Samurai Shodown VI/Rasetsumaru

Introduction

Kyoshiro gets a stance. Ukyo gets Mist Finers. Rasetsumaru cuts his chest faster.

Not-Haohmaru hasn't changed much at all but the system around him has. Luckily, the system changes have mostly been in his favour. His OTG special can be used to catch the strike vulnerability of short rolls, covering two different wakeup options at once while forcing the least-preferable option of long rolling onto the opponent for consideration. Furthermore, his sped-up self-wounding is not only great for maxing out his Rage in a pinch but couples well with VI Spirit where he doesn't have to worry about landing his WFT in under eight seconds, and furthermore never has to squander it when he has so many ways to confirm into it. Rasetsumaru is a character who works chiefly around Rage and the system mechanics of VI allow him to do so without much disruption.

Data

• Dash type: Run
• Damage taken: 104%
• Rage retention: 195
• Rage duration: 8 seconds

Gameplan

Before gaining access to Rage, Rasetsumaru plays a similar midscreen game to Haohmaru, poking with tools such as 5B and 5C and recoil cancelling these into his rising fireballs (236S) or a spaced shoulder tackle (623D) for a possible way in. As for anti-airs your DP (623S) only activates if it comes into your opponent's hurtbox, so you're better off using jB or jC as air-to-airs instead unless the opponent is close enough for it to hit. As far as punishes go, his far mediums can all combo into shoulder tackle for a knockdown, and furthermore his close heavies are unique in that they can lead into combos as well, but if he isn't close enough to punish with these things then he can still settle with 5C and 66C. If he is unarmed his best options for punishing are 3D, 66D and shoulder tackle. Rasetsumaru has a basic running mixup with an overhead (66B) which can be kara cancelled into shoulder tackle, a low (66D) and a throw, in which all of these lead to knockdowns.

Rasetsumaru becomes scary when Raged, not only because his shoulder tackle combos get a damage boost but because he can then link one of those shoulder tackles into his WFT. This WFT not only juggles from pretty much anything feasible (including his fireballs if you're good enough) but can also be used as an invincible reversal. Rasetsumaru's Rage retention is quite low, but his Rage only lasts for eight seconds tops. VI Spirit mitigates this, allowing Rasetsumaru to hold onto his WFT for however long he sees fit, but in addition to its generally lower damage output being a downside he can't build any meter from getting hit, having to build it all by constantly being on the offense which is a tall order for a character who doesn't have the best neutral game out there. However, Rasetsumaru can build this instantly by cutting his chest (214D), which sacrifices a sixth of his health to max out his Rage instantly. As Rasetsumaru does not have to worry about his Rage timing out in VI Spirit, the measly 16% you lose from cutting your chest is well worth the investment.

What makes his WFT particularly great is not just its properties and how easy it is to combo into, but how Rasetsumaru is particularly good at bullying unarmed opponents afterwards. Not only does Rasetsumaru not have to worry about getting outpoked or outzoned, but his Senpuu Ha (236D) becomes a much better tool overall. Normally it is used to hit a downed opponent, as if they short roll instead of stay put they will get hit by the move during their strike vulnerability frames. It also sees use as a chipping tool, dealing about six hits of chip, but if your opponent is armed then they have more than enough range to score a punish. This is not the case against an unarmed opponent. Unless their name is Galford, the opponent will not have enough range to punish this move on block, nor will they have adequate tools for effective whiff punishes. Furthermore this move has throw invulnerability, meaning the opponent can only really contest it with a pre-emptive running punch/sweep. Mix it in with your other strengthened tools for best results, because if they knock you down early and pick their weapon back up then it's all for naught.

As discussed, VI Spirit is ideal for holding onto your WFT for as long as possible, but it takes a while to build Rage unless you're willing to sacrifice 16% of your health. It doesn't take many hits for Rasetsumaru to actually gain Rage, then II is a strong choice because you not only have plenty of time to land your WFT but it will also destroy their weapon, allowing you to be even more oppressive with your unarmed bullying as they will have no opportunity to pick up their weapon at all for a few seconds. If you are playing on console and aren't restricting yourself to arcade-only Spirits then 0 Spirit will give you the best of both worlds, with VI's unlimited Rage, II's rolls and weapon-destroying WFTs and the ability to build Rage both offensively and defensively.

Normal Moves

Far Slashes

• 5A - Light poke, negative on hit but not as bad as 2A. Cancellable at any point.
• 5B - Standard poke/recoil button from mid-range, though a bit slow. Special cancellable and can combo into 623D if close enough.
• 5C - Doesn't look as amazing as Haohmaru's 5C, because it isn't. The slower startup makes it easier to counter while it deals considerably less damage (undoubtedly to compensate for the amount of damage your combos do). Fortunately, this move keeps the same range as Haohmaru's 5C, so it is effective as a poking tool which leads into recoil cancels.
• 2A - Redundant poke. Not only is 5A faster and farther-reaching but your opponent recovers from getting hit by this way before you do. Also cancellable like 5A.
• 2B - Does not hit low like Haohmaru's 2B. About the same startup as 2A but reaches farther and has better damage and hitstun. Comes out faster than 5B but that move has way better range. Special cancellable and can combo into 623D if close enough.
• 2C - Haohmaru's 2C followed with his 5C. The first hit is not an effective anti-air despite appearances. Both are heavy hits which will guarantee a soft knockdown if you land both of them, but you are able to cancel the first hit for a combo. Both hits recoil on block.

