Nitroplus Blasterz: Heroines Infinite Duel/Muramasa

Muramasa
I am Sengou Uemon-no-jou Muramasa!

Profile

Name: Muramasa the Third

Debuted in: Full Metal Daemon Muramasa

Voice Actor: Sumoto Ayana

Introduction: One of the Tsurugis that houses a spirit. She is the third bearer of the Seishuu Uemon-no-jou Muramasa, which is also known as the "cursed armor". Normally, she is a red colored spider, but due to the "human transformation law", she can also take the form of a woman.

Summary

Muramasa is an unconventional as she has high mobility, long range capabilities, serviceable mix ups, on top hitting like truck for minimal resource. She has everything needed to be a perfect character bar one trait, a meter less reversal. Even with that disadvantage, she has a lot of “knowledge check” tools keep opponents honest. Indeed, Muramasa the Third Floats like a butterfly and stings like a bee.

Command List

If you are having trouble reading inputs, check out the Notation section!

Normals

5A 2A [6A / cl.B] st.B 2B 5C 2C [5E/2E] is basic chain route. Any deviations from that route will be noted as an additional or limited.

5A

Damage Guard Startup Active Recovery Frame Adv 400 HLA 6 - - - Regular ole jab. Great at catching people who attempt to jump out of pressure due to its height. It is fast, but has a short reach, and will not hit a crouching opponent. It has the same starter proration and single hit damage as 2A, but has a slower same move proration, so if you use it multiple times in a combo, the damage will be higher than if you used 2A. Jump and rapid cancellable.

6A

Damage Guard Startup Active Recovery Frame Adv 1100 HLA (VG) 12 - - - One of Muramasa's amazing Pokes. While slower than most 6A attacks, it makes up for this with its long invulnerability against Overheads and extremely small hurtbox that low profiles the majority of mid-attacks. Moves Muramasa forward a little Due to Muramasa hurtbox returning to normal on only the active hitbox frames, 6A clashes or trades periodically. Can be jump canceled only when it hits.

c.5B	Damage Guard Startup Active Recovery Frame Adv 900 HLA 7 - - - Short range palm strike, its small damage proration makes it Muramasa's most damaging practical starter. Chainable into 6A for some additional damage if close It has short range, so if you don't want to risk getting f.B instead, you might as well use 2B to launch the opponent on hit.

f.5B

Damage Guard Startup Active Recovery Frame Adv 1100 HLA 8 - - - Short range kick of average speed but decent recovery. Micro dash extend the range Moves Muramasa forward a little This move carries momentum from dashing. The longer the dash the more momentum it carries. Jump cancellable. It has low proration, so it has high damage efficiency when incorporated into a combo. If it's near the tip, it won't hit short characters, but it has decent startup and range, so it's good for dash checking or abare.

5C

Damage Guard Startup Active Recovery Frame Adv 1500 HLA 16 - - - Spin kick on creates a lot of pushback on hit or block. At max range hit, Muramasa can continue her combos with 214A/B and 236A respectively. landing this normal twice on a standing opponent forces them airborne. Must Delay cancel 214A (standing), 214B (airborne) It has longer range than f.B. A normal hit allows you to combo into 623X or a partner cancel and you can combo into 5E on counter-hit.

5E / 5[E]

Damage Guard Startup Active Recovery Frame Adv 2200 (2800) HLA 23 (45) - - - Blowback opponent into wallbounce, so you can then combo into 214B or an assist cancel. Exceptional normal that's very plus on normal block. Destroys certain projectiles on its active frame. Less vulnerable to vanishing guard follow up if used at maxed range. It has a large hitbox in the upward direction and does a fair amount of chip damage, so it can be used to check opponents on the ground or as a combo component. It's also an excellent move that can be used to delay the timing of an attack by adjusting your hold time. 5E > 623A on block will do as much damage as a single 2B hit. It has a hurtbox on the outstretched hand area during the attack, so it is vulnerable to the opponent mashing out with abare.

2A	Damage Guard Startup Active Recovery Frame Adv 400 HLA 6 - - - This should be used in placed of 5A which can be low profiled or 6A against. Jump and rapid cancellable. For close range abare.

2B	Damage Guard Startup Active Recovery Frame Adv 800 L 11 - - - Low kick that knocks opponent slightly into air Allows for tech recovery in air if combo is not continued. This is a very important move because it is the starter used for a highly damaging route into 2C.

