Marvel vs. Capcom 2 New Age of Heroes Silver Samurai Character FAQ Systems: Dreamcast, Arcade Author: UltimaZER0 (ultimazer0@msn.com, Jon Wong) Initial Release: 07/09/02 Version: 1.02 ======================================================================= ------------------------------[ UPDATES ]------------------------------ ======================================================================= 10/14/02: Ver 1.02 - Added the word "not" to the legal information. 07/10/02: Ver 1.01 I'm an idiot. I had to correct some really stupid mistakes. - Changed my primary author name from "Jon Wong" to "UltimaZER0" to reflect my GameFAQs username. - Completed an incomplete paragraph in Section VII, Basic Strategies. - Added more information about the Chou Shuriken. ======================================================================= -------------------------[ TABLE OF CONTENTS ]------------------------- ======================================================================= I. Introduction II. Legal Information III. Character Analysis IV. Terminology - Joystick - Buttons - Joystick Motions - Misc V. Breakdown of Attacks - Basic Attacks - Throws - Special Moves - Hyper Combos - Supportive Assists VI. Combos VII. Playing With Silver Samurai - Basic Strategies - Assists - Opponent Types - Deadly Against Silver Samurai VIII. Abyss - Stage One: Armored Giant - Stage Two: Liquid Gunner - Stage Three: Slimey Beast IX. Credits ======================================================================= -----------------------[ I. Introduction ]----------------------------- ======================================================================= This FAQ, as described above, is a character FAQ that covers Kenuichio Harada, the great Silver Samurai! This FAQ isn't much but it'll cover what you'll need in order to play with him well. Oh and don't expect much from me in terms of quality since this is my first FAQ. Also, I'm not a hardcore expert on the game so if there's something wrong with any of the information on the FAQ, let me know. Still, I'll do the best I can. For this FAQ, I will use terminology from the American version of this game. In other words, Aerial Raves will be called Air Combos and Gouki is Akuma. There's not much of a difference but at least you're informed ahead of time. Oh and if anything looks familiar, I learned to play with Silver Samurai from Cartlon Kong's FAQ so some of the information will be the same as his but I have various ideas on how to use ol' Sammy that will differ from his ideas. Also, I'm using a writing format similar to Dingo Jellybean's Final Fantasy FAQ's. ======================================================================= -----------------------[ II. Legal Information ]----------------------- ======================================================================= This document is Copyright ultimazer0@msn.com and may not be altered or used for profit without the permission of its author (that's me). As of the third of June, year two thousand and two, only GameFAQs is authorized to use this document. If any portion of this document is used without my consent, I will be forced to take legal action against you. I hope that covers the legal mumbo jumbo. ======================================================================= ----------------------[ III. Character Analysis ]---------------------- ======================================================================= THE SILVER SAMURAI LEGACY Silver Samurai has shown up in the X-Men comics numerous times and he once made an appearance in the new X-Men animated TV series to take on Wolverine (not the recent X-Men Evolution series). Capcom did him a favor by putting him in the lineup for X-Men: Children of the Atom and now they've brought him back in MvC2 but this time, he's loaded... ADVANTAGES The Silver Samurai is extremely deadly on the offense. Many of his moves inflict a lot of chip damage. He also has access to a big collection of hyper combos and can increase his abilities. Defensively, he takes only 90% of all damage, which allows him to live longer than most characters. After all, he's wearing armor! DISADVANTAGES Silver Samurai's moves have a long recovery time. This flaw can leave him wide open to head-on retaliation, especially from fast characters. He also has a very small arsenal of special moves and he can't really defend himself against an aerial attack. Finally, he has a tendency to eat the super meter very quickly because of his hyper combos and Touki elemental shifts, which I'll explain later. ======================================================================= --------------------------[ IV. Terminology ]-------------------------- ======================================================================= You're not going to get anywhere without getting to know the buttons. Chances are, you probably already know the terms but there has to be someone out there who is completely clueless so let's get down to the control schemes. Unlike past Capcom fighting games, this game removes the MP and MK buttons and replaces them with two new buttons, A1 and A2, the two buttons used to call out your characters for a quick attack. As for the medium attack buttons, they've been combined with the LP and LK in such a way so that when you perform button-tap combos, the medium attacks will show up as you press the weak attack buttons. