called him a \vtr c~r~'Oll. Sonc swore the(<! seen
him svrtnnoo .:1 S\1'3rXJe l>east to f19ht bv his ei<$e. Others

tvr:t1lf oa.me(J Viola ....

possess-ed inhuman pcwa1:;
!ike his CYN"'. antl the p:~i r becama ti<IVdi r~ comfA'I1iOns.
CCc"otinuing hfs journevwhi!e protactin!)V'IO I~ hom Domas's
assassins proved diffictlt. but Si9;#od fo~.Jfld the two ft.'9ili\'asantl tool: them in u1'der hi$ protection. Out of grntil\.de.
Z.V".E.I. ag-eed to SiegMtxrs re<;vest: he v100!d find a soc
cc:.;sor v.'Qfthy of Sou! Ca~ttr. Woukl Z.W.EJ., too, find hi:;
<lestn,~Mged by iMc!ash of the tv.'O gra~ t swo.rd:;?

<;l('imod corp$0$ 'A'Cfe fou nd l1l eve ry city he left ~hind ...

In tn;~h. Z.W.E.I. w.as a hunt-ed m.an, 0<1 the n.m hom ss

sassins sent by Graf Dumas of Hungary. He Nd dared to
interfef$wiih Ou m.,~s PJf{leOf the mafleste<l.o witCh ht...l"'t
IM t fols~ty aocusoel a!XI ox:ocuiod Innocent people.

mo

Relationships I He dOe$ not talk about them,

Story I ThcuQh lel;,~i a's father W<IS <1 gener.~l in tho ()rmio.s
of the Ming Oyn~sw. it Wt'l:l het rnothe. )(;trnghua, .:ho
gava l'$r a tast& for ath'etlture. Xlanr;hua emranoed her
d.:~ughtor w ith UIIO$ ol hor quost to find the Hero's SVo'Otd.
Mel the boy she fe11n IQ>~ with a'o!\Q the Wfl'{. LeiKia never
learned what heppened to the bO':'. but the sto;es fii!OO hef
with excHement <md wa:vJcr!o ~t. ..When I grow up, weu
see tM world together. MotMt'! ..
leixia never forgot the p1omiso she made her mother, .=tnd
she ~pent her you;h Pl<l<;ticing :;";(<$ figh1i09 in anticipetiOC' 01 theif tfa"'tls. 8<1 on her l$th birthd&y, e\erything
ctlange(! l.eixi61'S vwng~r brother glflOO he; a _:)enden t set

with a blue stone; when

Xlon
ghus grew frantic and immediately ron to hc;r J;vt:b~u'ld . "I
dcn't want Ler.xin $>!POSed tO the C\ltslde VI'Qrtd. I w.ant her
to becon-.e one of tho cmpo:or's v.-i\'esl" Leixi3was. sure it
was tho si~ht of the pendanllha1flad catned this drama lie
chMge in her rno!her. She escaped the famlym<~nsiQn ;:.'td
~tou t oo discover why.
t don'; tra.,re much ;o go on. but I'll ~Ji,lu c i t out; $hO re
rotved i Oherse't. ':After all. this is my 6eStinvr At last. the
time h9d come to venture out in;o tho wotl<l oi clashing
swords and swe:eping fmtmce th3t she'd dreamed cOOut
fo1 so IOI'IIJ...

Relationships I Hor fM hor Is Genera.I Van Wujin of t h e M ing Empire.

Her mother Is Chai Xianghua and she hus a younger bro1hor ''amcd Lelxln.

Story I Natsu was a n\Eimber of the demof.,fighting Fu

Ma clan. ShQ grew up undGr th~ Mrsh glares of hOI fol
low ninja. who feared the great demon Aratlal)aki that

was

~aled

within her.

SoM~ ~ven

made ant?mpts on

her liftl.
Thanklully, Natsu's master, Taki, protected ami support
ed ller. TM )'Oung lllllla cam~ to kwa and fespect her
montor; though sho oftoo disfegafded tho clarfs rvlos.
Natsu 8lways cbe~-ed Tal:.i. But now it had been several
months since Taki loft on a mission to the western CC<l
tincnt. on<l Natsu was <.~rov.ing uneasv. "fl.1aster s:aid
her jouroey woold last no Ienger than tNo weeks.. :"

It was then that a gill named Leixia app~an:~d at tM

gatos ol the Fu-M-.1 village. She explained she vas oo
an "adventure'" ;o unC'O'.fel tht~ secriJtS oft~ mysterious

P!ln<iant. Whon LQixia learned of tile demon dwel ~

ing within Na1su. not only did she shCh'l no fear. bui
sh;) was actually Gt iVIOus cf Natsu. Orawn to the girt's
cMorful innocence. Nal.su offered to serve as her bcdyguard. After all. the irip might plo\'ida an oppo.toni ty to
find her missing master ~$ welL
And so it was the two girls b.agan tl'le.r long journey

west...

Relationships I She isTaki's studon t and brought up by Chie, the chief of fuma cl an.
Sho harbors the great demon Ar ahab.aki within her.

Story 1According to hlstorlaf"' Shaun Has!if"'QS. 1horo is

a gap In Etio's l im~lino . lhough d~ta froM tho AniMus
is sparso. 1l would s~em E~io disoo~f6d o SH&ngo ani
f&et lr"' i506. .vhil.aon lliS WIJ'liONovcmo to riQht Cosnre

Tho Animus rcadlnos oro vory orratic oflor thot To

avoto Shac.m: "Bvggoril l know how ONA nnd nn cnrthQuake &l'O rolatad. but this IO<)kS liko roDdoots from tho
R1chter Scale!''

Borgia.

AccOidino to our data. Ezlo's tirr.elloo sooms 10 j~JmJ) U)

tho end of tM 16th centvty- with him nohti.ng against
sovorat wango, poworfut tees. Tilts c~ nnot be possible.
lmmo<tiatotv 3ftOfwarcts, l!tio oppG.'lrs. in 1507. s.&11ir'{J
for Navarre.

TllOorhf&et ir"' QUOOtion WllS held twa group ofTocT'lpliHS

plotting to ovonhrov, Ovoon CoH1Iino, oli tho Spru'IISh
ooor.ot. During tho nlghl. E:lo bocudud tho ~hip, over
came thO Tompl(u:.. and .set tho vosscl Oblate. He thCt'l
StOle tho CllOSt holding U'IO artifoct Mel. onco in a saro
p!nco. cponod rt.

I guos.s. tho U'\lth will tomoin J !'nf'$ley.

Relationships I M ember of tho Audltoro fnmily nnd Mns,tor of tho ltnllnn

Ronnls.s.DneoAfUiassln Brotherhood.
'l,;2CI?l,

'lllil lltll"thl"l /II '\;I JI'I:~:-'-'>':"I,.A~ ..

til' lrir1:,1,

".Cto, UI,Jv!!,

Jd;l

IJ1

~~ "\llll

tilt' U.S. /11' 1,1.~ r, I ill :

Story 1~l ov. long h!ld ho bcoo dreanf og? How lOng hod
ho Climbed thot or.dlos.s spira I s~ai1C8S.O? SomollO\~. no
kl'tow her room was a1 tho top...

no momory of hw hO 1\&d gouen ti\Oro. but ti\Ol w asn't

im(X)I"IMI .. he had tO finO' Amy.

Fron.cc hl:ld been dtNliSlated bl(wor. t~ nd Aaphool. head

of tho onco-prood So101 !og&ey, was de'13SI&tcd by o
bouoyar th&t cos1 hifn everytllif'IQ. But thon ho m01
someone. someone who tooi< him in and sh~terod him
11"1 h\S hou1 of need. &nd 3uddentv nono ol it mouor<Jcl.
!-tor oomo wos-

siOO looked diffotom !han ho remomber&d ...but no rr.at

1e 1. Thi' v.'Or!d wos but D flooling d100m, dostinod to
be uonstounod into a n-ow and bOtiOf 1)1(100- a wOfld
twlstod to tho neods of he and IM bolovod.

''AtYrvl"

Ho ov.'Oko wilh a st~t to find himself in a datk Cungoon

coli. thick wUh g1lmc and tile stonel'l of death. llo had

Whon Raph8ol burst ou1of the PJison. O'lll<Villing out

"Don't worfy, Amy... J'll bo w iUl ~ou SOOI"'.''

1'-4

A for<:O Of I'MCIM:SS WI)$ 10090 \l(X)O lhO world, D ll\DO

OO~=t~nshlps( ~

whO WOuld Sl()p 01OOihinQ 10 find hiS

Ho hns n foster dnughtor nnmod Amy.

Story lin the hean of a bustling cily, Viola qulotl~ pllod

hGf tf!ldO. Sl..,o ..vouldn't &lOY thoro looo- shodldo't smt
MVWilOIO 1ono: fonunoJelling e-M boa dangorous OC
cupal()n whon you actuolly tOUtil& tuth.

Bv pooring into her CVStal ball. Viola could se-e dcop

within ~ IXHson's ~oul. But of hOrsoll, SilO ~n &'W noth

Ingot au.

to hear. Her own memoriles woro so bruren 1hat she

cou'dn'l omr,Ntthlzo w1th o1hor rxx.:plo- thov didn't oven
leo! roe! to M:r.
Tl\e one oxcoption wJJs Z.W.E.I. Thoy wore 1{1ndroe1 sp:r
11s. ho said. both of them ~sscd and burdonod with
inhumo.n 1)0\J(lf!l 1h~ l torccd 1hom to journey through
1ifo alono.
As ~ravollno oompanlons. tlley mode to 6f1 odd pau: a

" WIW am I hOro?Whotls rny purposo?"

