Samurai Shodown VI/Yunfei

Introduction

Yunfei has a new move which serves as an answer to anti-airs and some modifications to his airdashes but he retains everything that made him strong in V Special while also sporting high damage potential for VI's standards. Less-damaging anti-airs and air-to-airs overall work in his favour.

EX Yunfei doesn't have this new move but has better airdashes and can triangle jump to reset the airdash counter, completely mogging his regular counterpart.

Data

• Dash type: Run
• Damage taken: 107%
• Rage retention: 60 (Lowest in the game)
• Rage duration: 25 seconds (Longest in the game)

Gameplan

Yunfei's main job is to fly around the screen and pester the opponent with mixups, but one would do well not to ignore his merits on the ground. 2B is a long-reaching poke which recoil cancels easily into his wind gust (236S), a fairly safe poke and chipping tool, and new to this game is its ability to be special cancelled into this for a combo. Yunfei also has his jabs, 6D, 5B and the more-risky 5C as other pokes he can choose from, but these are more situational than 2B. As for big punishes, Yunfei can choose between his n5C, which can be cancelled on its first hit, and 2C which is a launcher which also doubles as an anti-air, albeit not a very dependable one. Yunfei can harass with his 66D and 66B as a high/low mixup respectively and can punish from a distance with 66C.

The main thing Yunfei gets out of poking is an easy segue into his airdash game, as he can recoil cancel into his grounded airdash starters. His 2C, 5D and 66D, which launch Yunfei off the ground, can also be cancelled into his airdashes. If Yunfei is at range on the ground he can also start advancing with a tiger knee'd forward airdash (j214C). As for his grounded airdashes, 214A, which dashes forward, can be used for tricky crossups or to at least advance closer to the opponent, but it runs the risk of him getting poked out of it. 214B, which dashes backward, is a safer way to launch as it can be used more defensively and Yunfei can then home in with either of his jump-ins, j214C or his dive (j214AD). Alternatively, he can make a retreat with his backward airdash (j214D) or his reverse dive (j214CE). j214A and j214B serve similar purposes to their grounded counterparts, with the former enabling crossups and the other serving as a dodge. It should be noted that what enables Yunfei's crossup game is his footstomp (jAC), which halts his momentum as he falls straight down. This is suitable for when he is straight above the opponent - not only can he crossup easily with this but he can also land near the opponent for a mixup (be mindful that there is some landing recovery, so do space it). Furthermore, if jAC lands on the opponent, not only can he jump off in any direction but doing so will also reset his airdash counter. Yunfei may only perform up to three different airdashes in a jump, but landing jAC will reset his jump, allowing for even more airdashes. If any of his jumping normals (except for jC, which is strictly a jump-in or a very early air-to-air) make contact then they can be special cancelled, mainly into other airdashes to extend pressure. jA, jB and jD all have decent priority for the ranges they cover and can be used as air-to-airs. Yunfei also has an air throw (j4/6D), but he is not allowed to perform any other moves in his jump before landing this so you can't throw it into your airdash game.

Yunfei, who spends plenty of time in the air, doesn't usually worry about anti-airing himself, but rather getting anti-aired. Luckily, he has a new tool to prevent just that. His Heavenly Gas (j987S), which counts as another airdash, sees Yunfei halting his momentum, then leaping forward as a cloud of mist forms under his feet. This does barely any damage but it's a static fireball designed to stuff anything that comes its way. Additionally, his 214B, j214B and j214D may all be used to dodge any incoming attacks and to change Yunfei's trajectory at the last second, allowing him to potentially whiff punish an anti-air attempt. While being in the air opens up a myriad of mixup and movement options for Yunfei, he is ultimately safest when he's on the ground and able to block. But here, he is not a pushover either. Yunfei has access to a unique command grab (623D) which deals less damage than his regular throw, but will drain the opponent's Rage completely. From there, he gains access to an enhanced version of his gust (236C) which can only be used once before Yunfei has to land his command grab again. This deals a terrifying amount of damage on hit or block, covers a wide area and is completely safe and rewarding as a recoil cancel option. The catch is that of its eight hits, only the final one will deal most of the damage, and if this catches an aerial opponent they'll usually only eat a few of the weak hits then land on their feet to block the final hit. Usually the one good way to guarantee you don't waste it is to hit confirm into it, but if you're trying to land it in neutral (e.g. off of a recoil cancel) then the best way to guarantee they'll stay grounded is to have asserted your air dominance beforehand... or at least shown that you're usually going to go for airdashes even with the nuke that is 236C in your hands.

