SNKHEROINES GUIDE

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SNK Heroines: Tag Team Frenzy General Notes

By: Mikadok

Special thanks to: @sie_kensou77 , @HBJohnXuandou, @kenmastersX, @Keogamer, @novriltataki  , and @OlafRedland  for pointing out smaller things I missed after the fact and for providing more general info to flesh some things out.

Let’s get right to this~

General

– Your buttons are L(Light/Weak), H(Heavy/Strong), S(Special), Throw, Guard, Dream Finish (Will be referred to as D for ease), and Tag.

– Unlike other SNK games, you can air dash here. Air dashing is very important for mobility, since air dashes are very quick. Instant air dashing — hereafter referred to as IAD — is especially important if you want to increase your overall damage output.

– Guarding is relegated to a button in SNK Heroines, as opposed to holding away from the opponent. Holding the Guard button puts up a shield that will block everything that’s not a normal throw. You can roll by pressing left or right while guarding, and you can air dodge by pressing Guard while airborne. Air dodging stops any forward momentum you might have had as you sway away, but you give up any aerial offense you may have planned to do. This WILL, however, let you avoid anything, even throws. Be cautious, though, as you can be punished if you land in their face afterward. Rolling takes you past an opponent or their attacks, but you can be thrown during the latter end of a roll, as well as hit as you’re coming out of one, so that’s something to look out for.

– Speaking of guarding, your shield has a limit to what it can take. If it takes one too many hits, it’ll shatter, and your character will be left stunned. It should be noted that guarding against supers doesn’t deteriorate your shield at all. Other ways your shield can deteriorate, though, are with Guard Cancel rolls, done by pressing left or right while blocking an attack. Guard Cancel evasions take away some of your SP to do, but unlike standard rolls, they’re totally invincible all the way through. In the event that your Spirit Gauge, or SP, is too low, however, your shield will deteriorate faster every time you do a Guard Cancel roll. Be very careful so you don’t waste all your resources! (props to @HBJohnXuandou  on Twitter for pointing this out to me)

– One last point about guarding is that while you’re holding up your shield, your SP won’t regenerate, so be mindful about balancing your SP.

– The majority of your normals can only be hit once during a combo without a reset in the juggle state. SP items (technically assists based on your partner) will reset the juggle state when they hit the opponent, while other items will give you room for raw tags, which will reset the juggle state as well. Thief Arthur is the only exception to this rule.

– Dash attacks are an exception to the above rule. If you can hit a dash attack during a juggle, it will connect. It will wallsplat and crumple the opponent, regardless of height. If you do another dash attack after, it will knock the opponent down, but they can still be juggled, since you can tag when it hits. Another dash attack from your tagged character will wallsplat and crumple them again.

– If you start a combo with a jumping normal on a standing opponent, this normal can be hit a 2nd time to continue your juggle, but no more after without resetting. Thief Arthur, as with other certain cases, is an exception to this rule.

– Almost every character can pop the opponent into the air with a close Heavy attack that can be jump cancelled to follow it up. The exceptions to this are Kula, Luong, and Mian, all of which will be detailed later.

– Speaking of being airborne, jumping is important in this game. Air dashes are fast, and are a great way to close the distance in a hurry. However, it does bear mentioning that doing so can and will get you hurt severely by anyone that’s on the ball. Heavy attacks and jumping attacks put people into a juggle state, while standing Light attacks let the opponent flip out and land on their feet. If you wonder why jumping attacks aren’t usually noted in the character sections later on, it’s because most characters have pretty decent jumping Light attacks (for some, it’s their jumping Heavy attacks) that can be used as an air-to-air, and by and large, those aren’t too hard to suss out. The main point, though, is that you should be careful about how and when you should take to the air. Keep air dodging in mind, as well as your spacing, so you don’t eat a hard punish for trying to leave your feet.

– Like in a standard KOF game, certain special moves can be used multiple times in a combo, provided you can actually hit them.

– Ground throws can be broken. Air throws and command throws can’t be broken. Standard Throws deplete 1 and ½ bars of your opponent’s Spirit Energy (SP) as well as doing damage to them.  Throws make you invulnerable to items until the throw is done, as do certain super animations.

– Unlike with some throws in KOF, you can’t Fall Break a throw once it’s happened, regardless of the throw. It is possible to OTG the opponent after a throw.

– Speaking of, you can break your fall in quite a few situations by pressing Guard as you’re about to hit the floor. You can press left or right and Guard to roll in the desired direction as you tech the fall. You can’t do this to throws or certain moves that cause a hard knockdown state, however.

– Your Spirit Gauge (SP) is directly tied to your health gauge. The less health you have, the more SP you have. Special moves typically take slightly more than one bar of SP, tag cancels take about two and a half bars of SP (neutral tags don’t incur a cost), and supers take 4 bars of SP. Your SP will slowly replenish on its own, and will replenish faster as you fight. If a character isn’t currently active, their SP will replenish faster still.

– Counter hits deplete SP as well as health. The stronger the counter hit, the more SP you lose, with supers depleting 1 and ½ bars.

– If your SP hits 0, and you do a special move, it will be suuuper weak and won’t produce any knockdown.

– Your partner’s SP gauge is separate from yours; you can see it underneath your main character’s SP/Health gauge.

– Raw tags have invul, so you can use them to evade attacks.

 

Items: General

– Items appear in bubbles. Items you receive are random.

– Items are granted if you fulfill certain criteria during a match. These are also random.

  • If you Guard Crush your opponent, you have a 100% chance of receiving an item.
  • If your health falls below 20%, you have a 100% chance of receiving an item (only once per battle). This item will ALWAYS be an SP item.
  • If you’re stunned, you have a 100% chance to receive an item (only once per battle).
  • If you cause a certain amount of damage during a combo, you’ll get an item. The chance of getting one depends on the damage you do.
  • If you TAKE a certain amount of damage during a combo, you have a chance of getting an item. The chance likewise depends on the damage you’re taking.
  • Successfully throw break and you have a 50% chance of getting an item.
  • Knock your opponent into the wall, and you have a 40% chance of getting an item.
  • Get knocked into the wall, and you have a 30% chance of getting an item.

– Items can be used at almost any time, whether you’re being hit, stunned, or whatever else is happening. You can’t use items during certain supers, however.

– You can only hold one item at a time. Picking up another won’t let you receive it, unless it’s the SP item, which will take the place of the one you have.

– You can press left or right on the analog to make your partner set most items on the corresponding side. Pressing UP or DOWN will make that item drop differently.

 

Items: Specific

– Certain items (Mine, Springboard, Time Bomb, Hurricane, Wrecking Ball) can OTG on hard knockdowns, allowing for continuation of combos. This includes crumple animations.

Mine – Can be placed left or right, putting it in front of or behind the opponent, respectively. You can place it directly under someone’s feet by pressing up or down. 80 damage.

Springboard – Can be placed left or right, putting it in front of or behind the opponent, respectively. You can place it directly under someone’s feet by pressing up or down. 20 damage.

Time Bomb – Can be placed left or right, putting it in front of or behind the opponent, respectively. You can place it directly under someone’s feet by pressing up or down. Takes about 4 seconds to explode, and you can invul through the explosion. 120 damage.

Hurricane – Can be placed left or right, putting it in front of or behind the opponent, respectively. You can place it directly on someone’s position by pressing up or down. The Hurricane is persistent enough to hit people that are in lengthy invul frames if they don’t get out of it. 40 damage.

Wrecking Ball – Can be placed left or right, putting it in front of or behind the opponent, respectively. If it hits a grounded opponent, it puts them in a hard knockdown state. If they’re already in a hard knockdown state, it won’t pick them up, but will hit them. It also won’t flatten an airborne opponent, instead popping them up, allowing for juggle continuations. As long as it’s on the screen, it’s an active attack, hitting with roughly each rotation, so you can effectively chase it to upkeep a juggle. It’s also VERY noteworthy that this thing is insane in regards to durability, as it should be, able to take out super projectiles. You’re just not going to stop this thing if it rolls onscreen. 150 damage.

– The Sand item causes a re-stand if it hits an opponent. Can be placed left or right, dropping it in front of or behind the opponent, respectively. You can drop it directly on someone’s position by pressing up or down.  It can hit a jumping opponent and force them to stand on the ground, but won’t hit them if they’ve been popped into the air. You CAN, however, hit someone with the Sand item during a crumple stun, re-standing them. If you tag as the Sand is falling and it hits, it won’t stick them to the ground. If it sticks them and you tag, they’re set free. If you tag before the Sand can form, it won’t come out, and you’ll have wasted the item. If you tag just as the Sand is forming, but before it can fall, it will still stick the opponent if it hits.

– The Daimon item stuns either person that’s grounded. If you are in the air at all (example, Love’s Sky Anchor, Mui Mui’s far.5H), it won’t affect you.

– The Banana peel item saps away five units of SP and gets you a knockdown, but of course, will only hit a standing opponent. It can’t be blocked. Can be cast left or right, or dropped directly on the opponent’s position, 10 damage.

– The Poison does 10 damage if it hits the opponent, and will slowly drain their health while it’s in effect. Though you can block the poison vial, it will still poison you regardless. Can be placed left or right, dropping it in front of or behind the opponent, respectively. You can drop it directly on someone’s position by pressing up or down.