The horsh tt\lths of Viola's prOdiChOn$ alw ays led to he

1100 and re3entmon1. ~o sho livOd&s a oom&d, truvGMg
11om one city to tile Mxt. SilOtofusOd to follow custom
Md StMt>ly tOll h(:t P~WOM Wl\t.lt Sh() lmaw th<i'V Wllnted

vl6f&vl011 Mel & (Qf'IVI\C t~Uor, bOth whh P3stS SllfOud

od in mvs1ory. Thoir ioumov would oominuo fOf somo

time. until Viola's lost momoios rotutnod ..

Relationships I Docs not romombor, but trttvolllnu with z.w.E.I. for now.

Wher.thG dOt/ come !flat Jufgis pr~sed to hor, Pyrrho

Story 1PyrfM nevor know hor uuo family, w'ld those

w llO CDtOIJ for hor sho nOV<lr know for fong. Liko h<tf
fritnds, or tho elderly coup!o w ho carod for hOr- <1VefY
ono closo to hor diad mysteriously. A!J SilOwas possod
hom one famrly ~o anothor. sho loame<l wolf hovv to
{JVO!tl conflict. Evon whO!\ thOso around hor ltlmod
tholr boct:J on tho ~bflf"'gGr o l woe." on sho would do

anti tt(lr too! ful <loniols foil on doaf oars.

s apologize.

..Why doos this l:.oop hepponino 10 fno?l 11 wa!ln't mo.

Drl\'en from thtl cltv. SM was eapMed by ~/.Dvors ond

sold 10 a nob!emM's son tulmoc:l Jurgis. Ho took her in
ns & smvan1, but for the rifSt time in hor lifo sho lolt hor
mlt'ld end Man were- ot easo. It was no surpri:s.o ti\Ol
tl\0 1\o\' 0 fOIIll'l !ovo.

11 wasn't me.. :

thouQht that she must bo the h.oppiost woman o!i\'o,

...But thoo h hOJJpened ogaln. Tho: vo:y night. Jurg!s
wlls found dood. his oorps.o brutt~tly disfigu(Od.
Pyrrho wos immodioto{y

irr.pr'~SOIHKI

for the Mufd<H.

And so it wos th.!lt, whon lira appoau'}d 10 seduce her.

I'Yfrha's h<Nltl w &$ Mt 100 lfagl!o 10 rosist. ..

Rotntfonshlps I She hos no ono who sho con c:~ll us hor family slnct> sht>
wt~nclorod omono vnrioc.u; pooplo throughout hor lifo.

Story I Siegfrted htd ptayed hC$1 10 Soul Cohbur tlr'.CI.

ultimately. de,troyed Soul Edgo. Aftor lhJt opc OOtt e.
the knig.h1 1eturned home au<l Of'lJOtOd 0 btOl period of
p~. But deep dOwn llGknew his v1t01k was not over;
:he cursed :.word'~mlt'lions - tho moii<OSied- remaned
a se1iouz thrcot nonli.dng t'IO couldn't atop tMm ~lone.
Sf69food gathered his staunchost allies to (Ghxm his
otd m~rconary QtOV$), S<:hwo1rzwind.
One dw. i!>fter more th11n a di<:OdO of SOfVICO protect
ing h umani~y 1rom lllG mtllfo:ttCd, SOQhiOd d t:9CCMHed
that Soul Cahbur had ;rMsformecl into ;:~ new ono

honded sWOtd -a clear harbngor ol Soul EdQo'$ return.

A new champion to w1Qid So...C C.llbvt woukl need to
be found; s,ogffl(ld osslgned thG llsk to Z.W.E.I.. ~

wandering swordsman who had Joined hts morconilrv

group,

"So... Tho 11me has como.. :"

Soul Ctlhb ur, ll;.e Soi.A EdQO. possosse<l dMoarous

pov.-er. Sieghied qu'utlv t~w.,tod tho Oll8 who would be
worthy to wiald it. .

Rol3tion.$hlps I He killed his fothor IFrodoridc. :md his mother Margaret diad of natun"l c'uscs.
He c:ons:idcrs the mGmhel'1 of tho morcon:.ry group Schwarzwind as his family.

Story I UntkN Constent ttu~t hom~ Edge's fCW'QeS in

noogtob(lrong Os~-.tl$bufg, The ""'odom ofWdltrooo
teetOtt on tho bril'lt: ol deSirUCt;On. Ptln08$S t-ktde led
hef fllrt'IV 10 YICWfY egaint tho eutsod svqtf. but the
banlo poosonoed tho l.:.nd ::~n<l robbod t of ~r'f'/ decent
lutut. At10t P\1 n1UI tlohber'IJIIOn. Hilde ordered an exodus fromllOf lungdom. As she ioume;ed :rom na1lQn to

unMown party. Intended to &rt dilim to her befoukKJ

kingdom.

Hilde rctauemb&od hOr a1ny a:'ld prcp;;wed to fighc

alongSide Sloglrt~~d: s"'o wou'd never sorrendet the
land lhet was hor QOOple's birthrigh;. Hdde kne-w $he
mav not hvo 10 SOO h(lr subjects' safe return tc Wolf
krono. but her two thtldren might.

nolion. nooo13l11'19 tor- land ~0 resettle

her people, :>ho

~ ISO Hfl(tlij~ fQt m(l(ln~ tO p uf1fy VYollkrone. Tne waf

"I am not alone. Bohind mo swnd Ule IXtwe peoplo of

\NOI!krono, 111d 1he ch1ldron who will succeed us!'" And
so it ..vas ti\Dt. with hopo In h or ho.'.ln. Hilde raised her
swo1d und SD04f culd sot to her cavs.e...

etoain'll Soul 'F.dge nmy h{l\'Q oodad. but tho bilttlo to

ros1o1o ho1homol.unrJ contlnuod.

Ono doy, ~ho roocivod a messttge from he' swotn

friend Sleglriod: M ormv ol ma' fested, organized bv an

Relationships I Her father wen I min ing sovanteen years ago. Current!'( sho
resides with the morconary !JrGUI) SchwArZwlnd. Although she has loS-t her
kingdom, sho still h"s hor form&r sub)ec:ts that 5t111 serve her and her two
chUdrot" who &ro thoir hopes for the future.

Story IF<M u-s ll'orO\lgh 1:1>0 ,...t deser1

wastes ol tl\e nonl. oast ~ Etnp~re
The w< llOy ~1>3. on o QUilOt to _ , , the Koll-Ytrga.

one of tho throo sacred tretsur&.s, MaXI. sont ;o ecOOrl"l:PtlrlY Xiba by an old mon namGd Edg9 M:.:aet:
LoiXia. guided by a pend~nt with a cur10us bloo stone.
and N.;ttsv. Lent~.&'s tmmd ond todyQuOrd Tho fOUf had
become companions on tholr joumcy to tho west.
" rv1a>:i!

rm llungry! ~

" Xiba leaned heJ)\Il:Y into his rod. his stomach rumbling
lovdly,"

"'\~

just ~te .. :;hOutOd LC1003. buc. Maxi gave h9f a

catn,.,. and nrl f-ed lho ~no_, ,..;

'"I hear lhov Nwe great stNm buns 11'1 UlO ncxl \Offl.

lObo." I!<! said

As Le(l(ia btushed. Xtba l~pc up. S:uddOnty reuwigoraC
and raring to go. Nat'5U could 01'\fy Sh~\:0 hOr head
and sigh. Wha< dostiny would owaic thl:s l'nfsft ctew
a< the end of th9'1f gruahnp joumov?lt dt(ln't mai1Gr to
Xiba- !lOt ncr.' anywot. All ho cart<J about wa:~ getting
to tho next town and tho3e ~tcDm bun:i.. ~

eel

Relationships I His mastor 11 Kor\U Xiuqi ang. He is tr~velling w ith Maxl. lolxiR, and Ntlttiu.
Ho i$ beloved by the vlllngera who ~ lvo at tho foot of Zhcn Hang M ountain.

Ivy had rvsh<KS to Os-tthotnsbvtg in order to

~ltOY ~ EdQO: nstead "'" 'oc:ed her lathe<
c.r-tes She or-. """O$Siv cispoiChng her
fecMt 11'1 cNJrr final. lneh.l cb'!l But bebe she cotid
move Of' 10 hot uuo quorry. ct1e sky tore apart..
Story I

Soul EOOt. ltl phyatcal fOtm WHOred. Cfsappcared

tntO lho fltt obcJo
Othe11 collud thl1 v1ctory.

bu, l'ly know t::ener.

Hilvh,g spont. o IIIOt1me studyr.g !he C'Ursed swo1os

eve e ot desuuctlon &nd (ebfrth. Ivy w01s convtnce-J
that Soul Edco w as mt!rely btding i1s Mle sn another

dimonsJon.

~!\I "'Q

tho W'(

OUT WOtkS. nta 1Yri'Ofd t!.$e.l

It CQUI(S

be IJom "93in in

mav be beyond hE!f reacl'\

ShO ,..sonocl. but what~ she CIOUIIJ rob it of its relu;JGI

Wl>M ~ .... ~ llosOOV Ihe wcrid b<>nrf lhe nltl

Fot <NOt 0 ()OCtdO fy rose.arched t~ s-.,1)Cd"stne. a

pf.oce sho c.erne lO cal ..Asual 0\aos: Her body. .....;o.h
the blood cf 1ho ~urGGd sword fk>orMng '" tts ve;ns..
seemed to hl'vo forgotten to oge
It wn Soul Edgo lti.Jt t-{1(1 thrust this destiny upon her.
and Ivy would not lOSt t~n hl tt.e Cufsed sw'OICI .vas

pu(QOd ltom ol exis.tonce.

