Samurai Shodown VI/Basara

Introduction

Basara has a few more gimmicks here than in V Special but for various reasons his puffball is worse, therefore the character is worse. Still usable though, and overall the way you'll be playing Basara hasn't been messed with too badly.

Data

• Dash type: Run (has brief periods of strike invulnerability)
• Rage duration: 16 seconds
• Amount to rage: 13

Gameplan

Basara is a fast but extremely frail character whose best tools carry a considerable amount of risk. The puffball (236D), a fireball which travels slowly in a rainbow arc, will make things less risky by locking down a good portion of the screen, providing him either a safer opportunity to go for a mixup or a predictable reaction from the opponent for you to exploit. Given the slow startup of the puff and your poor defense, you'll need to earn a knockdown before setting it up. Your 236S moves are particularly good for this. The grounded versions are all fast anti-airs which travel a considerable portion of the screen, while the aerial versions can be considered air pokes which reach particularly far. Be mindful that j236S has very bad recovery. Backdash j236C can be used as a fast midscreen overhead, but given your only threatening low attack at that range is 2B your opponent will most likely be fishing for this attack for an easy punish. If your opponent is on the offense you need to rely on a gimmicky option such as the puddle (214D) to escape. New to this game is 421D which is an invincible reversal, but it doesn't extend very far and is thus ineffective against well-spaced attacks (your WFT still has invincible startup, however). Given its recovery 421D won't give you that much time to set up a puffball even if it hits. 66C, 236S and your command grab (623D) are key tools which will leave you at optimal spacing for your puffball.

Once you've got a puffball out, what can your opponent do? For most opponents the puffball will peter out before quite reaching them, unlike in V Special where it would further trickle behind their back (this made it easier to set up Rage Explosion unblockables, among other things). Furthermore your opponent has more space to simply backdash away, although this will leave them closer to the corner. However, they are still locked out of the option of jumping out, meaning their only way out of your mixup is to either take the hit (which means you can just set up another puffball), move horizontally or attempt a reversal. Part of Basara's mixup game is to take advantage of the puffball to run in and attempt a mixup with 623D (command grab), 66B (overhead), 66D (low) or 66B 623D (overhead kara cancelled into command grab). However, opponents who aren't complete sitting ducks can take advantage of this to run at him and strike before he does. This is where Basara's long-ranged pokes come in - 5B, 2B, 5C and backdash j236C are just some of the ways Basara can hit a running opponent (particularly if they do not runstop in time). With puffball controlling the skies Basara can also safely jump in with one of his good air attacks or go for an empty jump mixup. Shadow clones are also an option to spice up your mixup game if your opponent is of the reactionary type, but be wary of their tells.

VI is one of Basara's best Spirit choices because it allows you to cling onto the chance for a reversal WFT without a time limit while overall rewarding him with meter for running his game. III Spirit, in addition to giving Basara unlimited WFTs when on low health, grants him air parries which can even be used against grounded attacks, which he can follow up easily from with j236S. II and V give him the ability to roll cancel, which is useful for spacing his 236S and for giving his 623D extra range, but between these V is superior as Basara gains access to forward hops and State of Nothingness.

Normal Moves

Far Slashes

• 5A - Fast jab for buying yourself some space. Better at hitting jumping opponents than 2A.
• 5B - Far poke. Basara's far B slashes travel even farther in VI than the games prior, but also take longer to recover.
• 5C - Very good range. Eats fireballs. If you expect your opponent to run at you after throwing a puffball then let it rip.
• 2A - Crouching version of 5A but with better frame advantage. Good for getting the opponent off your back.
• 2B - This is a lower version of 5B which not only travels farther but hits low. On paper this sounds like the tits, and it is the tits, but if they jump forward you will not enjoy it.
• 2C - Slow, midrange anti-air. Also eats fireballs. You're better off with 236S for anti-airs given it's faster and covers more range.

