Samurai Shodown VI/Amakusa

Introduction

Amakusa is a stance character. His new stance gives him a better jump, a longer backdash, shorter teleports and a whole suite of offense-oriented normals and specials. A few of his old tools like his close crouching heavy slash, slaps and divebomb have been shifted to this new rushdown stance, freeing up his old keepaway stance to gain even stronger zoning tools such as a tracking sweep and a variety of new anti-airs. This combination alone would make Amakusa a solid enough character in his own right, but hard knockdowns after every good combo ender, priority on everything, easy access to backhits and insane meter build in VI Spirit are more than enough to push the envelope.

Data

• Dash type: Step
• Damage taken: 111%
• Rage retention: 210
• Rage duration: 6 seconds

Gameplan

Amakusa is chiefly a zoner who can be extremely volatile if played correctly. This mainly owes to his teleports (236D forward, 214D backward), which allow him to escape various situations safely and make him hard to pin down. With backward teleports, either done raw or recoil cancelled into, he can buy plenty of space for himself to start throwing fireballs (d236S, particularly the heavy version which deals a great amount of chip damage). Forward teleports allow Amakusa to zip through fireballs and other pokes from fullscreen while potentially crossing through the opponent, with the most notable application of the latter being that Amakusa can teleport to escape the corner without jumping. However, spamming teleports carries the risk of being thrown out of them, which can disrupt his momentum considerably. At range Amakusa can poke safely with d5A, d5B, d5C, d2C, jdC and fireballs, while he can stuff aerial approaches at various ranges with d2B, nd2C, d623D and his various air-to-airs. In addition to mixing up between d5A (low) and d5B (overhead), Amakusa also has his portal mixups (d214S) which work at a closer range and result in high damage and hard knockdowns if they hit, but leave Amakusa vulnerable if they miss.

All of these tools are geared towards long-ranged fighting, with nothing particularly strong up close to back it up. That is, until you switch stances. By pressing CE, Amakusa will swap out his traditional green orb for a pink orb, altering his playstyle for a close-range approach and effectively giving you a second character to learn. Although the change itself is instant, the pose he's stuck in takes a while to complete. To make it safer, it is best to use Amakusa's teleports and ranged harassment tools to buy space for himself to do so safely. d421S and d623D both grant Amakusa hard knockdowns, which also provide him safe opportunities to switch stances if he is willing to sacrifice oki. Alternatively, Amakusa can change his stance before the round starts without posing.

During Short stance, Amakusa gains better tools for going on offense. His jump has been made lower and quicker, which couples well with his crossup (jsB) and his oppressive air-to-air (jsC). His teleports have been made shorter in length which means this version of Amakusa isn't going to be blitzing through everything from fullscreen, but they are not only designed to be effective at heavy slash range and closer for strike/throw mixups but are essential for both initiating and continuing his strongest backhit combos. Many of his normals, notably his medium slashes, ns2A, ns2C and s6D, are special cancellable and will usually convert into his slaps (s421D) or WFT for a combo or his teleports for pressure. When up close Amakusa can also set a black orb (s236S), which is a safe, rewarding recoil cancel option that will keep the opponent locked in place for either a mixup or a free hit. Amakusa also gains access to his dive (s623S), which is mainly used for crossups. Short stance is what Amakusa will be using most of the time for its pressure and damage output, but his old stance is great at running away with a lifelead after you secure it.

VI Spirit is Amakusa's best choice by far. Not only does he build meter insanely fast with his multi-hit specials and he gets to hold onto his WFT for as long as possible, but he also gains access to two strong Secret Moves (that's right, he has two) and as a zoner he appreciates the pushback from Hyper Guard. Whatever other benefits Amakusa could gain from other Spirits are nullified by the fact that his Rage only lasts for six seconds at most.

Normal Moves

Moves marked with d are exclusive to Distance Mode. Moves marked with s are exclusive to Short Distance Mode.