Rolatlon:;hlp::sl Her adoptive pArentlt, Elul tud CountO&$ Vlllcmtinc ~rc d~ea:~ed .
Hor roal rather Is Cervantes.

!I
'

t JL\RA(:Tf.R PROFilf:S

Story 1Cer.antes traveled to Ostrheinsburg in order to

reclaim Soul Edge and dev'Our the sweet soul o f his

d.aughrr;:r, Ivy, but il was Ivy hersell who foiled his plan.
His t:o::ly t:~te!l and his mi nd shattered. Cervantes
was swallOwed by a din"~oensiona! rift o;:~oood by Soul

Edgo.
Years Ialor, as the 17th centvr-,' dawned, strange ru
mors b egan to stir among the men of the sea. They
spoke o f a git.~nt ship w ith a skull on iis bow. captained
by the legendary Cervantes. Noone t1uty believe:d it. of

oourse -IT'Ore 1han hall a century had passed since the

graat pirate last stal ked the Adamic.
Vv'hat tMy cftdl\'1know- what thGy couldn't Mve b lown
- was that C&rvam os had broken ffoo of Soul Edge's
oonuol. and escaped from the other dimension. He had
returned to his wof1cl at the height of his powers.

.. ,.II mal:'e dam n sure those iools remember tha name

oi Cervantes, l ord of the Seven Seas! "'
O f ths world once mote but no lonGar boond bi' its
tules. CorvaotGS set sail once agai n ...

Rel ationships I Antonio is his second in command.

We c:ommand~ his erew with fear. Ivy is his daughter.

Storv l lha Spanan swo16.Sman Aeon heee!ed the divine

calling to become a holy warrior- a soldier tasked w i th
destroy:t.g Soul Edge. But his mi ssion ended when he
was captured by a cult know n as Fygul Cestemvs. and
tran$iorm00 into a hideous monstel.
~why?" ha pleaded.

"'vVhy has my god fofsak~n mo if'l

" Devour all, a.nd your wish shall surety come true."
From that moment on. the beast-man gained the pow
er to i nheril th~ nature oi those he consumed. Each
time he 1as1ad Uta blood ol a new prey. hi s body and
soul wGr e trans fonned. Gradually he regaiMcJ tM power of reason . .A.oon soarchOO tM faint r~moams of his

rrt{ time of need?!"

memory...

In despait a t !h G kiss of his humaoit'/. Aeon eventual ly

surref'lderOd to llis Masuv nsdncts: H& wall\1..~ on all

"How can I regain th&t which I have lost?" he won

dered.

ioors. Md devoured anything-or anvone - who(:ros.sad

his 1>ath. M.env years passed. until one OW Aeon heard
an inhuman voice speaking to him inside a ca~e .

But he knew th$i!tnswe: He mus1feed on newvic1ims.

He m u st consume the flesh o f ho!y wan iO!S...

Relationshi ps I The memories of hi s family in hi s homel and has m i xed with

t he memori e~ o f his prey. He can no longer reco-gnize them.

I.

'

$tory 1A fQftne t ass.asSiO il\fatuatM w ith the <lesuuctive power of Soul Edgc . Tira wlls devastated w hen tile
evil Sw()(d w as dof&.attd 1? ye.as eatlier.

favor . vitll human nations, sduami f'lg i n se<:tet andga!h

crif'lg souls from the shMows. Tiia could 00(cl-, stand
to look upon this oowardty Niglumafe.

The t\'\J pe:sonalities w ithi n her lamented as one. and

hov..!ed tog-ether i n a chorus of ra ge. B ut Tira fo-.md
some solac;:e in her plans for a certai n young girl, and
in 1he evei-9TO'.vi ng strength of tM ShatterM sword's
fragments. Ae\-italized by Mr ho;:os: to tcvivc Sout
E<lg&, 1'1ra dedicated hetsel f to a llu-nt i cx the !>Nord's
SC<~ ttere<l pieces.

"He's an imposter! I will never accept him! "

But aiter waiting so m.my years. the rebom Azure

Knight was not at all what l ira had hoped fos. He curned

" In that case ..." began the dark h<.ilf of her perscoali tv.
:..1 shall prepare an app1cp1iate vessel for Soul Edge
m; self!" fin1-Shed hQf 'brighter half. l ira c<ut<MI; had au

the ingredients; she'd been carefullypn:paf'ing- tMm for'

17 yee:s. It was the petfec:t plan.
And so Tila disappeared into the nigh t once m()(e, on

her way to visi< tha t .. cer'tain young girt.~ ?vuha ...

Rel ati onships I New fl ocks of Wat<h.ers raised by her.

St ory 1 Defeated in b anle b; Soul CaJibur. Soul Edge

shanered, its f 1agments passing thfO'.JQh a difMnsional
ri h th at scatlared them all owr the world. But thO cu-rsod
sword':> mi nions tracked dOwn tile sl\ere!s, 81ld r eas
sem~d as much oi the sword as they oou'd . Eventu
al!t. it re{Jained! consciousness : ~~sing a sparebod't it had
hidden beneath Ostrheinsburg, Sool Edge was rebom.
Soul Edge's new ho-st assumed me nama " Dumas,"
and worked its way imo the i MQr circ-IG cl EmpCior RudOlf II o f tho 1-r.oly Aoman Empire. U ndefeate<t in battle
end brimmin{l wi1h knov:ledge from all c::omer s of the
world, Ovm.11s quic~ly won the Em p eror's favor. an d
was granted dominion c..er the Ki r)Qdoll\ of Hungary.

t~s

Hunga(y was oo the front liflCS o f tllO wa( with tile

Onomar"' Empire, and in a perfect position to advance
Soul EC'9e's soals E>:ploitino naticf'IIJiistic ten dencies
an-d religious differ-enc::es to fan the flames o f hatred
and suspicion. Dumas initiaied a w3despre-ad hun t and
mass~re of the mal fested.
O f course. the pu1ge was merely a covor for Dumas
tfue intent collecting tle remaining fragments ot Soul
Ed\le ancl harvest i nn count!ess human souls . And so.
under b.'!nners of uni'!y and purity, Soul Edge's new
"nightmare" began to sweep through Eu(Ope...

RclatiOn$hips l tngratlated hh".ulf to Rudol f II, t h e Holy Roman Emperor.

Graf Dumas. He l ords over t h e malfested minions o f t he cursed sword as
his perso nal soldiers.

Story 1 Ever-scarctllng fOf' 1 WOtthy odvers;;~ry to tes-t

skiUs. Heishiro MitsiJ.lug journoyld to Osvhejns
there he entered 1 chaotic alternate dimension
Mel faced the hero Xing. Algol. high eto.o a colossal
tO'Ner. The t\VO \..,iu.SOrs c:l&shed whe-n $Uddenly Algol
disi'lppearf:td. along with Ult tower lind an !heir sur
roundings - a dlMOMiof'\81 convargonco had Wilrpcd
Mitsurugi back to reality !)(;fore tht duGI could bo de
cidod. " Some 1.ime later. ru mo11~ of o g1oat confliCt b&ek
in Japan reached the \vandodng 1\"'Ird~man - & pO\..-er
struggle that would dGIGrtnine who v;oukl ru'e 1he entire oountry. Mitsui\JQI raood beCk 10 his homeland, but
i: was 100 late. 'Th6 b6tt efttld at Se~ahara w~s de
senea. The war \'t.JS over. Wh11& most ol Jap~~n wou\tl

(lnjoy the ensuing en of poaeo. thousands ol masterless samurai found th()N'ISCiveS o:.~c ol fi'.IOr and out of
a job. With no money to eon11nue his trt~vols, Mtsvrugi
1esigned himsolf to a QUiet life as n Iormor:

' Then. ono day, he happened 10 encounter a group of

.soldiefs, freshtv retvmed from t1 tovr of dutv abro~ .
The men spoke of a gron1 sword. so m;ohty that even
now they onlv dared wlf,pot i1s name: Soul Ca!ibur.
One mention of tho Hero King's sword is an it took. Mit
surugi's lust for b&ttle rewmod m Ml instant. suonoer
tMn ever." ':A.!go1! I'm com10g for vou ..." The samurai
sold his entire h&rvest and soeured trensport on the
first boa~ to the c:ontlr.ent s.oo~ino an end to the duel
the.t had beg!Jil 17 ..aars f)(ior..

RelationShips I Hls partntt and btothors were e ll taken by sickness. but a mlttlbl
atti$l Is dalmlng to be hfs o'slht h b rothoc.

Stoty I Maxi OriJW power from Ule fragment of tl'le

curSOd S'WOf'd So\11 Edge still lodged 1n his body. but 1t
camo wl!h t1 Pf!Ce Even after defeating Asuuoth and

aveno!no hs aowmates. he (ema!ned oonsumed w!th

an inS..1!l8ble lust fo1 revenga.

