Samurai Shodown VI/Rera

Introduction

Rera was already cheap enough in V Special, but in this game she has been reunited with tools she had lost from her days as Bust-Nakoruru, which she had lost precisely so she wouldn't be as cheap. In addition to retaining her slippery rushdown, poking and mixup game on the wolf she can now reflect fireballs, go for combos when off the wolf and command Shikuru to attack the opponent while she's down, stripping the opponent of wakeup options without having to waste a valuable resource like Kazuki has to. Rera is a fine choice if you don't want to play Samurai Shodown, as soon afterwards your opponent won't want to either.

Data

• Dash type: Run
• Damage taken: 115%
• Rage retention: 98
• Rage duration: 10 seconds

Gameplan

Rera is an agile stance character who relies on fast, tricky movement and visual cues to frustrate the opponent into making a mistake. Outside of wolf stance she has access to an amazing air normal in jC and fast pokes on the ground. In wolf stance she loses access to throws and Spirit-specific tools, but gains better normals and specials as well as the ability to dash cancel normals and to run through the opponent for a grounded crossup.

Outside of her stance, Rera's lights and kicks are fairly good and can be used to set up tick throws, deflects or baiting someone into eating a 6D frame trap. 5C has a decent startup, making it a nice tool for stopping careless approaches. In the air, her infamous jC pretty much makes her the boss. jD is also a reliable air to air and can be used to set up tick throws on jump-in due to the lack of hitstop. j2D backdashes give her insane mobility if used properly. Rera now has access to Nakoruru's Kamui Risse (421S), which not only reflects fireballs but can also segue into hopping on the wolf with its alternate followup. Additionally, by pressing AC during a soft knockdown she can command Shikuru to headbutt the opponent while she rolls back safely, which not only shuts down certain okizeme routes but will also catch an opponent trying to meaty her short roll's recovery. While this is fully invincible to strikes, Rera is vulnerable to throws during this move, so an opponent can simply jump over the wolf then throw her as a punish if they haven't committed to catching a short roll. How useful Rera is out of stance is largely situational, but her main goal should be to create an opportunity to safely get on the wolf.

When riding Shikuru, the pace of the match should easily shift in Rera's favour. w412S can punish dash-ins on reaction and whiff punish from a great distance away. Just be wary that it is unsafe even on hit so it must be followed up with something else. wjC and w623S are great for controlling the air. The latter can still lose to a well-placed air normal, but on the plus side she can cancel out of it with w1D/w214S to make it somewhat safe on whiff depending on the matchup. w5A is still a good poke and w5C is still good for stuffing approaches, even more so now that they can be dash cancelled. w3B, her overhead, is a very solid anti-approach tool as well, additionally moving her forward which can create a dangerous wall of attacks when mixed with other normals, specials, and dash cancels. w66S is also good for punishing attacks with a long recovery that Rera's stubby normals are too short to reach, as well having good start up and priority for stuffing anything that might hamper her approach, but it is very unsafe on block so use with care.

On the ground, wolf stance Rera can mix her opponent up with crossover dashes. Dismounting with w7D immediately after crossing over should put her at the perfect range to mixup with jump-in jC or an empty landing into throw. Specials and jumps will reset her position on crossover which allows for a great deal of shenanigans. The most basic grounded mixup is whiffing w3B just outside of the opponent's hurtbox and immediately following up with w3B/w2C. There are a ton of options to keep the opponent guessing. An important thing to note is that the 66~8 trick no longer works for immediate turnarounds, as Rera will now simply jump. If you want something similar you will have to commit to w412S or w623S if you are close enough. Furthermore Shikuru's runstop has been standardised in that Rera is no longer able to block during wolf runstop, meaning you will have to play neutral a bit more carefully.

In the air she has access to jw236S which can be canceled from air normals and cancelled into w214S. The best shot at making this work is to go for w412S at "safe" range then upback out. If the opponent mashes something out here Rera will be able to punish with jw236S on reaction. Mixing air normals in with this special is also an okay option, but be careful not to use either of these too often as it is easy to punish once the opponent wises up. When jumping in with wjC she can frame trap with w5S to keep her opponent honest, then mix things up with w3B/w2C.