Near Slashes

• n5A - Same as far version but it has one frame less recovery.
• n5B - This normal combos into 236S but it will only land against tall opponents.
• n5C - Standard punish. Reaches high up.
• n2A - Same as far version.
• n2B - New move. Basara swipes upward for two hits, with the second hit being an anti-air. Carries the usual dangers of crouching anti-airs but may be useful in a pinch.
• n2C - Two-hit punish.

Kicks

• 5D - Quirky anti-air with good vertical priority. Good at dealing with Enja's short jumps.
• 6D - You don't have the universal overhead anymore but you still have this. Basara leaps forward a little before it hits.
• 2D - Your fastest grounded attack but for jabbing purposes 5A and 2A are generally more useful. Hits low.
• 3D - It's a sweep.

Dash Normals

• 66A - Running elbow which can be used for pressure. Safe if spaced correctly.
• 66B - Basara's running overhead from V Special. This move is famous for being a self-contained strike/throw mixup and a defining aspect of Basara's mixup game, as its startup can be cancelled into special moves - notably his command grab - while the overhead itself is high enough to catch jumpouts.
• 66C - Similar to jC and just as good priority-wise. Gives you optimal spacing to set up puff, made even better in this game as you no longer have to deal with pesky forward rolls on wakeup.
• 66D - Same as 3D. As far as mixups are concerned this is all Basara really has as far as lows go. Notably stops his momentum completely.

Air Normals

• jA - Tick throw option which can crossup.
• jB - Basara whips with his chains for an air-to-air.
• jC - Large downward slash which covers a wide area in front of Basara, but normals like Rera's jAB will still beat it.
• jD - Another jumping light attack.

Unarmed Normals

• u5S - Same as 5A.
• u2S - Same as 2A.
• u66S - Same as 66A but it knocks down.
• juS - Same as jA sans the weapon. Can't crossup.

Command Moves

Triangle Jump - 7 or 9 near wall

• If you need a tricky option to escape the corner or more height for your j236S then triangle jumping is an option. You can only interact with the wall once per jump, meaning you cannot triangle jump, land j2C, then jump back to the wall and triangle jump again.

Triangle Get Off - 1 or 3 near wall

• Another option to interact with the wall if you don't want to go higher but still want to approach your opponent. The same triangle jump rules apply here.

Special Moves

Ground Slash - 236S

• Basara tosses his shuriken high, travelling a distance forward in the air before swinging down and returning to him. Strength determines how far it travels. Given its quick startup and how far it travels this is an effective anti-air which will grant you a knockdown necessary for starting puffball setplay. Furthermore Basara gains the ability to combo into this.

Aerial Jab - j236S

• Another shuriken toss, but instead of travelling at an arc it follows a straight line then returns. This has a height restriction in that Basara can only perform it near the apex of his jump, but you may also cancel your backdash into it. Strength determines the angle, with the light version hitting nearly below him and the heavy version sticking horizontally far as an effective air-to-air. Useful for sniping opponents from the air but they are a lot easier to punish than your ground shurikens.
• Backdash j236C is notorious as a midscreen overhead and is one of Basara's more threatening aspects in neutral, but even at max range most characters are able to punish it on block. Don't get predictable with this.
• This move will stop being active and immediately start to recover if the shuriken hits the floor. The height restriction on this move makes this irrelevant unless you are cancelling from your backdash, in which this can be seen with the light and medium versions.

Shadow Exit - 623S

• Basara dives into the shadows then leaps from your opponent's feet with an upward slash for one hit. Strength determines the damage but also how unsafe it is (it's always unsafe). This is useful as an anywhere punish or an anti-fireball tool if you have the necessary read.

Friendly Rip - 623D

• Command grab. Modest damage but leaves you with optimal spacing to continue your puffball vortex. Roll cancels and kara-cancelled 66B are common ways to lead into this grab somewhat safely, though simply dashing in and grabbing is also viable.

