Samurai Shodown VI/Ukyo

Introduction

The iaido character finally has Mist Finers. Nice to see them in something with neutral for a change.

Ukyo's moveset has been condensed a bit in that apple slices are now his main combo enders in addition to being solid chipping tools, but to make up for the removal of shadow slashes he has gained a few new moves. In addition to the aforementioned Mist Finers, Ukyo now has counters which he can throw into his recoil cancel game, and furthermore his WFT has been buffed considerably. He still has amazing pokes (especially now that 5C recoils on block), his ground movement is still tops and he can still shmix well with the one-and-only Tsubame Gaeshi, so the gist of Ukyo remains the same.

Data

• Dash type: Run
• Damage taken: 113%
• Rage retention: 68
• Rage duration: 16 seconds

Gameplan

5A, 5B and 5C are all great pokes. All have spectacular range and speed for their respective strengths and all can be recoil cancelled. For recoil cancel options Ukyo has a few more tools for the job this time around. If spaced correctly he can used his newfound Mist Finers (236S) as quick, effective counter-pokes, but these are unsafe. In addition to the standard deflect Ukyo also has his new counters (64123A/B), which may additionally serve as high/low mixup tools but are quite gimmicky. As for anti-airs Ukyo can rely on 2B and his high Mist Finer at range, but up close can bet on his heavy Tsubame Gaeshi (j1236C) as a highly-damaging air-to-air. Additionally he can cancel his backdash into it as one means of stopping an opponent running at him.

However, Ukyo is not a character who pokes all day. Doing so would just leave him open to deflects, and unlike Charlotte he doesn't have a safe special he can mix in with his pokes. Instead, Ukyo uses his impeccable ground speed to play a highly-effective hit-and-run game. Coupled with his fast run and amazing range, Ukyo is capable of punishing literally anything with 66C, which leads into a knockdown. If you're unarmed then 66D will suffice. Another aspect of Ukyo which makes him special is that he can punish many things at close range that other characters can't. His light Tsubame Gaeshi (j1236A), when tiger knee'd, serves as an extremely fast punish against even blocked close mediums, as it will hit before they can be recoil cancelled. This not only deals a very agreeable amount of damage but also leads to a soft knockdown.

Unlike most other hit-and-run characters, Ukyo is able to stick close to an opponent after a knockdown by locking them into a highly-rewarding vortex. This loop is even harder to stop than before, as opponents can no longer delay their wakeup or roll forward or backward to escape it. Instead, their only options to escape it are short rolling, which is prone to meaties, and long rolling which does no favours for an opponent trying to get in on Ukyo if he has a lifelead. The glue for this vortex is Tsubame Gaeshi (j1236S), which in addition to everything listed above is also an instant overhead if tiger knee'd or backdash cancelled. This goes well with his various lows. These include his 2D, which can link into Tsubame naturally while also serving as a low-to-high string which can be tweaked with additional 2D presses, and his 66D, a running slide. His running mixup is already boosted by 66B, which is a grounded crossup, but in this game runstops can be cancelled into jumps, making a running Tsubame Gaeshi much more feasible. One must be careful not to abuse the instant overhead liberally, as all versions leave Ukyo incredibly vulnerable and his low defense value doesn't help much either. If Ukyo is sitting on a lifelead it may be wiser to just run away and keep the opponent at bay with his pokes from there, as Ukyo is certainly good at switching modes on the fly. However, he can instead gamble the clutch and continue to mixup until the end if the situation calls for it. You do have an instant overhead on your hands, after all.

But despite its many uses, Ukyo can't get carried by Tsubame Gaeshi alone. Sometimes he needs help from Spirits, of which Tsubame Gaeshi sadly cannot be used as such.

V Spirit emphasizes Ukyo's hit-and-run gameplay. Rolls give Ukyo additional mobility, and he can make great use of his Rage retention with many opportunities to meditate. While he lacks a good launcher and can't juggle after j1236C anymore, he still has far-reaching pokes which convert easily into Issen during State Of Nothingness. V also has Rage Explosion to burst in a pinch, but you'd much rather use State of Nothingness unless Rage Explosion is your only way to avoid death. V can't Issen during Rage Explosion and the potential reward from State of Nothingness is much higher.

IV Spirit offers a more rounded approach and strengthens his punishes. No need to meditate means Ukyo can focus on his strong vortex after knockdowns. He also gets more frequent access to his WFT, which is faster in this game and combos from many hits, and IV gives Ukyo his full 16 second Rage duration without penalty. Continuous Slash gives Ukyo very damaging punishes into knockdown both standing and dashing, including confirms into WFT. Continuous Slash 4 also gives him an alternative means to build Rage at the expense of some damage, netting about 30% Rage from the full combo. In addition to serving as a last ditch burst, IV's Rage Explosion temporarily unlocks access to both Issen and WFT.

II Spirit maintains the mobility of V Spirit and Rage duration almost as long as IV Spirit, but trades in their other mechanics for a once per match Secret Move that can be used at any time. III can be thought of as a more offensive V where you charge Rage, but Ukyo takes a long time to build to full Rage. His Hyper Slash isn't very good so I isn't a great fit. Standard meter gain normalizes his access to WFT and potential repeat use of his Secret Move is appealing, but Ukyo doesn't get as much out of VI's other mechanics.

