Soulcalibur VI/Yoshimitsu/Strategy

Combat Lessons

Fighting Style

This ninja fighting style utilizes a katana, a wakizashi (short sword), and various mysterious powers, providing its users with a wealth of fast offensive options at close range. It can even absorb an opponent's strength with a strike, then turn it against them. It... is also probably safe to say that no other fighting style allows its practitioners to use their sword and the banner on their back to fly through the air and land an attack from behind. Welcome to the world of Manji ninjutsu.

Such moves, however, should not fool one into thinking this style is all tricks and little substance. In fact, the swordsmanship displayed is on par with the best. Using bizarre movements to surprise an opponent and land fast attacks is just one of many tactics it offers.

Style Lesson: Beginner

Use Your Close Combat Speed

This style uses lightning-fast attacks, so moving in quickly and landing swift strikes like Splinter Gale Lightning Blade (AAA) and Heshikirinagi (6AB) is a standard strategy. You can act before an opponent if they block Heshikirinagi, so use this technique aggressively.

Splinter Gale Lightning Blade
AAA

AAA - Attack Level:
Impact	Damage	Block	Hit	Counter	Guard Burst
10	10,8,18	-6	4	4	7%
Tech Crouch[14-24]

Heshikirinagi
6AB

6AB - Attack Level:
Impact	Damage	Block	Hit	Counter	Guard Burst
16	12,14,24	4	8	KND	17%
Counter Hit Combo. Tech Crouch[11-22].

Aim for Counter Hits

This style has a number of moves that can get multiple hits after a counter hit. Always try to be in a position to move before your opponent can. Golden Bar (3AA) is a middle attack that comes out quickly and chains into other moves. If you're able to move before your foe and see them attack, unleash it to guarantee a counter hit.

Golden Bar
3AA

3AA - Attack Level:
Impact	Damage	Block	Hit	Counter	Guard Burst
14	12,12	-4	4	KND	3%
Normal Hit Combo. Tech Crouch[5-8]. Trasfers to hit-throw on CH for 30 more damage.

A counter hit on the first hit of Vampiric Rain (BBB) will guarantee all three attacks hit. Connecting with the third attack will drain the opponent's soul gauge, which looks away some of their best moves.

Vampiric Rain
BBB

BBB - Attack Level:
Impact	Damage	Block	Hit	Counter	Guard Burst
14	14,14,16	-12	-2	-2	9%
Counter Hit Combo.

Breaking the Opponent's Guard

If the opponent is defensive because of a fear of counterattacks, you'll have to break through their guard. Submission Slash (3BB) is the go-to middle attack for this, and should work in most situations. If you think you can get a clean hit, press 3[B] to switch to Manji Dragonfly and deliver more damage in a combo. If not, you can try the high-damage throw Rainbow Drop (214A+G).

Submission Slash/ ~ DGF
3BB/3[B]

3BB - Attack Level:
Impact	Damage	Block	Hit	Counter	Guard Burst
18	22,4,10,13	-10	KND	KND	15%
Normal Hit Combo. 25 dmg if all previous hits were blocked/whiffed.
3(B) - Attack Level:
Impact	Damage	Block	Hit	Counter	Guard Burst
18	22,4,10	-10	LNC	LNC	6%
into DGF

Rainbow Drop
214A+G

214A+G - Attack Level:
Impact	Damage	Block	Hit	Counter	Guard Burst
18	68	-	-	-	-

Other options include crouching in front of the opponent and using Knee Cap (while crouching 3K) for a low attack or Stone Fists (while crouching 1K follow—up) for a middle attack.

Knee Cap
FC 3K

FC 3K - Attack Level:
Impact	Damage	Block	Hit	Counter	Guard Burst
20	18	-20	KND	KND	4%
Tech Crouch[?-RC]

Stone Fists
FC 1KKKKK

FC 1K - Attack Level:
Impact	Damage	Block	Hit	Counter	Guard Burst
18	8	-20	-4	-4	1%
Tech Crouch[?-RC]
FC 1KK - Attack Level:
Impact	Damage	Block	Hit	Counter	Guard Burst
18	8,8	-22	-14	-14	3%
Normal Hit Combo. Tech Crouch[?-RC]
FC 1KKK - Attack Level:
Impact	Damage	Block	Hit	Counter	Guard Burst
18	8,8,6	-22	-12	-12	5%
Normal Hit Combo. Tech Crouch[?-RC]
FC 1KKKK - Attack Level:
Impact	Damage	Block	Hit	Counter	Guard Burst
18	8,8,6,6	-22	-12	-12	6%
Counter Hit Combo. Tech Crouch[?-RC]
FC 1KKKKK - Attack Level:
Impact	Damage	Block	Hit	Counter	Guard Burst
18	8,8,6,6,10	DZY	DZY	DZY	8%
Tech Crouch[1-66]

Style Lesson: Adept

Spend Your Soul Gauge

One major feature of this style is the ability to spend a portion of your soul gauge to perform certain moves. Banishing Kurikara (AAA+B) and Shoki Gehosen (6BBA+B) can deliver a lot of damage after quickly confirming a counter hit.