– The Wall item can take two hits before it crumbles. As the name suggests, it creates a small wall, which actually allows for mid-screen corner shenanigans (wallbounces and the like), but it can be jumped over. Can be placed left or right, putting it in front of or behind the opponent, respectively, and put in the center of the screen with up or down.

– The Washbasin will groundbounce an airborne opponent, but they’ll barely budge if hit while standing. Can be placed left or right, dropping it in front of or behind the opponent, respectively. You can drop it directly on someone’s position by pressing up or down. 100 damage.

– As mentioned before, Springboards work with throws, hard knockdowns, and crumple stuns. The latter can be used to set up raw tag scenarios to set up reeeally lengthy combos.

– It should be noted that items and SP items are NOT reflectable, so avoid or block them.

– The EX item does exactly as advertised, allowing you to do EX versions of your special moves, changing their properties or the number of hits they can do. EX moves DO NOT take away any SP meter, and they count as separate moves, so you can use the EX item to extend combos even further. This boost does not apply to supers, though.

– Many SP items can OTG, and will reset the juggle state so you can lengthen a combo.

SP Items:

Damage noted is bare, outside of combos; all attack moves can reset juggle state.

Athena – Heals you for 1 and ½ bars of health.

Kula – Sends out a giant snowflake that re-stands if it hits. Regardless of which direction you press, the snowflake will always come from behind your character. 50 damage.

Mai – Sets a flame mine that can OTG. Can be cast left or right, or directly under the opponent’s feet by pressing up or down. 250 damage.

Nakoruru – Sends out a bird projectile. 200 damage.

Love – Sends out an Elision Wave. 200 damage, can OTG, will groundbounce if it hits at all.

Leona – Sets out a huge Baltic Launcher. Can be cast left or right, or used in the center by pressing up or down. 10 hits, 200 damage if they all connect.

Mui Mui – Casts a brief field around your character that knocks the opponent back if it hits. 100 damage.

Luong – Recovers two bars of SP; also speeds up your SP recovery.

Sylvie – Casts a lightning bolt that puts the opponent in an extended hitstun state. Will freeze the opponent in a hitstun state in midair; Good for setting up raw tag situations, can be cast left or right, or directly on the opponent’s position by pressing up or down. 80 damage.

Yuri – Gives two bars of SP back, buffs attack strength.

Zarina – Sets out a flower patch that gradually heals you as long as you can stand in it.

Mian – Grants you 5 seconds of armor. Armor protects from supers as well, but is vulnerable to throws.

Shermie – Rolls a plushie(?) out onto the screen. 30 damage, depletes ALL of the opponent’s SP meter.

Terry – Places a star that explodes into a Power Geyser. This star appears in front of your character, regardless of where they are, so positioning is important. Can OTG, 200 damage.

Thief Arthur – She heals a slight bit of health while covering her ally in her wind energy, allowing them to absorb health from their opponents as they damage them for a short period of time.

Skullomania – Skullo’s SP item causes a skull-shaped ball to bounce around the screen. If it connects with the opponent, whether they’re grounded or airborne, it causes them to be put into a VERY heavy hitstun. It bounces around similarly to the Pinball item, with the up/down use of it making the ball bounce about in a narrow trajectory. 100 damage.

Moves that can hit multiple times in a combo:

Many of these moves are what you’ll generally use the most, outside of dash attacks as well, to extend your combos as much as possible.

Athena – Phoenix Arrow; last hit will whiff the second time unless the juggle state is reset.

Kula – Ray Spin and slide follow-up; Crow Bite, which doesn’t seem to have a hit limitation, but will be naturally limited by general combo limitations.

Mai – Musasabi No Mai

Nakoruru – Annu Mutsube

Love – Peace Slash; 2nd hit will whiff the second time unless the juggle state is reset.

Leona – Baltic Launcher; doesn’t HAVE a hit limitation (!)

Mui Mui – Ryusougeki; The first time will wallsplat and crumple if the opponent is grounded, then it can be used again to wallbounce after that. If used during a juggle, the 2nd and 3rd hits will whiff the 2nd time unless juggle state is reset.

Luong – Ren; Can hit twice; will groundbounce an airborne opponent.

Sylvie – Denki Kaijin, can be hit twice unless juggle state is reset.

Yuri – Chou Upper, can hit multiple times, has no hit limit (!), but will be naturally limited by general combo limitations.

Zarina – Growing Flower, hits twice, 4th hit will whiff the second time unless juggle state is reset.

Mian – Karin, can hit twice unless juggle state is reset.

Shermie – Shermie Plunge, Shermie Whip; being grabs, items are necessary but she CAN hit these twice.

Terry – Crack Shoot; Can hit twice; hits that already connected will whiff the 2nd time.

Thief Arthur – Twin Daggers, Whirl Wind; Whirl Wind can hit twice, though the last hit will whiff the second time in a combo.

Skullomania – Skullo Head -> Skullo Dive; You can hit these multiple times in a combo. Due to the recovery time of the move, however, doing so can be difficult without the usage of items.

 

Character Specifics

This will get into each character’s notable normals, as well as their special moves and their properties as normal and EX moves. Listed damage values are unscaled, outside of combos.

 

Athena

Notable normal: far.H. Good for poking and juggles, actually puts Athena in an airborne state, so she’ll go over low angled attacks like Terry’s Power Wave. More notable in that it’s a solid poke to mess with anyone at range if you think they might try to approach via IAD-ing.

Psycho Ball (5S, 6S): Hits once, will pop an airborne opponent up a bit higher.  40 damage. SP cost: 1 and ½ bars.

  • EX Psycho Ball: Slow-moving, big, and oppressive. Three hits, and pops the opponent up like the normal one does. 67 damage.

Psycho Sword (2S): Athena’s anti-air. Three hits. Doesn’t typically recover fast enough for you to do anything after, but hitting the last hit on an already launched opponent may give you a chance to follow up in some way.  70 damage. SP cost: 1 SP bar.

  • EX Psycho Sword: 5 hits, and pretty much everything that applies to the standard Psycho Sword applies here, though you can actually hit a second one of these if the first knocks them high enough. This version has startup invulnerability, so you can counteract a few things with it. 100 damage.

Psycho Reflector (4S): Athena’s usual reflector shield. Hits the opponent once. If it touches the opponent, or if you successfully reflect a projectile with it, you recover faster. Fast enough to land a cl.H in the corner, in fact. Unlike the usual variant in KOF, however, it’s not potent enough to reflect super projectiles. 60 damage. SP cost: 1 SP bar.

 

  • EX Psycho Reflector:  This one has all the same properties as the normal Psycho Reflector, save for the added wallsplat to crumple that the EX Reflector adds. This also means it can’t reflect super projectiles. 70 damage.

 

Phoenix Arrow (j.S): Typically gets its hits depending on the height you hit the move at, usually capping out at 5 hits. If you pass by the opponent during it, Athena will autocorrect during the kick at the end so she can still hit them. If the opponent is cornered, you can follow up with cl.H. 86 damage at 5 hits. SP cost: 1 SP bar.

 

  • EX Phoenix Arrow: Like the Psycho Reflector, this shares all its traits with its normal counterpart, but it recovers MUCH faster than the standard version. If you hit it midscreen, you can follow up with a quick iad.H. Follow ups are, of course, much easier to manage in the corner, though. This one seems to cap out at 4 hits, though, even if you hit it higher up. 106 damage.

 

Crystal Shoot (5D):  Athena charges a blast, then tosses it forward. It eats standard projectiles. The aerial version always goes diagonally downward. Holding D will let you hold the move, but it doesn’t make it any more powerful. 300 damage. SP cost: 4 bars.

Shining Crystal Bit (2D): Athena forms a series of orbs that circle her. Whether on the ground or in the air, the damage is the same. Not pressing a button will keep the orbs spinning around you for a few seconds. They give some projectile protection and startup invul, and can hit an opponent who gets too close, but Athena CAN be hit out of it if you’re in it too long. Pressing D will cancel the move early. 350 damage. SP cost: 4 bars.

Kula

Notable normal: cl.H – This is Kula’s usual two hit axe kick. In SNK Heroines, the 2nd hit actually groundbounces. You can hit this twice, but the second time, only the first hit will connect. This is an interesting normal as well since the first hit can be jump cancelled if you hit an opponent in the air (whether they’re being juggled or not), but not if it hits a grounded opponent.

Diamond Breath (5S): Kula breathes a breath of cold air directly in front of her. It’s got pretty decent horizontal range. Knocks an enemy back if it hits. 90 damage. SP cost: 1 bar.

  • EX Diamond Breath: This has slightly more horizontal range than the standard Diamond Breath attack, is faster, and if it hits, it puts the opponent in a crumple stun. 100 damage.

Crow Bite (2S): Kula’s classic anti-air special move. This move’s two hits, and can be hit multiple times, if the opponent is high enough in the air for it. 120 damage if both hits connect. SP cost: 1 bar.

  • EX Crow Bite: This version of Crow Bite is three hits instead of two. As Kula goes up higher, and recovers slower than she would with the normal Crow Bite, following this one up with anything else would be very unlikely. It DOES grant some very brief startup invul, though. 150 damage if all three hits connect.