Normal Moves

Far Slashes

• 5A - Fast, long-reaching poke. Effectively a weaker version of 5B but if it's blocked you get to recoil cancel faster. Special cancellable.
• 5B - Same reach as 5A, deals more damage, and is active for longer, but can't special cancel on hit.
• 5C - A far-reaching, highly-damaging punish tool. This is great for poking and recoil cancelling, considering its startup is quite fast as well.
• 2A - Your fastest midscreen poke but it has less range than 5A. Special cancellable.
• 2B - Effective anti-air, but it leaves you crouching so you're prone to taking deephits if you screw this up.
• 2C - Ukyo's most damaging normal, and his only far normal which doesn't recoil. Slightly more range than 5C, better frame advantage on hit, and can go under high attacks, but a little slower to start up and extremely punishable on block.

Near Slashes

• n5A - Safe get-off-me tool. Special cancellable.
• n5B - High-reaching attack and thus suitable as a meaty. Special cancellable but not as fast as n2B.
• n5C - Generic punish tool. It's two hits so it can be bursted before the more-powerful second hit.
• n2A - n5A but lower. Special cancellable.
• n2B - Your fastest combo starter. Your choice is between this and n5B, in which if your distance is wrong you're whiffing 2B instead of 5B.
• n2C - Generic punish tool which does slightly less than n5C and starts lower.

Kicks

• 5D - Standard forward kick. Your farthest reaching poke that both combos on hit and can cancel on block, and a decent ranged option when disarmed.
• 6D - Low-hitting kick that slides you a little further than one character width. Can follow up with pursuit.
• 2D - Short, quick low. Very short recovery, good frame advantage on block and hit. Excellent for tick throws on offense. Links into Tsubame Gaeshi, which also functions as a high-low mixup on block, but the link on hit is frame perfect. Can also link into n5A, n2A, 3D, or 66C without counterhit.
• 3D - A fast sweep that hits mid. Reaches upwards enough to hit high profiling attacks, and can also low profile some high hitting attacks and jump-ins. Good active frames. Can follow up with pursuit.

Dash Normals

• 66A - Has more range than 66D. Has decent priority, but there's not much of a reason to use this.
• 66B - Ukyo will run past the opponent and strike from behind him as a crossup. This will not autocorrect depending on whether or not he actually ended up on the other side after the run, and furthermore Ukyo can not run past a cornered opponent. At midscreen this is a decent mixup option because it results in decent damage and a soft knockdown, but it is very punishable on block particularly because the opponent will be able to score a backhit state.
• 66C - A running version of your 2C. Blazing fast and knocks down on hit, though it deals less damage than 2C and doesn't reach as far unless you dash for a bit first. This move will punish pretty much everything. Can function as an effective landing trap or occasional anti-air, especially after running under to hit the opponent from behind.
• 66D - Running low. Your best option for punishing when unarmed. Safe-ish for darting in and out of range.

Air Normals

• jA - Aerial n5A.
• jB - Can be used to hit opponents who are close below you. May also be used as an instant overhead in State Of Nothingness if your opponent is tall enough.
• njC - Air-to-air which covers a great distance directly in front of you.
• jC - Good horizontal range and gives Ukyo a decent jump-in, but his jump is still terribly floaty. You're better off planting your feet on the ground most of the time.
• jD - Two-hit kick, situational jump-in. Both hits are medium attacks. Your better air option when unarmed.

Unarmed Normals

• u5S - High slap.
• u2S - Low slap.
• u66S - Gives plenty of hitstun to link into a knockdown move. u66S is a heavy attack so linking it into itself causes a knockdown.
• juS - Jumping slap. jC reaches farther.

Hyper Slash (I)

• A+B - Essentially his 5C but slower, more damaging, more punishable, and knocks down on hit.

Continuous Slash (IV)

• A+B - Similar to n5B but with more reach and available at any spacing, even during dash. Leads to very damaging followups with C2 or C4. Cannot cancel on block and very punishable.

Special Moves

Concealed Sabre Snowfall Slash - 214S (Samurai Drive)

• Ukyo tosses an apple in front of him then slashes rapidly. Strength determines the startup, amount of hits and recovery. This is now a half-decent combo tool, as the startup has been increased, Ukyo moves forward a bit and the final hit now gives him a hard knockdown. However, its use as a chipping tool has been left unchanged. 214A is the safest for chipping and won't normally be punished on block like the other versions, while 214B is his best combo ender at point blank where the final hit won't whiff. 214C deals the most amount of chip but will only combo from close mediums on counter hit.
• While 214B and 214C leave the opponent knocked far away, 214A leaves them close. 214A is potentially better for oki for this reason, but the fact it takes longer for the opponent to hit the ground for the stronger versions makes up for Ukyo having to run forward a bit. This corner carry works out better for Ukyo in the long run.

