_________________________________________________________________
   
THE SS1 CHARLOTTE GUIDE

  --by Scott Fujimoto


     Charlotte is the best and most well-rounded character in SS.
She has quick, long-ranged ground attacks. She has a fast jump, coupled
with a wide-area, high priority AB. Finally, she has a multitude of air
counters to avoid getting jumped herself. On the down side, she doesn't
have a high-damage ground AB like Haohmaru does, and she lacks a missile
weapon. Most importantly, she is not very versatile and cannot really
initiate any attacks by herself. In other words, she is REACTIVE.
     That last point bears repeating. In general, the fighters in SS
can be ranked on a scale from active to reactive. Ukyo is on the "active"
end of the scale, because he can do many tactics to out-psyche his
opponents, like his slide or ground-air TG. However, if these tactics
fail, Ukyo is vulnerable to counter-attack. Charlotte is the opposite of
Ukyo. She can't really initiate any attacks by herself, besides poking her
opponent or jumping, and the last is vulnerable to anti-air attacks.
Her Splash Fount is next to useless, and her Power Gradation is good only
for air defense. On the other hand, she can play a tight defensive game,
and it is here that her quick ground attacks, good anti-air defenses, and
quick jump are critical. Charlotte when played at her best is nearly
immune to attacks, while able to counter-attack anything her opponent does
in return. But what is important here is that Charlotte CAN'T really do
an attack unless her opponent makes a move first!
     Novice Charlotte players stick to her quick jump and air AB, hoping
to jump their opponents to death. This will work against opponents who
haven't developed good air defense skills yet, and so among a group of
beginner to average SS players, Charlotte can be devastating. However,
against skilled opponents who have good air defenses (or playing characters
with easy anti-air attacks, like Wan Fu), this single-minded tactic will
fail.
     At the highest levels of play, the key to winning with Charlotte is
to know how to counter any move your opponent does. A Charlotte player must
not only know how her own character, but she must know the strengths and
weaknesses of every other character as well! What is the range and speed
of your opponent's attacks? When is he vulnerable? When can he hit you
out of your own attacks? And so on. The learning curve with Charlotte thus
mirrors her opponent, because the better your opponent gets, the better
you must be in figuring out what tactics he is using and countering them.
This is what I mean when I say Charlotte is a reactive character.
     This is also why she is probably the best character in the game,
although she is still balanced. SS by its nature is a reactive game, as
opposed to being an offensive one. Charlotte thus suits it perfectly--in
fact, she is a better symbol of the game than Haohmaru. It's also the
reason why she is not "cheap" or "unbalancing." Remember that once you
learn how to counter her jump, Charlotte can't really initiate any attacks

against you. She can only react to what you do. So if you start getting
creamed by Charlotte, it's because of what YOU are doing, not because she
has some invincible attack that you cannot stop!
     In summary, the two most important qualities a Charlotte player
needs is 1) Knowledge of ALL the characters in the game, so she knows how
to best counter her opponent, 2) Quick reflexes, so you can immediately
hit your opponent when he is open. Hopefully, this guide will give you some
insight into the first quality. The second you will have to develop by
yourself. :-)

What Charlotte can initiate:
1) Standing and crouching A-thrusts--these attacks are long-ranged, quick,
and do not usually leave Charlotte open to counter-attack. In addition, if
your opponent starts an attack at about the same time, he will get hit out
of it by your own attack. They are thus safe to initiate against an
opponent. Your B-thrusts do more damage and have slightly greater range,
but are slower and you can get hit out of them more easily. It's best to
stick to As, with some Bs to keep your opponent off guard.

2) Jumping and either kick or AB--Charlotte is actually most vulnerable to
counter-attack when jumping. Your kick has a better chance of hitting your
opponent out of their anti-air attacks than your AB. However, it does a lot
less damage. You can initiate a jump attack occassionally to keep your
opponent off guard or when you anticipate an attack (like Haohmaru about to
do his AB). If you guess right, AB him while he's open, since this is a
good way to do lots of damage. If you guess wrong, do a kick to minimize
your chances of getting counter-attacked.

3) Crouch kicks--this may surprise your opponent because it needs to be
blocked low. However, this is a slow attack and leaves you open so don't
do it regularly.

What Charlotte can react with:
1) B-thrust--if you need a quick retaliatory attack, this is the one to
do as it is long-ranged and actually does roughly as much damage as your
ground ABs!

2) Anti-air attacks--your crouching AB, AB PG, jumping kick, or CD knee hop
all have excellent priority against air attacks.

3) Jump and AB--best for jumping over Special Moves, like missile throws,
or normal attacks that have BIG recovery times, like Wan Fu's lunging AB.

Summary of Charlotte's attacks:
Ground Ranges (far to near)--Standing B, Standing A (slightly shorter), top
of Far Standing AB slash, Crouching B, Crouching A (slightly shorter), top
of Close Standing AB slash, any crouch kick, Crouching AB.
Her standing hops are slightly different, as she is propelled forward by
them. CD is the farthest hop and C is the shortest.
Ground Quickness (quick to slow)--Crouching AB is actually your quickest
attack. Then comes standing and crouching A, knee hops, and crouching C.
Then standing and crouching B, standing AB, and crouching D. Finally
crouching CD is her slowest.
Ground Recoveries (best to worst)--Standing and crouching A, Standing and
crouching B, Crouching AB, Far and close standing AB. Don't miss with the
last one!
Air Ranges--Her air D and CD have a slightly greater range than her air
slashes, which all have the same range. Her air AB can hit behind her,

though. Her air C "knee" has the shortest range.
Air Durations--Her air D, A, and AB come out almost instantly and are
finished almost instantly. Her air CD and B come out more slowly. The air
B also has a longer slash duration, about one quarter of her jump. Her
air C has the longest duration, which is the whole length of her jump. If
you do her C knee as soon as she leaves the ground, it will be extended
until she lands again.