Near Slashes

• n5A - Quick hit with the butt of your sword. Special cancellable.
• n5B - Reliable combo tool which will form the majority of your punishes.
• n5C - Downward swipe then a 5B which is special cancellable. Go for it if your opponent screwed up big time.
• n2A - n5A but lower.
• n2B - n2A but slower and more damaging. Special cancellable and will combo.
• n2C - Same as far version.

Kicks

• 5D - Rasetsumaru's only kick that isn't a low, this is a roundhouse which hits above his head.
• 6D - Standing low.
• 2D - Very fast low poke. Can lead into tick throws and link into 623C.
• 3D - Low slide. Useful for punishes especially if you're unarmed.

Dash Normals

• 66A - Running punch. Advantageous on hit which means this is good for pressure and tick throws if spaced properly.
• 66B - A leaping overhead with a brief pause beforehand. This is kara cancellable but you need fast hands for it as the window for it is early, which on that note makes it questionably useful as a mixup tool compared to Basara where there is just enough time to see that he is indeed going for an overhead.
• 66C - An upward swing which stops Rasetsumaru dead in his tracks. Can be used to catch upbacks and for crossunder anti-airing but get used to him not carrying any momentum like most other attacks of this sort will. Special cancellable but won't juggle which is disappointing, but you can still close the gap with 623D.
• 66D - Running 3D. Easy punish tool and something simple you can do for oki.

Air Normals

• jA - Aerial 5A.
• jB - Looks the same as jA but trades startup for damage. Reaches a bit further out than jC but very situational.
• jC - Braindead jump-in, air-to-air and everything else you would want out of an air normal. Has an amazing vertical hitbox and leaves plenty of hitstun to link n5B after you land.
• jD - An air-to-air that hits lower than jA and jB, and given it has better reach it is typically more useful in this regard.

Unarmed Normals

• u5S - Standing punch.
• u2S - Crouching punch.
• u66S - 66A but it knocks down.
• juS - Aerial punch.

Hyper Slash (I)

• A+B - Essentially his 5C.

Special Moves

Fatal Cyclone Slash - 236S

• Haohmaru's fireball, but it drifts upwards as it travels. Strength determines the startup, distance travelled and how high the opponent is launched on hit. Hard knockdown.
• A change from V Special is that this fireball now does a reasonable amount of damage on its own, but you can still juggle the opponent while they are launched. This is tight but necessary for tacking on extra damage as you can't pursuit after this move anymore.

Calm Blade - 623S

• Rasetsumaru taunts. If a hurtbox from the opponent interacts with his upper body then he will perform a small Kogetsuzan. This does not have instant startup.
• This will catch opponents standing next to him and certain pokes with fat enough hurtboxes up to the tip. This will not catch displaced hitboxes or extremely low attacks.
• May be used as a niche recoil cancel option or a close anti-air.

Power Impulse - 623D, can be done unarmed (Samurai Drive)

• Shoulder tackle. Quite fast and moves you forward a short distance. This is your main combo tool and it can also be spaced to be safe in pressure, usually from a recoil cancel. This can juggle into your WFT until they hit the ground.
• Can go over some low attacks such as most 2Ds.

Destructive Whirlwind - 236D (Samurai Drive)

• Instead of a fake fireball, Rasetsumaru scrapes up a blast of energy for a great amount of chip damage. This is punishable if the opponent can reach him, but if they are unarmed then chances are they will not. The fact this is immune to throws on startup makes it particularly good for bullying people without a weapon.
• This can hit OTG if they don't roll, but if they short roll this will catch them. Long rolls are a surefire way to avoid this move but depending on the circumstances they may leave an unarmed opponent even further away from their weapon.

Death Curse - 214D (Samurai Drive)

• Extremely fast compared to previous games with practically no stalling before Rasetsumaru cuts his chest. By doing this you lose 16% of your health but you max out your Rage instantly. This is often used in timeout situations where Rasetsumaru is about to lose the round anyway so he comes into the next round with full Rage. This goes extremely well with VI Spirit where he doesn't hold onto his WFT for eight seconds tops.
• In Training Mode, if Rasetsumaru cuts his chest during State Of Nothingness, he will be Raged. In real matches this does not apply so you'll just end up losing health for no reason.

Toy Transformation - 6412364E (II)

Supers

Supremely Furious Slash - 236AB

• Arguably still the best WFT in the game, though this game has certainly brought some contenders to the table. This is a reversal and a combo tool which will combo from pretty much everything, notably his shoulder tackle. Short range and bad recovery mean you will most likely wish to save this move for hit confirms so you can start bullying your opponent quicker.

Power Roar - 163214623BC (II), 236BC (VI), can be done unarmed

• Enhanced shoulder tackle which deals five hits charging, then an upward slash for two extra hits when armed. This does pitiful damage on its own, about twice as much as your shoulder tackle, but it can also juggle into WFT. Soft knockdown.
• Because you don't have access to your WFT when unarmed, the unarmed version does 50% more damage to compensate. Still isn't great, but good for unarmed standards.

Combos

Standard Combos

• 5B/n5B/n5C/2B/n2B/2C 623D - Holy moley look at those starters. Of course WFT will also combo, but because 623D already juggles into it you're wasting damage.
• 623D/236S, 236AB - Juggles into WFT. The fireball juggle is extremely tight.

Continuous Slash (IV)

• A+B BBC 623D, 236AB - Yes, this juggle is possible, at least in the corner. Don't you have enough confirms already?

State Of Nothingness (V)

• 623D, ... ABC - More juggles from 623D are nice, but using the Spirit with the worst Rage duration in the game on a character designed around landing his WFT is not a very good idea.

Colors

External Links

• Seesaa wiki