Samurai Shodown VI/Yoshitora

Introduction

SamSho VI's official TO. He does a lot for the community.

Your hitgrab is now a command grab but your damage output is worse and your overhead doesn't knock down. Other than that not much has changed. You're still going to fullscreen Tsubaki anyway.

Data

• Dash type: Run
• Damage taken: 102%
• Rage retention: 135
• Rage duration: 11 seconds

Gameplan

Yoshitora is a rushdown character. His Yuugao (623D) is a true command grab now, while he still has his oppressive jC jump-in, jB crossup, 2C low and braindead hit confirms from mainly your B buttons into damaging enders. The damage in VI has been lowered overall which gives the opponent more of a chance to escape Yoshitora's okizeme, furthermore his Botan (j236S) cannot be kara cancelled from 6D for a damaging, ranged overhead option anymore. Regardless, rushdown is clearly the strong point of the character and you should aim to make situations where you can accomplish this easily.

Before you can rushdown with Yoshitora, however, you must first win neutral. At fullscreen you may be compelled to use Tsubaki (421S), a forward leap with a guard point, to skip neutral, potentially blowing through pokes, fireballs or whatever else the opponent is planning. However, from the tip of its range that's about the only thing Yoshitora can do, making fullscreen Tsubakis extremely predictable. Though you shouldn't discount Tsubaki entirely, it is generally wiser to play with the threat of it while making your way in. As for pokes, your best bet is to space your B Nadeshiko (236S). If spaced correctly most opponents will not have the tools to shut down whatever you do next if they block it, while if it hits you score a knockdown. Be mindful of 236B's slow startup, however. At this range you can also attempt a jump-in jC, poke defensively with 5B or have enough space to anti-air with 2B or Shirayui (623S). 5C is another, riskier option for opponents running at you which can be potentially rewarding damage-wise but can also get you killed if you don't hit them grounded. In addition to your trusty jB for air-to-air encounters, Botan is another option for its range and priority, although these qualities are hindered by its slow startup.

If Yoshitora manages to land all six of his regular special moves within a round and the opponent hasn't been knocked out yet, he gains access to Yuuchouka (632146BC), a large projectile which deals a great amount of damage and chip particularly if Yoshitora lands it point blank. Given its slow startup but decent range it may be useful to catch opponents rushing in as there is no visual indicator that you have unlocked the seventh sword. While it is a fun challenge to try unlocking Yuuchouka in a real match it won't necessarily win you the round, and it's pretty obvious if you're going for it.

Yoshitora is pretty good with hit confirms already, but he benefits from Spirits which up his damage output or give him extra mobility. II and V Spirit's cancellable forward rolls work well with Yoshitora's new command grab and furthermore can be used in neutral and to space Nadeshiko attacks. II gives you access to your hidden super, which unlocks Yuuchouka if it hits and can be combo'd into from pretty much anything. V gives you a forward hop and access to State of Nothingness, which Yoshitora gets extra mileage out of as he can combo from his overhead 6D while time is slowed for the opponent. VI is another good choice for Yoshitora, who usually saves his WFT for combos and benefits from holding onto it as long as possible. This also gives you access to your hidden super though nowhere near as often as in II. If you don't care about landing WFT and simply want to up Yoshitora's burst damage then I is an option as it gives your Rage an even larger multiplier than usual. This Spirit also gives you a damaging slash attack with one hit of armour, which may be used over Tsubaki if you have resolved to using that move as an offensive dodge.

Normal Moves

Far Slashes

• 5A - Has more range than the first hit of 5B.
• 5B - Three-hit swipe, pretty active so has its uses to poke dudes rushing at you. The last hit is special cancellable and will combo into 214A.
• 5C - Five-hit midscreen punish tool which can also catch running opponents, but it's pretty slow. No extra hitstun or blockstun if it makes its mark means this move goes by a lot quicker overall than in V Special.
• 2A - Less range than 5A, but it hits low.
• 2B - Two-hit anti-air which hits directly above Yoshitora. Comes with the same risks as any other crouching anti-air. Neither hit is cancellable.
• 2C - Two-hit sweep. The first hit is special cancellable. This is an effective meaty tool as it hits low and is active enough to catch an opponent in II or V Spirit attempting to neutral hop to beat it.