Descriptions of Charlotte's attacks

A-THRUST--Prodding attack.
This attack is very fast, long-range, and opponents have trouble
blocking it. Does little damage but is relatively safe. Standard
strategy is to A-thrust and move away constantly ("prodding"). Also
good for "pushing away" characters.
B-THRUST--Quick retaliation attack and slower prodding attack.
Mix up your A and B-thrusts when prodding your opponent. You can
also thrust opponents from far away when they land, but opponents
can hit you out of your thrust first if they time it right with
their ABs. Be careful. Best as a quick retaliation against an
occupied foe, or one who is trying to approach you, but slower and
more vulnerable than A-thrusts when prodding. Also, do this to hit
a recovering opponent crouching close to you (i.e. Ukyo after a
blocked diving attack) instead of your crouching AB--your crouching
B does more damage and is longer-ranged! But be careful about
Charlotte's "blind spot" with her low As and Bs--see below.
STANDING TRIANGLE--Far air defense and near retaliation attack.
You can hit opponents landing farther away with your AB. However,
it does little damage and you can still be hit out of it (although
less likely than with a B). As a ground attack, it's not very good:
slow to come out, does about as much damage as a B, and has a HUGE
recover time if you miss. Do thrusts instead, although the close AB
can do fair damage if your have a REALLY close opponent who is
open. Nevertheless, I don't use her standing AB often.
AIR TRIANGLE--Retaliation attack.
This AB does massive damage and is the attack you do to get a life
advantage in order to win. Do not initiate for CPU Wan-Fu,
Nakoruru, or Charlotte, or against good human players since they
probably have worked out air defenses. Best to do against foes when
occupied (e.g. missiles, swings, rushes). The key to winning is to
know how long it takes for her to jump and AB someone, then look
for instances when you can do this against an open opponent. Note
that the lower you hit with the triangle (i.e. longer wait to
swing), the more damage you will do. Also, careful with the range--
due to Charlotte's short jump, you may miss totally with the AB if
you're not careful. When in doubt, do a kick instead.
AIR A--This is a quick attack that you may want to do if an opponent
jumps at you while you're in the air. However, I usually do a D kick
instead since it's just as fast and thrusts out lower, which means it
hits your opponent sooner.
AIR B--The good thing about this attack is that it sticks out for a long
duration. Initiate just as you descend from your jump and it will hit both
ground opponents and opponents who try to jump at you. Against

characters who do this as air defense (most notably the ninjas and
Jubei), you may want to use this move.
CROUCH TRIANGLE/POWER GRADATION/HOPPING KNEE THRUST--Near air defense.
These are great air defenses: all have high priority and do
decent damage. Train yourself to reflexively do all of these moves
when your opponent jumps on you.
The PG must be done as soon as possible ESPECIALLY against Kyoshiro
and Jubei, because Charlotte is vulnerable at the very beginning
when she crouches down. During the actual move she is invulnerable.
Always do an AB PG, as it is the quickest. A PG leaves you less
vulnerable than a triangle for opponents with long-ranged air attacks
(Kyoshiro and Amakuza, especially). However, you may be kicked
out of it, in which case do a triangle instead, which is a fraction
quicker.
The crouch AB must be done late because it comes out very fast. If
you have good reflexes, do the AB PG. If you don't or are recovering
from a move, do the crouch AB instead.
The standing CD is good for foes jumping ON you, when your other
attacks would miss, or if you are getting hit out of them, since this
one is instantaneous. However, do fairly late or they can counter by
attack early. The standing CD is also good against "falling" characters
after missed special attacks. Throw or jump away right after a successful
attack, since you'll end up next to your foe.
CROUCH KICK--Low attack and throw avoidance.
A "surprise" attack against human opponents and computer opponents,
since they must block low. The CD kick is too slow; do a D kick
instead which is still not too quick. The C-kicks are handy to push
away foes trying to throw you, especially the ninjas!
AIR KICK--Quicker air attack.
An alternative air attack in cases where you are being hit first,
or need greater range. Note your leg has a longer reach than any of
your sword attacks, allowing you to attack from further back if
needed. Initiate a CD at the top of a jump, as your leg will be
extended on the way down. A D-kick can be executed on the spot, to
counter counter-attacks. A good combo is to do a crouch kick upon
landing as well.
AIR C KNEE--Alternative air attack.
Charlotte's amazing Knee of Doom. This attack can last the entire
duration of your jump--if you push C right after jumping, she will
continue to have her knee extended until you land. If people tend
to jump when you jump and hit you first, try doing this to
frustrate them. However, it won't do much damage and is mainly used
to be annoying.
SPLASH FOUNT--Tick off points from the CPU.
This move is useless against human opponents, even if their
character is dizzy. It can be used to tick off points from CPU
opponents, since many do not retaliate afterwards or have the sense
to jump over you. The safest time to do this is to tick off the last
points of an opponent getting up. But this move is basically useless.

Jumping:
Charlotte has the quickest jump in the game. This combined with her
excellent air AB and good kicks means she can initiate jumping attacks
better than any other character. It also means that she can actually
use her jump as a retaliatory attack against characters with slow

recoveries on their attacks. However, note that her jump range is very
short. You must be careful not to miss with her AB by not jumping far
enough, and also be VERY careful about not jumping into Hanzo's slinky
or Gen-an's poison cloud when trying to jump over them!