No1 wt nl' ng 10 dmg his ffionds dovm with him. MaJO

left Kilik {lncl Xla..ghua to watk a dark and lonely path.
Llvii'\O 11'l tl\e Sh(l(lows. his hull'lSnity graduallr Slipped
awav - unll 1\G lcund salvation at the IKIOO!I of Edoa
Mnwr. Kilik't roflnor taao!Ult. Tho old man 1auoht Maxi
how 10 livo with tho shard of the} C\lrse<l sword he car
riad W1thll'l lllm. ~nd in tlmo, Maxi managed 10 sup
PItiS liS IOUIInfluenoe

ot the next e:ght years. MaXI's jovial

toml)orament retumed. He e..on started to iol<e about
ttl& unusually alow rilt<) at ...micl'l his body wss ag:ng.
and how e&sv rt was 10 pass as a voung man.
~r lhe course

Perht~l)$ sensing the tim e h&d come. Edge Ma-ster bl)(Je

Maxi to listen woell Kilik's life ~\ltls in da.nger. he said,

and thoro w.1s onty one wav to save him: KiliJ: must
boqueeth hi& w(lt~pon, the Kah-Yuga. to a boy named
Xiba. But ~!tts, Xibo wu~ s till !IO young and inno:em ...
Re~l :lng whot h is toecher w~ s asking, Maxi volun
teetad 10 mentor Xlba, and led his YO'. mg disc1pte ,-..est.
on a QUOS I to S3\0 a dea1 friend...

Relationships I The past remains in the past.

Stort I Ptamed fO'ri( on IN ..m .,.we lhe wo'lio<

stOOd a bn""':"""""ftamtsn-onddancod.CO..t
;,_ Tne .sword Net a name:'ttWIIm&su. It was 1 dcMooiC
blade. steeped in the &iff of Soul EdG"Q and 8\'&r thusty
foe blood.
The sword's last awnet. too. h.3d been called Yoshlm
iiSu - b'l bestowing h1$ Owl'\ n&me vpon the b!ada, he
htld soo!od 1IS evil OO'W6t. But h8 hat! bElen cut <!own

_just moments earlier b1 hl.s dolu&!U disciple, a youno

warrior we!l ver~ed in tho ans of Munji Ninjitsu.The dis
cip!e made a Vt:J.!J; He wt~uld S(IO tiHOuQh the mission
Yosltimitsu had begun. He IC4Chc<l out ond gripped 1he

-The
f'IOl ~r
~I

r...... -

ot Ns- but""-.. dod

as he ca1led out

am \bshimitsu thO SocMdl Qttm cnyse f!

The f'..ame~ substded The 3W'Ord heel cc~J)tO<I him as

the newYost\iiYlltSu.

Only on.o man was allowed to c:~ury th.:lt name: the tit!a
was eamed by s!oying it:. J)fOviovs holder. And so It was
that a newwauiot, O'ICI(CM'III'I(I sorrow and doubt, woukl
continue the fight agolflSI O'Yi1. \t)Shim!tSu, leadar o f the
ctliva~tous Mal\)i CIM . saviOf of the wo.ak, eoomy of 1he
strong- it w as a lUllme th&l btOU'IJhl llopo to tho poople.

Relatlons.hlps l He wu r&lltd byYa-nhhnlts" the First. Ukon and Sokon

are his confidants.. Ho l oud.~~: tho cla10 of hivalrous thieves of the M~tnji Clan.

S1ory I E~ in h;~t(s tr.aocial world had he3fd cf

lofd Geo ~erre and his fWm.. the Oaq,ie~ra Cc:wno
J)IA"f -The Magrutcena: as he caled hltr'.sd, eo,IO'Ved
sucr:ess rn 1 variety of venturers centered atouno me citv
of Ve.,IOI. 111 dtJQ to his. sl'lra...'d business dea~ngs and
1itvclr 10nguo ... or so poopl& bGiieved.

In 1tUth, Oilmpiorto W33 3 con man and a scoundrel

who wovl~ 1(1, cheat. and steal as it suited him. T(ad
I no staves. lOOting troubled covfl1(ies of thett nat'c()()81
troaauros- flothing was bena.t~ lh him

"OM ll'<ltring, l'os loyal loeutooant ~ had new.:

G!af Oumos. rul&l olthe ~ ol tl.-fV, w. r><&P~Mo fOf war ~was o:xcited; he saw conflic:l
M en OQPOflUnltY, M ttNOSUnOOl - 8 7e"o'l e.atty iavots
could eas..tv nat e fonUllc once the dust ser.fed. He
Y.'Ould atrango te> moot the king, t::ea.ring git. s cf hi$ fin.
est cannon$ nod a rogrnent of elaphant ca'lalry.
And so tt wos that Oampene s~t off for Hung-al"l/, his
mind, as ever. on thO ric:htils to come..."'

Rotntlonshlps I Three dovotod follower~; carry out the bu~in ess:

L'dovlgo of the Brokon Oomonic Sword, Alphard tho OMEyed Bornbl h(lll, Md Gls.ele the Lady Bandit.

'

Storv I Ewr th9 lo;a1 s9rvo ~t. Vo!do d iligo) tlv obeyed
tno OfdGfS of hls m~ ster. the woa1thy Italian morchant
Vorcci-or so ho bo!iovod. In truth, he served an illusion
created by the cursed Soul Edge. at least until the de-

cepiion was shatiefed by a purifying ~low from Ki1t~'s

KaliYuga staff.

.....

B.ad~ in his right mind- il ono can ct~n h that- Voldo de

cid'e<f to fOlum to his du tv as the guardian ot the Money
Pi t. tho socrot undctground cham bar v.hor& Vorcti h&d
hidden his fortvne. Sut VOido aniV<Y.! to find that the
storehouse hOO been r{lnsacketl bv thieves. Using the
keen ~ens.e ot sme:1 he had de.-eloped li'Ying in darkness, Vo5do painstaki~!y tlaci:OO and killed the cutpfits.

I : CliARACf.E.R I1ROHLES

determined to tocovor every l:~st l)}eco o f VQICci's ste>lon u~asurto.

f\.1any years later the fine! bi t of trea,suro was back 10
piace, and the Money Pit was restore(!' t o its hxmer
g:Ory. But \tlld;, couldn't escape a gnawing sense that
something was missing. Something that had only bare
ly slipped through hi s gmsp 17 years ago...
Ho !l4:l'a!OO his naswf's t<t.1Sul 9 tiOV'G once again. and
returned to the s.urface world. He must fnld his m;:,s.
ter... His trve master. He must find Soul
The curse-d sword's lie

Edge.

had become Vo!do"s reality...

ReiMiom1hlps I His parents and brot hers all died in war.

Hi $ ma$ter i s Varcci who should be r.ong dead.

I Fygul Cosoomvs. a cult that WOishipped the

twi$:tcd god Po:llg3<la. was proparing to effect its grt'lnd
revival. " Pain... The Pain! UAARARGHI"

Storv

From the dep~hs of a sub tenanoon ternple. rl(l,vbOm

lung$ screamed in tOilll(,mt. Th~ cult'S man-made giant,
AslC!IO!h, had a:ways ftHiowed his mo:;ter~ biclding.
until one day 17 .,ears ago tile CfG\Itu1e <IGWiop9f.f a
will of hi:; O'iV11l and rGboi!Gd: both Astorotll ond fVQul
Cestomvs v10re cfcstr~ed. Bv t i1 wasn' t long before
tho priests ol r-.1ars and Venus Cltlfted il mechanicol
woman to retrieve Astaro-th's core and re:um it lo the
cult. whiCh hoc! alreodv begun to retorm.

FactiOilS b\lni{)Citor oootroJ olthO ptecious arhfact. but

it wound up in tho har.ds ot High Pnost Kunpaotl:.u,

w ho had cl!lv.-ed h is w ay back from the brink of death.

If Astaroth's core had been a gift l:om the oods. J<un
paelku reasoned. unr{l'leling i ts secreis would g1ant
him tM power to eteal<? lile ol his own. He eould surpass the goOO th<3msel'lf.lS! Finally, his 1esearch toe
f1ui1. Booming with ttium ph. tht> high pfi<t-SI QilNd upon
the now Astarolh .?S he rooted and tOfe at hls cMlns.

"Yos. Astaroth, rag~!

knew /cur wrath ..."

Allgol Vory soon tM world will

That w9s only the fitst of manv sueh monster s he creat

ed. Released from their underground lair, a host ott hem
h.Jmba1od wost. lured by the PO'VV3l c f n dbtont soul.. ..
Relationships I Crot'tod by Hi gh Priest Kunpaotku.
M any more "Astaroth" aro bolng cro<~tcxl.

Story I Pntfokl~X: mot hof ;:,t " OOzoor in l~ton~ul. Her

name was Setsuka, and she W'DS a mastet of battoh
styiG sheath-based sword atiacks. Known as "Neve" to
thoso around her. Setsvka had been taki ng in orphans
lind tellching them to (lefend themsei!J'(Is. UPOn seeing
her lightning-las: swo1d tedmiques. PCI!Ioklos begged
her 10 ;ooch lli.'n. St-.e ag1GOd. ~nd ~U()'IAed him to !(lin
the orphans in lheir trainill{l.

l)f0$$0d liulo joy ot hi; progc:;G. SotsuRo hod once

li:ed for revenge herself. and she admonished hfm not
to lose his heart to such dark de-sires Young anc' brash.
Patroklos took umbrage at her word$ and turned his
bacl: on his teacher. Look.ing back co it now. Patroklo$
nmlizes l hatlhew~man he spurned may ha'.'e been I he
CIOSOSithng he'd GWf htld tO a rYlOtMr; what M 'd run
aww frOf'O WbS not Setsuk~. but his own heart.

