Samurai Shodown VI/Controls

Buttons

• A = Light Slash
• B = Medium Slash
• C = Heavy Slash
• D = Kick
• E = Special
• Start = Taunt

In line with existing wikis for III, V Special and 2019, motions will be represented in numpad notation.

Run/Step - 66

• Speed varies between characters. Some characters have step dashes instead of runs, and in turn these characters do not have a set of running normals.

Backdash - 44

• Distance and speed varies between characters. Every backdash can be cancelled into an air special, but not all characters have these.

Break Defense - (4/6)BC

• A standard throw this time around with no extra nuance. You no longer have to tap a slash button to follow up with an attack, nor can you move freely after throwing while unarmed. New to VI is the ability to tech throws, using the same motion.

Pursuit - 3C

• There is only one type of pursuit in this game. Given how the roll system of previous games has been replaced with the new Ukemi system, pursuit followups are less guaranteed. Can only be performed when armed.

Short Ukemi - E during soft knockdown

• E must be timed near-perfectly as you hit the ground. This will result in your character tech rolling a short distance backwards. There is a brief period of recovery where your character is vulnerable to strikes, but they are fully immune to throws.

Long Ukemi - 4E during soft knockdown

• Your character will tech roll over halfscreen away. There is no period of strike vulnerability and you are generally in a much safer position (though whether or not this is beneficial mainly depends on your character), but you are susceptible to throws.

Deflect/Weapon Catch - 236E

• Fast startup but not instant. Upon activation your character will attempt to deflect a weapon-based normal attack from your opponent. Unlike other entries deflecting a slash of any strength will grant the same amount of time for a punish, furthermore deflecting a heavy slash will no longer disarm the opponent. When performed unarmed your character will recover much quicker from their pose if whiffed. If any slash is successfully caught then the opponent will be disarmed and left in a hard knockdown state for an extended period of time, allowing you to retrieve your weapon. The size of this move's hit detection varies between characters.

Taunt - 4Start

• Makes its return from Samsho 2. Your character will perform a different taunt that doesn't involve disarming themselves. Can be performed unarmed.

Taunt Disarm - 6Start

• Standard taunt where your character will disarm themselves.

Weapon Pickup - A near weapon

• Your character will retrieve their weapon. This animation takes some time depending on the character, so you might want to make sure your opponent doesn't have an opportunity to punish you while trying to pick it up.

Throw Item - A+D

• If you have items turned on, Hikyaku will sometimes run past in the background and throw an item onto the stage. Your character will either toss or consume the item depending on its properties.

Mechanics

Rage

• Rage is the meter system of Samurai Shodown. When the meter is full your character will gain a damage boost and, unless you are using I Spirit or a custom VIII Spirit which disables it, be able to perform WFTs until either your Rage runs out or you land your WFT. The Rage timer will decrease at a constant rate unless you are in hitstun or are knocked down, where it will momentarily pause until you are able to move again. The exceptions are VI and 0, which do not have a timer but will fully drain upon performing a WFT whether it hits or not. Rage is built by taking damage in most Spirits, but in VI it is built by damaging your opponent. The console-only 0 allows you to build Rage either way. Your choice of Spirit will modify your retention, duration and damage boost.
• The 'Amount to Rage' in each character section is determined by the rough amount of damage it will take for a character in IV Spirit to Rage, as calculated by the amount of Rage built from sustaining ten points of damage. The 'Rage duration' notes how many seconds a character in IV Spirit will stay in Rage.
• The 'Rage retention' in each Spirit section is calculated by the amount of Rage accumulated from taking a 5C from V Haohmaru at 100% Weapon Gauge in each Spirit. The 'Rage duration' notes the modifier to the amount of time a character will stay in Rage, though not taking into account any changes to their defense modifier. All percentages given are in relation to IV Spirit, which has the greatest Rage retention and the longest Rage duration overall.

Backhit

• If you hit the opponent who is facing the wrong way your attack will gain extra frame advantage depending on its strength. Unlike in previous entries, the opponent will only remain backturned for the first hit, meaning the backhit infinites from older games which relied on a constant backturned state are now impossible.

Counter Hit

• If you hit the opponent during certain parts of their attacks you will score a counter hit. This does not increase your attack's damage but rather its hitstun, opening up combos which otherwise aren't possible with its regular frame advantage.

Deephit

• If your jumping attack connects on a crouching opponent or if it is a counter hit, the opponent will be put into a special animation where they are held in hitstun for longer but also reel back over a greater distance. This is usually how jC, 5C combos are made possible. You can no longer score deephits by simply hitting your jump-ins deep enough.

Hard Knockdown

• A property caused by certain moves in which opponents may not perform a tech roll while hitting the ground. This is usually caused by WFTs but certain special moves will result in hard knockdowns.

Soft Knockdown

• The most common type of knockdown. There is a small window to tech roll as you hit the ground.

Unarmed

• You are unarmed when you are not holding your weapon, for whatever reason. During this state you have access to your unarmed normals, kicks, movement options, Weapon Catch and certain special moves and WFTs, whether they are exclusive to the unarmed state (e.g. Wan-Fu's Spirit Blast Crush) or can simply be performed both armed and unarmed (e.g. Tam Tam's Gaboora Gaboora). Another downside to being unarmed is that some slash attacks will deal chip damage.

Weapon Clash

• Occasionally if your slash attack clashes with an opponent's and they are of the same strength you may initiate a Weapon Clash. This can only occur once a round. Whoever mashes the slash buttons the most will leave their opponent disarmed. There is no visible counter for button presses this time around.

Weapon Gauge

• Below your health bar is a separate gauge which manages damage scaling. It will drain as you attack and refill as you refrain from doing so. This is how heavy slashes can deal respectable damage at any point in the match while decent combos still experience damage scaling during and after their duration.