Moving on the ground:
She moves the same speed backwards and forwards, which is useful for
doing a back-and-forth fencing strategy. Her run and hopping back speed
are decent.

Weapon skill stats:
Her epee is surprisingly good at not breaking. However, try not to lock
swords because she will probably lose and your opponent will do everything
to keep you from getting your sword back. Also, don't do the sword-catch
move because she rates LAST at this ability!

The Rage Gauge:
Doesn't actually play that big a role for Charlotte. It fills up fairly
fast and she stays mad for a long time, but she doesn't do that much
more damage when powered up.

Charlotte's "blind spot":
While standard tactics call for crouching As and Bs against close
opponents to guard against low kicks, there is a certain distance
from Charlotte where her close low As and Bs will come out, but will
miss! Be on the lookout for this, and switch to your crouching D
kicks if necessary.

Against dizzy opponents:
Do a jump triangle over your opponent so that you hit him in the
back. Stand off a little, jump, and do your triangle late so that
two of your sword streaks hit the middle of your opponent. At just
the right timing, you'll do the most damage. You can tell because
two blood splotches will appear on your opponent, AND you can B-
thrust him afterwards, doing lots of damage. The timing is hard to
do, though, so practice!

Taking advantage of bombs:
Against a turtling opponent crouching in the corner, learn to know
exactly when the bombs the Edo man throws against him will go off.
They glow briefly right before then. Run up and throw the sucker
when the bomb goes off and he is in block stun. Or jump right when
it glows. If your opponent makes any move, he will get hit by the
bomb. If he stays put, he will get hit by your air attack if he was
crouching or you can throw him if he is standing.


Strategies against specific characters:
General comments are first, followed by general counters against the
particular character's moves and the best tactics he/she can deploy.
Lastly is some advice for taking advantage of particular CPU patterns.

HAOHMARU
The main thing with Haohmaru is to be cautious. You can out-thrust
him, but all he needs one good AB to have an advantage.
Nevertheless, you should in general be able to poke him to death as
he doesn't really have any other good attacks.
Use standard tactics. Play cautiously, prodding him with your As and
Bs, and try to see when he will toss a whirlwind or try to AB you.

Counters:
--If you can predict when he'll try to AB you, jump at the same
time. You can air AB him if he does an AB and ends up swinging at
air. If you guess wrong, kick on the way down.
--If he's dumb enough to toss a tornado while next to you, jump and
AB him.

Jumping:
--His best air defense is the crouching AB, as his uppercut has low
priority and does little damage. In general, the CPU uses it better than

players do. You can try kicking him out of both, since his crouch AB is
sorta slow.
--You can easily hit him if he tries to jump you.

CPU:
--A surprisingly easy opponent, due to the fact that the CPU eventually
falls into the tornado/uppercut pattern. Always beware of his AB, though.
--A-Thrust him constantly. You can usually thrust him before he attacks
(you are quicker).
--He may run at you--do A-thrusts will keep him away. You can hit
him if he jumps you.
--DON'T JUMP HIM FIRST! The CPU knows how to do the uppercut very
consistently.
--If you stand just at your jump range, he'll often throw a tornado. Jump an
triangle him mercilessly. This is the main way you win.
--He'll also do crescent moon sweeps after a tornado. Try a knee
hop or PG when he comes down if near, or a B-thrust if far.


UKYO
An expert Ukyo player is a real challenge, as Ukyo can be very
tricky if played right. You must be on guard against his TGs and
his slides especially. Charlotte's lack of a damaging retaliatory
attack (except her air AB) is a disadvantage here.

Counters:
--Against humans who try to slide, try anticipating them by jumping
up when they go into one. You can AB them on the way down for lots
of damage.
--A good Ukyo can dive or slide under your thrusts if he
anticipates them right. Do crouch thrusts if he starts doing this. But
make sure you are in range, because if you miss, he can hit you right
after you whiff! If he guesses wrong and gets his attack blocked, B (not
AB) him. You can also jump up to double-guess him and AB him if he
whiffs an attack under you. Kick if you guess wrong and he starts an
anti-air attack.
--Human Ukyos will rarely do the apple slicer unless they want to
show off, but if they do, jump and AB them.

Jumping:
--Ukyo can TG your crouching AB or knee hop if he jumps at you.
Stick to your PG, which will usually hit him out of it. Or just
block and AB him afterwards if he does the TG. Don't do your
PG too late, or his angled AB will hit you first.
--You can try kicking him out of his standing AB or crouching CD,
his two main air defenses. However, Ukyo has very good anti-air
counters.

CPU
--The CPU can either be really easy or really hard. Sometimes he just asks
for a pounding when he throws lots of apples or mistimes all of his TGs.
Other times he plays defensively and will expertly nail you with carefully
timed diving slashes, slides, and TGs. Beware...
--BE CAREFUL ENGAGING HIM ON THE GROUND! He can slide or do
diving slashes right under your standing A-thrust, and unlike players, the
CPU usually guesses right! Crouching A-thrusts are safer, so stick to
those. Crouch B him if you block, as it usually does as much damage as
Charlotte's crouch AB.
--You can sit and crouch. A-thrust/D-kick him if he gets too close
on the ground, and do a PG if he jumps. But if he starts doing TGs,
then quit this tactic.
--Try jumping and triangling him. He may hit you with an overhead
slash, which you can't help. But most of the time he misses, and
takes immense damage. If he keeps on hitting you, switch to air
kicks.
--You will almost always hit him in the air. For some reason, he
does his TG too early.