Driven by hi s single-minded l ~ t lor revenSlfJ. PaVoklos

learned at a surprising'y fas; paoe. Bu1 his teacher ex

Clenching the translormed spiri1 sword tight!(, Patroklos

swears a solem n vo.v: "I shall run no mo1e 1

Rotatlonshlpsl Pyrr'hals his older slstor. Ho was tol d that his mother Sophitl:. had p:.ss.od :.way.
His ft'lthor Rothlon ptlsscd awt'ly duo to Illness. He was taught by Sctsuka.

Story I .Aitostoo' lor tho m\Jrder of hef master Jurgis,

Pyuha sat quietly in the cold s tone pri!>On. She assvmed the ~pproad'ling foots teps belonged to her
executbnm, but instead a gitl named'Tira appeared bGtorE:> Mr. Witll :skillful wod5, Tira wormod h(n ww into
Pyttha's heart whon tho young woman har<led her a
S\VOrd and shield, Pynha never thought to refuse her
poisoned gift.
ThenTi1<1 pull&d out .a red rnotol fogn'!Oilt,. nnd o~ ~n
as Ptffha saw 11. sho lelt something ooep within begin
to throb i n umson wiih tho fragmen t's pulsating gtow.

The two ftegment s ol Soul F.dge were resonating as

one. Seven;een yeous ago. Pynl\a's rr.other Sophitia
had embedded a sllard ol Soul Edge within hef. N.oN,
in tho p:osonco o ~ lira's frogmcnt. tho dormor.t sh.?td
awt'lkoncd. It sot loooc the d3rk cnotions th3t P'yrtha
had s~led deep w i lhin her he.ert. and began to gnaw
away at her sanity.
Ao i nhuman w<li1 s houorod tho still night. marking tl'.o
violent birth of lhc being who would succcod - or.d per
haps e:en SUIIXISS - lhe Alure NightmaJe.lhev VIOUid
como to call hef the ~Cri mson Despair':..

Relation~ hips I P.ntroklos Is her younger hrother.

Sophiti a is her mother and her father is Roth i on.

Although some ol this information can bo found olsc\<vhere in the guide, hiving 11 all in ono
ptaco ike ths w:1 mal:.e it much eas.o. to reference. rathef than Nv1ng to :;witch bet\.-een
dilfOfent chap:ers. These tableS ocwor a~ Characters. stages. Items. and tttkl's 11\at can be un
loci e<lon SOULCALISUR V ond dot... ' - to uoloclt each of thom.
Unlock Overview

..JIL.:-.= ~olliCnl

I U.locl.cumlilioll

.;;
':'::"::
' :::
" !.
'I _ __ _

Gumo Modea

l egend ary Soul'

- - - -- - - - -- - - - - - :F:::I.;;i::':;lh;.;;
Siory modo or P n;'EN' lovec
l2:;0:__ _ __ _ _ _ __ _

E)(lft' Ao,H.l '" Ncftdt

P\W(N lavt!l 17

PoliOk.'Jo:;

Finish episode 12 in Story n'OdO or PltyyOI IIYVOI 1S

Pynho 0

Finish e-oisode 19 in Story mod9

:.:.c:-::-P::
IO\'"-:;;'..:"':;"'c::.:
' 2::3:__ __ _ _ _
Finish S~ory mode or Plsye:le....l27

E~urn

AIOOI [ ~ -' 3)

PlayOr levelS

OOYil Jin
t !Jldanl Citadel: Pooc<ttlrno

Unknown Fo:tsl: Dati: NIQ~ t

ol)hl<XIo ll in SIOI)' modo Of PID)'OI IOVO

= I..;7_ __ __ _ __
- - - - -- - -- - - - :F:'n':i.::l-1 1.111i~~ 7 in Story modo or PIDyor lcwol ~ 1
F~1Sh

Fll"'iah epiootle 18 in Story mcxto or F>a.,..t 19'19119

Oonovr6r C.nlle: Eve ot Chaos

Last R~eson lhe Bl.
,;::;..
;:::
ld_ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _
AstniiO'aos: Pit~
Towet ol Glcwy W.ostliofy Olc!"otomt

Tower of Glofy SCIII'al ot Cood and Evil

ConQuerOfs Coliseum: Underground Fight

UniCKA P'(rrtu 0

--25
--

f"""' ""'50/le 18

il SIO<'f , _ 01 P
'-'11:.:""
= '"':.:'"'
= 00
:...__ _ __ _

Unlock Edge Master

Ft.1vor level t3

Ulopk1 of tho BIOS'Sid

OGM
Tltltt
Achi Dvoments/

Trophlot

Wttpont

Peni~en~t'fV ot Oe!l11ny

Unlock. K.m:

Chi!liiCtOI $1)0C+f!C OGM

Unlock 8f't/ d'laracter (8 in total!

Un'o:kablo Til'tl

ooo lhlos over'.'ie>.., on page 478

50 AchW!',.ementtJ01 Trophiet

a..Ad'nevem~mtsllrophics Ov<IO on PIQt

Specit1 woepon f<w Poudd~n., ~,.._ Natst4 XbJ .nd ~

Hn!;.h cor-.a'n Epcsodes in StorY mocto (1M 10t 77)

t. at'.emace ~for

-'""""' ~ l...-els bet- <1611

ol dle."actect

aao

Ftc.t Ptlntt
Pfl ttom s

Bnckgrounch &
flrllniO!I

Unlotkablo Q.,lgnt

Unlodwblo Thumbnoil11

Unlock respoctive character

Oulck Battle NPC

r nsh Stet'( mode or when other c:haroctcr; OJO ~,;nlocked a1 a ceruin

Pl.,-ef Le'ol"!'l

EQUIPMENT
Hood
( 1!1111""' 'l't!tl

Vn!nllkCondlllon~

Artlst'G Beret

Lourol Crowl'l

Turban

Uldy'- Hilt

Kongli&n

tFom~ti D Ontvt

lht!IU1fJMh0

Chli'IO!IO HM
(Brimmcdt

Chln4H!O Hot

Nlnjo MMk

Nltlja Hllt

M~twttri

111.\Chi!JDMO

S.Oreorest'
Hnt

H&ud Dross

At hlgoru
HoDdbo,nd

Honnln
R<t:Y.:h

PI~Yyor

Lo~2

Rubbor M:.sk

Jostor'" Hut

Blind Hehnttt

Sodgo Shnd&

Kol!ktm

Knitted Cnp

Priest's Hood

Aooch Pl&yor
l O'IOI 18

Cllt Ear Hat

PlrtltO Hot

War Bonnet

Straw Hat
Rood' Pl!o~yo
LWOI 2:
FltldWork

Hot
Rench Pl~~r

..,

Le<.OI 18

Tyrolo:m Hllt

Soft Borot

Monk'" Hood

lt~pl n

Avlutor't Ca,,

Choponu

Roud'l Pl!lve:
Level2

Krk\1

Mttbluthl

Sitn's Helm

Olng Dou

Reacll
""''"
l~ol34
Menghu
Huhn
Aeach Pla-.~N

Close Hfllm

'
'
(,(,.

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l.ovol 18

(i\
-\

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Pr&Ytt Hofm
R~Cil PI'YC'
Le....l2

Koudtu
K_,bt.~tO

Reach Platef
l tw912

-......

Butterfly

HNd Hohnet

lM3118

WlrtOrd'5
Lur~g Helmet
Reach Pl~r

Euphoric
Holm

, r '

-e.'

VaneM~$ k

'

Grut Holm

Tlgc.tr Uly

P~guu s

Kabuto

S;~llot

1\Nctl Player

Reach Pla-,<Of

L_,50

ls~'Ci 34

-~.th.,.

(t;!,
~-

8u:r5'0ott

level34

Ol!!monic
VIking Holm

Corinthian

Helmet

Roach Player

l.ovol 50

l evol 34

Phoo.nbc
Kabuto

Gotgon
Anne!

-Al.tYol 18

But gonot

WarUlOQ

BaKintt
RQaell Pill~

M 3fl

Horut Vban:l

Reach Pler'f4
L~J

lu$UArmott

Reach Player

J )

\S,

Dttr Hoad
Rooch l'ltyyo
U:vo12
lior H..d
Ae,Jd't l'llygt

....u

Kendo Mut

le'>'Q) 34

Voodoo

l:<lllymeow

Crown

tlcod

fleach PIEtyof
le.oe118

Rench Plovo

LCNOI 50

Face Equipment
l l"ltllnlll 1';111

ltu!pm~nt l'IP

V!!lvuk Cvm!llhn

Ut1loot &olllllllo1u

""'''
"'umt Type
u,aodl C.diti.,
Aviator

Eve Potch

GI~SI):!J

Reach Pla~<ef
= =- L;;;
"""
..;;I .;.
9- Mad Eye
Patd'l

Japo" Evt
P~tth

Alml~s

Oleea.os

MotlOCllt

Square

(Right Eye I

Glon"

Monocfe
(Le ft Eyt)

Plnctnt:e

OJ11.gon M..k

BuleGllis.scs

Oporu Mask

Battle M u lt

Thlet's Mnk

M11 k

Ml!lglcltr~'t

lnttligent

Phantom

Gl.....
Reach Playef
Level 50

Matk

Dig Fr:uncs
AO&ch Player

Lovo1 10

ReOCil..._
Level 10
Band for tho
Mind't Eyft

.Anclont Mnt k

,,

'

-n

QUICI\ RF.FF.RI!N(:I! UNl.OCI-: T,\RU:S

Equipn:.ent Type

[quipm ~u! T\>;::

