Samurai Shodown VI/Nakoruru

Introduction

Nakoruru has a brand new command grab and a few extra options while riding Mamahaha, but she has lost combos and her WFT is slower. Her damage output, health and range are still below average. The best thing about Nakoruru is undoubtedly her mobility, with quick ground movement, fast attacks, wall jumps and eight-way movement with Mamahaha, so if you're going to play her then use these qualities to your full advantage.

Murasaki Nakoruru

Aesthetics aside, Murasaki Nakoruru is the exact same character as Nakoruru. To unlock Murasaki Nakoruru in the arcade version, the game must not be set to Free Play and there must not be any credits inserted. When the invitation letter appears on screen, the following inputs must be performed: A (P1), B (P2), C (P1), D (P2). As the letter is being cut, you then have twenty frames to input Start (P1). If done correctly, you'll hear the start sound effect. Murasaki Nakoruru will then replace the upper random select icon.

Data

• Dash type: Run
• Damage taken: 109%
• Rage retention: 113
• Rage duration: 7 seconds (2nd Shortest)
• Miscellaneous: Nakoruru recovers from crouching blockstun three frames faster than usual. This also applies to Rera (while riding Shikuru) and Sankuro.
• Nakoruru's Continuous Slash is throw invulnerable during startup. This also applies to Kazuki, Rera, and Ukyo.

Gameplan

Nakoruru is designed to play keepaway and to pester the opponent. She has a good backdash and a fast run, the latter of which comes with a decent assortment of running normals, with mixup potential between 66B and 66D, a punish with 66C and a safe pressure tool in 66A. In air-to-air confrontations she has strong options in jB and jC, but she also has access to j2D and her air throw which result in knockdowns. However, these cover smaller ranges and are thus more situational. At fullscreen she has her diagonal fireballs with Mamahaha as usual (214S), as well as her fireball reflector (421S), but new to VI is the ability to perform bird dives whilst flying on Mamahaha (214D). Flight allows you to move in eight directions across the stage for about a second, and during this time Nakoruru can perform moves such as her b(3/6/9)BC divekicks, which come out instantly and can serve as either air-to-airs, anti-airs or fast overheads, her b236S which allows her to leap off while spinning her dagger around her and the ability to either jump or fall off the bird at any position. This new addition of b214S allows Nakoruru to both customise her space control at a distance to control different geometries and to have a ranged air-to-air option which leaves her safe. During flight all of your attacks are overheads, but to counter this the opponent can simply block high, at most adjusting to your crossup attempts. However, if you are using this for getaway attempts then the opponent may be inclined to try and hit you out of it, in which your air-to-air options listed above will shine. If your keepaway leaves you cornered then Nakoruru can escape with stronger versions of Annu Mutsube (412S) which are invincible to strikes but are extremely unsafe, triangle jump over the opponent or take a big risk with Lela Mutsube (236S) to fly out. As important as keepaway is to Nakoruru's game it is important to stand your ground with pokes and air-to-airs so you don't end up in the corner so easily.

It takes a long time for Nakoruru to Rage and she doesn't hold onto it for long, and furthermore Nakoruru usually has the space to meditate safely, so V Spirit is a solid choice. Furthermore this Spirit gives her access to a forward hop on top of other useful movement options, making her mobility even stronger. Just be mindful that if you don't meditate then you'll only keep Rage for about four seconds, so you have to be pretty committed to meditation if you want to make the most out of V Spirit. If you find her WFT too useful to pass up, even though it has been nerfed significantly from V Special, then VI Spirit is your best bet for holding onto it, although your damage output will be even lower than usual.

Normal Moves

Far Slashes

• 5A - Same startup as 5B but a bit safer. Less rewarding poke otherwise. Your best tool for beating hops if your opponent has them.
• 5B - An important poke for Nakoruru. Short as far as medium slashes go but this is special cancellable.
• 5C - One big swipe downward. Solid punish tool and recoil starter, though being a heavy slash it is still quite slow.
• 2A - Very short swipe, which doesn't matter much if you're in the opponent's face anyway. Hits mid now.
• 2B - After a pause Nakoruru begins to roll, with all three hits being low. Your low-hitting kick attacks are much faster and are better suited for such a purpose, but the first hit of this move is special cancellable.
• 2C - Two-hit anti-air swing. The first hit doesn't hit low anymore but it is special cancellable.