Soul of the Beast - 236D

• The puffball. Slow startup so you need a knockdown and good spacing to set this up. Travels slowly in a rainbow arc with some tracking near the end, effectively locking opponents out of their ability to jump towards you and thus opening up your various setplay options. A caveat to this version of the move is that it ends somewhat early, with the puffball only reaching grounded opponents if they are tall enough, so in most cases it is less threatening than its V Special incarnation. Furthermore the screen in VI allows opponents to stand at a greater distance from one another than in previous games, and coupled with the ability to long roll it is much easier to escape puffball setplay here than in V Special (though not without pushing yourself to the corner).

Shadow Sucker - 214D, can be done unarmed

• Basara descends into a puddle, gradually lowering his profile until he is fully submerged. While your time spent in the bubble is set, in this game your movement is buffed considerably, with Basara darting across the screen as you move the puddle. This makes it effective for escaping close quarters if you have a hot minute.

Shadow Coat - 421D, can be done unarmed

• This is literally just Basara's intro from V Special. An invincible reversal, but with bad range, bad damage and bad recovery. You can roll cancel into it and perform it unarmed, so it can potentially be useful for getting the opponent off of you while you retrieve your weapon.

Shadow Feint - 214..., can be done unarmed

• Basara makes a false move, then reappears in place as the shadow clone disappears. The tell is that the screen doesn't shift with the clone's movement; however, this can be amended if you perform this in situations where the screen doesn't move, for instance when at midrange in the corner.
• In VI this move has an additional tell: even if your character sprite is flashing red with Rage, your shadow clone is considered a separate entity and thus will not. In previous games this was not an issue, as Basara was the only character whose skin colour wouldn't change in Rage (he has no blood flow because he's dead).

Shadow Troublesome - 421..., can be done unarmed

• A new take on Basara's shadow clones, though just as situational. Basara stops as he doubles in place, then a shadow clone emerges and Basara is able to act a frame later. The intended use for this move is to misdirect your opponent into possibly attacking your wrong move, while you use this to get somewhere on the screen you actually want to be. Given the startup this move is somewhat tailored towards setplay, though its startup is a clear indicator you're going for something. Ideally, if at all, you would want to use this at ranges where Basara has multiple good options for getting in, like for instance at forward jump range (will the opponent attack the Basara dashing at them, or the Basara jumping at them?).
• Avoid using this move in Rage, as the real Basara, flashing red, will be easy to distinguish from the clone who is not.

Clone variations (for use with Shadow Feint and Shadow Troublesome)

• A - The clone jumps forward.
• B - The clone jumps upward.
• C - The clone jumps backward.
• AD - The clone walks forward.
• AC - The clone rolls forward. Use with II or V Spirit.
• BC - The clone dashes forward.
• BD - The clone sways forward. Use with III or IV Spirit.

Flaying Feet - j2D, can be done unarmed

• Well Basara can cancel his backdash into this and Skull Cleaver, so they technically count as special moves. On hit or block you will jump off the opponent, in which you can alter the direction by pressing left or right - you can then use up your triangle jump if you haven't.
• If your opponent is tall enough this can be used as an instant overhead if you're fast enough.

Skull Cleaver - j1/3D, can be done unarmed

• A wheel kick with some startup, but it knocks down. Can be used as a neutral option from a triangle fall if your opponent is running at you. If you are unarmed you can aim to land this to buy yourself time to reach your weapon.

Toy Transformation - 612364E (II)

Supers

Shadow Dance Repay - 236AB

• Basara leaps back into the shadows, then lunges forward across the whole screen. The backstep is fully invincible from frame one, but not the lunge. The ensuing animation from a successful hit will leave the opponent in place and in a hard knockdown state, allowing for a free pursuit followup. If it gets blocked, however, he bounces off the opponent, practically begging to be punished.

Shadow Exit Evil Defence - 412364BC (II), 236BC (VI)

• An reversal version of 623S which hits around 12 times. Quick startup, but not fast enough to combo from n5B. Tracks your opponent's current position.

Combos

Standard Combos

• n5B 236S - Tall characters only.
• 5D, n5C - Legacy backhit combo.

Continuous Slash (IV)

• A+B BBC 236S - Really the best you can do with IV Spirit.

External Links

• Seesaa wiki