Ray Spin: (6S): Kula jumps and spins forward with a pirouette, kicking the opponent.  SP cost: 1 bar; follow ups are ¼ th a bar afterward.

  • EX Ray Spin: This version does two spinning kicks and takes Kula slightly higher into the air with them. For each version, Kula counts as being airborne, allowing her to go over some attacks.  Regardless of which you do, there are two follow ups:

 

  • Ray Spin – Stand (S after Ray Spin): Kula kicks her leg, sending a tub of ice cream (?!) encased in a snowflake at the opponent. Counting the initial Ray Spin kick, 129 damage. EX version, 154 damage.
  • Ray Spin – Sit (2S after Ray Spin): Instead of sending out a projectile, Kula slides along the ground. If this connects, it pops the opponent up into the air. This can be followed up with a cl.H or a Crow Bite. This move can also be hit multiple times. 101 damage if both hits connect. 135 damage if the EX version fully connects, though it’s worth noting that the EX version can’t hit more than once.

 

Counter Shell (4S): Kula does a wiping motion with her hand, with ice trailing the motion. While this can hit the opponent, its main use is in reflecting projectiles. Kula wipes away the projectile, then immediately kicks one of her own back at the enemy. In normal KOF games, the projectile Kula kicked back would be impossible to reflect back at her, and in many cases, could just beat other projectiles — even supers. Here, the projectile she kicks back has normal properties, meaning it can be reflected back at Kula after she reflects something back. Be careful with this one.  50 damage if the physical attack connects, 100 damage if the reflected projectile hits. SP cost: 1 bar.

  • EX Counter Shell: This has the same properties of the normal Counter Shell. It’s faster, though, and hits a bit harder. 75 damage if the physical attack connects, 100 damage if the reflected projectile hits.

Diamond Edge (5D): Kula slams her hands against the ground, creating an ice spike that reaches up in a narrow, diagonally upward angle. As the look of the move would suggest, it’s solid for dealing with people jumping in at you. Even though this move does have some crazy solid invulnerability frames, be careful about using this move at random, since either blocking or a well-timed tag is all that’s needed to make this punishable. 350 damage. SP cost: 4 bars.

Frozen Arena (2D): Kula slides along the ground, leaving frozen treats in her wake. Despite the way this move looks, it only hits twice. If you’re close to the opponent when it happens, Kula will actually slide past them. It’s pretty quick, so it can be a decent way to punish, or move out of a bad spot, if you have some sort of item to cover your trail so your opponent can’t follow up easily. 350 damage. SP cost: 4 bars.

Mai

Notable normal: cl.H, Dash Attack – Mai’s close Heavy makes her kick her leg straight up. If she’s in range to use this, it’s great for stuffing jumping and air dashing attempts, especially given how fast the attack is. It’s her jump cancellable Heavy, too, so you can follow up easily if you nail it.

Mai’s Dash Attack MIGHT be the fastest one in the game. It’s certainly fast enough, with good range, too. It’s going to help her pump out quite a bit of damage. Keep it in mind, but don’t get predictable with it.

Kachousen (5S, 2S): Mai tosses her fan. That’s about the extent of the explanation, really. Small, moves at a decent speed, hits once. A decent way to help her control a little space. 60 damage. SP cost: 1 and ½ bars.

 

  • EX  Kachousen: Mai tosses her fan. This one moves a bit slower, and if it makes contact with the opponent at all, be it a hit or if it’s blocked, the fan goes up into the air and comes down. It can help Mai keep her opponent from moving too wildly, and is very good for corner nonsense.  Each time the fan connects, it does 40 damage.

 

Ryuuenbu (4S): Mai spins, smacking the opponent with a flame attack that pops them into the air. Good for juggle situations, and you can easily follow up with a few things, depending on your position. 65 damage. SP cost: 1 bar.

 

  • EX Ryuuenbu: This version of the move hits three times if you’re close enough, and still pops the opponent up. The options afterward still apply here, too, so it’s a good move. 103 damage.

 

Hissatsu Shinobi-Bachi (6S): This move is usually what you want to use to end combos, as you’re not really going to be able to follow up on it, and if it’s blocked, you’re going to be very unsafe. 86 damage. SP cost: 1 bar.

 

  • EX Hissatsu Shinobi-Bachi: This version of the move is much better, by and large. It’s five hits, and since the fifth happens late in the descent during the elbow, it’s much more safe, and if it hits, you can follow up with other stuff. 114 damage.

 

Musasabi no Mai (j.S): Mai dives down at her opponent, fan in mouth. This can be one of Mai’s best moves. If used low to the ground, it recovers very quickly, and this move is one of the few that can be hit multiple times in a combo, giving you a lot of room to extend on them. Be careful using it higher up, because you’ll be left open. 70 damage. SP cost: 1 bar.

 

  • EX Musasabi no Mai: This version can hit 3 times, and has the same properties as the normal version, with the added bonus of faster startup. 124 damage.

 

Chou Hissatsu Shinobi-Bachi (5D, useable in air): This move is a souped up version of her normal Shinobi-Bachi. 6 hits on the ground, 7 hits in the air. As with any other super, despite its solid startup invul, be careful tossing this out at random, or else you’ll be punished. If all hits connect, 350 damage. SP cost: 4 bars.

Kagerou no Mai (2D): Mai focuses, and a flame sprouts up high, launching the opponent into the air. This move has very little horizontal range, but due to its nature, serves well as an anti-air attack. It also has some startup invul to it, so there’s that. 2 hits, 350 damage. SP cost: 4 bars.

Nakoruru

Notable normals: j.L, j.H – These normals are notable for Nakoruru because unlike almost everyone else in the cast, Nakoruru’s jumping L is the move that will groundbounce an airborne opponent, while her jumping H is what you’d use to keep a juggled opponent up a bit longer. Don’t get mixed up when you bring her in!

Amube Yatoro (5S): Nakoruru sends out a bird projectile that goes straight ahead. A decently sized projectile with good speed. 40 damage. SP cost: 1 and ½ bars.

 

  • EX Amube Yatoro: This version’s faster than the norm, both in movement, and in how quickly it comes out. This one’s also got some extra oomph to it, as it’ll eat weaker projectiles and keep right on going, despite it being one hit like the normal bird. 40 damage.

 

Rera Mutsube (2S): Nakoruru goes up with a rising strike that is oddly accompanied with a massive bird graphic. Not much to say here. It pretty much serves as an anti-air special move. The usual applies in that you don’t want to whiff this or have it blocked, because you’ll be left open, and as such, you can’t do much with it outside of use it to follow up on a couple juggles. 90 damage. SP cost: 1 bar.

 

  • EX Rera Mutsube: The EX version of this move is much better. 3 hits, and it recovers quickly enough that you can actually follow up on it in most given situations you can hit it in. This actually has some brief startup invincibility to it. 140 damage.

 

Annu Mutsube (6S):  Nakoruru slides along the ground toward her opponent blade first. Contrary to what the move looks like, you can actually connect with it multiple times in a combo, and provided you’re not just doing it recklessly (meaning you’re using proper spacing, or at LEAST covering yourself with an item), it actually has pretty good recovery. 80 damage. SP cost: 1 bar.

 

  • EX Annu Mutsube: This one’s 3 hits, as opposed to the normal version’s one. Due to how Nako keeps forward momentum, though, if you’re close enough to hit it at all, you’ll only have so many way you can follow up on it if it hits, compared to the normal version. 120 damage.

 

Kamui Rimuse (4S): This move’s a weird one. Despite the way it visually looks when Nako spins to strike you with the cloth, the area it affects is smaller than it looks. You have to be fairly close for it to hit, and you won’t recover all that quickly, either. It CAN reflect projectiles, though, and if it hits the opponent, it sends them into the wall, into a crumple stun. Probably the move that’ll get the least use, but it’s there. 80 damage. SP cost: 1 bar.

 

  • EX Kamui Rimuse: The EX variant of this comes out a bit faster, and recovers a bit faster, but doesn’t seem to have any added properties beyond those and heightened damage. 100 damage.

 

Irusuka Yatoro Rimuse (5D): Nakoruru sends the bird down toward her enemy diagonally. This will eat most other projectiles, and it’s decently fast to boot. One hit, 300 damage. SP cost: 4 bars.

Inapu – Ikashima – Wanpe – Chuie (2D):  Nako assaults the enemy with a flurry of sword strikes. There’s some startup invul to this one. If the first strike connects, the entire move goes in, making this very much like your typical ranbu super. 350 damage. SP cost: 4 bars.

Love Heart

Notable normals: Far.H, Dash Attack – Far Heavy is notable for Love. This has nice range, and is good to use to check people trying to IAD on approach.

Love’s Dash Attack has some good range and a nice vertical to it while moving her forward a good bit of space. The speed of the move is good, too, making it a nice punishment tool in certain situations.

Peace Slash (5S): Love slashes twice with an energy sword. This move comes out pretty quick and has really nice horizontal reach. It can be used twice in a combo, but the second time around, only the first hit will connect. If it hits an airborne opponent, it’ll groundbounce them. 97 damage. SP cost: 1 bar.

 

  • EX Peace Slash: Love adds a third slash that wallbounces the opponent. Like the normal version, this can be used twice in a combo. If the second one hits, only two of the three hits will connect, and the opponent will be groundbounced. 109 damage.