Near Slashes

• n5A - Standing 2A. You no longer get any combos from this, not even from counter hit.
• n5B - Standard combo starter.
• n5C - Does about the same damage as 2C but starts and recovers slower, so use that move instead.
• n2A - Same as far version.
• n2B - Same as far version.
• n2C - Same as far version.

Kicks

• 5D - Roundhouse kick. Slow startup but decent recovery. Doesn't combo into anything.
• 6D - Nakoruru kicks up to the opponent's torso and somersaults back, even if she didn't actually hit them. This is a very fast punish which guarantees a knockdown on hit, but it doesn't do much damage.
• 2D - Low kick. Can be used for tick throws.
• 3D - Low-hitting sweep.

Dash Normals

• 66A - Running 5A. This is a safe pressure tool which can help you to get in. Has an early cancel window that allows you to kara cancel or even combo into 236A if you're fast enough, but given the fast startup and low hitstop it's very tight.
• 66B - New move. A quick overhead leap. Knocks down on hit. Can be kara cancelled into j2B to make it safer but the window for doing it is tight.
• 66C - Running 2C. Useful as a punish tool and a crossunder anti-air.
• 66D - Running 2D. Hits low for a soft knockdown.

Air Normals

• jA - Aerial n5A. Outclassed by jB.
• jB - Aerial n5B. Strong air-to-air option directly in front of you which can beat normals such as Amakusa's jC.
• jC - Trademark Ainu normal. Air-to-airs well above you, can be used as a jump-in and comes out quickly.
• jD - Jump-in kick. When unarmed this will cover angles you can't reach with j2D or juS.

Unarmed Normals

• u5S - Standing swat.
• u2S - Crouching swat.
• u66S - Running swat. Knocks down.
• juS - Aerial swat.

Hyper Slash (I)

• A+B - Essentially her 5C. Low damage for Hyper Slash standards.

Command Moves

Triangle Jump - j9 near wall

• This exists as an option to not only escape the corner but to get more height for your jC if you really need it. You can do this after falling from Mamahaha.

Triangle Get Off - j3 near wall

• Well, it's there. Won't have much use, as if you're hopping off from a low part of the wall then a jC isn't likely to come out, and furthermore Nakoruru doesn't have any crossups she can use for setups. You can do this after falling from Mamahaha.

Lelake Matek - j(4/6)D near opponent, can be done unarmed

• Air throw. Carries the momentum of your jump as Nakoruru drops the opponent to the ground. This deals a fixed amount of damage and causes a hard knockdown.

Special Moves

Note: ★ = Mamahaha special. Upon performing one of these moves or their followups it will take a moment for Mamahaha to travel back to her original position behind Nakoruru. During this period Mamahaha specials can not be performed.

Kamui Mukesupu - j2D, can be done unarmed

• A moonsault with some delay. Knocks down on hit. The unarmed version stays out for longer. This counts as a special move because it can be kara cancelled into from 66B.

Annu Mutsube - 412S (Samurai Drive)

• Low-hitting slide. Strength determines the startup and distance travelled, with 412C travelling the whole screen but not being able to combo from anything. 412B and 412C have some strike invulnerability during startup, but all versions will be able to slide under moves such as Iroha's tatsu. This attack will stop if you hit the wall.

Lela Mutsube - 236S

• A diagonal version of 412S, but each version has the same startup. Strength determines the distance travelled. Not that great as an anti-air despite appearances and no version has invincibility. This attack will stop if you hit the wall.

Kamui Risse - 421S, can be done unarmed (Samurai Drive)

• Nakoruru whips her cape in front of her. Strength determines how many times - one for light, two for medium and three for heavy. All cape swings can reflect fireballs, with successful reflects resetting the fireball's trajectory.
• Return Kamui Risse - S, can be done unarmed (Samurai Drive)
  • A flick away with the cape which launches the opponent a great distance back and knocks down. This will not reflect fireballs. Can only combo from 421S on a counter hit, which is disappointing considering its damage output.

Touruse Sanpe Kiku Mutsube - 632146C

• A command grab which deals a fixed amount of damage. This is more damaging than your regular throw but still not very strong. Same animation as her Overkill from V Special, but without that great of a pause before she stabs the opponent. Regardless, this is one very good way to run out the timer.

★Amube Yatoro - 214S, can be done unarmed

• Nakoruru calls Mamahaha to strike from behind Nakoruru to a specific area of the screen, effectively drawing a diagonal line. Strength determines the angle Mamahaha flies at, with 214C travelling up to fullscreen.