Near Slashes

• n5A - Whiffs on crouchers.
• n5B - Two... hits. The second hit is special cancellable and given the pause in between the hits this move is easy to hit confirm from.
• n5C - Strong punish tool as the third hit is special cancellable.
• n2A - Has better range here than in V Special. Good option for pushing the opponent back but doesn't hit low like the far version.
• n2B - Same as far version.
• n2C - Same as far version.

Kicks

• 5D - Standing low. Special cancellable, will combo into 214A and 623S.
• 6D - Yoshitora's old universal overhead, but for whatever reason you can't kara cancel this into j236S anymore, but regular Yoshitora's version of the move is delayed anyway. Does not knock down, which gives it some utility in State of Nothingness where it can lead to big damage.
• EX 6D - Now kara cancellable, and with your old version of j236S back it will come out.
• 2D - Low kick.
• 3D - Low-hitting sweep despite its high-reaching appearance. May anti-air if spaced correctly.

Dash Normals

• 66A - Running n5A.
• 66B - Running n5B but it doesn't recoil. You may want to special cancel into something if they block it (421S for example if you think they will press), otherwise it's an effective punish tool given its decent range.
• 66C - A quick upward swipe which knocks down. Good for catching upbackers.
• EX 66C - A delayed slash downward, which is not an overhead despite appearances nor is it cancellable.
• 66D - Sliding low kick.

Air Normals

• jA - Very situational air-to-air with short range.
• jB - Aerial 5B which means it's a strong air-to-air and crossup tool.
• jC - Four-hit jump-in attack with good priority. VI's crossup prevention system for multi-hit moves means you can't force TAS unblockables with this, furthermore the spacing for crossing up with this move is precise.
• jD - Diagonal kick with surprisingly good hitstun. May be more reliable for jump-in combos than jC.

Unarmed Normals

• u5S - Same as n5A.
• u2S - Same as n2A.
• u66S - Same as 66A.
• juS - Same as jA.

Hyper Slash (I)

• A+B - Similar to the attacking portion of his 421B, but with a yellow hit effect instead of teal. Yoshitora steps forward a bit during this attack but recovers relatively quickly on whiff.

Command Moves

Backward Roll - 1E (II, V, 0)

• Yoshitora still has his unique back roll from the previous games but it cannot be kara cancelled into j236S unless you are using EX Yoshitora. Neither version can be cancelled by grounded specials.

Special Moves

Pink Blossoms - 236S (Samurai Drive)

• Nadeshiko, the first sword. Yoshitora rushes forward and slashes in front of him for a knockdown. With the exception of 236C this attack has lengthy startup.
• 236A is a low-hitting sweep. Unsafe on block but good for combos, also as a followup after a spaced blocked 236B.
• 236B is a straight poke which is much safer on block. Spacing this properly will lead to decent pressure as you can do anything else afterwards with relative safety, but its slow startup makes this a commitment.
• 236C is a far anti-air and has more range than his 623S, but the fact Yoshitora moves forward means 2B and 623S are better options at hitting above his head. This version comes out faster than all other versions but is unable to hit most grounded opponents. A trick you can do is to cancel a special into 236C then go for a throw or another mixup option, which takes advantage of the fact they usually want to block Nadeshikos but also leaves you wide open for an opponent who sees what you're doing.
• EX: 236B has been reverted to its infamous V incarnation, which has fast startup, recovers quickly and doesn't knock down. In V this led to an easy backhit infinite, as backhit 236B links into 2B which combos into it. In V Special, 236B was not only given a slower startup but a knockdown property to prevent the occurance of such an infinite. The backhit infinite has been restored to its former glory, but the link from a point blank 236B into 2B is tight.

White Lillies - 623S

• Shirayui, the second sword. Yoshitora's fastest special move, this is a DP-style anti-air and reversal. Strength determines the startup and upper-body invulnerability. 623C is fully invincible but it can still be thrown on startup.

Tree Peonies - j236S (Samurai Drive)

• Botan, the third sword. This is an air-to-air overhead which knocks down, but it has way slower startup here than in V Special.
• You are able to cancel your backdash into this move, but given its slow startup it will not come out.
• EX: The old version of the move which is much better, but has worse recovery particularly noticeable when performed while descending from a jump. The main upside is that this is faster than regular Botan.