 

Rising Heart (2S): A rising sword attack. This doesn’t have much horizontal range to it, but has really good vertical range. The recovery’s iffy, so you won’t be able to follow up on it naturally. What’s interesting, though, is that this has a hit of armor to it at the start, when Love’s holding the sword in front of herself, and it’s strong enough to even stop a super in its tracks. If you’re bold, go for it. 80 damage. SP cost: 1 bar.

 

  • EX Rising Heart: The EX version of this has a little more horizontal range to it, and hits twice. The recovery’s about the same as the standard version, so the same rules apply. It has straight up invul on startup, though, as opposed to the standard version’s armor. 140 damage.

 

Rush Heart (6S): Love rushes forward to hit with an uppercut. The startup for this is very obvious, but you can follow it up if it hits, and it’s obviously pretty decent for use in juggles. 90 damage. SP cost: 1 bar.

 

  • EX Rush Heart: This version of the Rush Heart is multiple hits, and becomes active pretty early in. It can hit up to 5 times, and the recovery’s great, making it great to add to juggles. Still punishable if blocked, though. 120 damage if all 5 hits connect.

 

Sky Anchor (4S): A two-hit forward somersaulting kick. Despite the way it looks, it primarily hits in front of Love Heart at a low angle, so it doesn’t make it all that great to add it to juggles. The second hit puts the opponent in a hard knockdown state. This is good if you want to hit someone with a super, or you have an item to scoop them off the floor with, but otherwise, this won’t get much use. 80 damage. SP cost: 1 bar.

 

  • EX Sky Anchor: Like the EX Rush Heart, everything about this version of the move is better. It hits five times AND groundbounces if it connects. While the recovery of it is also much better, allowing you to follow up with other stuff, it IS punishable if the opponent mashes L or has an exceedingly good cl.H. 100 damage.

 

Elision Wave (5D): Love slashes with her energy sword, sending out a wave that starts out slow, then speeds up as it goes. This move can OTG, so moves that cause a hard knockdown can be followed up by this. Very punishable if the opponent jumps the wave, though. 300 damage. SP cost: 4 bars.

Sky Love Arrow (2D): Love comes down with a multi-hitting dive kick. This can hit up to 5 times, and the angle she comes down can let her bypass a decent bit as she goes, if it’s spaced properly. This has startup invul to it. 350 damage if all 5 hits connect. SP cost: 4 bars.

 

Leona

Notable normals: cl.H, Dash Attack – Leona’s Close Heavy is a very interesting normal in comparison to so many others. It’s two hits, like some others, sure, but it’s worth noting that BOTH hits will pop up an airborne opponent. What’s more, each hit is jump cancellable (the first knee can only be jump cancelled if the second is in the first few frames of startup and on an airborne opponent that’s high enough, oddly, but can be special cancelled), and each hit counts as its own attack, meaning you can hit one knee during a juggle, cancel it with something, then do cl.H again. The first knee will whiff, but the second comes out fast enough to connect, and you can continue to follow up with other stuff. A very good normal to keep in mind.

Leona’s got one of the faster Dash Attacks in the game, and it recovers quickly enough that you can easily follow up on it if it connects, whether the result is a wallbounce or a crumple stun.

Baltic Launcher (5S): This move is insane. 9 hits, and the recovery is good enough that you can follow up a couple ways. Even if you hit it raw, you can easily follow up with Leona’s Dash Attack, which is one of the faster ones in the game. Definitely important for her overall combo game. 91 damage if the whole thing connects. SP cost: 1 and ½ bars.

 

  • EX Baltic Launcher: EX Baltic Launcher, amazingly, isn’t as good as the standard version. Even though it does 12 hits, the recovery is actually worse, meaning you can’t follow up on it as easily as you can the normal version unless you’re in the corner. 111 damage.

 

Moon Slasher (2S): Despite its visual appearance, Moon Slasher only hits slightly above Leona, and in front of her. Though it’s pretty quick, the recovery leaves a bit to be desired, so it can definitely be punished and should be used carefully. As a tradeoff, though, it DOES do what you’d expect of a special anti-air and gives you startup invul good enough to beat some supers. 100 damage. SP cost: 1 bar.

 

  • EX Moon Slasher: EX Moon Slasher has a bit more vertical range than the standard one, and if it hits the opponent, it’ll send them flying back. If you hit a grounded opponent, it’ll send them back into the wall where they’ll crumple. If they’re airborne, they’ll wallbounce. In either case, though, it takes Leona too long to recover from it to capitalize with anything herself. The startup invul still applies, though. 120 damage.

 

Grand Saber (6S): Leona runs forward, slashing at the enemy with her arms. If it hits on the ground, it sends the opponent spinning through the air. If they’re already airborne, it simply knocks them back. This isn’t like Moon Slasher, despite how it looks. The recovery on it is pretty decent, so you can follow it up a couple ways. If you’re midscreen, you can follow it up with another Grand Saber or a super. If you’re hitting it in the corner, you’ve got a few more options. 65 damage. SP cost: 1 bar.

 

  • EX Grand Saber: This version of the Grand Saber hits twice on its own, but can’t be followed up with another EX Grand Saber. The recovery of this one is a little better, though, and you can very much still follow it up if you’re near enough to a corner. This version has a MASSIVE amount of projectile invul during the run, though, so keep that in mind. 100 damage.

 

X-Calibur (j.S): Leona shoots a short range, X-shaped wave that goes diagonally downward. If it hits, it puts the opponent into a hard knockdown state. This is whether or not they’re airborne or being juggled. 120 damage. SP cost: 1 bar.

 

  • EX X-Calibur: This time, the wave Leona shoots gets four hits. It doesn’t put the opponent in a hard knockdown state, and if it connects with an airborne opponent, they’ll be held there until all four hits go through. Because of the way Leona flips back when she recoils, doing this close to the ground is the best way to generally lower the recovery enough to follow up with something in most cases, should you decide to use it in some juggles. 105 damage.

 

Slash Saber (5D): Leona dashes through you multiple times, ending with an explosion accompanied by a comical “DING!” bell sound effect. As of the time of this writing, this is the ONLY super in the game that can be followed up with certain SP items or general items after it hits. Expect it to get fixed. By itself, though, 350 damage. SP cost: 4 bars.

V-Slasher (2D): One of the few aerial supers in the game, if the first hit connects, the whole super is guaranteed. Good for messing with people who like to IAD in if you can call it out and very nice to use during juggles if you just want damage that would be hard to interrupt. This also has some brief startup invul. 350 damage. SP cost: 4 bars.

Mui Mui

Notable normals: Far H, cl.H, Dash Attack – Mui Mui’s Far H is a very good tool. Quick to happen, high reaching, and it picks her up off the ground, getting her over certain attacks and items while she does so. Close H comes out fast and actually goes straight up with decent vertical that fits the visual. Keeping these in mind can do a good job of putting an opponent on notice so they don’t make any sudden rash moves.

Mui Mui’s Dash Attack, while not far reaching (you can whiff it from the starting position) does come out pretty quick, giving her a lot of room to continue juggles.

Ryusougeki (5S): This is the starter to Mui Mui’s rekka. This has two different follow ups, depending on what you want to do.

 

  • Ryusougeki – Derivation 1, 2-1 (4S): Done either during the first hit of the rekka or the second, this will make Mui Mui spin backward. It can make her relatively safe in most scenarios, but be careful of items, or people that have blocked you potentially Guard Cancel rolling to call you out.
  • Ryusougeki – Derivation 2, 2-2 (5S, 5S): These are your natural rekka followups. If all three hits connect on a grounded opponent, they’ll be wallsplatted and crumpled. If they’re airborne, they’ll be wallbounced. 91 damage. This can hit an opponent twice naturally. If they’re grounded the first time, such as after an L,L,L chain, they’ll be wallsplatted and crumpled, then you can do the entire rekka again and it will wallbounce. If you hit it once on a juggled opponent, they’ll be wallbounced, but the second time around, only the first hit will connect.
  • EX Ryusougeki: This makes Mui Mui do all of the hits of her rekka series automatically. It comes out a bit faster, and hits a bit harder, but otherwise, it’s just like her normal one, without the ability to opt out of the rekka. 101 damage.

 

SP cost: The first hit of her normal Ryusougeki costs ½ an SP bar. Each subsequent follow up is another ½, totaling out to 1 and ½ bars. Doing Derivation 1 or 2-1 to spin back costs ¼ a bar.

Hien-Ryu Ken (2S): Mui Mui rolls forward, then comes up with a rising strike. Because the roll actually does low profile stuff, it can take her under some attacks and projectiles, making it an okay tool if you wanna call out a few things, but the recovery’s bad, so you don’t want to throw it out at random. 60 damage. SP cost: 1 bar.

 

  • EX Hien-Ryu Ken: This one’s the same as her standard one, except that it gets 4 hits instead of one, becoming active as Mui Mui rolls in. 90 damage.

 

Ryusenshu (6S): A diagonally upward rising double kick. The main thing this is likely to be good for is trying to keep people in check if they’re going to air dash in, and considering the bad recovery, you’ve honestly got a better tool for that in your Far H. Probably not going to see a ton of use, outside of the fact that it has a bit of startup invul. 90 damage. SP cost: 1 bar.