--Vulnerable when he does the apple maneuver. Jump and triangle
him mercilessly.


GALFORD
Galford is quick, but in general doesn't do that much damage. Also,
the dog is more a liability than an asset. Still, watch out for any
tricky moves he might pull with his Specials.

Counters:
--Do quick thrusts, as he is quick as well.
--If he misses his B slash (the one players use the most), you can A
thrust him back in time. Your B is too slow.
--If he misses his somersault swing, retaliate with a standing AB. If you
do a B, you will lock swords.
--The dog can easily be jumped. The Plasma Blade is harder (listen
for him saying it right before he does it), so you may want to try
kicking instead when jumping.
--Use low C kicks to keep him from SPDing you.
--If he teleports, block and do a B-thrust before he hits the ground, or
he'll block it. If you're quick enough, PG him as he drops down. You can
also crouch AB him, but either way you MUST move back a little so that
he lands on your PG or triangle, not you! You often do this
automatically if you block all the time, because you will move back
after he disappears briefly. I have also found that a standing AB will work,
but it MUST be your close AB, which means you need to do the attack
late.
--Against the multiple images, try jumping up and ABing your way down,
hitting as many of the images as possible. Or just run out of the way.

Jumping:
--He will jump up and B you if you jump at him. You can kick him
out of it or do an AB early.
--Standard air defenses against his jumps.

CPU:
--One of the easiest opponents. Galford sends his dog way too much.
--Thrust him a lot. You will send him into the corner. Advance,
thrust, retreat.
--Keep on the lookout for missed B or somersault AB swings.
--He does a lot of missile weapons. Jump and triangle to slice him
up. This is the main way you win.
--You can try to jump and triangle him, but he usually blocks.


HANZO
Like Galford, but harder. Watch out for the old "toss a slinky and
run up to SPD" trick especially.

Counters:
--Again, stick to quick thrusts to counter his quickness.
--If humans try the "throw a slow snake, run behind it, and SPD
you" trick, the best way to counter it is to jump over the snake
and kick Hanzo if he tries to jump up to slash you as you do so.
The best way to avoid this trap in the first place is to always
stay near Hanzo so you can jump and kick him if he tries throwing
one (you may run into the snake if you do an AB). Be sure to
block afterwards as well, as you may be pushed into the snake
after hitting him.
--After he bounces from a teleport, you have to walk forward
slightly to B-thrust him. If you're quick enough, PG him as he
drops down (looks cool). You can also crouch AB him, but either way
you MUST move back a little so that he lands on your PG or triangle,
not you! You often do this automatically if you block all the time,
because you will move back after he disappears. A close last-minute AB
will also hit him out of his drop.
--For the multiple images, try jumping up and ABing on the way down
as soon as you see him start the move. Or just run or jump away.


Jumping:
--You can air kick him out of his air B he does as defense, or do
an early AB against it.
--Standard air defense against his jumps. Don't try to B or standing
AB him if he jumps farther away, because he can hit you out of it
with his AB, doing lots of damage. Your closer air defenses work,
though.

CPU:
--One of the toughest opponents, despite being a mirror of Galford.
The CPU loves doing SPDs.
--Thrust him a lot, and try to stay outside his sword range--he's
fast! You can thrust before he completes his slashes though.
--He does burning snakes a lot, so jump and triangle them
(especially in a corner). Careful, his missile is wide. If you keep
jumping into the snakes, jump and kick him and block immediately
afterwards. Even though you may still hit the snake, you'll be able
to block it. This is not true for an AB, perhaps because when you
kick him you stay in the air a bit longer...
--You can initiate a jump triangle as well. He will often respond
with a somersault and leave himself open. If you miss, throw him
right away!
--He may run after he throws a snake from far away. You can try to
jump the snake and triangle or kick him during a run although he
will probably block. Careful blocking, because he can grab you as
you block and SPD you!


EARTHQUAKE
A turtling monster. You must get him to attack somehow, but if you
get ahead of life, then YOU can turtle and make things hard for
him!

Counters:
--Human EQs often crouch in the corner; anticipate when he'll do
the low AB and jump and AB/kick him.
--Take advantage of bombs as well.
--Thrust him a lot when up close to hit him out of his slashes.
--Jump and AB his chainsaw whenever possible, as you will do lots
of damage. Try to jump OVER the chainsaw, and hit him from behind
with your AB. You'll hit twice, plus you can sometimes B him
afterwards! This does LOTS of damage.
--If he does the butt bounce, PG through his fat cheeks!

Jumping:
--Jump kick him a lot, as he doesn't have really good air defenses
--You can easily PG or crouch AB him out of his jump. Many other
characters have a harder time countering his jumps, but it's a free
hit for Charlotte.

CPU:
--CPU Earthquake is a nightmare for many characters, including
Nakoruru and Tam Tam, but Charlotte can trash him easily and can
counter almost his every move.
--He's a slow blocker. Try jump and triangle, which does a lot of
damage. He often is in the middle of swings when you do so or do
his (ineffective) knee kick. If he starts hitting you out of it,
switch to your air kicks.
--He'll jump toward you. Triangle him if he's farther away or
triangle/PG slash if he tries to land on top of you. He does this
a lot, so this is good air defense practice!
--Thrust him a lot. He has trouble blocking.
--Stay away from him at all times. He has nasty throws. Do not
allow him to jump near you!
--He may back you into a corner which is very bad. Jump and
triangle (he'll jump back).
--he'll start doing lots of chainsaws when he's behind in life, so get
ready to jump and triangle him when he does so. This usually finishes
him off.



