Soulcalibur VI/Nightmare/Strategy

Combat Lessons

Fighting Style

The strength required to heft this massive sword is unimaginable, and yet its wielder is capable of swinging it with ease, landing hits as fierce as a tornado from mid to long range. Forceful blows send an opponent flying and can knock them off cliffs or castle walls. In fact, the unfettered savageness of this style can easily cow a weak-hearted opponent—particularly when they see that their blows are shrugged off without a flinch.

Pure evil flows through this fighter's veins, causing a reddish-black aura to emit from them after certain attacks. This indicates the next attack they unleash could sunder even a mountain in twain.

Style Lesson: Beginner

Charge Forward with Revenge Attacks

Blood Storm (6AA), Double Avenger (6BB), and Adamantine Cracker (6K) have revenge properties on startup, and if you are attacked during the animation, you will automatically counterattack with Dire Vengeance. Start by using Blood Storm and Double Avenger to push your opponent toward the edge of the arena. Once you're close, aim for a counter hit with Adamantine Cracker. This automatic counter has priority over enemy attacks, so there's nothing to fear.

Blood Storm

6AA - Attack Level: ntm-8
Impact	Damage	Block	Hit	Counter	Guard Burst
22	20,30	2	KND	KND	5%
Counter Hit Combo

Double Avenger

6BB - Attack Level: ntm-37
Impact	Damage	Block	Hit	Counter	Guard Burst
22	18,20	-12	KND	KND	10%
Normal Hit Combo

Adamantine Cracker

6K - Attack Level: ntm-58
Impact	Damage	Block	Hit	Counter	Guard Burst
16	24	-4	KND	KND	2%
when counterhit vs red flashing health bar

Terror Charge Techniques

After paying your foe back with Dire Vengeance, you will be wreathed in flames of malice and enter the Terror Charge state. In this state, you can use a move (but only once) that would ordinarily require you to be soul charged, which makes it great for offense and defense.

Death Lord's Impalement (during Terror Charge 6BBB) lets you move first if blocked, making it a potent option with good reach that is easy to use. Compensating for your lack of counterattack capability with Malicious Lord's Destruction (during Terror Charge KB) is another wise choice. Also note that Soul Smasher (2A+B) and Double Death Strike (4KK) become attack throws on hit while in the Terror Charge state.

Death Lord's Impalement

NTC 6BBB - Attack Level: ntm-158
Impact	Damage	Block	Hit	Counter	Guard Burst
22	19,22,3,3,3,3,3,3,22	4	KND	KND	18%
Normal Hit Combo.

Malicious Lord's Destruction

NTC KB - Attack Level: ntm-159
Impact	Damage	Block	Hit	Counter	Guard Burst
14	18,30	-4	KND	KND	9%
Normal Hit Combo

Soul Smasher

2A+B - Attack Level: ntm-76
Impact	Damage	Block	Hit	Counter	Guard Burst
20	15,25	-16	KND	KND	9%
Grants NTC

Double Death Strike

4KK - Attack Level: ntm-65
Impact	Damage	Block	Hit	Counter	Guard Burst
18	18,24,22,7	-6	KND	KND	4%
Counter Hit Combo. Grants NTech Crouch

Style Lesson: Adept

Assault Your Foe with Grim Stride

Grim Stride (236) is a special movement technique that lets you close in quickly. It is commonly used after attacks such as Shoulder Rush ~ Grim Stride (33_66_99k6) and Ether Splitter ~ Grim Stride (33_66_99b6).

Grim Stride

236 - Attack Level: ntm-112
Impact	Damage	Block	Hit	Counter	Guard Burst
-	-	-	-	-	-
GS

Shoulder Rush ~ Grim Stride

(3)_(6)_(9)K6 - Attack Level: ntm-107
Impact	Damage	Block	Hit	Counter	Guard Burst
16	20	-6	12	12	2%
Tech Crouch[5-16]. into GS

Ether Splitter ~ Grim Stride

(3)_(6)_(9)B6 - Attack Level: ntm-98
Impact	Damage	Block	Hit	Counter	Guard Burst
20	24	-2	LNC	LNC	15%
into GS

From here you can use Grim Launcher (during Grim Stride B), which does a great deal of guard stamina damage and puts heavy pressure on your opponent.