 

  • EX Ryusenshu: This one’s not far off from its original. It starts up a bit faster, does three hits as opposed to two, takes you further horizontally, and knocks the enemy back at a lower trajectory. The recovery is still the same, though, so you’re not going to be likely to follow up on it outside of very specific circumstances without an item behind it. The startup invul on this version is better, though, so you can at least use it to counteract some stuff. 110 damage.

 

Doraryutotsu (4S): One of the few command grabs in the game. This sends the opponent back against the wall where they crumple. If you’re close enough, you get to follow up with a combo. 60 damage. SP cost: 1 bar.

 

  • EX Doraryutotsu: This one’s very much the same as the original version, but it does more damage. 80 damage, to be exact.

 

Higi – Chouryuha (5D): Mui Mui charges, then shoots a beam forward. This beam will eat through quite a lot of other projectiles, but as you’d expect, is pretty easy to avoid with a jump and an air dash. Best to do this when you know you can hit it. 300 damage if all 7 hits connect. SP cost: 4 bars.

Enten-Gouryuha (2D): A diving, then rising multihit move. This is another of those supers you shouldn’t use unless you just know you can hit it, as the recovery is terrible. It does have some nice invul frames, at least, but if you whiff, you’re horribly open. 12 hits, if they all connect, and 350 damage if all the hits go through. SP cost: 4 bars.

Luong

Notable normals: Far L, Far H – Luong’s far H is actually pretty lengthy for an attack of its ilk, and still fairly fast. You can use it to check people who might come at you a bit too recklessly.

Luong’s far H is her launching normal, unlike other characters who would to the same with their close H, and as such, it’s also jump cancellable, and Luong can definitely hurt anyone she can put into a juggle state.

Geki 1 (5S): Luong kicks out in front of herself. The effect is much like a swift slash from a sword. Kind of reminiscent of Yamazaki’s arm swipes. It’s one hit, comes out decently quick, and has huge horizontal range, but doesn’t knock down. 60 damage. SP cost: 1 bar.

 

  • EX Geki 1: Instead of doing a single kick, Luong does a series of three that strikes from bottom to top. If the last of the three kicks connects, the enemy is slammed into the ground. 130 damage if all 3 kicks and the throw connect.

 

Rin (2S): A circular rising kick that also moves Luong forward as she does it. The recovery on this is good, allowing Luong to follow up on it if it connects, in or out of the corner, but it’s of course going to leave you open if it’s blocked. Has some brief startup invincibility. 65 damage. SP cost: 1 bar.

 

  • EX Rin: Luong doubles up on the rising kicks. The recovery of this version is even better, too, so following up is actually easier than the normal version. Like the standard version, has some brief startup invul. 86 damage.

 

Geki 2 (4S): This is an upward version of the standard Geki, primarily made for anti air purposes. So much so, in fact, that if you do it close to an opponent that’s on the ground, it will whiff. Interestingly, if you hit something before doing this, it will connect, even if the hit before it, such as a cl.L, doesn’t combo into it. 60 damage. SP cost: 1 bar.

 

  • EX Geki 2: EX Geki acts just like the EX version of the standard Geki, except that the kicks start from high, then go low. Like with EX Geki 1, if the last hit connects, they’ll still be thrown.  130 damage if all three kicks and the throw connect.

 

Ren (j.S): An aerial, rotating crescent kick. This is an interesting move. It’s one of the few moves that acts the way you’d probably expect it to when you look at it by hitting on both sides. If it connects with someone that’s standing, they get knocked back. If it hits someone airborne, whether they’re caught raw, or they’re being juggled, they get groundbounced, allowing for potential follow ups. It also carries movement momentum, whether it’s from jumping or air dashing, so you can use it to get in on someone at awkward angles. All around a good move. Just be careful about the height, since you can’t use it if you’re too low to the ground, and if you hit it from too high in the air, following up will be harder. 80 damage. SP cost: 1 bar.

 

  • EX Ren: EX Ren is awkward as a move. It does the same things as the normal version of Ren in regards to movement, and allowing you to follow up should you hit it, but it’s functionally very different than its standard counterpart. For starters, it’s MUCH faster, and even though it still moves however you’re trying to move at that point in time, it doesn’t put Luong through the recoil-like motions the standard version does. Furthermore, hitting a grounded opponent with it actually pops them up a bit, while hitting an airborne opponent knocks them up  a bit higher as opposed to groundbouncing them. 100 damage.

 

Tou (5D): Luong turns her back and bends back, backflipping to bring down her leg on the opponent’s head. As quick as this move is, it’s noteworthy that it does in fact count Luong as being airborne. It also has some great horizontal range, and solid invul on startup. 350 damage. SP cost: 4 bars.

Tai (2D): Luong rushes the opponent with a flurry of attacks, ending with her stepping on the opponent before hopping back. This move has invulnerability through the brunt of the forward dash, so it’s worth keeping in mind, for sure. 350 damage. SP cost: 4 bars.

Sylvie

Notable normal: Dash Attack – Sylvie’s Dash Attack, while not reaching all that far, is one of the quick ones. You’ll use this a lot with her when you want to extend what she’s got going on, especially so when you’re closer to the corner.

Denki Kaijin (5S): Sylvie sends out electricity in an arc toward the ground in front of her. This is decently fast, will cancel standard projectiles, and if it hits a standing opponent, it’ll crumple them, giving you room to follow up with stuff. You can hit this twice in a combo before the game decides to just tell you ‘no’. 50 damage. SP cost: 1 and ½ bars.

 

  • EX Denki Kaijin: The EX Denki Kaijin reaches out a lot farther than the standard version. It gets 3 hits, and still crumples a standing opponent. Like the regular version, it can only hit an opponent twice during a combo, but only one hit of the second attempt will connect. 90 damage.

 

Kaiten Coil (2S): A reverse somersault kick. This is Sylvie’s anti-air. It gets 2 hits. The recovery of the move isn’t great, so you’re not going to get much without using an item or SP item for some form of lockdown after hitting it. As you’d expect, though, this has some startup invincibility to it. 100 damage. SP cost: 1 bar.

 

  • EX Kaiten Coil: Sylvie goes much higher with this version of the move. The EX gets 5 hits instead of the usual 3, but the recovery still isn’t great, so again, you’ll need assistance to keep it going for combos. Has invul like the standard version. 150 damage.

 

Dischar-Jing! (4S): Sylvie ejects a spark in front of and above her head. It has a bit of startup behind it, but it’s good for juggles since it recovers quickly as a tradeoff. It also makes for a decent anti-air, if the situation fits. 80 damage. SP cost: 1 bar.

 

  • EX Dischar-Jing!: The EX version of this actually has a slight bit more startup than the normal version, but if it hits, it sends the opponent flying and spinning backwards. It’s pretty easy to follow up on if you’re near a corner, and if you’re not, it’s great for corner carry. 100 damage.

 

Bootie Bootie (6S): Sylvie hops forward, delivering a series of three stomping kicks. The last of the kicks flattens the opponent into a hard knockdown state. Even if the other kicks don’t connect, the last one still flattens them. 80 damage. SP cost: 1 bar.

 

  • EX Bootie Bootie: The EX version of this does 5 hits instead of 3, and it becomes active much more quickly, with the end result still being the same as the normal version, flattening the opponent in a hard knockdown state. There’s a brief bit of startup invul on this version.  130 damage.

 

Paula Experiment (5D): Sylvie jumps into the air and discharges electricity around herself. This actually hits on both sides, but if the opponent knows what’s up, they can Guard Cancel roll and come up on the other side blocking the move. A standard roll will get blown up by this, though. For what it’s worth, Sylvie’s also counted as being airborne during the recovery of this move, too, which means that she’ll sit over certain attacks, but that also means the opponent can punish her hard for it. One last note, this move OTGs, so you can follow up Bootie Bootie with this to hurt the opponent quite a bit. 350 damage on its own. SP cost: 4 bars.

Magneto-Trapo! (2D): Sylvie shoots out a bolt of electricity that goes out a couple character lengths. If it hits, she slams her opponent into the ground. This can easily be jumped and air dashed over to avoid it, so like with most other supers, you wanna use this only when you know you can hit it. 350 damage. SP cost: 4 bars.

Yuri

Notable normal: cl.H – Yuri’s Close Heavy is actually one of the quickest close Heavy attacks the game. That says a ton, considering how fast a lot of them are. It also strikes straight over her head, too, so it can be really good to stifle people trying to move above you.

Ko-Ou Ken (5S): This is your standard fireball. Like some of Yuri’s other appearances, this projectile travels the whole screen. Has decent speed, and recovers well enough that you can use it in some juggles. It knocks an enemy back if it hits. 40 damage. SP cost: 1 and ½ bars.

 

  • EX Ko-Ou Ken: This is a faster version of Yuri’s projectile. It has more durability than a standard projectile, despite only being one hit, and does a bit more damage. 80 damage.

 

Kuuga [Yuri Chou Upper] (2S): This is Yuri’s usual anti-air. This gets two hits if you’re in close to the opponent. In an odd twist to things, if you hit a grounded opponent with both hits, they rocket way up into the air, opening up juggle opportunities. This move doesn’t have a juggle limitation outside of natural combo circumstances, so you can potentially hit four or more in one combo. As is typical of a good DP, this has some brief startup invul.  80 damage. SP cost: 1 bar.