Rera's use of system mechanics is unusual. She loses access to all Spirit-related inputs while riding Shikuru, but her supers require that she is mounted. She can WFT while dismounted, but this simply has her hop on Shikuru first and greatly increases her WFT's effective startup. This limits her synergy with many Spirits. V is an excellent choice - she has ample knockdowns and mobility to find opportunities to meditate, she becomes even more mobile while dismounted, supers are of little concern when meditating all your Rage away, and her damage output during State of Nothingness is extremely efficient. IV Spirit gives Rera a better punish when off the wolf with Continuous Slash IV, and Rage Explosion offers a last ditch defensive option when she's on the ropes and dismounted. II Spirit buffs Rera's WFT by destroying the opponent's weapon after it hits, making it a scarier punish tool and ensuring Rera gets to hold onto her momentum for much longer.

Normal Moves

Far Slashes

• 5A - Manages to outrange most other jabs while still being quite fast. Your best tool for beating hops if your opponent has them.
• 5B - A poke Rera can use when off the wolf. Unlike Nakoruru's 5B this is not special cancellable. This actually has a similar amount of startup to 5C, but in exchange for having worse range the only real advantage is that you get to recoil cancel faster.
• 5C - One big swipe downward. Solid punish tool and recoil starter. For a heavy slash it has above average startup, making it effective as an anti-approach normal. Will beat hops if the opponent is running them.
• 2A - Very short swipe, which doesn't matter much if you're in the opponent's face anyway. Hits mid now. The startup on this move is extremely short, making it good for abare and for tick throws.
• 2B - After a pause Rera begins to roll, with all three hits being low. Your low-hitting kick attacks are much faster and better suited for such a purpose, but it's relatively safe on block and even on hit while offering decent damage. Rera can special cancel the first hit of this move.
• 2C - Two hit upwards swing. Very slow, hits mid, can't cancel on recoil, and does less damage than 5C or n5C. Has some utility as a very preemptive antiair. Good frame advantage on hit, but also has a lot of pushback. Can confirm into State of Nothingness combos.

Near Slashes

• n5A - Standing 2A. You no longer get any combos from this, not even from counter hit.
• n5B - Standard combo starter when off the wolf, but all you really have is 421S which isn't that good. Can still serve as somewhat of a segue onto the wolf whether you cancel into 214D on its own or combo into 421S~D.
• 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 - Rera kicks up to the opponent's torso and somersaults back, even if she didn't actually hit them. One of the fastest normals in the game. Lights are -3 on block and this has a four frame startup, so it will actually beat out most moves when used at the end of a block string or basically whenever. Very wonky hurtbox that is hard to punish. 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.
• 66B - Rera spins her dagger for a bit before striking downward for an overhead hit, causing a soft knockdown. This move is kara cancellable, but the only applicable use for this is as a fakeout into 214D.
• 66C - Rera launches into a four hit rising thrust. Fast, deals good damage, and causes soft knockdown with good frame advantage. Must start very close to the opponent for all hits to connect. Her primary followup on deep hit jump-ins, one of her best dismounted punish options, and can also be used as a crossunder anti-air. Drains a massive amount of Weapon Gauge (144%) on whiff for some reason and extremely punishable on block, so only use this when it'll definitely hit.
• 66D - Running 2D. Hits low for a soft knockdown.

Air Normals

• jA - Aerial n5A. Her fastest air normal, but otherwise outclassed.
• 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. Great jump-in, very active, and good upward reach in the later active frames.
• jD - Jump-in kick that hits down and forward. Active until landing. Sets up an instant tick throw if it hits as high as possible. 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.

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't perform this while riding Shikuru, but you can after leaping off.

Triangle Get Off - j3 near wall

• Additional mobility option near the corner if you'd rather get to ground quickly. Can get a jC out before landing, or jA for a faster overhead. Doesn't set up any crossups for Rera since her air normals don't hit behind her. You can't perform this while riding Shikuru, but you can after leaping off.

Rera Shimateku - j(4/6)D near opponent, can be done unarmed

• Air throw. Carries the momentum of your jump as Rera drops the opponent to the ground. This deals a fixed amount of damage and causes a hard knockdown. Connects frame 1, making it an excellent option against jump-ins.

3B

• Universal overhead from V Special. Causes a soft knockdown on hit. This is kara cancellable into j2D.