Far Slashes

• d5A - Standing low which reaches up to midscreen. Not recoil cancellable.
• d5B - Overhead with similar reach to 5A, meaning the two synergise well. Recoil cancellable.
• d5C - A forward ball push which reaches over half the stage, but here the ball will then hook upwards when returning to Amakusa, occupying a bit of air space. Both hits are heavy, meaning the opponent will only be knocked down if both connect. Recoil cancellable.
• d2A - A crouching low as Amakusa bowls the ball forward. Has worse range than 5A and can't be recoil cancelled either, but it has a niche in that it can't be deflected.
• d2B - Amakusa throws the ball at a 30° angle upwards for an exceptionally-far anti-air. Will whiff on most grounded opponents, but it is recoil cancellable.
• d2C - The bowling ball has been replaced with a tracking sweep. It hits low, deals the same damage as 5C, causes a soft knockdown and it recoils on block. You don't even need to space yourself to start fishing for recoil cancels.
• s5A - Standing slap.
• s5B - A putt forward. Special cancellable but be careful that what you're cancelling into will reach.
• s5C - Amakusa forces the ball about a character length in front of him for a bit. This stays active for a long time and will recoil on block, making it an excellent meaty. Causes a soft knockdown on hit.
• s2A - Crouching slap.
• s2B - s5B but lower.
• s2C - A low-hitting sweep which reaches two character lengths forward before hooking up and returning to Amakusa.

Near Slashes

• nd5A - Same as far version. This will whiff point blank so don't do it!
• nd5B - Combo starter.
• nd5C - Similar to the far version, but it doesn't reach as far and the ball hooks downward when returning to Amakusa.
• nd2A - Same as far version.
• nd2B - n5B but lower.
• nd2C - Amakusa throws the ball high straight over him. This will not hit any grounded opponents but will occupy the space above Amakusa nice and quick.
• ns5A - s5B but quicker. Special cancellable.
• ns5B - Five slaps in quick succession. All hits are special cancellable.
• ns5C - A hook upward then a swing downward. The second hit knocks down but neither hit is cancellable.
• ns2A - s2B but quicker. Has an high amount of hitstun which even allows it to link into itself.
• ns2B - ns5B but lower.
• ns2C - s2B but slower and way heavier. Hard-hitting punish tool.

Kicks

• 5D - Hop kick which moves Amakusa forward a bit. High profiles and beats throws, but not instantly for either.
• d6D - Standing low. Not cancellable.
• s6D - d6D but cancellable. Will only combo into supers.
• 2D - A low kick.
• 3D - A low-hitting slide which will send Amakusa two characters forward. Knocks down.

Air Normals

• jdA - Amakusa tosses the ball diagonally below him. Doesn't have the best range but is his best option for hitting opponents directly below him.
• njdB - jC but it's quicker and doesn't reach as far. Does not have its blind spot.
• jdB - An air-to-air which goes at an upward angle. Great for checking Iroha's double jumps as Amakusa's jump is still quite high.
• jdC - Amakusa tosses the ball a little further than where the screen starts to zoom out. It's too slow to use as an instant overhead, and furthermore Amakusa's jump is still extremely slow, so this is mainly used as a harassment tool. Has a blind spot when up close to the opponent.
• jsA - Aerial slap.
• jsB - Amakusa swings the ball around his legs. This is a crossup which hits deep, but it's a bit hard to combo from.
• jsC - This was his old high pursuit. Amakusa swings the ball downward in front of him, making for a solid air-to-air and jump-in.
• jD - Aerial 2D. Has more active frames than your other air normals and that's about it.

Unarmed Normals

• u5S - Same as s5A.
• u2S - Same as s2A.
• juS - Same as jsA.

Hyper Slash (I)

• dA+B - Essentially his 5C. Has the worst Hyper Slash damage in the game tied with Iroha and Mina, but with this range you really shouldn't complain. Will whiff at point blank.
• sA+B - Essentially his s5C. This deals average Hyper Slash damage and will cover the area inside dA+B's dead spot.

Command Moves

Triangle Jump - j9 near wall

• Useful for gaining more height for your jdC. Only good for escaping the corner in Short stance, but even then teleports exist.