Banishing Kurikara
AAA+B

BE AAA+B - Attack Level:
Impact	Damage	Block	Hit	Counter	Guard Burst
10	10,8,10,15	2	8	8	12%
Counter Hit Combo. BA

Shoki Gehosen
6BBA+B

BE 6BBA+B - Attack Level:
Impact	Damage	Block	Hit	Counter	Guard Burst
14	14,6,18	-8	LNC	LNC	15%
Counter Hit Combo. into DGF. Tech Crouch[9-19]. Tech Jump[24-46]

Swirling Blossom (4aA+B) and Thundercloud Rider (6kA+B) are excellent for extending combo damage, so use them frequently.

Swirling Blossom
4aA+B

BE 4AA+B - Attack Level:
Impact	Damage	Block	Hit	Counter	Guard Burst
14	15,4,4,4,4,8,2	8	18	18	9%
Counter Hit Combo.

Thundercloud Rider
6kA+B

BE 6KA+B - Attack Level:
Impact	Damage	Block	Hit	Counter	Guard Burst
16	20,11,22	-16	KND	KND	10%
Normal Hit Combo

Drain Your Foe's Soul Gauge

Using moves that spend your soul gauge means you have to fill it. This style has techniques that allow you to steal from the opponent's soul gauge to restore your own.

Hannya Hammer (4B) comes out quickly, and is perfect for retaliating after blocking an attack with a long recovery. Vampiric Rain (BBB) guarantees all three hits if the initial strike is a counter hit, and will not only drain a full soul gauge, but will also cause a lethal hit.

Hannya Hammer
4B

4B - Attack Level:
Impact	Damage	Block	Hit	Counter	Guard Burst
12	14	-12	-8	-8	2%
Soul steal

Style Lesson: Master

Using the Manji Dragonfly

The Manji Dragonfly stance is great for breaking through defenses, and is a key element of this style's offense. Change into it by using an appropriate technique like Submission Slash ~ Manji Dragonfly (3[B]) and try to land Dragonfly Blade (during Manji Dragonfly B) or Dragonfly Sweep (during Manji Dragonfly K). If you land Submission Slash ~ Manji Dragonfly, you can follow up with Spirited Away (during Manji Dragonfly A+B) while they are still in the air.

DGF ~ Dragonfly Blade
DGF B

DGF B - Attack Level:
Impact	Damage	Block	Hit	Counter	Guard Burst
30	26	2	STN	STN	9%
Tech Jump[1-29]. Tech Crouch[31-50].

DGF ~ Dragonfly Sweep
DGF K

DGF K - Attack Level:
Impact	Damage	Block	Hit	Counter	Guard Burst
20	26	-16	8	8	4%
Tech Crouch[19-34]. Tech Jump[1-17]

DGF ~ Spirited Away
DGF A+B

DGF A+B - Attack Level:
Impact	Damage	Block	Hit	Counter	Guard Burst
16	12	-5	12	STN	4%
Air throw. Upon landing, perfect input grants soul gauge; if fails, Yoshi stumbles. On whif, back to DGF

Using the Indian Stance

While you are In the Indian Stance, your soul gauge will gradually fill. Do not expect your opponent to just sit there and wait, though. When they come in to attack, use Enlightened Sun Flare (during Indian Stance B) as an offensive evasion. If your foe waits for you to act, get them to block a Tobi Ushiwaka (during Indian Stance K), and switch to Manji Dragonfly before they can move. Now you can begin a new assault.

IND ~ Enlightened Sun Flare
IND B

IND B - Attack Level:
Impact	Damage	Block	Hit	Counter	Guard Burst
40	25	-14	KND	KND	9%
when dodging attack

IND ~ Tobi Ushiwaka ~ DGF
IND K

IND K - Attack Level:
Impact	Damage	Block	Hit	Counter	Guard Burst
16	14,10	8	16	34	3%
into DGF. +16 oC only is 2nd kick is cH (not 1st)

Flea

This stance has a powerful move, Flea Gouge (during Flea A+B), that can knock a fallen foe back to their feet. You can also use Digging Cyclone ~ Flea (6A+B) to hit a downed opponent and switch into the stance. If Digging Cyclone ~ Flea is blocked, use quick attacks like Skull Splitter (during Flea B) to maintain your offense.