Unl ~ckCon#JIIont

Unlocl: Condititnt
Fox Mask

Hannya M s3k

Aoah Player Le:<:19

Reach Plar\lr LOV'al 34

Roach Player Lewl 3<1

Chlnes.e Oporoa M.a$k

Tengu Mask

R6&h Pl&')'&f tel(!-19

Ae~d

Serial Killer's Mask

Aoi.\th Player L<Wel SO

Mask of an Anciont Tribo

Player Level 18

Male Undergarments

'

'

Otlfault

LongSiccvcdTop

Chain Mail

Slecvcl~:s Top

Lolntloth

Roo<h Pltl~~ LeV\9:1 26

Executioner'$ Fauld

'

'

Cotton

Mummified
Rc~ch Pl~f Lt

Bt~ndtlge:

Hip

Boom erang Brief

Reach Pl;r~r Le'llel 10

-.0122

Rubbc:r Unitllrd

Caprls

Slee:veh::-:~s

Full Leggin gs

Unilbrd

Silk Wrp
Reach Player L~\'el lO

Body Hair

Roach Pla')er le\'el 22

Female Undergannent$
CquiPQellt Tvp ~

Gf}l!i!l'!l<:nl Tvpe
IJr.lod. C4Gcli.11nnt

Basic Clothes

Chain Mail

l:Quipll'. ntt f>1pt

llni!Kl Cr..dilio"'

G1111ipmeM 'frpu

Unlock Co.ndlliolll

Un!otk Cntdl!lllllt

MJnl Dress

Triangle Blillnl

R~!lch Pla;er

Roocil Pl!l't'OI

~el 6

Lwei 52

Cotton
Bl!ll'ldtlge: All

Bustier

Ring Trousers

C:tprb:

llea(h Plil')'Cf

Le...el 22

"

~
I'

'

"

Mummified
Rc~ch Player
Leval 22

Sleeveless
Top

Under:~ hnrh

Tanned

Sleeveless

Cotton

Le-ather Annor

Shirt

Band;~gc;

Unitard

Corset

Tube Top

S leeveless

Tear Leotard

a,eaS1plate
Reoch Plovo:r

Rubber

Unitard

'

'

.
.

Unitard

1\
J

J\

Sailed Suit

Robch Player

Leil\':138
Te ~tr Uni~rd

Reach Plsyer
LOVOI '22

Hunter's Suit

Loincloth
!Wach PI<Jyor
Le.el26

Dancer's

Black Tights

ReaCh PISVCf
U wel 10

Le~ 6

Full Leggings

Hip

-~

Tiger Ul y
Sto.tklnga
flead'l Player
Le..~l 42

_
-

Male Upper. Body

.........
1-~

SlmploTop

l.lnon Shirt

,...\

~:....

K"nv Fu Jacket

'
l

.)

Noble G&mumt

.....

Congrat"IIIIIOry Slllrl

Changbao

Frilled Shirt

Merchant'$ Kimono

Wonder .bcb1

Sealed Armor

Cloth Surc:o:lt

Hau~tk

New Centurion

Reae. Pl:tyar LIJYel G

Cotton Sh irt

Fril edTop

l.eatht r Shirt

Klvmeow Suh

Baihu Coot

Rooch Pl~er -.e-.~1 62

Fem ale
f quiPf!K!III Typo

Uul!ll!ll Ccn ~l!!cn!

.
I

[.qlliJID<:nl Type

lm~~
~====~~l~~~~~GM<
~tt~io~Me_

Wondor
Jacket

Town Girl

Cloth SutclOat

Spy Robe

Kimono

GlonvTo p
Reach P!aver
Le.~l 52

Off the Shoul

der Oren

S~al~d Artnor

Re.ct\ Plii)-et
Lew:l6

--

Frilled Apron

Chiton

Rruch PlafGt
L-ovol

Congntul.a

-.

'

'

\
'

'

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Sleovclen
l(lmono

CenturiOn

GlnnOftt

Ltlt hct Shirt

New

No~

Cotton Shirt

-""""

....... 2:2

.>
Hauberk

Kung Fu
Jackt t

ROCI51fl Suit

t ory Shirt

Cha.ngbao

Frilled S hirt

Ch in Me Dress

5~

Jester's

8 11ih u Coat

Clothes

...

' I

Noblt't OtU I

F1llledTun lc

Leather Tunic

Country Tu nic

Tight Shirt

QU I~

IUWiiRF.NCF. UNI..OCI< 'I'AIU,r;S

( qulpenmll T)JII

EQulto ..I!C 'Jitllfl

tlalluck CumlllllOII:

IJIIIOe.. Con&dGIII

1$.

Partor BIOU30

K1ttymeow Suit

AMCh Pllrvof LCVUI 52

Male Upper Body Covering

""'"

( lllllltnlnnl TJjlc

(otllljUII~III 'F,1111

U11IBr.k C11111lbl411 ~

Unlor.l! r.11ullldllu:1

Wanhog
Cuinus
Aooch Pl&~oor

MAO US

Br01uctploto

fi.1r Coot
Ro~l'

Go Jln

f)!rtv'O:'

I.OW)I 6

,.
r .' .;

, . . ... 38
Gorgon

CullAU
Aooch Plcy01
Lo~~

ARhlgllru'tl

Wfmfor's Vost

38

Gct1r

Atnlor

Ro&eh PI3')'Vf

Lovol G2
,.:,.~

Blue Sur-eoat

Lonthor VOIIt

LovlathM
Culrou
Rooch PIU'i'CC

Wurrior'"

DrcwstpllUO

FurVe!lt
no~ch PI(M)r

LOV(ll 38

,.

Worker'
Apron

lilWll 0

Snmurol'a
Httorl

Gen&ml'~

Armor
Rotch Plll ~'Yr
Lovol 22

8tf.35tplato

Fomalo Uppor Body

Blue Surcoot

Thiel'&Belt

Holster
(Dod vi

' .,
J,

Lucno Culmt141

Loothor V<Itt

Rona. Pln~r

LMI36

Worthoo

FurVOif

Culrnn

Rooch P13YOI

~d\P!&ter

LOVOI 0

8re.n31r,tate

Coiled

SAmurnl 't
Hnorl

Tiger Lily

Long

Brcustplllt<Os

Coot
Roach Plore

Re!ldl Plll)'Or
Lovol 5:::2'---VoOOoo
Bron &tplftt~
AM<t. Pl!l~'<ll'

Lovol 22

Croppod
Jocttot

L"'ol !ltl
M119UII

llrCltl" f)IOtCO

Lc~ thtlr

~.&vo1 6

Fur Cbnt
ROlll: lt Plll','Of
LB.<ol 6

Wtmlbr'e Vost

Ar.nor

Roncn Plntor
Lt'>l~;l 22

Male & Female Lower Body Equlp~m..;.;.".;.'- - - - - - - -

' *" :r.,.

Mo<thnn Skirt

noht Skirt
IFonu11e Only)

SlhSOI<t

Ronum
lolnclath

Le~thtr Pantt

Arablnn

Sltckt

Hot Pantt

.._.20
Ch&tfon Skirt
-Pioytr

Samur&i"t
H1bmo

Slackt

Plentod Skl11
Rotwoh Playor

LO'o'OilO
Oollb~uorn

Cowboy
PDntt

J 4tlltor't
D1aochGt
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Long Skirt
I Fe m t~lo Onlyt

Knlc:ko...

Rococo Skll1

bocbrs

(kmalo Only)

Flt'Nid Mlnl
S kirt
Rotlch fllnyo
1.0'/0t ..~2

Malo & Fomnlo Hlp Eqult:>mant

fllii!IMt l 'II/ po
1.1111_. C.fllon

Marqult' Otlt

Co-lp...nt 1'11''
I.WIIdl c..6!lon1

ClothWrnp
(Front)

TlgorUiy
Ftuld

Poro

Roach Ployor

<2

Warrlor't
Sotl1

Cloth Wtllp
(Bilek)

Gorgon f't\lld
Retch PltrfOI

Hlp Skirt

Lovcl .t2
CtothWrtp

Tr ..nlno Bett

(Ffont &

Blrbtrln..

Kusuurl

Bock)

W..p

-hPlov<r

....... 10
Chnlnt lH ipl
not~Cil PMvor
t.fiWIIIO
D1nctt"t Belt
(Female

onv

LoatherWrop

ShortAp1on
Ao~ Pt~o

Holt~cr (Hlp)

I.OVOI2B
War!Ofd't Btfl

Rtdeh PIIJvor
Level 10

Wmfor't 8th

Magut Fa'-"d
(Fml Only)
~PIJ.,..,

Levol 2G

r; r-;-n

Male & Female Neck & Bnck Equipm,;..;.;n.;t_ _ _...,_ _ _ __

EqlllplfAnll'fPO

Silver
Ncclti3CO

EQSI~tT'Ip$:

U.loclt Confitio r~J

Uliloci: C:ut.liliom

Ruby
Necklace

Ribbon

Efllllf'twnt l'fpe
I.Atlo~l. C*ilitms

G-othic
.Jeweolry
[Female Only)

Cordierite
Nctkl3CC

Dagger
N~kl~~ote

Ethnic
Jewelry

Wltch Doctor's

Neckloce

....'

Aeach Prayer
le,-.;16

Wild Necklace

Bmss Choker

wesekh
Re:ach P iaye;
lG'>'GI6
RuH

Cr'imson Scorf

Coll:~r

Wor Cloak.