Triangle Get Off - j3 near wall

• Useful for controlling your jdB's vertical spacing when cornered and for tricky crossups with jsB on a cornered opponent.

Special Moves

Forward Evil Hornet Gouger - 236D, can be done unarmed (Samurai Drive)

• Amakusa teleports forward the whole stage, or at least until he passes through an opponent's horizontal position where he will attempt to pass through them. This doesn't have invincible startup, but throughout its duration it will pass through everything except throws. This is an important part of Amakusa's mobility as it allows him to zip in from fullscreen uninterrupted while also giving him an opportunity to escape the corner without jumping.
• When in Short stance, the distance travelled is shortened to two character lengths.

Reverse Evil Hornet Gouger - 214D, can be done unarmed

• Amakusa teleports backward half the screen. The same properties of the forward teleport apply here as well. This is a runaway tool which normally trumps Amakusa's backdash (which isn't throwable, but isn't invincible to strikes) and which can also be used as a recoil cancel option to be even more annoying with keepaway.
• When in Short stance, the distance travelled is shortened to two character lengths.

Magic Style Change - CE

• Amakusa takes a moment to switches between stances, affecting his movement and attacks. This change is instant and is indicated by the ball's colour. These changes persist even when Amakusa is unarmed.
• If Amakusa's weapon is destroyed it will always appear to be green, but when Hikyaku throws it back on stage it will match your current stance.
• You are able to change stance as many times as you like before the round starts. During this time Amakusa will not perform the animation.

Distance Mode

• Green orb. Amakusa retains his high, floaty jump, while his backdash is quite slow for its range. This is similar to his playstyle from earlier games, with Amakusa in this mode being able to play keepaway effectively.

Holy Spirit Slicer - d236S

• Amakusa throws a fiery skull straight forward after some startup. This skull is fairly high above the ground, meaning it can be slided or rolled under.
• The light and medium versions deal the same amount of damage and both cause soft knockdowns, with the only differences being that the latter has slower startup but it travels a bit faster.
• The heavy version does not cause a knockdown, but rather it deals up to eight hits of damage before disappearing. The startup is slower than the other versions, but from fullscreen it is a safe, effective harassment tool.

Phoenix Flash - d214S

• Amakusa's portal mixups, all of which deal the same high amount of damage and a hard knockdown. These are extremely unsafe, making the mixup variants in particular high risk for high reward. In this game the opponent reaches the beam much quicker, making it less likely that Amakusa will get timerscammed out of it.
• d214A is a mid where Amakusa shoots a ball halfscreen in front of him. This comes out quicker than the other versions, allowing for its use in combos. This is about as high as his fireball and may potentially be used as a far anti-air for its range and speed, but for this purpose it is extremely risky.
• d214B is an overhead with a bit less range than d5B.
• d214C is a low where Amakusa summons a large portal on the ground. This has the same range and startup as d214B.

Miasma Plasma - d623D

• Amakusa's ball starts spinning around him. Think Athena's Shining Crystal Bit, but it's not invincible. On hit the opponent is plummeted straight down for a hard knockdown while Amakusa laughs at them. Useful as a close anti-air.

Short Distance Mode

• Pink orb. Amakusa's jump becomes lower and quicker, while his backdash is not only faster but it covers a lot more distance. Furthermore, his teleports have been shortened, making them more suited for offense than keepaway, and his WFT has been modified. This version of Amakusa is best suited for offensive play.

Hell's Demon Wave - s236S

• Amakusa summons a black orb of lightning in front of him. Strength determines the startup, distance and amount of hits, although none will reach too far from Amakusa. All of these have slow startup but Amakusa can move freely a little after he's done setting the orb. This allows for pressure or mixups on block and easy conversions on hit.
• This move causes a soft knockdown on the final hit, in which the opponent is then unabled to be juggled. Light does three hits, medium does five and heavy does six. Keep this in mind if you're going to combo from it.