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- JOYSTICK This setup is assuming that you're on the left, facing right. ub u uf \ | / b - O - f / | \ db d df f = Forward df = Down-Forward d = Down db = Down-Back b = Back ub = Up-Back u = Up uf = Up-Forward ----------------------------------------------------------------------- BUTTONS Same for both sides. (ST) (LP) (HP) (A1) (LK) (LK) (A2) P = Any Punch K = Any Kick () = Press the two indicated buttons simultaneously LP = Low Punch LK = Low Kick HP = Hard Punch HK = Hard Kick A1 = Assist Attack 1 A2 = Assist Attack 2 ST = Taunt (hold LP on the Dreamcast) ----------------------------------------------------------------------- JOYSTICK MOTIONS QCF = Quarter-Circle Forward QCB = Quarter-Circle Back HCF = Half-Circle Forward HCB = Half-Circle Back DP = Dragon Punch Motion (zig-zag motion on the joystick) CHARGE = Hold the joystick in that direction ----------------------------------------------------------------------- MISC OTG = Off The Ground DHC = Delayed Hyper Combo ======================================================================= ----------------------[ V. Breakdown of Attacks ]---------------------- ======================================================================= This section will cover the various attacks that Silver Samurai has to offer. Some of it is a little long so I'll try my best to keeps things short, simple, and to the point. I'll list the attacks and how much damage they inflict, assuming that you're playing on a normal damage setting against someone who takes 100% damage. Various characters will take different amounts of damage so the damage count won't be exact for everyone. ======================================================================= BASIC ATTACKS ======================================================================= LP Standing (4 dmg) A short, swift swing of the blade with a very slight angle. You may keep tapping LP to swing it in an up and down motion but due to the nature of the controls, once the LP hits an opponent, the MP will follow up once you hit the LP a second time. Once the MP comes, if you're too far away, the second part of the two-hit MP will miss, leaving you open to a potential attack but that can easily be fixed by cancelling it to a Shuriken or Hyaku Sakuchi (more terms later). Midair (4 dmg) A quick stab at a downward 45° angle. That's the one button that will always start your air combos once you're in the air and it may even start some combos on the ground as you fall from a jump. Thanks to that katana, this move has nice range as well. Crouching (4 dmg) A quick poke at his opponent's foot. This move has got to be one of those most unusual that this game has to offer. It must be blocked low, whereas the crouching LK can be blocked high. Very bizarre but you can live with it. Again, the katana gives him range but unless he's close enough, this move can't be chained into a combo. Also, a difference between this and the crouching LK is that this move has a "stiffer" feeling to it. It's a little difficult to explain that feeling unless you try starting air combos with each of the two. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- MP Standing (8 dmg, 5 and 3 separately) A one-two, up-down sword combo. A slight bit less range than the LP. Also, in order for both hits to connect, you have to be pretty close to your opponent when you hit that first LP or LK, which can be tricky against someone with long-range basic attacks. Can be cancelled into the Hyaku Sakuchi pretty easily. Midair (7 dmg) Silver Samurai looks as though he "presses" the blade against you. Its range isn't all that great but expect to use it during an air combo. Crouching (7 dmg) He swings his blade down, attacking with a longer range than a crouching LP. Again, you can't connect it with the LP if you're too far away. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- HP Standing (first hit 10 dmg, second hit 4 dmg) He swings his blade upwards in a Sephiroth-style attack. It's slow compared to Ryu's HP but it has some decent range and if it connects, you can hit the HP button again to take a swing at his opponent's legs to knock him/her down. A good number of players forget about having to block the second part low so you can easily take them down, cancelling it with a nasty hyper combo. The only drawback is that the hyper combo won't connect if your opponent rolls the moment he/she drops so be careful about that. Midair (13 dmg) He swings his blade down at a 45°. It's the basic way to end an air combo, sending your opponent flying back down to earth but it can also help you set up one as well. See the Combos section later to see what I'm talking about. Crouching (13 dmg) He swings his blade upwards and lauches his opponent into the air. Good range too. This will be the key move that will get your air combos going but the only problem is that it launches them at a slight angle so if you're not close enough when you hit the HP, your first air LP won't connect. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- LK Standing (4 dmg) He pokes his opponents with the tip of the blade. It's not as swift as the standing LP and it has less range so you might not want to use this too often. Midair (4 dmg) A low-angled kick. Its angle is much deeper than the midair LP's but it's still just as good. It's mainly going to be used as part of your air combo but it just might be useful for trying to get a combo on your opponent from above. Crouching (4 dmg) This is unusual for a crouching LK. Like the standing LK, the Samurai stabs his opponent with the tip of the blade but it's exactly the same height. The only difference is that it has much more range. Heck, it can even be blocked standing, which means that you'll have a tougher time starting combos by hitting them in the legs. Use the crouching LP instead, which feels a little "stiff" but it gets the job done. More on that later. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- MK Standing (7 dmg) He stabs his opponent with the tip of the blade but it's a little higher than the standing LK and it extends further. Also note that the standing MK is used for your Snapback. Strangely, this move actually goes right over Wolverine's head but when used as a Snapback, it hits. Midair (7 dmg) He swings his sword at a downward angle. It doesn't have the same range as the midair MP but it'll often be used in your air combos. Most of time, this will end up being a combo filler. Crouching (7 dmg) He turns his back and thrusts his sword back at an angle, popping his opponent up in the air for a short moment. This move, when chained with the crouching LK, is a great way to set up your opponents for the Raimenken hyper combo. I'll explain more later. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- HK Standing (13 dmg) He hops forward and thrusts his sword downward. Great way to knock on anyone who is crouching but it has a hefty recovery time. Fortunately, you can easily cancel it with a Shuriken to make things easier. Midair (13 dmg) He thrusts his sword straight down. With such a long range, it's a nice way to drop on top of your opponent with the tip of a katana sword right on his head. Crouching (13 dmg) He literally "sweeps" his opponent's feet with one swift swing of the blade. It has good range but it's a bit slow both on attack time and recovery time so get ready to cancel it with something else. Still, if it connects, you can always cancel it with a hyper combo. ======================================================================= THROWS ======================================================================= Silver Samurai seems to have quite a bit of priority with his throws. f or b + HP (16 dmg) He hooks his opponent onto the blade, hops into the air with the poor guy still hanging on, and slams him/her on the ground. f or b + HK (16 dmg) He grabs his opponent from behind, rolls onto his back, and thrusts the guy aside with his legs. ======================================================================= SPECIAL MOVES ======================================================================= Shuriken (18 dmg) qcf + P The Samurai throws a large, eight-point shuriken at his opponent for six hits. Use the joystick to move it up and down. Can be used in midair. Stronger punch button results in a faster shuriken. Strong chip damage. Learn to use this move well because it's your key survival move. Since the Samurai's basic attacks tend to have a slow recovery time, you can cancel into this move so that you'll be less open to attack. The shuriken's number of hits varies with the distance between you and your opponent. The farther you are away from your opponent, the fewer the hits. The least number of hits that I've seen is a measely three. The Touki Elements can also influence this but we'll go deeper into that later. NOTE: Iceman takes chip damage from the Shuriken. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Hyaku Sakuchi (4 per hit) dp + P, or tap LP or HP rapidly Samurai violently swings his katana at a wide upward-downward angle, causing light-orange crescents to appear as he attacks. Tap f twice to run while attacking but he stops moving after a few hits as he runs. This move is nearly useless on its own. The time it takes to start this move gives your opponent more than enough time to dodge it. Another problem is that if you decide to run with it and it gets blocked, there is a really long recovery time once he throws that last swing. If you do end up running with it and it gets blocked, quickly cancel it into a hyper combo. Otherwise, you'll pay a hefty price. Fortunately, this move is a decent way to end some simple ground combos. Just cancel the combo into this move and go running immediately. The Touki Lightning power up puts this to good use since it allows Samurai to perform ground chain combos more easily. Touki Ice also reduces the setup time for this move so it can put this move to good use as well. More on the Touki moves later. ======================================================================= HYPER COMBOS ======================================================================= Chou Shuriken (45 dmg total) qcf + (PP) Samurai throws three simultaneous shurikens that swirl as they go flying at his opponent. Delivers 18 hits. Massive chip damage. Press u and d on the joystick to steer it up and down. This move is fast and deadly. It's also a lifesaver for times when a special move is blocked. Just cancel a special move into this one and you'll have a chance at survival. When you're using the Touki Lightning enhancement (more on this later), you may perform this move in midair. The Chou Shuriken is very wide and it can be steered up and down so unless your opponent super jumps, he'll get hit by the shurikens easily, which hurt quite a bit even if it gets blocked. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Hyper Hyaku Sakuchi (4 per hit) (A1 + A2) NOTE: You must be on A-assist with only one super bar on super meter. He performs a running Hyaku Sakuchi that goes for up to thirteen hits, 45 dmg total. This move is generally useless when compared to the rest of Samurai's lineup of hyper combos. At 45 dmg with such restrictions and long recovery time, you're better off sticking with the equally powerful Chou Shuriken. The only advantage that this move has over it is the fact that you can easily cancel ground chain combos into this move, which is very useful when you're using Touki Lightning and its combo-friendly flexibility. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Touki Ikazuchi (Enhancement) qcb + P Samurai raises his sword and enchants himself with the power of lightning. Lasts for about 15 sec. For the sake of language, I'll call these enchantment moves "Touki Elements" so this one will be called "Touki Lightning". This move grants you more speed, allows you to do the Chou Shuriken while in midair, and gives you the ability to perform button-tapping chain combos. However, your attack damage is cut to 50%, your shurikens are faster but inflict only one lousy hit, and you take about 110-115% damage. There's a trick to the reduced damage and defense, however. It seems that by using Touki Lightning three times, your damage is reduced to only 70% and you take your usual 90% damage. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Raimenken (3 per hit) qcf + (KK) NOTE: You must either have no elemental power-up in effect, or have the Lightning Power-Up in effect. He raises his sword and unleashes a large spew of random-hitting lightning that can yield a high-hitting combo. More effective at close range. This hyper combo has very low start-up and recovery times, and can tear down your opponent's health quickly but the problem is that the lightning is very random, so random that you'll have moments where the hyper combo will connect but suddenly, your opponent blocks it halfway through. This is especially the case with smaller characters. There are two specific moments where you'll want to put this to good use. If you're fighting against a large character such as Juggernaut and Blackheart, unleash this attack on them and watch the hits pile up. Because of their sizes, they tend to take more connective hits from the attack. In fact, sometimes you'll see that this hyper combo inflicts more total damage against those larger characters than the smaller ones. Another great moment is when your opponent calls out an assist. If the assist attack misses you, just tear them down with this attack. Since this move has such a monsterous range with low recovery time, you don't have to worry about a direct retaliation. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Touki Honoo (Enhancement) qcb + HK Samurai raises his sword and enchants himself with the power of fire. This is his "Touki Fire" enhancement. Lasts for about 15 sec. This move grants you 20% more attack power, faster shurikens, a faster-hitting Hyaku Sakuchi, and access to the Inferno Spiral but you take what seems like 140% damage. Like Touki Lightning, you can also triple up Touki Fire to increase your attack damage by 50% and bring your defense back up so you take your usual 90% damage. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Inferno Spiral (2 per hit) qcf + (KK) NOTE: You must have Touki Fire in effect. He raises his sword in the air and creates a swirling spire of flames that sends his opponent flying upwards. Inflicts numerous hits. This move may initially inflict 2 damage per hit but the game runs on a different system. As you pile up more hits in a combo, the weaker the accumulated hits becomes. Because of this, after eight or so hits, the rest inflict only a mere 1 damage but it's still very devastating as you can still stack up to whopping 45 hits. This move may be deadly but it can mean your ultimate downfall. This attack has poor range and a long recovery time if your opponent ends up evading it. Combined with your pitifully low defense from Touki Fire, you're a dead duck waiting to be cooked. Use this move carefully and if you do choose to cancel some combos into this attack, use your judgment and know if you're close enough to catch your opponent in the flames. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Touki Mizu (Enhancement) qcb + LK He raises his sword and enchants himself with the power of ice. This is his "Touki Ice". Lasts for about 15 sec. This move grants you a lot of defensive bonuses. You take about 50% damage, you get access to the Glacial Spikes, and you also gain super armor, which allows you to endure the blows from weak hits. However, your attack damage is cut in half and the setup time for your shurikens is very long. Double up the Touki Ice and your attack damage will only be reduced to 70%. Tripling up gives you the greatest effects: your attack damage is brought back up to full strength and you gain Hyper Armor, which prevents you from becoming stunned from your opponent's attacks. Your reduced speeds remains the same, however. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Glacial Spike (40 dmg) qcf + (KK) NOTE: You must have Touki Ice in effect. From the center of the screen, he strikes the ground with his sword, sending forth a wave of ice spikes to freeze his opponent. This move is weak compared to the others but there's a neat trick to it. It freezes your opponent, leaving him open to attack. It also has to be blocked low, which some players forget about so it's a nice way to quickly knock on your opponent for some quick damage. This move is downright evil if used correctly. Since the spikes on the ground stay for a decent period of time, your opponent will get frozen if he suddenly decides to stand up from his crouching block while the spikes are still active. You can't link this into any combos but you can easily start one by trapping your opponent in one of these. Also, if you triple up Touki Ice or perform the Glacial Spike a split second before Touki Ice ends, this move will inflict a full 40 damage. ======================================================================= ASSISTS ======================================================================= The following are the moves that the Samurai will perform whenever he's called out for an Assist move. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- ALPHA: GROUND TYPE Hyaku Sakuchi (15 dmg) Samurai comes out and performs this move for only a mere four hits at most. At a measely 15 dmg, it's not too strong for a move. However, because this move is so wide, it gives you some space for attack. Also, choosing this assist type will add the Hyper Hyaku Sakuchi to his lineup of hyper combos. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- BETA: PROJECTILE TYPE Shuriken The chip-happy shuriken. This move isn't much better than a fireball thrown from Ryu's hands when used like this. On the other hand, it chips opponents nicely and it also gives you access to the Chou Shuriken in a triple team super so this choice is up to you. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- GAMMA: LAUNCHER TYPE Crouching HP Terrible. Just terrible. Its ability to connect stinks, especially when you consider that he's crouching, rather than standing as in Colossus and Sentinel's launchers. The only bonus that this move can give you is the Raimenken in a triple team super but you're better off use delay hyper combos (DHC) instead. ======================================================================= -----------------------------[ VI. Combos ]---------------------------- ======================================================================= As the name implies, this section will talk about combos. I'll list as many as possible but try to understand that the Samurai isn't big on combos like our good friend Strider Hiryu. Now let's move onto the combos. Oh and for the sake of the buttons, I've replaced MP with LP in each of the combos to make it easier on you. The combo list is short but I'll list more as it comes to me. Silver Samurai is one of those characters that simply don't do combos well. Notice how difficult it is to juggle characters in the air or even start the basic air combo thanks to that awkward launcher. Still, the Samurai can pull off some nifty combos that are quite painful. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- BEGINNER COMBOS Here are some of the Samurai's simpler combos. They aren't much but at least the newbies can use them with ease. For each of these combos, you should cancel the last hit into a shuriken or Hyaku Sakuchi. Either one of the two will probably get blocked but at least the chip damage is there: crouching LK, standing HP x 2 (3 hits, 18 dmg) standing LP, standing LP (hits twice) (3 hits, 12 dmg) crouching LK, crouching HK (2 hits, 17 dmg) ----------------------------------------------------------------------- BASIC COMBOS Now we'll go into his more complex combos, including his basic air combo. These will probably be the most common combos in the arcades. This next one is the popular air chain that starts with an air HP and ends with an air shuriken for 13 hits. If you're using Touki Ice, which will slow down the Shuriken, end the air combo with a HP instead: jump in HP, dash, crouching LK, crouching HP, super jump, LP, LK, LP, LK, Shuriken (13 hits, 60 dmg) crouching LP, standing HP, cancel into running Hyaku Sakuchi (8 hits, 32 dmg) ----------------------------------------------------------------------- RAIMENKEN COMBOS These combos will require that you have some super meter energy as these will cancel into hyper combos. The Raimenken combos' damage and number of hits will vary due to the randomness of its effects. The second combo may get a bit tricky since your opponent can roll out of it but it's just as useful: crouching LP, crouching LK, cancel into Raimenken (varies) crouching LP, standing HP x 2, OTG cancel into Raimenken (varies) crouching LP, crouching HK, OTG cancel into Raimenken (varies) crouching LP, crouching HP, cancel into Raimenken (varies) ----------------------------------------------------------------------- INFERNO SPIRAL The following combos will also require super meter energy but you'll also need Touki Fire to gain access to the Inferno Spiral. crouching LK x 2, cancel into Inferno Spiral (varies) crouching LK, standing HP x 2, cancel into Inferno Spiral (45 hits, 70 dmg) crouching LK, crouching HK, cancel into Inferno Spiral (varies) ----------------------------------------------------------------------- GLACIAL SPIKE This one combo is a tricky one that requires careful timing and positioning. Both you and your opponent must be somewhere around the middle of the stage the moment you cancel the Hyaku Sakuchi into the Glacial Spike. crouching LK, cancel into running Hyaku Sakuchi, cancel into Glacial Spike, follow up with basic air combo ----------------------------------------------------------------------- HYPER HYAKU SAKUCHI This one combo requires that you have A-assist type and only one level on your super meter so that you can access the Hyper Hyaku Sakuchi. To pull it off, tap the A1 and A2 buttons together. Of course, if you have more than one level on your meter, you'll end up with a team super. crouching LK, standing HP, cancel into Hyper Hykau Sakuchi (15 hits, 53 dmg) ======================================================================= -----------------[ VII. Playing with Silver Samurai ]------------------ ======================================================================= Now I'll tell you how to fight against the various types of characters that you'll see in this game. You're probably tempted to skip this section as you're thinking, "all I need to know are combos." Well that's not the case. Fighting is more than just combos and you'll learn soon enough. ======================================================================= BASIC STRATEGIES ======================================================================= Just the basics. It's a bit long but it contains the combat information that you'll need. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- OFFENSIVE: ATTACK FAST AND HARD The Samurai doesn't have the speed and time to do super-fancy moves but he has the potential to hit opponents hard. His basic attacks may be average (about the same as Ryu's) but because of the damage that comes from his various special moves and hyper combos, he can destroy an opponent very quickly, especially since some of them can inflict a decent amount of chip damage. What you will want to do is to call out an Assist that will give you a protective cover for your attacks. I've listed a good number of them in the next section. With one in place, you can then attack with whatever you need. You should try to catch your opponent in the Samurai's basic air combo but try to start it with an air HP, making your way to the finishing shuriken. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- DEFENSIVE: CANCELS The problem with Samurai is the poor recovery time that follows many of his basic attacks and special moves. To compensate for this, you MUST cancel any blocked moves right away. The best move to cancel into is the shuriken, which can even be steered up and down for your convenience. For special moves, the only one move that will require that you MUST cancel out of is the Hyaku Sakuchi. Sometimes when you perform it and you go from standing to running, you end up breaking the chain of hits, and your opponent blocks. The recovery time from running is so massive that unless you cancel it into something else, you'll pay a horrible price for that mistake, which is another reason why the Samurai is a hazard to your super meter. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- PLAYING SMART Since Samurai has such a nice damage capability, the best thing to do would be to assault your opponent with everything you've got, right? Wrong. There are a lot of ways to get around a trigger-happy offensive player, especially since those counterattack moves can easily catch the Samurai with his low-speed HP and HK (Magneto, Jill, Cammy). It's hard to be unpredictable when this guy has such a poor arsenal of moves. However, you can at least attack in some different ways. Throwing shurikens down from the air, and jumping around your opponent with the air HK are two ways to do so. Another way to go is to use the Snapback. Samurai's standing MK has a great amount of reach. If you managed to take off enough health to convince your opponent to tag out, you can easily Snap his/her dying character right back out, taking away the potential healing and forcing your opponent to jump around in hopes of escaping you. You could probably find a way to tear down the rest of the poor guy's health with a Chou Shuriken. Another thing that you'll want to avoid is a projectile-throwing contest. Don't get into firefights! You've seen those rediculous battles where two guys do nothing but relentlessly toss projectiles at one another that cancel each another out. The Samurai just simply doesn't have the speed nor potential to do such a thing. If you're going to pull something close to a firefight, then at least get into the air when you do it so that you can aim the shuriken down at your opponent. Finally, always remember that balance is the key to victory. To gain the edge in a fight, you must use your Touki element power-ups. By using them, you gain various advantages against your opponents which can decide the outcome of a battle. Head further down to read more about the Touki elements. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- USING THE RAIMENKEN The Raimenken is one of the deadliest hyper combos in the game. As mentioned earlier, its damage is very random and you'll often find times in which your opponent will somehow get caught in the hyper combo but will suddenly go into blocking halfway through. Usually it's best if you use it against a large-sized character such as the Hulk and Juggernaut. Because of their bulk, they won't be able to escape the combo so easily, and they'll take a lot more hits than a medium-sized character like Ryu and Jin. In fact, you'll find moments where those larger guys, who are supposed to take less damage than most characters, will take MORE instead. The hits will also often add up to some high numbers so expect 50+ hits. To make full use of the Raimenken, you must use combos in which you can cancel the last hit into this hyper combo. I've listed three above but the OTG combos are the riskier ones because your opponent can roll right out of it, causing you to waste a whole level on your super meter, which is a lot considering that he consumes the meter. Fortunately, its long range and low recovery time will easily cover you. Another smart tactic is to attack your opponent's lineup of characters indirectly. The great thing about the Raimenken is that it can severely punish characters that get called out for an assist move, especially the large-sized ones. Since it covers nearly the entire screen, has such a low start-up time, and a low recovery time, it's a great way to dish out some damage with less worry about retaliation. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- USING THE TOUKI ELEMENTS The Touki Elements, which take up one level on the meter, will alter your abilities for about fifteen seconds each. However, while one aspect of the Samurai will become stronger, be aware that another aspect will become weaker. Also, while you're under the effects of one of the three Power-Ups, you can use one level on the meter to recharge the timer up to halfway. Using any one Touki Element three times will boost your altered stats a bit. Oh and some players don't notice this but attacking while a Power-Up is still in effect will cause the timer to stop for brief moments. Below are the listed stats gained and lost when using Power-Ups: -------------------- LIGHTNING (Ikazuchi) + Faster attack speed + Combos are easier to perform + Shurikens are faster + Access to air Chou Shuriken - Damage cut to 50% Triple Touki cuts to 70% - You take about 110-115% damage Triple Touki returns to 90% - Shurikens inflict one hit Overview: This is generally for speed and flexibility. Your moves have slightly shorter recovery times and you're able to perform chain combos on the ground. While he is able to perform a full six-hit button chain from LP to HK, all six hits will only link if it's used on a cornered opponent but still, the fact that he can make chain combos makes up for his reduced attack power. If you can, try to triple up the Touki Lightning to gain the upper edge. -------------------- FIRE (Honoo) + You inflict 120% damage Triple Touki raises to 150% + Shurikens are faster and retain a full six hits + Hyaku Sakuchi inflicts more hits + Access to Inferno Spiral - You take 140% damage Triple Touki returns to 90% Overview: This one is for offensive power and lots of it. Your moves become stronger but the fact that you end up taking more damage than Roll makes Touki Fire a suicidal element. Fortunately, tripling up will straighten that out, bringing your defense back up to normal and raising your strength even higher. At that point, you're pretty much a Juggernaut with rocket fuel. -------------------- ICE (Mizu) + You take only 45% damage (damage received is cut to 50%) + Triple Touki gives you Hyper Armor (no stun from attacks) + Access to Glacial Spikes + Hyaku Sakuchi has reduced setup time - Attack damage cut to 50% Double Touki cuts to 70% Triple Touki returns to 100% - Shurikens inflict three hits and has a longer setup time - Hyaku Sakuchi inflicts less hits Overview: Ice is generally used for defense purposes, cutting the damage you receive in half. As a side bonus, the reduced setup time for Hyaku Sakuchi allows you to