Red Ho.od
Reach Pla.,..er
level 22

Snake Collar
Reach Flayer
l 11 22

l:irge Stone
NcckliittO
Re&eh Player

lord's Mantle

Se:lrf

Training Scarf

Hermit's

Hood

le'IE!I 6
Large Prayer

Beads

Ribbon Tie

Crimson
Wlngt

Flight Ne-cktie

Reach P/.ayer
l.e'.'el36

D(!mon's
l aeen e

Cloak IShortl
li~Ch

Pr.:tter

le--.el 22

Angel Wings

FIGach PIJVI3r
V:wel 52

Ashigaru Rag

String
Necklace

nc~ch

Pl<ryoer

le'le4 S2

Male & Female Ann Equipment

----r--l:q11iptut Typ1:1
Unl td; Cof.t.'!!11 n~

.qlii;!ll~llll\'p~

U~cb t.anditi~

Ciju!p*lltl'tpc
Un!ort C:odiliunl

Ro:;.:.ry

Leather

Pri nCe$$

Bracelet

Gl ove:.

Gloves

Atm Bandt
Re~<:h ?l t~',er

Rocker's
Gloves

Rood'l Pia~r

t.evel $2

l eo.el 52

Dtmce.r':;

M'dium

Bracelets

Bandages

Studded
Brac:ohtts
R<tad'l P13Y9r

ClothArmlots

l e\'el 22
Silk Gloves

Roman
Armlet:;

Snake

Armlets &

Armlets

Bandaa~.s

UlyArmlets
Reach Player
levtr 6

longpao

Succubus
Ga unt~ets

Rea.ch Player

Levtl 22

Huolin

Venatic
Olovt.ll

,............,.

tMMII Ott11hliloM
Luse~

GII,Jnllttll

Mnnk:.s

G IOV!tl

Ro.'lch Pl3yer

Re-acil PIDVtr
l vvol6
AriQ(It'll

S ltHtvOil

Itl>beh Pill.,..,

'..
~

Sllvor
G~u n tl eb

'

I' ~

- ......

Voodoo
Atmlts

L-'22

Malo & Fomnlo Shoulder Equipment

l jllljiiiUtnl T,.,..,

Cqllljo/MIII

Unltlck Cuml!d.tn~

,,

W1uTic1r't S houldor

Ep&ulottos

I. -

~O:tCh PI,'Jyor LG'VOI 6

~Ch

1\opt

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Motif26

M otif 5

Motif 27

MotlfG

Motif28

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Motif73

Motif 7

Motlf29

Motjf 52

Motif 74

Motif 8

Motif 30

Motif 53

Motif75

Motif 9

Motif 31
Ae&eh Plu;er l.<l\<el 26

Motif 54

Mc1ti f 76
Reach Player Level 44

Motif 10

Motif 32
Reach Player l evel28

Motif 55
Reach Pl a-yer L9Vel 90

MotU77
R9ach Pl<l)'er L13'Vel 70

Motif 11

Motif 33
Ruaeh PL<t;N l c..el28

Motif 56

Matlf 78
Reach Player Le-.oel28

Motif 12

Motif 34
RG<J<:t'o Pl.:lr'<ll leV<:l 54

Motif 57

Motif 79
Aol!ch Plwyur

Motif 13

Motif 35

Rooctl P~ttvor Level12

R,.act\ Platef LeJel Sa

Motif 58
Reach Pla;oe1 Level <1d

Mot1f 14

Mot if 36

Motif 59
Reach Pla'j'er Level 12

Motif 81

Motif 16
Reach Player Level 12

Motif 37

Motif GO
Rcoch Pli.J;(ll Lc..v l 28

Motif 82

Motif 16

Motif 38

Motif 61

Mota 83

Motif t7
Reach Pl~1 I.VVVI M

Motif 39
Rooch Pl...vgr LIMII 54

Motif G2

Motif 84

Motif 18

Motif 40
Reach F1<1)'er Level 90

Motlif 19

Motif 41

R~ch

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Motif 71
Reach Pia'f'e! Level GO

Motlf49

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Motif &4

Motif 85

Ra;x;h Plt~}'9: l~w;,11 ao

Motif 86
Reach Player le.oel 70

Mo1if 43

Motif G&
Reach Plt~Vttr L!M!I 28

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Motif 45
Raoch Pl~;yo1 Lovol 90

Motif 67
Rench P1aycr Level 5d

MotU21

Moti'f 22

L~ul <1d

Mota so

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Motif 42

Reach Pla')'e' L9>el 00

Motif 05

MotH20

AO$Ch PID)<er Level 00

Reach ~VEt' Level 99

Pla;tJr Leorol 511

R<rt~Ch P!(I)Qr L0\'0160

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M otif 102

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Motif 103

Motif 105

Reac:l\ Plfvo t.o....l 90

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U~lt11:k Conditiun~

Scar 5

Sc11r 3

Reach Player
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SC-IU El

Scar 4

Rooch Player
Level GO

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Numbor Stlc.kort

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MotH 100

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MotU 119

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Motlf9G
Aooch Ployor Lovai SO

M ollf 91

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Chlnou Ch;lr. 3

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Chlrac:\or G

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Chractq.r 14
Chinoso
Charaetet- 15

ChiMW
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Chlneu
Ch.aft'c-ter 17

Chino"'
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Ch1nttt Ctuu. 19
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Chlnon
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CblnChtrKWr21

Chin tH ~.,. 22
Rotetl Pltytt

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Chhttto
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Chinese
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ChinO$&

Ch:m1ctor 27
Chh1oso

Ch arnctCJr 28

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Ctllnoso
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Lovoi OO
Chine-se
Chtlractcr 33
Chinose
Chlllrtu::tor 34
Chlnot D
Charoctor 3!i
Chlnu.,
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AoQCh PIO')'OI
LOVOI 12
Cl1lnose
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Chlnl)90
Chllri2Ct<tr 38
Chinoso
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Chlnoto
Chllrattttr 40

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Ct1lno110 CMr. 44
Ro&ch Plb)oer
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RO-'ch Pl:tyOr
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Aooch PUI'(&f
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Chlnoao
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Chinese Chllr. 48

nooch Pt.oyot
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Chlnoso ChM. 49
ReaCh Plt~yCr
LOI(II 12

Chlnoto
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Chln0$0

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Chlnoso Char. 52
RCbGh Pltr.'OI
Levlll 28

Chlrl&a

Chlnoso Chnr. 54

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Chlnoso
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ChlnoJC Chllr, 58
Aooch Ployor
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Chlnofo
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Chlno11o Chornc
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Rooct. PIOVOI
LO\tOI 00
Chlmu1~ Chtlr, 61
P.MCh Plll~r

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Chlnuc
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Chino so
Chttrnclor 63

Chlneao
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Chlnoa.o
CllllfliCIOr 65
Ct1lnoJo
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Chlnoto Chor. 67
Roach PI ~)'OI
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Chlneao Chtlf. 74
Ro&CII PI6VOr

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Cl1lnose
Chornetor 16

CI1IROIIO
Chnr.etor 77

Chinoso
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ChiM!Ifl Chnr. 79
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Chlnoto
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Chlnoao Chor. 81
Ro&CI' PIO'l 0f
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ChhiOSO
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Chlnott Chor. 83
Re~h PI&')'OI
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CIIII'IOIIB
Ch&r&c:Utr 84
Chlno~Wt

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Chlnoae Ch~~rlle
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Chlnc~ ao

Chftr&ttor 88

Chlno o Chnr. 80
Roacll Playor
Lovol -111

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Chlnot o
Charnctor 90

Chlnoao Chllr. G8
Aooeh Pl&yor
LO\'ol 70

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Chlnoto Chr. 91
Ao&eh Plt~yOr
LOVOI 00

Ch1noso
Choraeter 69

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Chlnoto Ch111r. 92
no&Ch PI&')Or
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Ao&eh Pl8'y\'if

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Clln&!fl

Ch1m1ctor 95
ChincH
Chorootcr 96
ChltiOSO

Chnrttctor 97
Chlnoso

Chllr&cter 98
Chtne.o Char. 99
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l.GVOI 28
Chlnoto
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Clllnose Chr. 101
Aeoch Pl~or

Le,.l28
CIIIIICJO
ChOrllCtOr 102
Chlnoao
Character 103
Chlnouo Chur. 104
RMCh Pla'!'(lr
Levol 12
Chln.tso Chllf. 105

ne.&cn PICIttf
t.ovol 70

Chine-se
Ch:~roetor

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ChlnG:Io
ChtltliCIOr 107
ChiMSO
Character 109

CI,Jnesa
Charnetor 109
Chl no~o

ChrttliCIOt 110

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Chlnuo
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Chln&11e
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Chlntlllfl
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Rooch Pla1'0f
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ChlnC'$0 Chnr. 114
ReaCh PIC,ytt

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Chinese Chtlr. 115
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Chineso

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Character 127

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Cha ra~;ter

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Chin(lSO Char. 119

Chln ~o

Rei!ch Pfa..--er

Character 130

Le'\'(ll 12

Chinese Ch01r. 120

Chin ese

Reach Pbtef'

Ch ar:teter T31

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Chino:se Char. t U

Character 121

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Unloc-k c:Mllloas

Chln0$0
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Chinese Char. 138

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Chin ese

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Characte.r 139

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Chi nese
Character 142

Clar11ct er 1S3

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Chines-e
CharaRcr 14J

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Chinese
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Chine:so

Character 144

Character 155
ChinG$9
Charactt't 156

CtlinosG ChiJt, 123

ChinoH

Chinese Char. 145

Read\ Player

Characte-r 134

Aooch Play(lr

Level 12

Le~ao

Chinese

ChlneM! ctmr. 135

Ret'ICh Pl~c

Cl1inest Chl'lr. 146

Aeoch Floyor

l evel 12

l evel SO

Chinese

Chinese

Chi nese

Ch:uaeter 12S

Character 138

Character 147

Character 124

Chinese

Chinese
Charnctcr 1$7
Chinese
Chuae-tor 158
Chin...