 

  • EX Kuuga: The EX version of this has Yuri follow up with a second three hit uppercut attack. This one can be followed up by other attacks like the normal one, and can be hit multiple times without losing out on hits, so if you hit it again, you can potentially catch all five hits, even if they don’t get launched up as high as they would while being grounded. Like the standard version, the startup invul applies.  124 damage.

 

Hyakuretsu Binta (6S): Yuri’s command grab. Since it counts as an actual grab, it can’t be blocked, and puts the opponent in a hard knockdown state. 120 damage. SP cost: 1 bar.

 

  • EX Hyakuretsu Binta: The EX version of this is a striking move, meaning that it can simply be blocked, but if it is, Yuri gets pushed back to a relatively safe distance. Being a striking move, though, also means that you can combo into it. Interestingly, you can follow up on this on very specific characters in the corner. You also have projectile invulnerability during the dash. 130 damage.

 

Houyoku (4S): Yuri’s still got her Demon Flip here, and just like her usual self from KOF, she’s got plenty of options from it. She can do the following:

 

  • Yuri Raijin Kyaku (L): Yuri does a dive kick. The usual stuff you’d expect from dive kicks applies here, right down to being able to hit it at low angles. The recovery is good, and you can even use it in juggles. 50 damage.
  • Hien Souha (H): A smashing strike from above. It doesn’t really budge anyone that gets hit with it while grounded, but will groundbounce someone that’s airborne. 70 damage.
  • Raiou Ken (S): Yuri tosses a projectile diagonally toward the ground. Her momentum completely stops when you use this, so you should use it carefully and range it properly. 40 damage.
  • Tsubame Otoshi (Throw): This is a command grab. Yuri does an Izuna Otoshi. As one would expect, it puts the opponent in a hard knockdown state. Interestingly, this has carried over it’s ability to catch an airborne opponent in any airborne state from her KOF appearances, since it’s possible to hit an airborne opponent with j.L, have them flip out, and still catch with it. You’re not going to follow up on this without some sort of item behind it, though. 100 damage.
  • EX Houyoku: The EX flip sends Yuri much farther through the air than the standard version without jumping as high. The follow ups are:
  • EX Yuri Raijin Kyaku: This is almost exactly the same as the normal version of the dive kick. It even has the same amount of damage behind it. The biggest difference is that it comes out faster, and recovers pretty much instantly. 50 damage.
  • EX Hien Souha: The powered up Souha is much like the powered up dive kick in that the execution doesn’t change, but it comes out faster. The damage is even the same. The big difference here is that it will groundbounce the opponent if it hits at all, even if they’re standing. 70 damage.
  • EX Raiou Ken: The EX version of this sees a pretty hard change, as Yuri fires two projectiles instead of one, and this time, her momentum doesn’t stop, making these much more like Akuma’s Gou Hadou shots in function. As such, you should try to hit them closer to the ground to make them more safe. 77 damage if they both connect.
  • EX Tsubame Otoshi: This functions exactly like the standard version of this same move. Nothing’s changed with it outside of it doing more damage. 140 damage.

 

SP cost: The Houyoku costs ½ a bar of SP. The Yuri Raijin Kyaku, Souha, and Tsubame Otoshi follow ups all cost another ½ a bar, while the Raiou Ken costs a bar.

Haoh Shoukou Ken (5D): The classic projectile ougi of the Kyokugen dojo here. A single shot with strong projectile durability, it’ll take out anything that’s not a super projectile itself. 300 damage. SP cost: 4 bars.

Hien Houou Kyaku (2D): Yuri’s bicycle kick super. Yuri’s got projectile invulnerability during this, so you can use this to bypass stuff if you just want your damage. 350 damage, to be exact. SP cost: 4 bars.

Zarina

Notable normal: Far H – Zarina’s Far H is pretty nice. It has a nice angle and is pretty quick. You can also follow it up easily on grounded or airborne opponents. Probably her best general poking tool.

Growing Flower (5S): Zarina spins on her hands, doing a series of 4 kicks, with the 4th one popping the opponent up into the air. This can be done twice in a standard combo, with the second one only letting you hit 3 of the 4 hits. 80 damage. SP cost: 1 bar.

 

  • EX Growing Flower: The EX Growing Flower is faster on startup and recovery, and does more damage. It also sends the opponent into the wall to crumple. Like the regular version, though, it can only be done twice in a standard combo, with three of the four hits connecting. 90 damage if all 4 hits connect.

 

Spinning Petal (2S): A three-hit anti-air kick. While it can only hit once in a combo, Zarina can actually follow up on this fairly easily, whether she’s in midscreen or the corner. A Dash Attack after will open up more combo opportunities. 70 damage. SP cost: 1 bar.

 

  • EX Spinning Petal: The EX version of this hits 5 times instead of 3, giving increased damage. The follow ups you can do with it are generally the same, though, since despite the move knocking them a bit higher, they fall faster. You’ve got some solid startup invincibility on this one. 90 damage.

 

Floral Screw (6S): A two-hit lunging, spinning kick. Pushing the obvious out of the way, this move will take you over low angled moves and low projectiles, like Terry’s Power Wave. The recovery on it is poor, though, not letting you follow up normally afterward, and leaving you open if it’s blocked. Be careful. 80 damage. SP cost: 1 bar.

 

  • EX Floral Screw: The EX Floral Screw wallbounces your opponent if the second hit of it connects. The recovery of this one’s also faster, giving you room to do more with it in regards to follow ups. 80 damage like the original, though.

 

Peduncle Pruning (4S): Zarina vaults up and toward her opponent. If they’re still standing, they get grabbed and kicked aside. If they even THINK about jumping, though, you’ll miss the move, and it takes Zarina a full second after landing to recover. In an odd twist, if you’re juggling the opponent, you can combo into this. You can also combo into this from a Far H if the distance is right. 100 damage. SP cost: 1 bar.

 

  • EX Peduncle Pruning: This one’s got faster startup than the standard version, and if it catches, it’ll even wallbounce. You also have very brief invul frames on startup — just enough to disrespect something during the first few frames. The tradeoff for the added utility, though, is less damage. 80 damage.

 

Yellow Eruption (5D): Zarina brings her arm up, a burst of yellow, flower shaped energy firing upward, accompanied by fluttering Toucans. Cute~ This reaches up fairly high, and since it’s a single hit, there isn’t massive concern about scaling. 350 damage. SP cost: 4 bars.

Hurricane Dance (2D): Zarina flips in and hits with a series of 4 kicks. Not a whole lot to say about this one. It’s easy to follow up on a juggle with this, but it leaves you really open if it’s blocked, so use it only if you know you can hit it.This is Zarina’s invul on startup super. 350 damage. SP cost: 4 bars.

Mian

Notable normals: Far H, cl. H – These two normals are notable for Mian because they’re a bit unconventional. Far H will take Mian over low based moves and make her avoid throws. Despite this, you can combo into her ground-based special moves like normal when you hit it. Close Heavy is an odd one, on the other hand, because it will groundbounce an opponent you hit with it that’s grounded, but will pop up an opponent that you hit with it otherwise. Good to keep in mind.

Karin (5S): Mian delivers a series of 6 hits that launches an opponent upward. If they’re standing when this hits, all 6 hits will connect, popping them up high. If they’re airborne or already being juggled, you won’t get all the hits and they won’t be popped up as high. Like other moves, you can hit this one twice before the game says you can’t do it anymore. 80 damage. SP cost: 1 bar.

 

  • EX Karin: This one’s 9 hits as opposed to 6 on a standing opponent. Recovery is a little quicker, so like the original, you can follow up on it. Damage wise, though, it’s not a huge increase compared to the regular version. 84 damage.

 

Rasen (2S): Mian slides in with a low kick, then comes up with a rising kick that pops the opponent upward. The recovery’s not great, so you can’t follow up on it under normal circumstances, but it DOES give her some slight mid and head level invul on startup. 90 damage. SP cost: 1 bar.

 

  • EX Rasen: The EX version of Rasen is three hits as opposed to two, and pops the opponent up a bit higher. You also recover from this version faster. If you’re in the corner, you can follow up with cl.H. It also has invulnerability, so you can use it to bypass some supers. 100 damage.

 

Bienkyu – Forward (6S; useable in air): Mian floats up and forward at an angle. From here, she can do one of four angled dive kicks.

 

  • Attack 1: Mian dive kicks backward, away from where she’s facing.
  • Attack 2: Mian dive kicks down and forward.
  • Attack 3: Mian dive kicks down and forward at a much lower angle.Notable in that if Mian touches a wall without hitting the opponent, this instead becomes Attack 4.
  • Attack 4: Mian dive kicks straight down.

 

Each of these dive kicks hits once, and you can do Bienkyu – Forward or Backward into other dive kicks if one of these hits. Recovery wise, they’re pretty bad. Following up on them naturally is therefore difficult. 70 damage regardless of which dive kick connects.

 

  • EX Bienkyu – Forward: EX Bienkyu functions exactly like the standard Bienkyu, save for having invul on startup, so you can use it to escape some situations.

 

  • Each of the EX dive kicks goes in the same angles as their normal counterparts. Unlike those, however, these will knock a standing opponent off their feet. You also recover from the EX dive kicks faster as well. 70 damage regardless of which dive kick connects.

