Samurai Shodown VI/Sieger
Introduction
The name means "Nonstop Winner". He is mid-tier.
Sieger is an unorthodox character with strong chipping potential from anywhere on the screen, a hard-hitting rekka sequence and a beastly suite of aerial attacks. Your main weakness is how sluggish the bulk of your attacks are, in which case good spacing is imperative.
Data
- Dash type: Run
- Damage taken: 99%
- Rage retention: 105
- Rage duration: 14 seconds
Gameplan
Sieger finally returns to a SamSho game and he has it made for him here. Fireball reflector, heavy damage low hitting rekka (236D), a running overhead kara, Vulcanfire (236A mash) merely existing, and gigantic damage befitting a man of that jawline and facial structure. Sieger specializes in beating down the opponent with brutal attacks and never fearing armor. He can break armor with close/far standing heavy, close standing medium (combos into rekka), standing kick (combos into rekka), and any variant of Vulcanfire (light Vulcanfire is completely safe and hits three times). Sieger is in no short supply of terrorizing offense.
Sieger's normals are impressive but sluggish. His light slash is a punch meaning it isn't able to be parried and it's an excellent tick throw. You want to play at the tip of his range to avoid being hit out of your startup and to prevent strong punishes. Both medium slashes and his far heavy slash are two hits, the seconr activating on contact. Close medium cancels but is inferior to standing kick. Recoiling into light Vulcanfire or his Potemkin Flick (421S) will make his moves much safer. His 421S will also reflect fireballs. Always use the light version so if you mess up the input you'll do a safe light punch. If you want to score a midground between damage and safety from a midrange recoil cancel then you're able to recoil cancel with Vulcantrukken (236A half mash) but not right next to them. Finally, his running heavy slash is a battering ram that is capable of quick punishes, knocks down, and is safe so long as you're not right on them. Running heavy comprises his best offensive approach.
Sieger's 5K is his best button. With this you break armor, frame trap, and special cancel. Use this to set up a mix between Vulcanfire for chip (this can be jumped), Blitz Yaegar (Light is a front hit and medium/heavy are crossups but they don't cross in the corner), 421A for the fastest cancel, and Tigerkopf. When you master this you will obliterate your enemies. This is his strongest tactic and most lethal button. Sieger's strength is not in his specials or Crayfish Claw, it's in the kick that sets them up.
Sieger's air game is another impressive trait. His jumping heavy slash is a beefy button that covers everything in front of them and is a damn near perfect air to air. He is one of few characters who can air cancel a normal, in this case his jumping medium slash. He cancels into light Blitz Yaegar (63214S) to knock the opponent out of the sky after a successful jumping medium. Sieger can also use the medium and heavy variants of Blitz Yaegar to adjust his jump, crossup, or hurl himself over a fireball with lengthy recovery such as Galford's Plasma Blade. You can kara cancel his running medium into Blitz Yaegar to crossup the opponent or you can cancel into his rekka for mixup or light Vulcanfire to never give yourself away.
Sieger's super sucks. It deals huge damage and has one hit of armor but it's too slow to punish anything meaningfully. The only way it can combo naturally is from System 4's target combos. While that System does give him dodge/sway, burst, Issen, and target combos, it does not have the constant threat that 1 does. Sieger shouldn't have to wait to do damage to the opponent. System 1 gives him ridiculous damage from his Hyper Slash which has the range of his crouching heavy slash and is capable of anti airing. Any extended hitbox on a normal will be clipped by this and they will lose more health than you could've done with a super combo. His Hyper Slash adds to the intensity of his offense and punishes reversals with a third of their health. Raged Sieger Hyper Slashes cleave off half their health at worst. The damage bonus of System 1 also boosts his mixup between his rekka, overhead, and crossup game. It also enables Vulcanfire to melt the opponent's health even more
As a final note, you must learn how to chip KO with Vulcanfire. If the opponent's health hits 11%~ and you knocked them down then it's over. Full hit, upclose Vulcanfire will eliminate them. If you space it to not be directly in front of them then there is no reversal that will save them. Bursting is the only way to avoid certain death. Issen may save you but this move is nigh unbeatable. Sieger plays a game where the opponent has less maximum health because of the power of this move. Note, however, that if you're wrong you will be punished. Characters like Kazuki, Hyper Slash mains like Zankuro and Sieger, Genjuro in the corner, and System 4 characters loaded with super will make capitalize on your mistake
Normal Moves
Far Slashes
- 5A - Far-reaching backfist for checking movement. Be aware that it can be low profiled.
- 5B - Two-hit punch with decent range. Be mindful of its slow startup.
- 5C - Heavier 5B. Slow startup, but has the longest range of your normals. The second hit is activated if the move connects and it will cause a knockdown.
- 2A - Low punch with similar range to 5A.
- 2B - Anti-air hook. Its slow startup and crouching state make it a very risky choice for an anti-air. If the opponent is close you may get n2B instead which is also an anti-air, and luckily for you a better one.
- 2C - Low two-hit punch. As with 5C, it activates a second hit if it connects. Doesn't cause a knockdown but starts a little faster than 5C.
Near Slashes
- n5A - Quick downward flick.
- n5B - Two-hit punch. Worse for meaties than n2B. Both hits are special cancellable making it easier to hit confirm with.
- n5C - Uppercut. Your highest-damaging normal. Has a high-reaching hitbox making it suitable for use as a meaty attack. May also be used as an anti-air but be careful about not getting 5C instead.
- n2A - n5A but lower.
- n2B - Sieger swings his gauntlet up from his back to the opponent's feet. The first hit of two has a sizeable anti-air hitbox which makes it ideal for meaties. Only the first hit is special cancellable.
- n2C - Slower version of 2C which knocks down.