★Mamahaha Flight - 214D, can be done unarmed

• Nakoruru leaps back and grabs onto Mamahaha's talons. This backward leap makes this move useful as a dodge of sorts. Once you're on you can move around in all eight directions but you will get off immediately after about a second.
• Mamahaha Attack - bS, can be done unarmed
  • Nakoruru will perform a quick overhead strike in place, stopping your momentum. Each attack is visually identical to its jumping normal equivalent and covers the same area, but all attacks have similar startup, deal the same small amount of damage and are all special cancellable. mC has slightly slower startup than other attacks but covers a wider area.
• Kamui Mutsube - b(3/6/9)BC, can be done unarmed (Samurai Drive)
  • Instant dive attack from Mamahaha. Hits as an overhead. New to VI is the ability to angle your dive. b3BC is her original dive from V Special and serves the same purpose as an overhead or a dodge followup. b6BC and b9BC are air-to-airs which may be used if the opponent is jumping to avoid your b3BC or just trying to hit you out of flight. b9BC may be used as a ghetto escape option but there is noticeable recovery on all versions as you land, so only attempt this if your opponent either can't or won't punish you.
• Yatoro Pokku - b236S, can be done unarmed
  • Nakoruru hops off while spinning her dagger around her. Strength determines how far she leaps. This can crossup but the damage is pitiful and it's a bit hard to space for. Has a fairly brief landing recovery meaning you probably won't be punished by anything big if they block it. Overall a pretty safe way of making your way in if you need to. This can switch sides in the corner.
• Shichikapu Ai - b214S, can be done unarmed
  • This is a flying version of 214S where Nakoruru drops to the ground while Mamahaha flies at the opponent. Strength determines the angle, in which these are identical to the grounded version's angles, but there is no delay before Mamahaha takes off. This is worse for fullscreen pestering than just using the grounded version but it can be used as a much safer air-to-air than b(3/6/9)BC, or at least one which may give you a preferred spacing.
• Get off from Mamahaha - bD with any direction, can be done unarmed
  • Nakoruru can either fall or leap off the talons in three different directions each. You can perform an attack or jump off the wall as you fall.

Toy Transformation - 321421E (II)

• Nakoruru can perform this move while Mamahaha is returning to her, but because Mamahaha is perched on her head for the taunt she will spawn from this position and then fly back behind Nakoruru. No Mamahaha specials can be performed during this period.

Supers

★Elelyu Kamui Risse - 236AB, can be done unarmed

• Her old WFT, but it doesn't come out nearly as fast so it doesn't combo from much now. The super flash includes the animation of Nakoruru gripping onto Mamahaha, but the fact it exists means it is much easier for the opponent to react to the overhead hit. This is still useful as a dodge of sorts but Nakoruru's Rage time is still pitifully short, especially if you are using V Spirit.

Apehuchi Kamui Risse - 3214623BC (II), 236BC (VI), can be done unarmed

• Seven-hit cape swing. In II this has the exact same input as her secret unarmed move in V Special. This deals less damage than your WFT but is easier to combo into - anything that can combo into Kamui Risse will combo into this. The last hit is responsible for about half of the total damage.

Combos

Standard Combos

• 5B/n5B/2B/2C 412A/B/236S/421S - Standard ground combos.
• bS b(3/6/9)BC/m214S - Flight combos, though you usually won't be using mS at all.
• 421S (one hit) ~S - Counter hit only.
• jC, 236AB - Deephit only.

Continuous Slash (IV)

• A+B BBC 236S/421S - 236C is obviously your best ender as you can not land the followup after 421S in this combo.

Frame Data - Provided by Tekitogate

Attack	Startup	On Hit	On Standing Block	On Crouching Block	Notes
n5A	5	-1	-2	+3
n2A	12	-1	-2	+3
5A	7	-1	-2	+3
66A	5	-4	-8	-3
jA	7	N/A	N/A	N/A
n5B	10	0	-8	-3
5B	13	0	-8	-3
2B	15	+1	N/A	-3
66B	20	KD	-15	N/A
jB	8	N/A	N/A	N/A
n5C	15	+2	-20	-15
5C	16	-2~-1	-20	-15
2C	13	+8~+9	-20	-15
66C	10	KD	-19	-14
jC	14	N/A	N/A	N/A
5D	13	1	-3	2
6D	4	-1	-31	-26
2D	6	-2	N/A	-1
3D	14	KD	N/A	-12
66D	4	KD	N/A	-12
jD	10	N/A	N/A	N/A
Hyper Slash	26	KD	-54	-44
Continuous Slash	12	N/A	-20	-15

Colors

External Links

• Seesaa wiki