Chaneter 159

SHOOT PICTURES
Botl(grounds
lmll 11

6 11tkpn11tnd
Unlook tundiliun'
8a~kground

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llnei:!IIC*'Id
Urtlock Contllllcu

8ttkground 11
1\o.)ch Pbyar Level 65

Baclcground 21

Blck8round 31

lladJQround 32

a.dlground 2

&.tckground 3

Badtground 23

Bncl<g roun d 4

Ba~kgrou nd 24
Retch Plll't'OI l0''01 16

,..,... llneltg round 5

Bckgroul'ld 25
Reach Player Level 95

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B~ground 17

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Batkground 33

Background 34

Onckground 3S

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Bec:lqJround 36

Bockg<cVnd 27

Bodlgftl<""' 37

8~cllground 8

Background 28

8oc:kgroumd 38

Bae'kground 9
Roo<l"o Play~:u Lo.."' 16

Ont:kground 29

But:kgrournd 39

Bt~~e'1t$rou"d 10
R!adl Playe-r Le.-e4 32

G.lckground 30

RNctl ~r Level32

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Unlacl: Comlili4n:;

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Background 65

Background 44

Bacllground 45

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B:lekground 4G

Background 110
Reach Player Level 32

Baekgrou nd 8$

8i'1ckground 111
Aeach Pli)'or ~.cl 48

Background 66
Roach Pl<lye.r ft (wel 95

Backgmund 89
Reach Ptwar le...el 85

Background 112

Bac-.kgrOund 67
Ra.acn Pia~ lev~I 1S

Background 90
Reach PJaye.~ Level 16

Background 113
Re.adl Pl;ltat LeA;:~ S5

Background 68
~Ch Pf~wr 1.-ovol 32

Background 91
!Wach Pfayer Le\o-el32

Background 114
ReaCh Pl~r Level 16

Ret<:h Pl!l~'tll Uw~I5G-

Baekgrllund 69

Blltlcground 92

Acoch Plcyc1 Lt."'.cl95

Aeach Player L;;vel 5Q

B.ackground 115
Re&ch Pll)yer Level 32

BackgrOUI\d 47

Bac:kground 7 0
Re.u:h Plir>'IH le\>el 48

Background 93
Reach P18')'{:t l~&l 16

Bitckground 116
Rea:h ?lsyer Ui.el 66

B<tckground 48

Background 71

Background 94
Re:r..h Pla;er Le.'1132

Background 111

BaCkground 72
Reach PWVSJ Level 32

Btu;kground 95

BaeltgJOUI'I.d 118
Rebe'l Prayer Level i6

BacJtgrQI.IIld $0

Background 73

Re.adl Plaver LBV{!I 8

R>ad1 P:~r Level 66

Background 96

Background 51

Background 74
Roach Playar Leval 16

Background 97
Reach Plcyer !E..e! 75

Background 75
Reoch Pla)er L~l 32

B<~ck,ground 98

Reach PI8'VCf L<tJCI i5

Ro::~ch P13,~r Uvel 16

Background 49

Background 52

Re3ctl ~ Lq~l

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ReSell P!~,or LMI$5

Reach Pt.Jycllo..~ ~8

Btltkground 119

i>a<h Play.:>r LW~I 6S

Background 120
Player Le-..ei1G

Ac~Ch

Re~h Ple)er le\~1 85-

Background 121
Aeeeh Pla~'l!r tew:~l32

Background 99
Ree<:l'o Pltl,~r Le.~l 55

Baekground 122
Reacn Pla~r tetef 56

!1:~ ReaCh ~,'Of' LOWJl 65

Bacl<ground 77

Baclrground 100
~dl ~-er Level 32

Background 123
Reac''l Plavor l.evt~l 32

Background 78
- Jleach ~r LM185

Blu:ltgrou nd 101
Reach Pla>er Lwei 48

Background 124
Reach Player Ltvel48

Ba.ckgrOUild 56
Roach Player Le-..el48

Background 7$
Reach Flayer L~<el 95

Back:ground 102
Reach Pla)'er l.e'>el 56

Background 1Z5
Fleoch Player LE!\el 56

D:~ckground 57
Rea::h Player Le.~l48

Background 80

Reach Pl~;oer l&lel4$

Back.ground 103
Ac:v..h Playar l.Gvel l6

BaekgtOund 126
Reach Pl::,'l:r le~-el GS

Buckground 58
Reach Pl&')'!?r Le~l es

Background 81
Reach Pl&~~r Level 56

Backiground 104

Read'' ?l:i~rLG.~ 32

B~ckgrou nd 127
P.each Pl.a;e: teJef 75

Background !;!J
~.etdl Pl!l,-et Le'v'el 95

Baelcground 82
Rood'l Plar'Gf Le~l 32

a.,dlground 105
fWadi. P~r Level 16

Backg-round 1~a
Reec"l Plwer Le~ 85

BaCkground 60
Read"' Piayer Level 75

.l:l~ch

Background S3
Player Level 48

Rcacn Plwcr Level 55

Background 106

Background 129
Read1 Player level !.15

Dm;kground $4
Beath P!J~'er Level 5G

Background 101
Ae3ct'l Pl~er Le-vel iS

8atkgrtJund 130
Reaeh PliJy'Gr Level 32

Bnckground G2

Background 8S
Reach Pltt}er Le-.el16

Backgroul\d 108
ReaCh Player l.E\'el85

Ouckground 131
Reach Player 14-oel4$

Background 63

Background 86

Ba~;kground

Reach ?l;~a1 U!vel32

Re;;-ch ?ls,.~r Le..el 95

BackgrQund 53
Reech Pla',<er le.'el 16
Backnround 54
Reed\ Pls,'er Levef 56
Badcground 55
Rood'l P?evcr Levu! 49

Background 61
Aeach Player Level85

B.t~cl:cground 81
Reach Pl&>er L&\'el 65

Roach ?I&','IH Le\el i5

Bacl(groond 43

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Ollckground 4 2

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Re.ach Pleyer le'l-el56

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Background 132
Rosen P~"' ~.&.,;1 55

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s~~kground

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OackgrouBd 154

o.dqaround 141

e.dqaround 148

B-nd15S

kcltg round 1 42

8;~~dt.g round

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Background 1S6

8oc.lcoround 136
RMo:h Pfayer Level 95

Oodtground 143

O~tdlg round

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OuckgNund 157

B.u~ground

137

Bod<tJr04.1nd 144

Background 151

B&ckground 158

B.lcltground 13B

Badiground 145

Oodiground 152

Bldground 159

Bac&g rot~nd 139

&.:kground 146

a.cl:grotlnd 153

a.dcground 160

Background 133
R"t~-;h PI3'J'{H Le.oell

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Boldcground 135
Reach Player l e'Yel 8!5

Buck Frames
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Back frame 1

a.cac Fnrne2
Re.th Pfi191level65

Roach Pfayer l~el 32

Bock Frame 4
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BIQk Framo 13
Rood> P"\'<"f leYol 16

!kll a.dt frllme 10

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Oa<rc Fr~me 11

G.acrc Frame15

Reach Player l 9VOI 16

Reach PI.;Jy'er l evel 16

8m::k Framo 12

Rooch Player level a

Fron t Frame.s

- l-32

Front Mame 1
Ro.lch

Ftont Frame S

Front Frn.me 2

Front Fr.:une 6
~a<h Plarer lew\ 65

Front Frame 3

Front Frame 7

Ftont Framoe9

Front Fr<Jme 13

Front Frame 10

Front Fr.tu:ne 14

Front fflme 11

Front Fr:~ mo 15

Rt.:J<n P ~'ftf Level 76

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Front Frame 4

Front Fr:amo B

Front Frmo 12

RNcfl Pdyef leYel48

Shorod Frames
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Frvrlt/Sack Frame 16

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IJnlliCk C:oftflll~tolt

Front/Ovc:k Fromo 17

Front/Back Frttmo 18

Front/Oou;:k Fr;,mo i9

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Front/Back Frame 20

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Front/Back Frame 43

Front/Back Frame 66

Front/Back Frame 89
ReaCh Player Lewl95

FroniiBMk Fr<'mO 44

Front/Back Frame 67
Read\ PI-3WH le,.~l 65

Front/Back Fr~m o 90

Aeach Player Le...-el 48

Front/Back frame 22

Front/Bilck Frame 45
Ro~Ch Pl~cr Lo-,ol32

Fro1UIBact Frame 68
IW<idl Pl'ayer Letel 85

Front/Back Frame 91

Front/Bact Frame 23

Front/Back FT$mC 4(i

Front/Back Frame G9
Readl Play-er Love! 75

Front/Back Frame 92

Front/Back Frame 24

Front/Back Frame 4'1

Front/Back Frame 70

Front/Back Frame 93

Front/Back Frame 2S

Fro"IBadc Frame 48
Reach Plaver Le,-ef as

Front/Sack Frame 71
Re&eh Pla.,.er Le-.el 16

Front/Batlt Frame 94

Front/B.ack Frame 2G

Front/Back Frame 49
Ae~Ch Pkl)ler Level 32

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