Camellias - 421S

• Tsubaki, the fourth sword. The main draw of this move is that Yoshitora leaps forward covered by a guard point, allowing him to win neutral in one fell swoop if he makes the right read. However, this move is the only threatening thing about Yoshitora at fullscreen, so often times it is better to just rush in normally or play patiently.
• 421A is just the leap. Yoshitora can safely cover some decent ground by chaining about two of these, but be mindful the opponent can time their attacks to hit the recovery. Yoshitora players often go for throws after 421A as that covers the opponent blocking a potential 421B and is a decent choice for a punish on its own. You may have to mix this up with strikes or anti-airs sometimes considering the sequence of 421A then throw gets predictable.
• 421B is the leap followed by a near-immediate counterattack, which is unsafe but has a wide and tall hitbox which actually reaches a fair bit behind him.
• 421C is a new version of the move. It is essentially 421A with a slower startup, but Yoshitora recovers much quicker afterwards allowing him to punish or mixup faster.
• EX: 421C is back to functioning exactly like 421B, but with an important difference: Yoshitora has a voiceline for the C version, while he is silent for the B version. As this sound cue is the same as heard in the A version's startup, it is possible to mixup with 421A and 421C as the sound cue is exactly the same, while a silent Tsubaki could only suggest that the followup is bound to come out.

Morning Glory - 214S

• Asagao, the fifth sword. This is a hitgrab with decent reach but it leaves Yoshitora vulnerable if it misses. Strength determines startup, amount of hits and damage. The opponent is stuck for longer in the animation depending on the strength, but the difference between strengths in this regard is not too severe. If the opponent is cornered this may be used as a chipping tool to close out the round.
• 214A has the quickest startup out of all of his specials and is useful for combos. 214C is your most damaging combo ender out of Yoshitora's specials, but it only combos from n5C.

Moonflower - 623D

• Yuugao, the sixth sword. This move is now a command grab. Useful as a mixup tool and as a roll cancel option in II and V Spirits.
• EX: Yuugao is back to being a hitgrab again. You still can't combo into it.

Fluttering Butterfly Blossom - 632146BC, only if all other special attacks have hit the opponent during the round (Samurai Drive)

• Yuuchouka, the seventh sword. After a slow startup, Yoshitora strikes the ground to unleash an extremely tall projectile. This will deal relatively high damage it hits, particularly if you hit point blank with it, or plenty of chip damage if it's blocked. This fireball can not be reflected or beaten by anything. This move has a newfound purpose in its ability to not only catch short rolls but punish them hard.
• The new unlock requirements apply to EX Yoshitora as well, who now needs to make sure 623S and j236S will hit. This is an easier feat in VI given the toned-down damage overall.

Toy Transformation - 6321464E (II)

Supers

Hollyhocks - 236AB (also in EX)

• Aoi, no sword in particular. This is a reversal which hits low and continues to low profile after the hit, but it is unsafe on block. Fast enough to be used in combos.

Hundred Flowers Slash - 2363214BC (II), 236BC (VI) (also in EX)

• Yoshitora hits you with all of his moves in a manner strikingly similar to his SSM from 2019. Fast enough to combo from pretty much everything. Just like the SSM, if it hits it also unlocks Yuuchouka for you.

Combos

Standard Combos

Every starter in this section can also combo into the enders of combos listed above it. If a particular strength is listed then assume weaker strengths for that special will work as well.

• 2B 623B - The DP must be cancelled into very quickly. You will usually be using 2B as an anti-air instead of a combo starter as for the latter purpose the starters listed below do a much better job.
• 2C/5D 236B/623S/214A - More niche starters.
• 5B 236A - In theory your DP is fast enough to combo from the last hit of 5B, but unless you catch a forward roll or something then you won't be in range to land it.
• n5B/66B 236AB - Your most efficient way of confirming into WFT.
• n5C 214S - Heavy punish. Your only way to combo into stronger versions of Asagao. 214C deals the most damage out of all of your combo-able specials.

Standard Combos (EX)

• 236B, 2B 236B, 2B ... - Backhit infinite. It's tough.

Continuous Slash (IV)

• A+B BBC 236C/623S/214A/214B/236AB - Wide variety of juggle combos. 214B gives you slightly more damage than the other specials but 236C gives you the most okizeme.

Colors

External Links

• Seesaa wiki
• Seesaa wiki (EX)