Bienkyu – Backward (j.4S): The Backward variant of the Bienkyu sends Mian up and away from her opponent, with the dive kicks working exactly the same way.

 

  • EX Bienkyu – Backward: Like the EX Bienkyu forward, you have invul on the start of this. Other than that, it shares all the same functionality as its Forward counterpart, including dive kicks.

 

SP cost: All versions of the Bienkyu cost ½ a bar; all the dive kick follow ups cost another ½ a bar.

Hiyoushou (4S): Mian spins forward with a palm strike. If it connects, the opponent gets wallbounced, allowing for follow ups. This has armor during the latter end, as it’s about to become active. The armor only protects her from the front; so if you’re behind her, you can hit her. 90 damage. SP cost: 1 bar.

 

  • EX Hiyoushou: The EX version of Mian’s palm strike makes her stay in place as she jumps and spins. The attack happens faster and still wallbounces, and has some startup invul, too, with the tradeoff of not having much horizontal range compared to the regular version. It’s pretty safe if it’s blocked, too. 100 damage.

 

Rangurenbu (5D): Mian hits the opponent with her fan, which goes into a ranbu series of strikes. The usual applies, where you should only do it if you know you can hit it. If it connects, you’re invulnerable against any ongoing items flying around. 350 damage. SP cost: 4 bars.

Hiren Enbu (2D): Mian floats in the air, spinning rapidly. This move gets some invulnerability on startup, but if you miss, you’re wide open. 350 damage. SP cost: 4 bars.

Shermie

Notable normals: Far H, Dash Attack – Shermie’s Far Heavy hits at a high angle and comes out fast, making it great for dealing with aerial approaches. Shermie’s Dash Attack is fast, making it easy for her to do some good damage before she has to tag out or end her combo on a throw. These are likely to be two of your most used tools.

Shermie Spiral (5S): Shermie reaches out to grab her opponent, and if she grabs them, they get slammed into the ground. This is a notable move for her in that it depletes SP from the opponent like a normal grab — about 1 and ½ bars. From here, you can opt to take your 120 damage and your oki, or…

 

  • Shermie Cute (S): …you can follow up with this, which brings your damage up to 182, while giving up your standard oki options. As the Shermie Spiral is a standard command grab, it can’t be blocked.
  • EX Shermie Spiral: The properties of this version of the Shermie Spiral seem to be exactly the same as the normal version, save for the throw coming out faster. The damage is the same, too. This also drains your opponent’s SP like the normal version by two bars.

 

  • The Shermie Cute follow up is precisely the same as the normal version of the move, so you have the same choice to make on whether or not you want oki.

SP cost: The Shermie Spiral costs 1 bar; the Shermie Cute follow up costs ¼ th a bar.

F-Captured (2S): Shermie leans in and if she is physically attacked, even with supers, she’ll counter by nailing the opponent with a nasty looking back suplex. Noteworthy that you can combo into her supers from this. 130 damage. SP cost: 1 bar.

 

  • EX F-Captured: The EX version of the F-Captured is the same as the standard version, with more damage. 150 damage.

 

Shermie Plunge (6S; useable in air with 5S): After a dash toward the opponent, Shermie flips over them and hits them with a Stunner. This is the only special throw of Shermie’s besides F-Captured that can combo into either of her supers. As it’s a strike based throw, it can be blocked and punished. It is notable, though, that this is one of two special moves she has that can catch in a juggle more than once, though an item is needed to do it. 120 damage. SP cost: 1 bar.

 

  • EX Shermie Plunge: The EX Plunge is faster and does more damage, plus the animation on the Stunner is much more extravagant for extra points. Like the regular version, it’s blockable, and is much more punishable if it is, since Shermie slides forward quite far. 140 damage.

 

Shermie Whip (4S): Shermie flips back to hook her opponent with her legs, slamming them down before she lifts them to toss them back with a release suplex. Much like some other moves, this one will miss a normally jumping opponent, but if they’re already in hitstun or in a juggle state, they’ll get snatched in. Like the Shermie Plunge, this one can catch an opponent in a juggle more than once, but an item is needed to do it. 162 damage. SP cost: 1 bar.

 

  • EX Shermie Whip: The EX version of this has faster startup and also has some startup invulnerability, so you can use this to counter some things the opponent might do. 190 damage.

 

Inazuma Leg Lariat (5D): Shermie jumps forward with a flying knee. It’s one hit, and if it’s blocked, you’re going to get hurt, but you shouldn’t need to worry too much, as you can combo into it rather easily. 350 damage. SP cost: 4 bars.

Shermie Flash (2D): Shermie’s command grab super. The grab is pretty quick, and like with the Leg Lariat, you can combo into it. Unlike with the Leg Lariat, though, you can’t grab someone up who’s in a juggle state or anything; you need to hit the Plunge or the F-Captured first. You can go into it from those. 350 damage. SP cost: 4 bars.

Terry

Notable normals: Far H, Dash Attack – Terry’s far H, as is the standard for her in other appearances, is a solid normal for anti air and poking purposes. Good to check people at a distance.

Her Dash Attack, while not as fast as others, isn’t terribly slow, either (faster than Luong’s, but still slower than some others), and reaches out pretty far. This is good for potentially catching a few errant moves, or following up for juggle stuffs.

Power Wave (5S): One of the original ground projectiles, this functions exactly as anyone familiar with Terry would expect it to, traveling along the ground for a single hit. As stated in earlier characters’ rundowns, because of the way the projectile works, you can hop over it while doing moves that make you count as being airborne, like Athena’s Far H. Still, good for a little space control on occasion, so long as you aren’t reckless. 40 damage. SP cost: 1 and ½ bars.

 

  • EX Power Wave: The EX Power Wave has slower startup, and is three hits as a tradeoff. Pretty good for locking people down when you can get some offense going. 102 damage.

 

Rising Tackle (2S): Terry rises while doing an inverted spinning lariat, giving physics the middle finger in the process. This can hit for a max of 5 hits, but is very punishable if it’s blocked or if it whiffs. Notable that it does exactly what an anti-air should, though, giving you invul on startup. 120 damage. SP cost: 1 bar.

 

  • EX Rising Tackle: The EX Rising Tackle is a faster, harder hitting, and a slightly higher rising version of the normal Rising Tackle, with the same startup invulnerability to it. 7 hits this time, 170 damage.

 

Burning Knuckle (6S): Terry rushes forward, fist first, to punch her opponent in the face. This is the equivalent of Terry’s Light Punch Burning Knuckle in standard KOF games. Not much range forward, but recovery’s okay if it’s ranged properly. 100 damage. SP cost: 1 bar.

 

  • EX Burning Knuckle: The EX Burning Knuckle sends the opponent into the wall where they crumple if this hits. The startup is faster, but the recovery on this version is terrible if it’s blocked, so be cautious. 120 damage.

 

Crack Shoot (4S): The usual vaulting axe kick that Terry’s always had. As usual, it can take you over low angled moves. By standard, the Crack Shoot CAN hit for three hits, if you can catch it high enough during a juggle or if someone’s airborne, but normally, it will likely hit twice. Regardless, though, if the last hit connects, the opponent gets groundbounced, so you can follow up with more. 110 damage if all three hits connect. SP cost: 1 bar.

 

  • EX Crack Shoot: The EX Crack Shoot has faster startup and a smaller jump arc while keeping the ability to groundbounce people. It does less damage as an additional tradeoff. 80 damage.

 

Power Geyser (5D): Terry charges up before punching the ground, making a Geyser of energy (and random Neo Geo arcade machines!) that knocks the enemy up into the air. Unlike the SP item Geyser, this does NOT OTG. Still good for anti-air stuff, though. 350 damage. SP cost: 4 bars.

Buster Wolf (2D): Terry’s Buster Wolf is the usual classic, with Terry doing a Burning Knuckle with the OTHER arm before blowing you away with a burst of energy forward. This has a solid measure of invul to it, but is very punishable if blocked or if it whiffs, so don’t be reckless. 350 damage. SP cost: 4 bars.

Thief Arthur

Thief Arthur is a character crossing over from the Million Arthur series. She’s an interesting character, as she brings over a few mechanics that definitely differentiate her from the rest of the cast in SNK Heroines: Tag Team Frenzy.

Double Jump, double jump cancelling: The first notable thing is that Thief Arthur has a double jump. This isn’t just an added movement option, either; it gives her the ability to double jump cancel to land more attacks than others are capable of while airborne. This makes her similar in functionality to a more traditional “anime” fighting game character. This in turn leads to the second thing she has that changes up her playstyle a bit.

Aerial chains/raves: Unlike the rest of the cast, Thief Arthur can chain combos in the air, going from L to H, jump cancelling, then repeating the process to tack on a little more damage. It’s noteworthy that you can connect with j.L, H, dj.Throw, and it will work if you don’t want to end with her 2S while airborne, or don’t have the meter to do so.

Beat combos: To add to the above about aerial chains/raves, it’s noteworthy that Thief Arthur’s combo rules are wildly different then the other characters in the game. Where there’s a limit imposed on normals you can hit outside of Dash Attacks for every other character, Thief Arthur can hit multiple attacks and strings in a single combo (such as being able to juggle with multiple cl.H, j.H juggles), allowing her to do lengthy chains and juggles not unlike those in the Blazblue or Guilty Gear series. This opens up many different combo routes for her that are unavailable for anyone else.