KYOSHIRO
He's got good range, but he's slow in both attacking and jumping.
Beat him at his own game!

Counters:
--Play a crouch game against his A-thrusts. You are faster, but
will get hit if you try to thrust him standing.
--You can jump AB his pole vault kick
--B thrust any missed attacks he makes, as he is rather slow in
recovering.
--You cannot jump over his flame breath. Wait for him to finish and
B thrust him afterwards.
--If he reaches into his shirt, he'll pull out a fan to throw. Start
jumping right away and kick/AB him if you are in range.

Jumping:
--Watch out when he jumps you. Do PGs either early before he can
thrust. He will hit you out of a crouching triangle or knee hop. Since
he jumps so slowly, you can also walk forward underneath the range of
his naginata and do a knee hop or a PG.
--If he jumps from farther away, you can B thrust him just before he
lands. Don't do it too early, because he can hit you with his AB first.
--You can PG through his spinning attack; Kyoshiro players do this
a lot, due to the lack of recovery time at the end and high
priority. You should have no problem hitting him first, though.
--You can also B-thrust his spinning attack if he does it from farther
away.
--If you jump on him, he will either jump up and try to AB you or
do his spinning attack. You can try kicking him out of either.

CPU:
--Kyoshiro is actually a good character, but the CPU plays him really
stupidly and leaves him open to counter-attacks a lot. One of the
easiest CPU opponents. However, he is also a good character to
practice your reaction reflexes against, precisely because he offers a
lot of opportunities for counterattacks.
--Thrust a lot. He has trouble defending. Do not initiate B-
thrusts, as he can pole vault you before you recover.
--He does a lot of useless attacks when you're far away, like pole
spinning, AB slashing, or throwing a fan. If you jump, you might
triangle him while he is doing these. You'll do a lot of damage.
--B-thrust his shorter delays, like blocked swings.
--He will hit you before you hit him when he jumps, so stay right
outside of his range and B-thrust as he lands (stay farther away
for safety). If he lands on you, PG him (he'll hit through a
triangle).


GEN-AN
Gen-an is actually a lot like Charlotte, except uglier. :-)  Unless
he plays recklessly, it will be the war of the prodders.

Counters:
--Play a crouch game. Your slashes are quicker than his, but again,
you will get hit first if you thrust him while standing.
--You can obviously AB or B him after a blocked lunging AB. Or try jumping
as soon as you see him raise his claw. (not too close because you will jump
into the slash!)
--If he tries quick slides against you, you will have to use crouching Cs
to keep him away. Careful about the CD slide, which has a kick at the
end of it that may catch you by surprise.
--Against any except the A buzzsaw, do a PG afterwards
--The A buzzsaw has almost no recovery time, so players do this one
a lot. Against the A buzzsaw, you can jump up and AB him if you
time it right. Does a lot of damage but the timing is tricky
(practice!). The best counter is to A-thrust him before he reaches

you. You can A-thrust him afterwards sometimes if you can't react
before in time.
--Careful jumping his poison breath. Again, it may be safer to kick
him when he blows it, because you seem to hang in the air for a
longer time and hence avoid landing in the poison cloud. Be sure
to block afterwards in case you get pushed in it.

Jumping:
--Don't jump him. You may be able to kick him first if he jumps at
you with his AB, but if you guess wrong, you'll take a LOT of
damage from his AB. No problem if he tries to jump you, though, as
his jump is slow and you can AB or PG it easily.

CPU:
--CPU Gen-an can get nasty, although Charlotte handles him better
than most. In particular, he often falls into the poison cloud/buzzsaw
pattern at the end of a round.
--He crouches and advances a lot. You have to thrust him low, or
you won't block his low thrust.
--He often tries to jump on you. He is most vulnerable then--
either triangle him if far away or crouch triangle/PG if he is
close.
--Try jump and triangle, but he may hit you with a crouching AB.
Most of the time he will miss and you can do massive damage. The
CPU almost never tries to jump up and AB you, so you don't really
have to worry about this counter.
--Don't try to jump his poison cloud unless you are REALLY close
by. You will usually jump into it.
--After blowing poison he often goes into a buzzsaw, so continue
to block after the poison dissipates. Do a PG immediately afterward
he bounces off of you; you will hit him almost off the screen and
he'll fall a LONG way down. Neat-o!
--You can constantly beat him in the air as he does not do his
nasty AB flip for some reason.


NAKORURU
Nakoruru is one of the best characters in the game if played
expertly. You've got the definite range advantage and are almost as
quick, but she can Anna Mutsube through your thrusts if she times
it right, and the overall damage will be in her favor. In general,
play very defensively and hope you prod her into making mistakes.

Counters:
--You have the range advantage, so exploit it. Do As a lot. If you
find that she's going under your thrusts with Anna Mutsubes, switch
to crouching As instead. Don't stay away from her, because she can
just harrass you with her hawk.
--If you can anticipate her AM, jump up and AB her on the way down.
This takes timing and quick reflexes, but against an expert Nak
this is the ONLY way you can do lots of damage to her.
--Your biggest worry is her A AM, which can go right under your A
thrust. Be cautious and try to anticipate it. Do a crouching B bop
afterwards if you block it, as your ABs are probably too slow.
--If she jumps on the hawk, stay on the ground. She's waiting for
you to jump at her so she can Kamui Mutsube you. If she does
anything besides a Kamui Mutsube off of the hawk, keep blocking.
She has zero recovery time when she hits the ground. If she starts
trying to toss you immediately afterwards, do crouching C kicks.
If she does a KM, you can AB her afterwards.