Given Yunfei's extremely large Rage retention and his access to launchers to prevent Rage Explosion screwing with his combos, V Spirit is his most obvious choice, much like how Yunfei players in V Special would often meditate rather than hold their Rage if they found the space to do so. Furthermore V Spirit also gives him access to forward rolls, which gives him an easier time landing 623D and therefore enabling his grounded threat. However, VI Spirit is also of merit because it completely ignores Yunfei's crippling retention rate - all he needs to do to gain access to his WFT is to score 184 points of damage at most. Unfortunately, he cannot build meter by spamming airdashes, and while he does appreciate Hyper Guard as a defensive mechanic given his lack of reversals none of his special cancels capitalise that well on it. III Spirit is a niche choice because it gives him an air parry, which is to an extent more reliable than the cloud for defense, but how Rage works in this system doesn't benefit Yunfei in the slightest. IV Spirit's Continuous Slashes give you a juggle into 236C and a way to build Rage manually, but the fatal flaw with this Spirit choice is that Yunfei's A+B whiffs on crouching opponents.

Normal Moves

Far Slashes

• 5A - A quick stab forward. Will whiff on most crouchers.
• 5B - A downward slice. Not special cancellable but will recoil on block.
• 5C - New move. After a brief pause Yunfei steps forward and swings at a great area in front of him. This has a fat hitbox in front of and above him and can recoil, making it suitable for poking, punishing and pre-emptive anti-airing, but if your opponent is looking for it then they can deflect it on reaction.
• EX 5C - Same as close version, which means it is much easier to score punishes into knockdowns as EX Yunfei. His WFT actually hits at the tip of the first hit's range, if you ever happen to be in Rage for it.
• 2A - A dig to the shins. This hits low.
• 2B - Trusty poke with decent range, but it is fairly low and susceptible to deephits. Recoils on block. This move is now special cancellable.
• 2C - Launcher. Cancellable into your air specials. Appears to recoil on block but can not be recoil cancelled.
• EX 2C - Same move but doesn't leap as far forward or as high.

Near Slashes

• n5A - Same as far version.
• n5B - Same as far version.
• n5C - Two-hit swing. In this game he doesn't move forward. The first hit is special cancellable, making this move ideal for close-range punishes.
• n2A - Same as far version.
• n2B - Same as far version.
• n2C - Same as far version.

Kicks

• 5D - Upkicks. The second hit can be cancelled into air specials. For example you can chase with j214C, then go for a crossup with j214A.
• 6D - A standing sweep.
• 2D - Low kick.
• 3D - An upward boot which knocks down on hit. This has worse range than 6D but its niche is that it's special cancellable.

Dash Normals

• 66A - Running 5A. Will whiff on most crouchers.
• 66B - Running 2A. Hits low. Does the exact same amount of damage as 66A, which is a little under what you get from 5B.
• 66C - A downward swing which knocks down. Unsafe on block but can be used as a crossunder anti-air.
• 66D - Flying kick. Hits high. Special cancellable.

Air Normals

• jA - A quick air-to-air slash. Special cancellable.
• jB - A downward swing in front of Yunfei. Special cancellable.
• jC - Hits wider than jB and obviously deals more damage, but is not special cancellable.
• jD - A forward boot. Special cancellable but kinda slow.

Unarmed Normals

• u5S - Standing finger jab.
• u2S - Crouching finger jab. Surprisingly fast.
• u66S - Running finger jab. Knocks down on hit.
• u66D - Worse frame advantage on hit for some reason. Still special cancellable.
• juS - Aerial finger jab downward. Special cancellable.

Hyper Slash (I)

• A+B - Essentially his 5C.

Continuous Slash (IV)

• A+B - This is the fastest Continuous Slash in the game tied with Kazuki's, but unfortunately it whiffs on crouching opponents. Yunfei has better options for Spirit choices, anyway.

Command Moves

Triangle Jump - EX j9 near wall

• Exclusive to EX Yunfei even though he didn't have a triangle jump in V Special. This gives him even more movement options in the air, mainly because leaping off the wall will reset the airdash counter.

Triangle Get Off - EX j3 near wall

• Exclusive to EX Yunfei. This can be used to better position your forward airdash and for various other niche setups.

Heavenly Hailstorm - j(4/6)D near opponent, can be done unarmed

• Air throw. Halts the momentum of your jump as Yunfei drops the opponent straight down. This deals a fixed amount of damage and causes a hard knockdown. You can only perform this raw, so no airdashing or attacking beforehand. No triangle jumping either.