Healing: Certain special moves, as well as Dash Attacks, that you can land while using Thief Arthur will result in her healing a tiny bit of health. While it’s not much, the fact that it’s a feature for her at all can make a difference if she’s rushing you down. The special moves that provide a healing effect will be noted. You won’t receive any healing if the move is blocked or, obviously, if you miss.

Now, with that said, on to the Thief’s special moves.

Notable normals: 5L, 5H – Arthur’s 5H is a solid and quick poke with decent range for what it is. Nice for badgering people incoming.

5H is a bit odd in regards to normals in that visually, it screams anti-air, and CAN work as such, but you have to time it a bit later to use it for that purpose than you might like to. Definitely worth practicing to understand the timing if you want a decent way to keep the air around you a bit safer.

Twin Daggers (5S; useable in the air): Arthur tosses out a pair of daggers that split and then converge vertically, similar to Kyosuke’s Cross Cutter, if Rival Schools or Project Justice is something you’re familiar with. The projectiles go full screen. 48 damage if both daggers connect, and you recover a small bit of health. This move can connect multiple times in one combo.

The aerial version of this move has noticeably slower startup than the grounded version and travels at a downward diagonal arc, but does the same damage if both daggers connect. The tradeoff here is that you can use other aerial actions after tossing these out, with the exception being air dodging. SP cost: 1 and ½ bars.

 

  • EX Twin Daggers: The EX daggers come out faster than the norm and travel slightly faster as well. They do more damage, and give you back a little more health than the normal version, too. 57 damage if both daggers connect.

 

The aerial version of this acts exactly the same as the normal aerial version, but with the same benefits and damage output as the grounded EX version. More damage, more health regen, and faster speed and activation, while allowing you offensive movements in the air afterward.

Whirl Wind (2S; useable in the air): Thief Arthur goes into a spinning flurry that ends with a hard axe kick that groundbounces the opponent if this is done on the ground. There’s a lot of horizontal carry with this, and like other moves from other characters, this can be hit twice in a combo, but the second time around, the last hit won’t connect. 10 hits, 80 damage if they all connect. SP cost: 1 bar.

The aerial version of this move has Arthur spin in the air on the spot with no horizontal or vertical movement. If she hits it, she spikes the opponent to the ground for a hard knockdown. You can’t follow this up with any other aerial actions, but it does heal you a slight bit. 5 hits, 100 damage.

 

  • EX Whirl Wind: The EX Whirl Wind has roughly the same startup speed as the normal version, but this version has invul on startup that’ll let you disrespect some things during the first bit of the move. 10 hits, 100 damage.

 

The aerial version of EX Whirl Wind is the same as the standard version of the move, save for doing more damage. You’re still unable to follow up with other actions, and you still get healing after hitting it by a slight amount. 130 damage.

Hold Trick (6S): Arthur dashes at the opponent, balancing atop them for a moment before flipping off and kicking them aside. This is a strike-based throw, meaning that it can be blocked, but it can be followed up afterward by items or SP items as well.  You don’t get healing after catching this. 120 damage. SP cost: 1 bar.

 

  • EX Hold Trick: The EX version of the Hold Trick does less damage, but as a tradeoff, it starts up faster, and if it catches the opponent, they’re actually launched into the air as opposed to being kicked aside, allowing for some follow ups. 80 damage.

 

Wire Shot (4S, 6S in air): The Wire Shot, regardless of whether you choose to go back or forward, does the same thing. Arthur swings a short distance with a grappling hook she latches to the ceiling. In a clear attempt to limit her potential aerial nonsense, you can swing one way, then immediately swing the other way. There HAS to be another aerial action in between, even if it’s just an air dash. There’s a very short amount of time after swinging that you have to wait to do something else, so keep that window in mind. Also, you can’t air dodge after swinging, so remember that you give up your main defensive option for using it. SP cost: 1 bar.

 

  • EX Wire Shot: The EX version of the Wire Shot is faster than the standard version in activation, and it has a shorter wait time between you swinging and taking an action, allowing you to do more in the air. Other than that, this is much the same as the standard version.

 

Sniping Tempest (5D): Arthur tosses a set of blades at the opponent’s feet, then she dashes through them multiple times. It’s pretty much Ibuki’s Yami Shigure super from 3rd Strike. The startup on this is fast, and it covers full screen distance, but if the opponent is airborne, this will miss. It’s noteworthy that if the super connects, Arthur is invulnerable during the animation. 350 damage. SP cost: 4 bars.

Catch and Barrage (j.5D): Arthur grabs the opponent in midair and executes a combo that ends in them getting knocked away. This can be comboed into, if you feel as though you wouldn’t be able to catch it raw. 350 damage. SP cost: 4 bars.

Skullomania

Notable normals: far.H, Dash Attack – Skullo’s far.H is a good poke to use. Pretty good range, and you can hit confirm into Skullo Crusher to start some BS.

Skullo’s Dash Attack is one of the quickest in regards to startup, with decent recovery to boot, making it great to tack on to combos. Definitely something to keep in mind.

Skullo Slider (5S): Skullo, well, slides forward, leg extended forward. This is one hit, with a decent bit of range to it. You can use it to get under some projectiles as you approach. As with most slides, recovery is better the further back you can hit it, while doing it in close will make you heavily punishable if it’s blocked. It should be noted that if you hit a grounded opponent with this, the pop up isn’t that high, while hitting them during a juggle state, or while they’re airborne will knock them much higher. 60 damage. SP Cost: 1 bar.

  • EX Skullo Slider: This version of the move is 8 hits, and it launches the opponent high into the air, giving you quite a bit of room for follow up stuff. 90 damage if all hits connect.

Skullo Head (2S): This is Skullomania’s anti-air. It’s got some pretty quick startup to it, and has a tiny invul window upon startup, JUST good enough to get you through some things if timed well, but nothing crazy. 65 damage. SP cost: 1 bar.

  • Skullo Dive (5S after Skullo Head): Skullomania dives down head first toward the ground, sliding along the ground when she touches down. This followup is interesting. If you hit it while you’re still airborn airborne, the recovery is much faster. If you miss while airborne, Skullomania will slide along the ground, during which there’s an active hitbox around her head/upper body. Recovery during this sucks, but it does more damage. If it’s blocked while you’re airborne, Skullo will bounce off, sent into a flipping animation, similar to a blocked Kano ball in the MK games, and are wide open. If the sliding head part is blocked, you’re still dealing with a ton of recovery. Damage if hit while airborne: 50 damage. Damage if hit while sliding: 100 damage. Damage after Skullo Head: 111 damage. Damage after Skullo Head+sliding Dive: 157 damage.  SP cost: 1/2 an SP bar for Skullo Dive.
  • EX Skullo Head: This version is 6 hits as opposed to 1. It has better startup invul than the standard version, allowing you to push through more with it than you otherwise would be able to. 90 damage.
  • EX Skullo Dive: This version is one hit like the standard one and acts like the standard version as well, bad recovery and all in the same situations, but does more damage all around. Damage (airborne): 60 damage. Damage (sliding): 120 damage. Damage (after EX Skullo Head): 145 damage. Damage (after EX Skullo Head+sliding Dive): 201 damage.

Skullo Crusher (6S): Skullomania dives at the opponent headfirst while spinning, going in an arc that carries her a good distance across the screen. If this connects with someone standing, they get wallbounced. If they’re airborne, or in an airborne state, they’ll be wallsplatted and crumpled. In either case, if you successfully hit it, you can air dash toward the opponent to follow up with more. If blocked, Skullo will be sent into a flipping recovery animation, open to attacks. 90 damage. SP cost: 1 bar.

  • EX Skullo Crusher: This one has faster startup than the standard version, and hits 5 times instead of once. Because you don’t rebound off of the opponent, however, you lose the ability to air dash after hitting it, and instead recover quickly enough to follow up from it should you hit it. 100 damage if all 5 hits connect.

Skullo Tkachyov (4S): Skullomania flips into the air, then comes down. If she gets ahold of her opponent, a command grab happens. You can’t follow it with anything, but you CAN direct it slightly during the flip itself. 120 damage. SP cost: 1 bar.

  • EX Skullo Tkachyov: This version of the Tkachyov acts just like the standard version of the move. No extra invul or anything. It does less damage than the standard version, but it causes a groundbounce that you can follow up after as a tradeoff. 80 damage.

Skullo Energy (5D): Skullo charges up, then stretches her arms out, creating an energy burst. It’s got pretty quick startup, but the startup invulnerability window is extremely tiny. It will, however, nullify any single hit projectile from a character. 350 damage. SP cost: 4 bars.

Skullo Dream (2D): Skullo runs in, fist forward. If she connects with it, she does a flurry of attacks — pausing momentarily to rest with her opponent at a small table — before getting the last hits in. Interestingly, this has two finishing animations to it. They don’t change the damage done, or the fact that the super does 8 hits, or even any recovery time. They’re purely cosmetic and random. This move lacks startup invul, though, and is slow enough on startup that it can be jumped over on reaction, even at point blank range, so it’s best used in combos. 350 damage. SP cost: 4 bars.

 

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