cancel some combos into it more easily but just remember to run with it quickly or your opponent will end up blocking it. However, your attack damage is cut in half as well. Fortunately, there's a cruel way to fix this. Doubling up will bring it up to 70% and tripling will bring it back to full strength along with Hyper Armor. The minor reduced speed that comes from this stays the same but the jump in offense and defense more than makes up for it. -------------------- As you can see, using the Touki three times in a row is the key to gaining the edge in battle but this is why the Samurai is known for draining the super meter faster than a thousand of Ruby Heart's ghosts attacking you all at once. When going against an opponent, you should try to decide on which element you'd like to commit your super meter to. That way, you can concentrate on powering up a single Touki Element several times to gain the increased bonuses. Also, when using a hyper combo, be careful. Otherwise, you may end up having no levels left on your super meter to recharge your Touki timer. For the naive players out there, you can't judge whether one element is good or not by looking at the number of gains and losses. The idea behind the Touki Elements is boosting your abilities while still maintaining a natural balance. No one Element is better than another. Since there is a bit of setup time involved in pulling off a Touki Element, you need something to act as a meat shield while you activate it. Use your assists to protect you as you activate the Elements. The section below gives a great description of who you may want to use. ======================================================================= SUPPORTIVE ASSISTS ======================================================================= The Samurai can't fight his battles alone no matter how much Japanese pride he's got in him. You'll need assists to help take out your opponent and the following candidates are possibilities: ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Blackheart Anti-Air (Inferno) Let's face it. The best thing to an anti-air move that the Samurai has to offer is the standing HP, which isn't quite the best thing to use, so the next best thing will be to get an Anti-Air Assist (AAA) move. Blackheart's Inferno is probably one of the best in this game. It can catch airborne opponents very easily and it provides a somewhat solid barrier for you to hide behind as you toss your shurikens or power up with the Touki Elements. He's a possibility so keep him in mind. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Ryu/Ken/Akuma (Gouki) Anti-Air (Dragon Punch/Shoryuken) Yet another AAA for Samurai. Ken and Akuma's AAA have a little more priority than Ryu's and is divided into three hits. On the other hand, Ryu's AAA is one direct hit. Either of three seem good but it's your call, though I would recommend Ken or Akuma. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Dr. Doom Anti-Air (Molecular Shield) Even with the ability to cancel your basic attacks into special moves, you sometimes will need a little edge, and by far, Doom's AAA is the best. The flying rocks limit your opponent's movements and they add to the chip damage of the shurikens. Like Blackheart, this move provides a nice barrier to hide behind. He's also a consideration. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Jin Anti-Air (Dynamite) Jin's explosive clothing is a great way to catch speedy characters such as Marrow and Wolverine. Since speed isn't quite one of Samurai's top priorities, you'll need something to keep the speedy guys at bay, and this might do the trick. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Marrow Expansion (Dash and Slash) This is the one where Marrow hops onto a wall and flies into her target like a missile. Okay so maybe this isn't one of the more useful assists but heck, she makes great bait for unsuspecting players, allowing you to attack your opponent as he/she tries to attack Marrow while she taunts before leaving. It also leaves you some open space just in case anyone evades your moves. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Sentinel Ground (Sentinel Brigade) The name isn't exact but this is the move in which Sentinel points his finger at its opponent and sends three mini-Sentinels to fly down, headbutting their target. This move, like Doom's rocks, gives you the space you need in order to make an attack. ======================================================================= OPPONENT TYPES ======================================================================= We'll need to go over the various types of opponents that you'll find. This section is especially helpful to you so pay attention. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Pixies That's the nickname given to characters who are extremely quick and absolutely love hitting hard and fast. Marrow, Strider Hiryu, Psylocke, and friends all fall into this category. Those guys are troublesome to Samurai due to the long recovery time from his moves. However, there's still hope. Remember, pixies can't withstand damage very well and will get a nice chunk of health lost should your moves catch them. Still, it's going to be rough so keep your assists going, especially Doom's and Jin's AAA. If needed, use the Lightning or Fire Power-Ups to gain some extra speed or power but remember the defense lost from them. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Gunners The trigger happy characters who love hitting you with annoying projectiles. Iron Man, Cable, Iceman, and company fall into this category. Let's face it. While Samurai does have a projectile of his own, there's no way that shuriken is going to cut it against those multi-hitting lasers. It's also tough for Samurai because of his speed. While gunners do tend to be slow, our Japanese buddy is also a bit slow. Once again, Doom and his AAA comes into the spotlight. Those flying rocks are a great way to prevent them from shooting them since they'll be too busy blocking for them to do anything. This gives you the option of running up to them and assaulting them with all you've got. Another tactic is to go airborne and nail them in the head with shurikens. Just remember to aim downward. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Power Hitters The big boys of MvC2, including Colossus, Hulk, Juggernaut, and friends. They're not too bad. If needed, you can also use the Ice Power-Up to gain some extra defense against them. Fire is also useful but the fact that these power hitters can tear down health very easily makes it risky should you somehow find yourself open to attack. Since power hitters are also very large, use the Raimenken combos. Because of their sizes, they tend to receive a lot of hits from the Raimenken. Sometimes they end up taking more damage than characters with lower defenses. ======================================================================= DEADLY AGAINST SILVER SAMURAI ======================================================================= The following characters are hazardous to your health. Take caution against them. Heck, if you can, don't even bother using the Samurai against them. Right now Sentinel is the only threat I can think of but for the sake of ratio tiers, there must be more of them. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Sentinel This giant tank is a death sentence to Samurai when he's in the hands of a good player. While his massive size makes him wide open to Raimenken and the shurikens from the air, his ability to take to the skies with low-hitting air attacks takes full advantage of his inability to comprehend with attacks from the air. The super armor is also a nasty thought. Because of it, he's quite resistant to the Samurai's attacks, including the shurikens. You shouldn't use him against this freak but if somehow end up having to use him, then try to catch the Sentinel in a Raimenken combo. He especially takes a lot of hits so expect 50+ hits from the hyper combo very often. ======================================================================= ----------------------------[VIII. Abyss ]----------------------------- ======================================================================= Abyss, the living puddle of multicolored slime that came from the great minds at Capcom. As plain and mundane this thing is, it can be troublesome to those who are just starting out in MvC2. This guide focused mainly on using the Samurai against human opponents but a section for Abyss wouldn't hurt. ======================================================================= STAGE ONE: ARMORED GIANT ======================================================================= Abyss's first stage is designed to abuse the fighting system as much as possible while Hyper Armor allows him to withstand a lot of damage. He is also very slow, which allows you to jump behind him and attack him from there but some of his moves can still harm you if you attack him from behind. His giant laser attack is one of them. Abyss may be abusing the fighting system a bit but he's still dirt easy. Hopping around back and forth while taking a slice out of his back with the air HP is a great way to chop his health down while dodging his attacks. If he decides to ram into you, try to super jump over him and throw a shuriken. Finally, keep an eye on his hyper combos. Both have incredibly long startup times and you can easily block or dodge them but they can still tear down your health if you get careless. ======================================================================= STAGE TWO: LIQUID WEAPON ======================================================================= Abyss now becomes an annoyance due to his blue flamethrower that sends you hurling across the screen. Fortunately, he has a few weaknesses that you can easily take advantage of. It seems that if you're close enough to him, a standing Hyaku Sakuchi will allow you to dodge his flamethrower while you tear down his health. Since you probably built quite a bit of super meter energy from the first round, you can also throw Chou Shurikens at him. You can also try regular shurikens but you must time it correctly or it'll get stopped by the flamethrower. However, regular shurikens will easily tear through his unblockable bubbles so use them if he starts using them on you. ======================================================================= STAGE THREE: CRIMSON BEHEMOTH ======================================================================= Abyss is starting to become reminiscent of Venom. Anyhow, this part is the easiest of them all. By now, you'll have already gained quite a few levels on the super meter. Well now's your chance to put them to good use. Just block like a turtle until he emerges from underneath you. Then unleash the Raimenken and watch it tear down his health. Lather, rinse, repeat. You win! ======================================================================= ----------------------------[ IX. CREDITS ]---------------------------- ======================================================================= I would like to thank Jeff Veasey (CjayC) for creating GameFAQs, which was my only window to really writing any form of an FAQ. I would also like to thank Carlton Kong who wrote a Silver Samurai Character FAQ long before me. I have to admit that I only learned to play with him because of his FAQ. Finally, last but not least, I'd like to thank Dingo Jellybean for coming up with such an interesting format for writing an FAQ. He has written many FAQ's for various RPG's including Final Fantasy VII, Chrono Trigger, and Chrono Cross. Hopefully, he'll complete his FAQ for FF9. ======================================================================= --------------------------[ X. FUTURE PLANS ]-------------------------- ======================================================================= As of right now, I have no current plans to add anything to this FAQ. If anything comes along the way, however, I'll remember to update.