Samurai Shodown V Special – Beginner’s Guide (Tips and Tricks)

You’ll need this if you’ve just started playing online/offline.

Main Section

All credit goes to Xakurinha32!

• A – Light Slash
• B – Medium Slash
• C – Kick
• D – Dodge

There are a few things you need to know before starting this game online. There are two known modes you can activate during a match:

1. Rage Explosion Mode.
2. Concentration Gauge Mode.

Rage Explosion Mode

To go into Rage Explosion Mode, you press A+B+C and once you’re in it, all your damage increases by 80%.This can be done at any given moment, a full Rage Bar is not required.

You’ll also be able to perform The Universal “WFT Attack” in this mode which can be executed by: 236CD This move can be executed without being in Raging Explosion Mode, but it requires a Full Raging Bar.

You will also execute Overkills/Fatalities in this mode, the only requirement is to have your opponent’s HP below the Concentration. Gauge arrow – which is located right above the HP Bar at the end – it can be executed with: 214CD. It’s also required to be on YOUR LAST ROUND of the Match. That means if the opponent is on his last round of the match, he can use it, but you can not.

Overkills/Fatalities also require you to be at the last round of the match.

This mode will also Freeze Time, which can be very useful if you’re losing the match and time’s running out for you.

Note: Going into this mode will make you lose your Raging Bar for the entire duration of the match (all rounds).

Brotips

Regardless of whether you’re going for an “Overkill” or a “WFT Attack”, remember that you have only 1 chance before you lose your Raging bar for the entire duration of the match in all rounds. WFT’s Attacks do not cause Insta Kill on your opponent and Overkills can only be used on the last round of the match. So, instead of just wasting your Raging bar just like that on the first round, why not waste it on the last round of the match? That way you won’t have to deal with not having a raging bar, which is really useful to keep your opponent on the defensive.

Saving the Rage Bar for last, not only forces your opponent into the defensive, the Raging Explosion Mode can also insta-eliminate the ‘Slowing Time’ effect of your opponent’s Concentration Gauge Mode, either before or after your opponent have activated it.

On the plus side of saving the raging bar, you can still use the universal WFT Attack in normal mode without losing the Raging Bar for the duration of the entire match. Also, Pulling the WFT Attack on normal mode will not deplete your Raging Bar in case your opponent blocks it, which allows you to pull it off as many time as you want until it succesfuly hits your opponent; once that happens, your Rage Gauge Energy will be depleted, but you’ll still be able to fill the Rage Bar not only in current round but also in later rounds. Saving that so desirable Overkill for last.

Concentration Gauge Mode

You can go into Concentration Gauge Mode ONLY ON LAST ROUND(Either yours or the opponent’s last round): B+C+D;

This will make your opponent move slow.

Before activating it, you can increase the Concentration Gauge mode with the D button, sacrificing the raging bar energy in turn. Once activated, you’ll LOSE the Rage Bar for the duration of the entire match, so keep it smart.

In exchange of that, you’ll be able to pull the “Insen Attack”, which can be executed with B+C+D as well. Issen’s damage will vary according to how much long you’ve charged/increased the Concentration Gauge Mode arrow, and it goes as follows:

• Arrow at Initial Position(at 1/3 of HP): 30% damage;
• Arrow a little bit above 1/3 of HP Bar: 40% damage;
• Arrow located 50% of the HP Bar: 50% de damage;
• Arrow located above 50% of the HP Bar: 70% de damage.

Note that getting hit with this mode active will be enough to turn it off. Duration Time of this mode is fixed and will not increase with how much you’ve charged for this mode.

Note: I’ve seen people using this to catch their opponent off-guard by surprise, but this isn’t how it should be used.

You should instead wait for your opponent to whiff an attack, button mash, or throw a fireball. Once they do that, you can activate the Concentration Gauge mode and punish them on FRAME RECOVER, be very careful when their frames are active, because 1-hit is enough to throw you off from concentration gauge mode.

Brotip: For example, You can punish your opponent with Concentration Gauge Mode once they have jumped in the air, then you can cautiously proceed to air punish them with some anti-air move. Either that, or if you’re having a hard-time dealing with their fireballs, you can activate this mode for Great Justice and punish them once they have a low HP Bar.

Notice that you can’t use both Concentration Gauge Mode and Raging Explosion Mode at the same time, it’s either one or the other; that means once you’ve activated one or the other, you’ll only be able to exclusively pull off Raging Explosion Mode moves or Concentration Gauge Mode moves. So, trying a WFT Move or Overkill in Concentration Gauge mode will not work and vice versa.

Minor Details

About dodging in this game, you can cancel dodging into any special move, 6D and 2D cancels require moves to be executed at the last frames, you can cancel 4D into a special move at any given frame – Not to be mistaken with back and forward dashes – you can cancel from a backdash as soon as your character lands, forward dash can be cancelled into jump and normals.

When you jump and land on the ground, there is a small frame window that allows you to cancel into special moves. You can jump cancel from normals as well, the only requirement is that the normal must pushback either you or your opponent (on-block/on-hit).

I’m explainning most of these stuff because none of this is explained in-game, and finding out most of these things can be a pain in the butt. Everything else that hasn’t been mentioned here can be easily found in either practice mode or arcade/versus player mode.