Special Moves

Note: ★ = airdash special. Yunfei may only perform up to three different airdashes in one jump with no repeats.

Heavenly Preservation - 236S, can be done unarmed (also in EX)

• Yunfei summons a force of wind from his palm, forming a short wall. Each hit knocks down for modest damage, but will not juggle into eachother. This move is good for three hits of chip damage and can't be punished for much, so it is often used in recoil cancels.
• For whatever reason, if you are too close to the corner then the fireball will seemingly be pushed offscreen as Yunfei's expanding collision box pushes him back. If the opponent stands perfectly still they usually won't get hit by anything. However, if they attempt to guard then they will end up blocking, and if they attempt to counter-attack that expands their hurtbox enough then they will end up getting hit. Be mindful of this glitch when in the corner.

Silken Seal Of Heavenly Walls - 623D, can be done unarmed (also in EX) (Samurai Drive)

• Yunfei's command grab, which drains the opponent's Rage completely. If they are in Rage Explosion then this will prematurely end it. This actually does damage now and you can KO with it, but it not only deals less damage than your regular throw but it's also slower.
• Heavenly Millennia - 236C only once after 623D, can be done unarmed (also in EX)
  • Enhanced version of 236S. Has a much greater hitbox, deals eight hits which juggle into each other and its overall damage is three times as much as 236S. Given the pushback and the faster recovery this move is also much safer. The only problem, however, is that if this catches a jumping opponent then they will only take a few of the hits then land on their feet. This is a problem because the first seven hits deal only one pixel of damage each, while all the big damage is in the final hit.
  • The same corner glitch with 236S happens with 236C as well.

★7 Luminaries' Profound Secret - Moon - 214A, can be done unarmed (also in EX)

• Yunfei leaps diagonally forward. This can pass through an opponent and can be special cancelled at any point, but Yunfei can only perform normals after he starts to fall. Fancy a crossup with 214A, j214CE, or a fakeout with 214A jAC?
• There is a trick you can do with this move to get j214AD out as fast as possible. After performing this move, keep holding down A and then start holding D very soon after. If you do it too late you will get j214D instead.
• EX: Yunfei will fly way further forward while staying rather low to the ground.

★7 Luminaries' Profound Secret - Fire - 214B, can be done unarmed (also in EX)

• An inverse version of 214A where Yunfei flies backwards instead but covers the same horizontal distance. This is a much safer recoil cancel option than 214A given this evasive quality but it is also worse for potential mixups.
• EX: Yunfei will fly way further backward while gaining much more height.

★7 Luminaries' Profound Secret - Water - j236A or j214A, can be done unarmed (also in EX)

• New pattern. Yunfei makes a ichthus shape starting from a downward swoop, then looping upward and passing through where he started as he retreats. Yunfei can act again as soon as he reaches the peak of the loop. The pattern on this move makes it ideal for tricky crossups. The first sway will move through the opponent, but if done too low to the ground then the dip will cause Yunfei to land.
• EX: Yunfei uses the old pattern where he swerves forward up, then backward down. Essentially an inverse version of EX Yunfei's j214B.

★7 Luminaries' Profound Secret - Tree - j236B or j214B, can be done unarmed (also in EX)

• Yunfei will evasively sway backwards, then forward. Yunfei can act again a little after he begins to launch forward. This can be used as a dodge of sorts (i.e. to swerve away from an air-to-air or a DP) but the backwards sway has a slight downward swoop, meaning if this touches the ground then Yunfei will land.
• EX: This has a similar pattern but swings further upward and backward, making it better for dodges.

★7 Luminaries' Profound Secret - Gold - j236C or j214C, can be done unarmed (also in EX) (Samurai Drive)

• Yunfei dashes forward in the air and is able to move shortly after. When coupled with a tiger knee motion this is effectively an instant airdash, but if you're planning to jump in with jC then you have to make sure not to perform it too low. Alternatively you can jump in with your other air normals and cancel those into airdashes for more pressure. Furthermore this brings him closer to the wall where he can triangle jump off to restore his airdashes.
• EX: This version travels even further forward, making it better for skipping neutral.

★7 Luminaries' Profound Secret - Earth - j236D or j214D, can be done unarmed (also in EX)

• Yunfei dashes backward in the air and is able to move shortly after. This move is similar to the first part of j214B, but Yunfei doesn't halt his momentum. This is useful as a retreat and can be used in tandem with j214AD as a dodge.
• EX: This version travels even further backward, making it better for finding space to meditate. Furthermore this brings Yunfei closer to the wall where he can triangle jump off to restore his airdashes.