Judgement Blow - s421D, can be done unarmed

• Bitch slaps. This is a hitgrab where upon contact Amakusa will slap the opponent silly for many hits, then send them away for a hard knockdown. This has potential use as an anti-air for its quick startup and high priority. Notably, if you are running VI Spirit then the high amount of hits will build just under half of your Rage. By the way, these slaps deal chip damage as well.

Dark Destroyer - s623S

• Amakusa quickly rises up in the air, then stays there while engulfed in flames. Where he sticks to is dependent on the opponent's horizontal position, and then the strength. The light version takes him behind the opponent, the heavy version takes him in front and the medium version places him squarely above them.
• If the opponent touches Amakusa while he is locked in place, they will take the same damage as they would if Amakusa had chosen to attack.
• Attack - S during s623S
  • Amakusa swoops down to the ground, targeting the opponent's horizontal position. This is fast and damaging but also punishable by heavy slashes, so if you don't want to die for doing this then your crossup game better be on point.
• Descent - D during s623S (Samurai Drive)
  • Amakusa will simply fall down. There is extra landing recovery during this move, meaning it isn't that great for fakeouts.
  • Amakusa will end up performing this move anyway if you don't press a button.

Toy Transformation - 6412364E (II)

Supers

Legions Of Hades Blitz - 236AB

• Amakusa charges forward over half the screen for a hitgrab. This deals plenty of damage and results in a hard knockdown. This WFT appears to no longer have invincible startup, so this is best used as a combo ender.
• In Short stance, Amakusa does not move forward at all, but rather reaches in place a bit short of s5B range to catch the opponent. Furthermore it does not appear to have any invulnerability on startup. The end result is the same on hit, so save this for combos as well.

Hell's Holy Spirit Slicer - d4623BC (II), d236BC (VI)

• Amakusa summons three fiery skulls, travelling at the same speed but covering different angles. This is mainly for zoning and chipping, as each skull deals multiple hits of damage but none of them will cause a knockdown.

Rescue Demon Wave - s4623BC (II), s236BC (VI)

• Enhanced version of the black orb where it moves forward and doesn't expire until it leaves the screen. This deals plenty of block damage and pushes the opponent all the way to the corner while also allowing for conversions on hit.

Combos

Standard Combos

• nd5B/nd2B d421A/d623D/236AB - Amakusa doesn't have many combos here compared to his Short stance, which makes sense because in this stance he is usually playing keepaway. Go with d421A when meterless because it grants better damage and okizeme than d623D, but the latter might be useful if a time over is approaching as it hits faster.
• s5B/s2B/s6D 236AB - WFT combos from everything listed below as well. Amakusa is pushed too far away to land s421D.
• ns5A, ns5A ... - This move links into itself until Amakusa is pushed too far away for the proximity to activate.
• ns5A/ns5B/ns2B s421D - Standard combo enders.
• ns2A s236A - Surprisingly good hitstun on ns2A allows this combo to work, but it's not too rewarding.
• ns2C s236B, s5C - Corner only. Outside of the corner s236B will only usually manage one hit before the opponent is pushed out.
• ns2A, ns2C 236D, s2B 236AB - Backhit links. The link ns2A, ns2C is also available on counter hit.
• 5D, 6D/3D - Counter hit combo which Amakusa can perform while unarmed. The 5D has to be spaced near its edge.

Secret Move (II/VI)

• ns2A, ns2C 236D, s2B sSM, ns2C 236D, s2B 236AB - Sample extension of the backhit combo above.

Continuous Slash (IV)

• A+B BBC d214A/d623D/236AB - Standard juggles in old stance.
• A+B BBC s421D/236AB - Standard juggles in Short stance.
• A+B AABBC d214A/d623D/236AB - These do more damage than the combos above so use them instead.
• A+B AABBC s421D/236AB - Same deal here.

Colors

External Links

• Seesaa wiki
• Amakusa Ultimate Juggle by Dark Geese
• Amakusa Omen Combos 1 by Dark Geese
• Amakusa Omen Combos 2 by Dark Geese