GS ~ Grim Launcher

GS B - Attack Level: ntm-115
Impact	Damage	Block	Hit	Counter	Guard Burst
22	42	-10	LNC	LNC	9%

Flowing from Grim Stride

If you are targeted by a vertical attack during Grim Stride, use the guard impact technique Grim Fang (during Grim Stride A). If your opponent is wary of Grim Launcher and Grim Fang, do nothing during Grim Stride, and end by crouching to mix up either the middle attack Upper Claw (while rising B) or the low attack Flap Jack (while crouching 3A+G) to break their defenses.

GS ~ Grim Fang

GS A - Attack Level: ntm-113
Impact	Damage	Block	Hit	Counter	Guard Burst
18	16	-16	8	18	1%
[2-17] vs & verticals

Upper Claw

WR B - Attack Level: ntm-49
Impact	Damage	Block	Hit	Counter	Guard Burst
16	18	-22	LNC	LNC	2%
counter vs vertical

Flap Jack

FC 3A+G - Attack Level: ntm-84
Impact	Damage	Block	Hit	Counter	Guard Burst
18	30	-16	KND	KND	-

Style Lesson: Master

Using Night Side Stance

If you use nothing but wide swings, your opponent will catch on sooner or later. By using a special stance, you can unlock more of this style's potential. You can change into Night Side Stance by using Plague Spreader ~ Night Side Stance ([A]) or Blood Storm ~ Night Side Stance (6[A]), then wait for a chance to counter hit with Night Front Kick (during Night Side Stance K). If you are crouching, Upper Claw ~ Night Side Stance (while rising [B]) is a combo starter and link, making it a good standby.

Plague Spreader ~ Night Side Stance

(A) - Attack Level: ntm-3
Impact	Damage	Block	Hit	Counter	Guard Burst
16	16	0	10	10	1%
into NSS

Blood Storm ~ Night Side Stance

6(A) - Attack Level: ntm-9
Impact	Damage	Block	Hit	Counter	Guard Burst
22	20	-8	4	4	4%
into NSS

NSS ~ Night Front Kick

NSS K - Attack Level: ntm-144
Impact	Damage	Block	Hit	Counter	Guard Burst
10	16	-10	KND	STN	9%

Upper Claw ~ Night Side Stance

WR (B) - Attack Level: ntm-50
Impact	Damage	Block	Hit	Counter	Guard Burst
16	18	-2	LNC	LNC	2%
counter vs vertical. into NSS

Techniques from Night Side Stance

Night Front Kick is easy to punish if blocked. If your opponent is being defensive, you can push them and switch stances again to keep up the pressure with Soul Biter ~ Night Side Stance (during Night Side Stance [A]). Using Grim Stride (during Night Side Stance 236) to move in and attack is another good option.

NSS ~ Skull Chopper ~ Night Side Stance

NSS (A) - Attack Level: ntm-139
Impact	Damage	Block	Hit	Counter	Guard Burst
26	22	-4	14	14	1%
Tech Crouch[13-22]. into NSS

NSS ~ Grim Stride

NSS 236 - Attack Level: ntm-147
Impact	Damage	Block	Hit	Counter	Guard Burst
-	-	-	-	-	-
into GS

Dodge with 4B+K

Pressing 4B+K to switch into Night Side Stance causes you to move in a way that avoids many short-range attacks. After a successful dodge, strike with a Phantom Star (during Night Side Stance aB) to deal heavy damage with a lethal hit.