Kicks
- 5D - The best move in the game. Two hits, special cancels, breaks armor, keeps the opponent in place, and sets up his mix between Vulcan, Blitz Yaegar, and Tigerkopf. This can miss against tiny opponents who crouch
- 6D - Long range sobat, a great approaching poke. Cannot be cancelled into j63214S despite appearances, but will go over lows and grounded fireballs. It can be plus on block if you connect late, which happens naturally against most crouching opponents.
- 2D - Quick low attack. Special cancellable.
- 3D - Sluggish sweep with impressive range, reaching well over halfscreen.
Dash Normals
- 66A - Running 5A, fast and reaches high. Decent for applying pressure while running in.
- 66B - Slow overhead which causes a soft knockdown on hit. This can also be kara cancelled early into its animation, notably into 236D which hits low. 236A is also an option if you're sure they will keep blocking, but don't overextend your mashing if the opponent's character can punish you and won't die from the chip.
- 66C - Looks like a single-hit 5C. Impressive range and fast startup make this a reliable tool for punishes.
- 66D - Running 6D sans the upward or forward movement. Has a very early cancel window. It's very fast, so it can make a good run-under anti-air.
Air Normals
- njA - Air-to-air with great reach.
- jA - Aerial n5A.
- jB - Beefy air-to-air with better startup and priority than jC. Special cancellable.
- jC - Even beefier air-to-air, but with a very lengthy startup.
- jD - Reliable crossup. Will link into 5D or 2D if it hits late enough.
Unarmed Normals
- u5S - Same as n5A.
- u2S - Same as n2A.
- u66S - Same as 66A but it knocks down.
- juS - Same as jA.
Hyper Slash (I)
- A+B - The exploding portion of his 2C. Very high damage for a Hyper Slash. So powerful that it overrides the advantages of other Systems by a long shot
Special Moves
Vulcan Weinen - 236A (Samurai Drive)
- Sieger's revered chipping tool. After a brief moment of startup, Sieger starts firing a large blast from his gauntlet. Without mashing you get three hits and a knockdown, and you recover quickly. Given its slow startup this cannot usually be combo'd into.
- Vulcan Trukken - mash A during Vulcan Weinen
- The fire reaches midscreen. Has more recovery afterwards.
- Vulcan Explosion - mash A during Vulcan Trukken
- The fire reaches fullscreen. By the time you're done you will have reached up to 11% worth of chip damage (!!), but Sieger is held in a lengthy recovery animation afterwards. Less of an issue if you hit from a distance with this but you're still not in a good spot if it didn't kill. Regardless, this will net you four hits of chip from fullscreen so it serves as an effective harassment tool.
- If this move hits an aerial opponent they will simply be air reset, falling straight on their feet and able to block the rest.
- If the opponent recovers with a short roll and you are in range then this move can easily catch them.
Blitz Jaeger - 63214S (air OK)
- Sieger poses then belly flops across the screen. Visually similar to jD, and much like that normal it is very good at crossing up the opponent and for air-to-air purposes. Strength determines the startup and range. After hitting the opponent in any way Sieger will bounce backwards, which means that if they blocked the crossup you'll land in their face. Use sparingly.
- The air versions of this move are interesting options for air mobility. The light version starts near-instantly as Sieger immediately starts to belly flop, making no changes to your trajectory - effectively it is your jD with higher risk/reward, and you can convert this from jB. The medium and heavy versions, however, are like their grounded counterparts, starting with a pose which halts your momentum. This effectively gives Sieger a double jump, but not a flexible one. A neat option for air movement if it doesn't get you killed.
Tigerkopf - 236D, can be done unarmed
- The precursor to the Enja rekka. Does not give advantage on hit as Sieger recovers roughly around the same time as his opponent even when spaced well, but as this rekka is actually feasible to land consistently you're better off trying for the whole thing. Unsafe on block but it's quick so it can be used as a ballsy recoil cancel option. Hits low.
- Falkennagel - 236B during Tigerkopf, can be done unarmed (Samurai Drive)
- Second hit, an uppercut. Will only come out if Tigerkopf touched the opponent. Even less safe on block.
- Elephantglied - 63214C during Falkennagel, can be done unarmed
- Third hit, a backbreaker. The window is much more lenient than the Enja rekka but you still have to time it, otherwise Sieger falls into a vulnerable slump. Results in a hard knockdown on hit.
Fire Sturm - 421S (Samurai Drive)
- A quick, safe flick with decent range, but pitiful damage. Its main function is to reflect fireballs but you must be mindful with how far it stretches out from him. May also be used as a safe recoil cancel option which pushes the opponent far away on hit.
Toy Transformation - 6321464E (II)
Supers
Dragoner Faust - 236AB
- Sieger charges forward for a hitgrab. On hit he will clothesline the opponent. Given its slow startup the only way to reliably combo into this on the ground is if you pick IV Spirit and juggle from Continuous Slash II. Otherwise useful as a punish.
Operation Tiger - 632146BC (II), 236BC (VI)
- Sieger's old WFT from II. An invincible reversal where Sieger quickly leaps to the skies, then drops down at your opponent's position. No conventional way to combo into this.
Combos
Standard Combos
- n5B/n2D/5D/2D/66D 236D~236B~63214C - What combos into rekka. 5D and 2D can be linked from jD without a deephit state.
- jB 63214A - Air-to-air conversion for big damage.
- jC, 236A/236AB - A deephit jC is the only normal way to combo into these moves given their lengthy startups. 236AB can also be linked from deephit jB.
Continuous Slash (IV)
- A+B BBC 236A/63214A/236AB - BBC juggles. Use 63214A for knockdown without rage. Easy damage with 236AB but be sure to cancel early or it will miss.
- A+B AABBC 236D~236B~63214C - Dial-a-combo into rekka.
Colors