Swordless Sabre Snowfall Slash - 214D

• Ukyo tosses an apple in front of him then recovers instantly. You may think throwing apples all game is really, really funny and I won't begrudge you of your amusement. However, the true purpose of this move is to get a free mixup on an opponent who has been conditioned to block 214S. However, the sound cue is completely different.

Concealed Sabre Swallow Swipe - j1236S (Samurai Drive)

• Ukyo's patented Tsubame Gaeshi. These are fast overheads which cover a decent area around him and cause soft knockdowns. Strength determines the startup, amount of hits and how long Ukyo spends coughing afterwards. Ukyo may either tiger knee the motion or cancel his backdash to get these out instantly. If this move is active then Ukyo will only land once it ends.
• When tiger knee'd, this move is amazing as a close-ranged punish tool for its speed, range and the knockdown it gives. This is capable of punishing blocked attacks which most other characters can only punish with a throw, if theirs can even reach.
• Always, always, always use j1236A for the instant overhead as it's way faster than the other versions, being able to link from the low-hitting 2D, and all the damage is concentrated into one hit as opposed to numerous weak hits before the final one. The hitbox on this is not geared towards hitting opponents above Ukyo, but rather from slightly below him.
• j1236B is potentially more-rewarding than j1236A as a jump-in, but as an overhead it's slower. The final hit deals less damage than j1236A's sole hit, but if at least one of the two small hits beforehand connects it will deal more.
• j1236C is the slowest and least safe version by far, but unlike the other versions it will hit above Ukyo and it has way more damage overall, making it a very damaging air-to-air.
• This move reflects fireballs.

Concealed Sabre Send God - 236S

• Mist Finers. They can't be cancelled or delayed or anything, but Ukyo still has the traditional three angles of approach and they all have impressive range. Be very careful with using these as pokes because not only are they extremely unsafe but there is a huge blind spot between Ukyo and their hitboxes.
• 236A is for when you just want to stop Yoshitora from fucking jumping. Obviously not as a close range anti-air; use Tsubame Gaeshi for that. On the ground this will only hit Kusaregedo standing.
• 236B is a straight poke which travels extremely far. This is best used as a recoil cancel option from a well-spaced 5B or 5C where the blind spot isn't an issue.
• 236C has the exact same amount of range as 236B but it's much lower to the ground, making it more susceptible to jumpouts. In return, it hits low.

Concealed Sabre Sky Wind - 64123A

• A counter against lower-body slashes. Has lower-body invulnerability but will only activate against slashes. If not activated Ukyo will cough in place for a bit. When activated Ukyo will hop over and punish. This is an overhead.

Concealed Sabre Frost Wind - 64123B (Samurai Drive)

• A counter against upper-body slashes. Has upper-body invulnerability but will only activate against slashes. If not activated Ukyo will cough in place for a bit. When activated Ukyo will duck under and punish. This is a low.

Trampling Down Kick - u4613D

• Ukyo's unarmed small pursuit from V Special, a stanky leg. This can actually be used when your opponent is not knocked down, and it hits low. However, the pathetic range and the convoluted input means you're better off using your other lows when unarmed which are immensely more rewarding.

Toy Transformation - 3214623E (II)

Supers

6 Swallow Flash - 236AB

• Ukyo leaps forward for a hitgrab which hits overhead, does decent damage and ends in a hard knockdown. This is a direct improvement from earlier iterations of the WFT, as the super flash eats up a good portion of the startup and it travels way faster. This makes both raw punishes and close medium confirms feasible, and in fact it's actually fast enough to combo from lights. You're still not going to be using this for its overhead quality, as the super flash makes it way too telegraphed.

Concealed Sabre God Roughness - 641236BC (II), 236BC (VI)

• Enhanced Mist Finers where Ukyo charges forward with nine hits for high damage and a soft knockdown on the final hit. Unlike regular Mist Finers this will hit close to Ukyo. This is fast enough to combo from standing lights if cancelled early enough and is best saved for combos. If used as a far anti-air the opponent will not be locked into eating the rest of the hits and will practically always land on their feet, considering the final hit is a low-angled slash. All hits can be blocked mid.

Combos

Standard Combos

• n5B/2B/5D 214B/236AB - Standard combos. Use 214A instead from a jump-in or if you're not right next to the opponent as the final hit of 214B is likely to miss.
• n5B/2B/5D 214C - Counter hit only.
• 2D, j1236A - A link combo that is also very hard to block, particularly if you mix other 2Ds in before going for j1236A.
• 2D, n5A/n2A 236AB - Another link possible from 2D. In theory any light slash, near or far, can combo into WFT, but it depends on how close you are when you hit with them. Your Secret Move combos from these as well.

Continuous Slash (IV)

• 2D, A+B - Counter hit only. A+B beats throws, by the way.
• A+B BBC 236A/236AB - The 236A cancel requires some delay or else the opponent will be too close for it to hit. Pretty finicky but it does very good damage.
• A+B BBC 214D, j1236A - More dependable than the meterless combo above but it does less damage.
• A+B AABBCC 214B/236AB - The first C can be cancelled as well. The cancel into 214S must be done early. This conversion into WFT deals more damage than the BBC juggle.

Colors

External Links

• Seesaa wiki