Samurai Shodown VI/Yoshitora

Introduction

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

Yoshitora's hitgrab is now a command grab, but he can't kara Botan anymore and backdash canceled Botan moves too far back to hit. Other than that not much has changed.

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.

Spirits

• I Spirit goes all-in on offense and maximizing damage. Yoshitora has a solid Hyper Slash, with good startup and range and average damage. Good Rage duration and average Rage retention also help him leverage I's massive damage bonus on Rage. I Spirit does not give Yoshitora access to his supers, any defensive system mechanics, or rolls for movement/cancels into 623D.
• II Spirit's jack of all trades nature is well suited to Yoshitora's diverse kit. Weapon Break makes his long Rage and reliable confirms into WFT more threatening, and one time use of Secret Move lets him build momentum early in a round with good damage and immediately unlocking Yuuchouka. Invincible enrage animation also gives him some breathing room on defense. Rolls can special cancel into different options as suit the situation, but especially benefit his new command grab. They also complement hop and duck as defensive options. Toy Transformation has some invulnerability on startup and can special cancel immediately, opening up tricky defensive play and setups with DP or command grab.
• III Spirit focuses on building Rage for more WFTs, with manual Rage charge on AB and infinite Rage at low health. Dodge and circle step are good all-purpose defensive options.
• IV Spirit's Continuous Slash doesn't enhance Yoshitora's already strong confirms much, but it does give him a way to either build Rage with CS4, squeeze out some more damage into hard knockdown with CS2 into 214B, or sideswap with 236C. IV shares III's dodge and circle step on defense, along with Rage Explosion and Issen as a last chance to turn the tide.
• V shares II's defensive options and adds a high profiling forward hop. It downplays his WFT in favor of meditating for State of Nothingness. 6D gives him good mixup in SoN since it doesn't knock down, but he doesn't have a launcher to secure unburstable damage and his damage output isn't very time-efficient. V also has access to Rage Explosion for emergencies, but it prevents use of State of Nothingness and Issen.
• VI's Mikiri dodges help Yoshitora secure punishes on a good defensive read, and infinite Rage duration means he can stock WFT for guaranteed reward. He gains repeated access to his Secret Move at low health; while this gives less or no time to use Yuuchouka, it's still a rewarding confirm and can help close rounds. Hyper Guard can immediately put Yoshitora back on the offensive in exchange for some meter and also gets him out of chip kill situations.

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. The first hit which lands is cancellable, whether it be the first or the second hit.
• 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.
• 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. It can special cancel after landing, and his forward roll can also special cancel after some time.

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 with faster startup than 236A. Still very unsafe on block.
• 236C is a far anti-air and has more range than his 623S. 2B and 623S are better options for hitting above his head, but 236C will catch spaced jumps those would not. This version comes out faster than all other versions but is unable to hit most grounded opponents.
• 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. All versions are counterhit state during recovery.
• 623A has an anywhere juggle property which the other versions lack, which can be seen when anti-airing with 2B. It's also airborne just before active frames, while the other versions remain grounded slightly longer.

Tree Peonies - j236S (Samurai Drive)

• Botan, the third sword. This is an air-to-air overhead which knocks down.
• You are able to cancel your backdash into this move. This will not hit grounded opponents, but can anti-air if performed quickly enough.
• EX: Still Botan, but EX 6D opens up kara 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 that acts like a delayed 421A. It also takes a little longer to recover after the hop.
• 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 is useful for combos. The others are generally too slow to combo, but still have use for recoil canceling and as followups for counterhits or Yoshitora's CS2.
• All versions cause hard knockdown. Can follow up with pursuit in the corner.

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. Sideswaps into hard knockdown; does not give enough time to pursuit.
• 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. The fireball itself deals solid damage, but if the sword strike also hits this will do more damage than Yoshitora's supers. It also deals good chip damage if blocked and pushes the opponent far away, but does leave Yoshitora very minus after. This fireball can not be reflected or beaten by anything. Excellent for chip kills or for big punishes almost anywhere on screen.
• Opponents out of range of the initial strike can dodge through the fireball in III/IV Spirit with good timing. Those in IV/V Spirit can also Rage Explode through the attack and even punish it on hit.
• 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.

• (opponent in air) 2B 623A - 623A has anywhere juggle properties. If 2B hits them high enough, you can combo into 623A before they land.
• 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.
• 5B/66B/n5C/2C/5D 214A/236B/623S - More starters, now with better followups. 5B is generally too far away to combo into 623S.
• n5B 236A/236AB - Your go-to WFT confirm. 236A also sweeps to leave the opponent directly in front, though you could still take 214A hard knockdown for a marginal damage loss.

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. 236C will sideswap. 214B gives slightly more damage than the other specials along with hard knockdown for good frame advantage. This hard knockdown leads to various oki setups including 421A 9jC for a meaty backhit or pursuit in corner for extra damage and strike/throw oki.

Frame Data - Provided by Tekitogate

Attack	Startup	On Hit	On Standing Block	On Crouching Block	Notes
n5A	5	+2	-2	+3
n2A	5	+4	-2	+3
5A	10	-8	-2	+3
2A	10	-5	-2	+3
66A	6	-5	-9	-4
jA	7	N/A	N/A	N/A
n5B	9	-2	-8	-3
5B	10	-10	-8	-3
2B	6	-1	-8	-3
66B	7	-6	-19	-14
jB	12	N/A	N/A	N/A
n5C	15	-1~0	-20	-15
5C	19	-9~-8	-40	-35
2C	9	KD	N/A	-19
66C	10	KD	-23	-18
jC	15	N/A	N/A	N/A
5D	15	-1	N/A	0
6D	22	-10	-12	N/A	0 on crouching opponents
2D	6	-1	N/A	0
3D	11	KD	N/A	-18
66D	7	KD	N/A	-11	Active for 11 frames
jD	7	N/A	N/A	N/A
Hyper Slash	26	KD	-40	-30
Continuous Slash	9	N/A	-20	-15

Colors

External Links

• Seesaa wiki
• Seesaa wiki (EX)