The Last Blade 2

Introduction

A 1 on 1 sword fighting game in the vein of Samurai Shodown. It takes place in the Bakumatsu era, and its gameplay has been described as a cross between the Marvel VS series, the King of Fighters series, and the Samurai Shodown series.

Basic Strategy

Notation

A = Light Slash

B = Hard Slash

C = Kick

D = Deflect/Repel/Parry AND Ground/Air Recover

CD = Throw

BC = Overhead/Unblockable

B = Back

F = Forward

D = Down

U = Up

UF = Up-Forward

UB = Up-Back

DF = Down-Forward

DB = Down-Back

QCF = Quarter Circle Forward

HCF = Half Circle Forward

Hold or on the ground to roll in either direction while you're getting up.

DM's/SDM's

DM's are always done with AB SDM's are always done with B (with one exception for Shigen). SDM's are only available on Power/EX, and most DM's can be part of speed chains.

Motions are always:

QCB-HCF+AB

HCB-HCB+AB

QCF-QCF+AB

F-HCF+AB

Speed combo specials

Initiated with D-D+A/B (A hits high, B hits low) on Speed/EX modes. Drains an entire super bar and can't be spammed at low health. You must block the A version high as it is an overhead. You can jump straight up over them close-up if you're not in extended hit stun.

Everyone has 4, but they all share one basic one. (Activate) D-D+A/B

A, B, C, A, B, C, A, B, QCF+C

(Don't mash your way through it, time each hit right about when the other one finishes. You can however mash out the last part)

There are only 2 or 3 variations on the other ones, so it's just a matter of memorizing a couple of them.

A good low hitting/launching one that a lot of people share is:

A, B, C, D+C, D+A, D+C, F+BC

OR A, B, C, D+C, D+C, F+BC

(Less common but it's used for Setsuna's and few others). You can special cancel off the F+BC as well.

You can pseudo-trap an opponent into trying to block one of these by doing them off a hitting hard slash, but they're only ever guaranteed off a deflect or an overhead stun. Good players may be able to low-jump UF deflect one if you try it off a hard slash, but I know very few people who can do it. Also, you can deflect speed combo specials after the first hit.

Don't do these from across the screen. They're easy to jump over.

Ground attacks

initiated with DF+B or just standing C when the person is on the ground. The tends to have less recovery lag. Be careful with these when the person is able to ground recover. Especially with the because it can have some bad lag on it with certain characters. Some characters can get a ground attack-in after their throw or a sweep.

• Amano's DF+B ground attack will also hit standing opponents for some reason.
• You can chain off certain ones. Pretty useless except for whiffing certain moves quickly to get meter.

Overheads

Only available on Speed/EX.

Done with BC. Some have more range/speed than others. Hibiki, Lee, Kaede, and Zantetsu have fantastic overheads. Amano and Mukuro have the worst. These hit high obviously, but they're more effective than they are in most games.

Overheads will stun you if you're blocking low. Otherwise you get launched. If you stun with an overhead, dash-in and follow quickly with a combo or throw. If you launch them, dash in to see if they'll try to quick recover, or chain a special after if your character can do it. If they don't recover, you can probably at least get a ground attack off or something.

Unblockables

Only available on power by hitting BC. Use these very sparingly. They'll get you murdered at high levels. You can hold these longer by holding the buttons down, but eventually the game makes you let go. This is helpful, because generally everyone has the same unblockable timing so it becomes easy to deflect. If you can extend the charge time, you can mess some people up.

You can be jabbed/thrown out of these so know when to use them, and really later on, I wouldn't use them much at all. Too easy to get punished. Also, most people will either let go right away or hold them down all the way. Remember that. If they're holding it, jab them quickly.

• Washizuka and Kojiroh can move forward with their's if they charge them, so back the hell up if you can't deflect or jab them out.

Super cancels

Only available on Power/EX. Not all of them are all that useful. Basically lets you cancel certain specials into super moves.

Power F+C cancels

Exactly what it sounds like. Cancelling F+C into a special or super.

Blocking

You can't block ground attacks while you're in the air.

• You can only air block when jumping straight-up or backwards. Anti-airs and projectiles can be air blocked EXCEPT Akari's fireball.

Low-jumping

Tap U, UF, or UB.

This game has the touchiest low-jump out of all of SNK's fighters. In the KoF games, you can tap it pretty hard and still get it out, but you really have to tap it lightly in this for it to work.

Getting around in general

If you're doing a jump-in, it's almost always better to be dashing or low-jumping while you do it. A straight high jump-in is just way too predictable. Try to get low jumping down. It's not completely necessary until you get to higher levels, but it's very helpful. It makes it a lot easier to get in, start combos, and zone with jump attacks without getting parried.

Ground/Air recovering

Press D to ground recover a second after you hit the ground, or D ONCE in the air after you get launched up. Don't press it twice or you'll parry on the way down and you'll be a sitting duck. You are NOT invincible while ground recovering, so make sure you're a certain distance away when you do it. Or around characters like Kaede/Kojrioh/Lee/Zantetsu/Akari/Moriya who can punish ground recoveries easily, don't do it much at all. Just know when to do it and when not to. Never do it in the corner.

• You can attack/use air specials on the way down from an air recovery.
• You can ground recover out of a lot of stuff you can't air recover from
• You can't ground recover from stuff that knocks down immediately, like sweeps, or attacks that send you flying like F+C .

On the ground

In case you missed it, hold B or F on the ground to roll in either direction while you're getting up. Or nothing to stay where you are. Don't get predictable and always roll one way.

Deflecting

First off, you know should know that you can deflect while standing, crouching and in the air. Crouching deflects will generally only work on crouching attacks, while air deflects will work on almost anything. Air deflects are much stricter on timing however. Last Blade's deflects have a miss animation on them, so be very careful when you use it, also the trail of blue shadows will make it easy to spot one.

Also, pressing D once deflects, pressing D again after the deflect causes a knock-down. It's usually better to go for a combo after instead of the knock-down. Unless you're deflecting an air-attack. You can't use the knock-down D if it's an air to air deflect, but you can use an air normal/special immediately after.

There are generally a few things you should deflect:

-When someone is blindly rushing down/pressuring you. -Really obvious jump-ins -When someone jumps straight up next to you -To counter anti-airs/air to air attacks.

You can deflect some supers, but you cannot deflect projectiles.

Tier List

God Tier: Kouryu (Banned)

Top Tier: Power Zantetsu, Power Mukuro, Speed Moriya (With teleport glitch), Power Lee,

Upper Mid Tier: Power Amano, Speed/EX Akari, Power Kagami, Power Kaede, Speed Shigen, Speed Washizuka,

Mid Tier: Speed Kojiroh, Power Setsuna, Speed Hibiki, Power Okina, Power Juzoh,

Low Tier: Power Unawakened Kaede, Speed Yuki,