Jumping:
--If you jump her, she will probably jump up and try to AB. Try to
kick her out of it, but in general it's best to stick to the ground. No
problem if she jumps you, as her jump is fairly slow and she

doesn't have any spectacular air-ground attacks.

CPU:
--She will AM if she shoots off of the hawk from afar, after she
jumps straight up once, or if you whiff an attack. Practice anticipating
her AM, and jumping up to AB her while she passes under you.
--Don't triangle her after you block her A AM; she recovers too
quickly and can throw you if your AB is blocked! Instead, do a
crouch B-thrust. To win at higher levels, it is better to jump her
AM rather than block it.
--Sometimes she AB swings twice when you are not near. B-thrust
her the second time. You can B-thrust her too when she jumps
straight up.
--She is vulnerable when jumping you. Far away do a B-thrust.
Close up do a triangle/PG. Note: make sure she swings in during her
jump, otherwise she will swing as she lands and hit you first if
you try to thrust. You are safe if doing a triangle/PG either way
if she lands on you.
--She seems to be more vulnerable when flying off of her hawk, so
you can attempt to hit her with an AB then after you block her
KM..
--DO NOT JUMP FIRST! Her AB swing will hit before yours and do
massive damage. You can jump after her and triangle her safely.
--If she runs, crouch and do C-kicks or A-thrusts to keep her
away. If you do a standing attack, she'll AM right under it and
she'll throw you if you block.
--if she hits you and you fall, she will try to AB swing you when
you get up. Block and return the favor.


TAM-TAM
Tam-Tam is tricky due to his jumping slash. You can try to get into
a fencing match with him (you are quicker), but he can also do an
immediate jump slash and hit you out of your thrusts.If you block
at the right time, you can hit him afterwards, but the damage he
can do to you outweighs what you can do to him. Do one or two A
thrusts, then block and hope he tries to anticipate you and jumps.
Low A thrusts are safer as well so you may want to stick to those.

Counters:
--You can jump and triangle him whenever he spins his blade
(pagunapaguna or pagunadeos). If you hit him in a pagunadeos, you
may stun him if you hit him with the back of your slash.
--Tam Tam recovers kinda slowly after tossing a skull, so you can
try jumping over them. Even if he recovers, he can't do any
instantaneous anti-air attacks against you.
--There's not much you can do against him spitting A fireballs,
except to anticipate them and run forward as soon as you see him
starting this move. If you are close enough, you CAN hit him in the
air while he spits. You will probably get hit by the blast afterwards,
but your AB does more damage.

Jumping:
--His jumping AB is perfect suited to hitting you out of your low
and short jump, unless you do it REALLY close, almost overshooting
him. However, his near air defenses are poor. If you are close, you
can AB him out of many moves he might do, including jumping up or
going into a Paguna move. If he just blocks, throw him or do quick
attacks to get away.
--Careful you don't get hit by his long-ranged jumping slash if he jumps
at you. To be safe, do a PG instead of a crouch AB as air defense.

CPU:
--Thrust him a lot. He has trouble blocking.
--The CPU likes to do an immediate jump slash against you right

after he blocks your A-thrust. So do an A-thrust, block afterwards,
and B him if he lands from afar, or crouch AB/PG him if he lands
right on top of you.
--When he goes in a run (usually after throwing a skull), jump and
triangle him--you'll hit him from behind, probably stunning him.
--He will hop back right before tossing a skull, so you can anticipate
this and jump over to hit him.


WAN-FU
Wan-Fu is made to turtle. However, you can turtle just as well, and
are both quicker and have superior range, so you have the advantage
against him.

Counters:
--He will most likely do crouching As against you. Your A slash is
quicker if you are in range, against any of his attacks that might
reach you, including his A swing and CD kick.
--If he misses an A at the edge of his range, you can hit him with
your A as he recovers. Alternate between hitting him out of his
slash within your A range, and thrusting him afterwards outside of
his A range when he tries to anticipate you, and you should come
out ahead.
--His crouching B is faster than your B. However, if he misses, you
can B him back.
--Against his crouch CD, you can walk forward slightly afterwards
and B him, or you can jump and CD kick him. You MUST do the CD
kick (intiate early) to hit him.
--Against a blocked AB, you can jump and AB him if close, or jump
and kick him if farther away.
--The Sword Toss is used to set up a throw trap. What you have to
avoid is to block his full explosion, because that gives him enough
time to throw you while you're blocking (the explosion lasts longer).
He can do this most easily if you're in the corner, and he does the
AB toss. What you want to do is be able to keep him from getting
his sword back afterwards, so you can poke him to death.
You can tell the difference between his A/B and AB Toss. When he
does the AB Toss (jumps over you), start running forward
immediately. It takes a long time for the sword to hit, and it comes
straight down, so you can run under it. If he does either the
A or B, just block if you're not in the corner.  When scaled close
up, both the A and B explosion will miss you. When farther away,
you'll recover before he can run up and throw you. Note that you
can start attacking as soon as the mushroom loses its glow.
Don't get caught in the corner when he's close to you. If he does
an AB Toss, you can run forward, but if he does an A Toss, you will
be trapped. To avoid this in the first place, if he backs you into
a corner, start poking him with As while advancing. Even if he
tries to do a sword toss, he'll probably get hit out of it.
--The best thing to do is keep jabbing at him with As, backing HIM
into the corner. That way he can't set up a sword toss trap against
you and in fact can't do much of anything at all. Once in the
corner, hover in front of him and take advantage of the bombs
thrown his way.