7 Luminaries' Profound Secret - Sun - jAC, can be done unarmed (also in EX)

• Footstomp similar to Basara's pogo, but has way less hitstun and doesn't hit very hard. This has potential for both crossups and empty fakeouts into mixups and can very easily be thrown in with the rest of your air shenanigans. Despite its name this is not an airdash special, as it can be performed even after you have used three airdashes. Landing this move will reset the counter, allowing you to go for even more airdashes. This has some landing recovery if it whiffs.
• This move can bounce on fireballs.

Heavenly Rave Flight - j236AD/CE or j214AD/CE (also in EX)

• Aerial dives which quickly travel diagonal to the ground. AD goes forward and CE goes backward, with the former being used as an actual attack and the latter seeing situational use as an option for getaway. This hits as an overhead and has no height restriction, meaning you can use this as an instant overhead of sorts, but not only does this have some startup but the opponent is usually going to be blocking high against Yunfei anyway, and this is really bad on block. This can not be used for crossups in most matchups, but if the opponent is wide enough then such a feat is possible.

★Heavenly Gas - j789S or j987S, can be done unarmed (Samurai Drive)

• Yunfei halts his aerial momentum then leaps forward a bit as a cloud of mist spawns from his feet. This can be blocked mid and only deals one hit of damage per hit (maximum you can get is three), but given it lasts for a while and covers a modest area from below where you were this is an answer to prevent opponents from anti-airing you at that moment without sacrificing much of your momentum.
• Don't call this move a fart because it's not.

Toy Transformation - 412146E (II)

Supers

Heavenly Cloud Charge - 236AB

• The same WFT Yunfei had in earlier games. This is a hitgrab with slow startup which does not chip on block and has no invincibility, but can be used as an effective anti-air given how the hitbox covers Yunfei. This can be combo'd into from n5C and Yunfei certainly holds his Rage for a long time, but given Yunfei's extremely high Rage retention it's going to take ages before you will even think about using this.

Heaven Crime Slash - j6321473BC (II), j236BC (VI)

• An enhanced forward dive. This is a hit grab which deals three hits, but only the last one does any damage. Will combo from the same things as your regular forward dive but is way faster. Hard knockdown.

Combos

Assume 236C has been charged by 623D beforehand when listed. All airdash motions are listed as 214 but 236 may be used for the aerial moves.

Standard Combos

• n5C/2B 236S/236C/236AB - Standard ground combos.
• 2C j214AD - Standard launcher combo. Does plenty of damage without having to land your command grab but you can only reliably connect this on a grounded opponent.

Secret Move (II/VI)

• 66D/jA/jB/jD SM - Exclusive conversions.

Continuous Slash (IV)

• A+B BBC 236S/236C/236AB - Luckily, the last hit of 236C will connect, which is the only hit that matters.

State Of Nothingness (V)

• 2C, ABC - If you hit the opponent more than this, they will be too high up to catch with Issen, which gives you a good ender. You can also use 5D to juggle but it cannot combo into Issen.
• 2C, 2C, jC - This does more damage than the combo above but obviously has a worse ender as far as advantage goes, but that doesn't matter if it will win you the game. You can tack on more jCs if you have extra time.

Frame Data - Provided by Tekitogate

Attack	Startup	On Hit	On Standing Block	On Crouching Block	Notes
5A	12	-6	-2	+3
2A	13	-1	N/A	+3
66A	9	-1	-5	0
jA	8	N/A	N/A	N/A
5B	9	-4	-8	-3
2B	10	-2	-8	-3
66B	7	+2	N/A	-5
jB	10	N/A	N/A	N/A
n5C	17	-1	-20	-15
5C	19	+1~+2	-20	-15
2C	17	KD	-20	-15
66C	7	KD	-26	-21
jC	13	N/A	N/A	N/A
5D	11	KD	-18	-13
6D	13	KD	N/A	-4
2D	6	-3	N/A	-2
3D	10	KD	N/A	-11
66D	13	-15	-18	-13
jD	14	N/A	N/A	N/A
u5S	5	-2	-14	-9
u2S	5	+3	N/A	4
u66S	5	KD	-14	-9
u66D	13	-20	-18	-13
juS	11	N/A	N/A	N/A
Hyper Slash	29	KD	-51	-41
Continuous Slash	7	N/A	-20	-15

Colors

External Links

• Seesaa wiki
• Seesaa wiki (EX)