Wolf Pounce Attack

Rera's wolf stance has its own set of normals. None of these are able to recoil cancel, but most can be cancelled into special moves. Shikuru's forward and backward dashes count as special moves in this case.

Normals

• w5A/B - A quick forward slash. Special cancellable.
• w5C - An upward swing. This is slower than w5A/B but better at catching upbacks and leads into more damaging punishes. Special cancellable.
• w2A/B - w5A/B but lower. Special cancellable.
• w2C - A low-hitting sweep which leads to a soft knockdown. This is not special cancellable anymore so for a mixup option it requires some commitment.

Dash Normals

• w66A/B - The only wolf normals which can not be dash cancelled, but they do cause a soft knockdown on hit and are fast enough combo from dash cancelled wolf normals.
• w66C - Literally the same normal as 66A/B but it does more damage. Always use this instead.

Jump Normals

• jwA/B - Air-to-air slash. Has much faster startup but otherwise you will be whoring jwC most of the time.
• jwC - Rera's jC but it's on the wolf. Good for the same reasons, but given the nature of Rera's wolf jumps this has more of an offensive use than jC.

Unarmed Normals

• wu5S - Standing uppercut. Special cancellable.
• wu2S - Crouching uppercut. Special cancellable.
• wu66S - Running uppercut. As fast as the armed versions and also causes a soft knockdown, but nowhere near as damaging.
• jwu5S - Aerial uppercut. Only useful as an air-to-air as it won't hit most grounded opponents.

Command Moves

w3B

• Rera can also perform an overhead on the wolf. This now causes a soft knockdown, making it synergise better with w2C. The main difference between this and 3C is that this recovers way faster, but on block it can still be thrown.

Special Moves

Kamui Risse - 421S, can be done unarmed

• Rera 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. The last hit of 421C sometimes fails to combo from the previous hit.
• Return Kamui Risse - S, can be done unarmed
  • A flick away with the cape which launches the opponent a great distance back and knocks down. This will not reflect fireballs. Requires very specific timing to actually combo from 421S, but pianoing seems to be the best method.
• Kamui Risse - Wolf Pounce - D, can be done unarmed
  • A fakeout version of 421S~S. Rera will whip the cape forward, but it won't have a hitbox. Instead, while the loose cape drifts in the air for a bit, Rera will hop on Shikuru.

Kamui Fumukesupe - j2D, can be done unarmed

• A moonsault with some delay. Knocks down on hit. Your best bet for hitting below you when unarmed.
• j2D can be used during backdash to recover more quickly on landing, as well as during 3B for a less damaging but plus on block overhead.

Epenkine Shikite - AC during a soft knockdown, can be done unarmed

• This requires tech roll timing. Rera will roll back a bit while Shikuru delivers a wolf headbutt forward. While this won't cost you anything resource-wise, this only covers the area immediately in front of you. If your opponent expects you to short roll then this is a viable check to meaty attacks like Sieger's Vulcan Weinen as it is strike invincible throughout its entire duration. However, if your opponent expects you to do this then they simply jump forward and grab you, as this move is susceptible to throws.