FLE ~ Flea Gouge
FLE A+B

FLE A+B - Attack Level:
Impact	Damage	Block	Hit	Counter	Guard Burst
18	10	4	KND	KND	9%
BA. Tech Jump[1-17]

Digging Cyclone ~ FLE
6A+B

6A+B - Attack Level:
Impact	Damage	Block	Hit	Counter	Guard Burst
22	16	7	STN	STN	9%
into FLE

FLE ~ Skull Splitter
FLE B

FLE B - Attack Level:
Impact	Damage	Block	Hit	Counter	Guard Burst
14	20	-8	LNC	LNC	9%

Critical Edge

Ghost Thief Funeral

Properties

A downward slash from the sky that lets you immediately move to the opponent, but is a bit slow. It will drain the opponent's soul gauge on hit and restore your health.

Ghost Thief Funeral
A+B+K

A+B+K - Attack Level:
Impact	Damage	Block	Hit	Counter	Guard Burst
30	77	4	KND	KND	12%
Flash on frame 23. . . Tech Jump

Tips

This critical edge is highly effective in situations when you want to spend your soul gauge on powerful moves, but have trouble getting through your opponent's reach.

You will steal from their soul gauge on hit, so if they have a powerful critical edge or soul charge, try to land this to limit their options.

Soul Charge

Soul Charge Techniques

During a soul charge, moves that ordinarily consume the soul gauge can be used for free, but the duration of your soul charge will be greatly reduced afterward. In addition, three new moves become available: Oni Killer (during soul charge 3AA (hit)), Manji Tatsumi (during soul charge A+G), and Nimbus (during soul charge (4A+G)

Oni Killer
SC 3AA

SC 3AA - Attack Level:
Impact	Damage	Block	Hit	Counter	Guard Burst
14	13,43	-4	4	4	3%
Normal Hit Combo. Tech Crouch[5-8]

Manji Tatsumi
SC A+G

SC A+G - Attack Level:
Impact	Damage	Block	Hit	Counter	Guard Burst
18	60	-	-	-	-
Is +8 when broken

Nimbus
SC 4A+G

SC 4A+G - Attack Level:
Impact	Damage	Block	Hit	Counter	Guard Burst
18	60	-	-	-	-
Is +8 when broken

Enhanced Manji Dragonfly

Moves such as Samsara Pandemonium (while soul charged during Manji Dragonfly B (hit) BBB) become available, and other Manji Dragonfly techniques increase in power. These powers let you quickly seize victory.

Samsara Pandemonium
SC DGF BBBB

SC DGF BBBB - Attack Level:
Impact	Damage	Block	Hit	Counter	Guard Burst
28	26,13,15,18	-	KND	KND	-
. Normal Hit Combo. Post-1st attacks comes out only on hit

A New Special Stance

During a soul charge, you can switch into the high-flying Super Dragonfly stance (while soul charged during Manji Dragonfly 8B+K). From here, you can use the fast and devastating unblockable attack Transcendent Dragonfly (during Super Dragonfly B)

DGF ~ Super Dragonfly
SC DGF 8B+K

SC DGF 8B+K - Attack Level:
Impact	Damage	Block	Hit	Counter	Guard Burst
-	-	-	-	-	-
into SGDF

SDGF ~ Transcendent Dragonfly
SC SDGF B

SGDF B - Attack Level:
Impact	Damage	Block	Hit	Counter	Guard Burst
21	33	-	STN	STN	-
. Tech Crouch[22-32]. Tech Jump[1-22]

Yin and Yang Recursion

A peculiar soul attack in which you appear to attack yourself, but at the very next moment appear in the air. The greatest advantage of this attack is that you can shift directly to Super Dragonfly, which requires you to be soul charged to use. Additionally, it has a quick start-up, making it a good attack to incorporate into combos.

Yin and Yang Recursion
236A+B+K

236A+B+K - Attack Level:
Impact	Damage	Block	Hit	Counter	Guard Burst
16	36	-1	11	11	8%
into SDGF. 1-14 activation. 15-60 freeze. 61 hits.

Reversal Edge

Following Up with A

On a hit, moves from the Manji Dragonfly can be chained, and even if blocked, Manji Dragonfly gives you excellent offensive options. During a soul charge, it becomes a break attack with an additional follow-up, making it a technically unblockable attack. This means the opponent has to use B.

Following Up with B

A vertical scissor attack that sends the opponent flying. Clever positioning can lead to a ring out or wall combo.

Following Up with K

Delivers a palm strike while dodging opponent B attacks. This turns into an attack throw on hit and steals from the opponent's soul gauge.