Night Side Stance

NLS 4B+K - Attack Level: ntm-126
Impact	Damage	Block	Hit	Counter	Guard Burst
-	-	-	-	-	-
into NSS

NSS ~ Phantom Splitter

NSS aB - Attack Level: ntm-141
Impact	Damage	Block	Hit	Counter	Guard Burst
27	26	-18	KND	KND	9%
as whiff punish

Critical Edge

Dark Reconquista: Triumph

Properties

A critical edge that activates Terror Charge when performed. it's a slow attack with revenge properties that cannot be interrupted by high and middle attacks. If revenge is triggered, it gains guard impact properties, so you can deflect and follow up with AA, BB, or other combos to dish out heavy damage. Additionally, the attack will deal a great deal of chip damage against guarding opponents when revenge is active, meaning you can activate revenge against an attack with a small opening and still deal a good amount of damage, even if your counterattack is guarded.

Dark Reconquista: Triumph

A+B+K - Attack Level: ntm-153
Impact	Damage	Block	Hit	Counter	Guard Burst
40	80	-18	KND	KND	25%
Armor[2+]

++ (A)+(B)+(K) - Attack Level: ntm-154
Impact	Damage	Block	Hit	Counter	Guard Burst
64	110	-	KND	KND	-
. Armor[2+]

Tips

Holding the button will delay the attack and increase the damage. Holding it for the maximum duration will make it unblockable. Waiting to release the button until the enemy attacks is an effective strategy.

Soul Charge

Powerful New Follow-ups

During a soul charge, you will be able to do new follow-ups from your main moves and special stances, opening up your offensive options. Many of these follow-ups aren't interrupted by being blocked, giving you the chance to attack freely. When the effect of the soul charge ends, you will be put in the Terror Charge state as an aftereffect. Use this to your advantage and make foes who get too greedy pay a heavy price.

More Painful Combos with Stance Follow-ups

The moves added by soul charge can beef up your already devastating combos. You'll have many chances to land Phantom Lord's Gammadia (during Night Side Stance bAB) as a combo after Death Smash ~ Night Side Stance (3[B]) and Upper Claw ~ Night Side Stance (while rising [B]), so remember it.

Death Smash ~ Night Side Stance

3(B) - Attack Level: ntm-39
Impact	Damage	Block	Hit	Counter	Guard Burst
22	36	-6	LNC	LNC	9%
into NSS. STN on tip hit.

NSS ~ Phantom Lord's Gammadia

NTC NSS bAB - Attack Level: ntm-170
Impact	Damage	Block	Hit	Counter	Guard Burst
14	48,19	-22	KND	KND	20%
Normal Hit Combo Tech Crouch[8-14] -10 damage without just frame

Mightier Counterattacks from Dire Vengeance

During a soul charge, if revenge is activated by moves like Blood Storm (6AA) or Adamantine Cracker (6K), the resulting Dire Vengeance will be a lethal hit. With good positioning, a Grim Lord's Auto—da-fé (during Grim Stride KK) can turn into a ring out or wall combo, so keep it in mind.

GS ~ Grim Lord's Auto-da-fé

NTC GS KK - Attack Level: ntm-166
Impact	Damage	Block	Hit	Counter	Guard Burst
18	12,7,18,6	10	KND	KND	16%

Harbinger of Doom

A soul attack that can be performed from both a normal stance and also from Grim Stride. It has a quick start-up, making it best suited for combos and punishing opponents who miss an attack. The attack is also a soul charge technique, meaning it can be triggered while you are soul charged at no cost to your soul gauge.

Harbinger of Doom

236A+B+K - Attack Level: ntm-156
Impact	Damage	Block	Hit	Counter	Guard Burst
16	36	-6	8	8	9%

GS ~ Harbinger of Doom

GS A+B+K - Attack Level: ntm-157
Impact	Damage	Block	Hit	Counter	Guard Burst
16	36	-6	8	8	9%

Reversal Edge

Following Up with A

A high horizontal attack that deals heavy guard stamina damage, and can result in a guard crush if the opponent's guard stamina is low. However, if the guard crush fails, expect to be counterattacked.

Following Up with B

Switches to Night Side Stance after attack. If the guard crush is successful, you can follow with other Night Side Stance moves.

Following Up with K

Becomes an attack throw on hit and activates Terror Charge. This move is easy to counterattack if blocked.