Wolf Pounce - 214D

• Rera hops on Shikuru's back if he is close enough. As Shikuru stays behind Rera, this will always cause Rera to jump back onto it, making this particular manuever usable as a dodge.
• While mounted on the wolf, Rera's walkspeeds are faster, her dash is faster and can pass through opponents and her jumps are lower to the ground and travel farther, notably her forward jump. However, you can not throw the opponent.
• You can no longer hold up after passing through an opponent to turn around, as that will make you jump instantly. You'll have to settle for one of her special moves after running through if you want grounded crossups.
• You can no longer block during Shikuru's runstop.
• The Weapon Gauge will now regenerate while you are on the wolf and not attacking. This is a buff from previous entries.
• You can not activate Rage Explosion or State Of Nothingness while you are on the wolf, nor can you perform unique E or A+B button actions for any Spirit.
• Myu Shikite - w412S, can be done unarmed (Samurai Drive)
  • A forward-advancing wolf headbutt which will traverse about half of the stage. The startup is fully invincible, but because it doesn't knock down it's unsafe on hit unless you hop off the wolf in some way afterwards. Significantly worse on block in VI than VSP, this is now very punishable at any spacing. Schism Attack followups can catch or evade higher reward punishes, but are themselves very punishable.
• Kanto Shikite - w623S, can be done unarmed
  • Rera launches diagonally upward on the wolf. This is invincible to strikes on startup, then to throws once Shikuru leaves the ground. You're usually better off checking jumps with your jC both on and off the wolf, but this travels rather high up and Rera can also dismount from this for some tricks. Soft knockdown.
• Imel Shikite - jw236S, can be done unarmed
  • A divekick which can be used as an air-to-air or to augment your air trajectory in some way. Be careful about using this, as it is punishable on block with a throw or something similarly fast if spaced poorly and you may have to gamble on a dismount followup to avoid punishment. Upback divekick is predictable so don't do that unless your opponent is slow on the uptake or the upback has successfully baited something you can punish with jw236S. Soft knockdown.
  • Schism Attack - w(1/3/4/6/7/9)D after w412S, w623S or jw236S (air OK)
    • You know how in Super Mario World you can sacrifice Yoshi just to make a jump? Same deal here, only Shikuru doesn't usually fall to his violent death. These are Beast Cannon-type specials where Rera dives dagger-first in any direction you choose. These are all overheads. This is mainly used to follow Shikite on hit for extra damage and especially to secure knockdown on Myu Shikite hits, but on block it can add some extra layers with different directions and potentially frame trap or evade punishes. Has significant landing recovery and leaves Rera very vulnerable on block.
  • Horokeu Pokku Schism Attack - w214S after w412S, w623S or jw236S (air OK)
    • Instead of diving in a straight line, Rera hops forward for a spinning dagger attack that crosses up and hits mid. Deals a bit less damage than Schism Attack, but may catch opponents off guard. Slightly safer than Schism Attack but still very punishable on block.
• Get Off Wolf - wD, can be done unarmed (air OK)
  • Rera can jump off of Shikuru in three different directions. Rera can then use any aerial normal or interact with the wall in some way. When coupled with a jump beforehand this effectively has the same utility as Iroha's double jumps in its ability to bait anti-airs. Additionally, because this is more of a hop now, this is very useful for crossups and other mixup opportunities.
• Horokeu Pokku - w214S (air OK)
  • Same as Horokeu Pokku Schism Attack, but can be performed raw for an offensive dismount. Hits mid, can cross up, soft knockdown on hit. Doesn't hit in front of her unless started while airborne.

Toy Transformation - 321421E (II)

Supers

Nubuke Kamui Shikite - 236AB, can be done during 214D

• A rush super which deals plenty of damage. It is mandatory that you avoid doing this raw as Rera must take a moment to hop on Shikuru before the super flash if she is not already on Shikuru. Otherwise this is very fast as a punish and combo tool. This deals a decent amount of chip damage on block but it is punishable by throws and anything else that is fast enough.

Kimun Kamui Shikite - w4123623BC (II), w236BC (VI), can be done unarmed (Samurai Drive)

• Enhanced 412S for twelve hits, but only the last hit deals damage. Less damaging than your WFT, however. If they're blocking then they take twelve hits of chip damage, but up close it can be punished just the same. The armed and unarmed versions have slightly different enders but are the exact same damage-wise.

Combos

Standard Combos

• n5B/5D 421S~S - Bread-and-butter combo when dismounted, or this can segue into 421S~D instead to start wolf offense. Unreliable near max n5B range. Consider using 66C or n5C instead as situation permits.
• wu5S wu66S/w623S - Rera's best unarmed punish. Must be very close to combo into w623S, especially against smaller characters.
• w5S w66C - Mounted poke confirm.
• w5A/B w623S (w3D) - Light punish if close enough for w623S to connect. Can follow with Schism Attack for damage in exchange for dismounting.
• w5S w412S w6D - Wolf punish combo. Good damage and carry, but requires dismounting to secure knockdown.
• w5C 66 w623S (w3D/w6D) - w5C has too much pushback to confirm into w623S... except when in the corner/point blank and willing to microdash w623S. Adding Schism Attack does a little more damage than w412S combos, while omitting it leaves Rera on Shikuru.
• deephit jC 236AB - This is the only way Rera can combo into WFT dismounted. Yes, really.
• w5A/B/w5C/w2A/B w236AB - Combos into WFT.

Colors

External Links

• Seesaa wiki