Jumping:
--Neither of you can effectively jump the other. He's got the
excellent crouching B, and his jump is slow and air-ground attacks
weak. You can easily AB/CD/PG him.

CPU:
--Thrust him a lot and keep away. He's very slow. He has a crouch
range kick that can be thrusted if you're close enough. He can also

be prodded while standing on a bomb; many cases he will try
something and be blown up.
--DON'T JUMP HIM! He'll do his uppercut.
--He will try to run and do an AB, so block. Afterwards, jump and
triangle if he's close, or jump and CD kick if he's farther away.
Thrust him away if he blocks in time.
--He will often jump you. Triangle or PG him.
--When he throws his sword, block and either jump triangle him if
it looks like he will get it, or A-thrust him if he needs to run to
it. Thrust him constantly, and triangle/PG when he tries to jump on
you. This is the main way to defeat him.
--Sometimes he will throw his sword above you. If you were
blocking and start to advance, immediately reverse direction or you
will be hit.


JUBEI
Jubei is a fairly average fighter, with the exception of a very
good air-ground AB attack.

Counters:
--Standard tactics; thrust him a lot, as you are quicker and have
better range.
--A blocked Hasso Happa makes him vulnerable to a CD-kick
(your AB doesn't hit in time).
--When he does a Nikkaku Ratoh, you can block and 1) PG
immediately afterwards, 2) Triangle him in the air, 3) knee hop him
when he drops down. You can try to jump and AB him during his
initial run, too. Remember, when he says "Ikkuzo!", he goes into
the Nikkaku Ratoh. Otherwise he does a normal run.

Jumping:
--If you jump him, he can hit you with his jumping B. You can try
to counter with your kick. Better not to jump, though, unless you
are close enough to jump ON him (not in front of him). If this is
the case, try doing an air B, in hopes he'll jump up and run into
it.
--If he jumps you, watch out. He can cut through your crouch
triangle and your PG if you don't do the PG fast enough. Do a knee
hop instead or jump up and kick him first.

CPU:
--Be aggressive against him by thrusting him constantly and
jumping ABing him. He does not have an air defense and sometimes
you may catch him in a move. He is also a slow blocker on the
round, and A-thrusts have a good chance of hitting.
--If you jump and AB him, he will block and will often do his
double-swing afterwards, so immediately jump again and AB him.
--DON'T SWING WHEN HE JUMPS ON YOU. His jump strikes at you are
both quicker and do more damage in his strikes. Knee thrust him
instead, but do late and jump away after you do.
--You always hit him first in the air.


CHARLOTTE
Avoid these fights, as they are boring. Two reactive characters do
not a good fight make.

Counters and jumping:
--Neither can jump the other, and Charlotte doesn't have any tricks
she can initiate first; pretty boring fight as you will end up
poking each other.

CPU:
--B-thrust her from far away when she thrusts you. For some
reason, you will hit if she thrusts first. This is a quite
dependable attack.
--DON'T JUMP HER!!!
--She will rarely jump on you, but in front of you. A very-
precisely timed B-thrust will hit her (thrust early). When she
jumps farther away, do a standing triangle.
--She is most vulnerable when doing the Splash Fount. Learn to
jump over her and triangle her while she rushes past you from far
away. You have to triangle early, or you'll miss and be in big

trouble. This is practically the only way you can do enough
damage to beat her.
--You can knee thrust after a blocked PG, and you can also kick
her in the air. Be nice to your sister, and finish her off with a kick.


AMAKUSA
1) Getting the first hit in the first round--crouch and do A-thrusts
until he tries to jump on you, then crouch triangle/PG him and activate
the glitch.
2) On the second round, try this WINNING STRATEGY: A-thrust him
from some distance, but be sure he blocks. He will often respond
with a ball swing. Jump immediately and triangle him--you will hit
and do a lot of damage. A few hits like this and you will win!
WARNING: either stand far enough away from his low swing or crouch
when you initiate the A-thrust, or he'll hit you with his ball
sweep.
3) Do not attack him if he lands far away (he'll kick you), but do
PG if he lands on you (he will hit you if you do a triangle).
This is the other way you can do consistent damage.
4) You cannot jump on him first; his hand drill will hit you.
5) You can usually beat him in the air, but you don't do much
damage.
6) If you are jumping into a space he teleports into, triangle. You
may hit him, doing substantial damage. If you miss, you may get
thrown. Ouch.
7) When he does the Smoke Trick, move to where you want him to be,
then jump away.
8) Spectre Launch, Sphere Launch--the missiles are hard to
recognize and come out very fast. Jump them, as if you block he may
teleport into your space and throw you.
9) Nuke--if he jumps and disappears, move around until you start
blocking! If you want to take a risk, jump up right when he is
about to land and triangle him on the way down. If you jump too
soon, you will run into the nuke cloud.


BONUS ROUNDS

You need to stand in the middle between two of the figures. If you
stand too closely to any of them, you won't hit them! You can hit
the two nearest to you without moving, but for the farthest one you
may have to walk forward a little. But always return to a position
between the figures. The ones that pop up from the ceiling can be hit
by your air AB easily. Remember your A-thrusts won't cut the figures!


COMBOS
Air-ground AB + A or B-thrust (will not always work; is most
dependable if you hit someone with the BACK of your air triangle)
Air D/CD + Crouch D-kick when landing
Air D/CD/B + A or B-thrust (will not always work)
In general, your A-thrusts are more dependable in combos than your
B-thrusts.


HUMAN OPPONENTS IN GENERAL
1) Keep a thrusting-distance from them at all times. Keep far away
enough to be out of the range of most attacks, yet close enough to
jump on them if they do something stupid.
2) Thrust them a lot with A-thrusts to keep them away. If they
initiate any moves, they will usually get hit as well. You can also
try a crouch D-kick for surprise, although this is slower.
3) If they try running up to throw you, C-kick to push them away.
4) B-thrust them as a reaction to any moves they do as a quick
retailiation (e.g. missed swings).
5) Jump and triangle them for any moves they do that take some time
(e.g. special moves).
6) Initiate a jump triangle and hope they do something stupid if

you're desparate or they look clueless. Crouch immediately when you
land; many opponents will attempt a low attack right after they
block a triangle. Or go for a throw if you feel mean.
7) If they are hitting you out of your jump, try for a kick
instead.
8) If they jump on you, do a crouch triangle (if they kick you out
of an upward), PG (if they can hit you with a triangle), or knee
thrust (if neither work) as appropriate.
9) Against really tough opponents, try this cheap strategy: sit in
the corner and A-thrust/D-kick your foe if he tries to get near
you. Triangle or upward slash when he tries to jump on you.
Straight jump all missile weapons at last moment, D-kicking anybody
who approaches you while you do so. Drives them nuts!


Charlotte background info (thanks to Galen and Eddie)

Name:  Charlotte Christine Colde (possibly Corday)
Aka:  Charlie, Char, Shar-u-lott-o, that #@?! bitch, Le French Tart
Occupation:  Head of the guard at Versailles. Defender of France.
School:  None. She was taught by a French fencing tutor, though.
Weapon Inscription:  La Louche, an epee
Birth:  4-2-1761
Age:  27 years
Homeland:  Versailles, France
Blood type:  B
Height:  6 feet
Weight:  105 pounds  (I seriously doubt this...at 6 feet, 130-140
pounds would be more appropriate)
Bust/Waist/Hip:  86-55-89  (as a comparison, Mai is 85-54-90)
Hair:  Blonde
Eyes:  Blue
Past-time:  Embroidery
Family:  Serge (father)
         Josephine (mother)
          (older brother)
         Pierre (carrier pigeon)
Personal Treasure:  Portrait of her first boyfriend  (I'm jealous!)
Likes:  Red roses
Dislikes:  Rats
Misc. Info:  Based on the Rose of Versailles manga character Oscar
Francois de Jarjayes, a woman who donned men's clothes and became the
head of the guard at Versailles. She later joined the French Revolution.
Note that Charlotte also seems to be part of the French Aristocracy,
based on her quotes. Her ending is not contradictory, because the French
Revolution was actually initially started by radical French Aristocrats.


Notes on armor and weapons

Charlotte's weapon is probably an epee, because it doesn't seem to have
any sharp edges, unlike a rapier, and it has a very thin blade unlike a
sabre. What's ironic is that, despite having the thinnest weapon of all
the characters, her epee is actually more sturdy than Earthquake's and
Tam Tam's weapons!
Her rather unique-looking top armor is composed of a breast plate,
two roundish shoulder plates, and a back plate all hooked up to an upper
armored girdle. She also has knee protectors and what appears to be
extra upper arm guards jutting out of the shoulder plates. If you ask me,
all this protection should have the effect of reducing the amount of
damage she takes...


Poses

First win: Brushes hair and goes "Uh-huh."
Second or weaponless win: Tosses a rose and laughs.
Draw: Folds arms.
First loss: On knees, clutching stomach, breathing heavily.
Time-out loss: On hands and knees, cries, looks at you.


Quotes and dialogue

CPU before match: All warriors are not called "sir".  Twit!
                  Don't ever talk about my breastplate again!
CPU before mirror match:  You dare confront me?  You are plucky, but,

                          sadly, dead.
After fatal finish: A woman of my breeding cannot lose.
After non-fatal finish:  Au revoir, petit chou.  For I will seize victory
                         from vous.
After special finish:  I live to break the grip of tyrants and enslave my
                       enemies.
After mirror finish:  Protecting the honor of my family is my bread and
                      brie...         I

Interlude:
C: "He's finished."
C: "!"
C: "What is this...!"
[Amakusa appears]
A: "Call me Amakusa, Amakusa!"
C: "Ambrosia"
A: "Hehe. The dark guy rules your puny land. Join me, and rule together."
C: "Silence. Taste the fury of my wrath."
A: "Then die you crazy funster!"
[He disappears]
C: "Geez. You stink!"

Ending:
   Charlotte stands in front of the rock.  "Far East tour... what a let
down!"  A carrier pigeon flies in.  "Pierre?  What is it?"  Pierre
lands on Charlotte's arm.  "Well, uh... (the note unfurls) The revolution!
I will lead the proles."  Cut to map of Japan and scroll to France. Cut to
the palace area where an aristocrat is battling with three peasants with
rakes and hoes.  He says, "Desist all!!  Go back to your huts."  Charlotte
rushes in very fast and mows down the noble ("SPLASH FOUNT!" ch-ch-ch-ch-
ching! and the noble flies back).  The peasants cheer, "Charlotte!"  She
says, "We face the enemy.  Forward."  The peasants cheer and follow her.


Any combos, tactics, or tips for my favorite character, e-mail me...

--Scott Fujimoto
  Head of the Charlotte fan club

"A fabulous babe with unbeatable moves. I am magnifique."  --Charlotte
     _________________________________________________________________