2C

Damage Guard Startup Active Recovery Frame Adv 1800 HLA 18 - - - Slow AA flip that launches opponent. The startup can low profile some moves. has a small hitbox behind her to catch cross up attempts. must use 236B (mid screen), and 236C (corner) for proper follow up, can use resource additionally. Against grounded opponents, it can only be led into from 2B, has a slow startup, and has high pushback on guard.

2E	Damage Guard Startup Active Recovery Frame Adv 1400 L 12 - - - Standard sweep into hard knockdown that can be follow up with 623A/B or set up ambiguous mix up with 236x upon knockdown. It's fast and has the longest range of all Muramasa's normals Can be combo from 2A Use Dash momentum to extend hit's range

jA	Damage Guard Startup Active Recovery Frame Adv 600 HA 7 - - - Yet another jab, solid Air to air option. Jump cancellable and chains into itself, even on whiff It can be used to mix in to your air combos or be used as the initial connecting hit when you can't pick up the opponent with j.B as a starter.

jB	Damage Guard Startup Active Recovery Frame Adv 1200 HA 8 - - - horizontal kick that knocks opponent up slightly Jump cancellable. Although it has a slight bit of downwards reach for use as an air to ground move, it is Muramasa's primary move in air combat and can be used for crossups.

jC	Damage Guard Startup Active Recovery Frame Adv 1600 HLA 18 - - - Blowback opponent into wall Pushes Muramasa back Stops you midair and all previous momentum disappears, so it can be used during your aerial maneuvers to further confuse the opponent with your movement. When it hits, it blows the opponent to the edge of the screen, and when it's blocked, it deals chip damage

jE	Damage Guard Startup Active Recovery Frame Adv 1600 HA 12 - - - Spin kick that ground bounces opponent Useful for instant overheads Continue combo by using f.5B into a jump cancel Has a long recovery and you are basically defenseless until you land.

BC Ground Throw Ground Throw	Damage Guard Startup Active Recovery Frame Adv 1800 UNB 4 - - - Throw into blowback into corner, where opponent will be stuck in web for a moment Muramasa's combo from this changes depending on whether she's midscreen or near the corner. Can be canceled with 5D or 2D, so you can use a web or assist to start a combo. Can be followed up with your Lethal Blaze.

j.BC Air Throw Air Throw	Damage Guard Startup Active Recovery Frame Adv 2400 UNB 4 - - - Throw into uppercut that launches 236C followup to continue combo

Specials

Strings of the Spider 236A/B/C

Version Damage Guard Startup Active Recovery Frame Adv A 500 HLA 13 - - - Shoots out a thread which connects to either the opponent or off screen. Once the thread anchors, Muramasa pulls herself along the line towards the anchor point. While Muramasa is reeling herself in, she can cancel the animation into any air action, such as: an attack, air Vanishing Guard, double jump, jD, or throw. The further away the string is, the longer the opponent will be stunned by the string hitting them. Shoots the thread horizontally Used to start offense on a far away grounded opponent Will combo into j.B on hit at certain ranges, but on block can go into a small mind game The standard option is to hit j.B, but that can be easily beaten by anti-air moves, so it is important to mix up your offense with double jumps, vanishing guards, j.E to delay the high, air escape to move over them, or cancelling a blocked j.B into other options rather than just landing and mashing 2A. Version Damage Guard Startup Active Recovery Frame Adv B 500 HLA 13 - - - Shoots the thread upwards at a 45° angle Primarily used to link into a combo after 2C Version Damage Guard Startup Active Recovery Frame Adv C 500 HLA 13 - - - Shoots the thread almost vertically Used to transition into the air, can also be used to combo after an air throw.

Strings of the Spider j236A/B/C

Version Damage Guard Startup Active Recovery Frame Adv A 500 HLA TODO - - - Air version of 236X Shoots the thread horizontally Used to create left/right situations on grounded opponents or to combo after a landed j.C The air version of the string can only be used once per jump, so you can't use the same command to release a string in succession, like "j.236A > Jump Cancel > j.236A." Version Damage Guard Startup Active Recovery Frame Adv B 500 HLA TODO - - - Shoots the thread downwards at a 45° angle Used for threatening a j.B crossup situation from the air Version Damage Guard Startup Active Recovery Frame Adv C 500 HLA TODO - - - Shoots the thread almost straight down Used to transition from the air to the ground, or to extend combos from j.E

Eardrum Breaking 623A/B/C

Version Damage Guard Startup Active Recovery Frame Adv A 1800 HLA 12 - - - Charging tackle forward into 2 palm hits Distance: Short It's easy to incorporate into combos because of low proration and its OTG property. However, you can’t follow it up with a normal like 2A, so you’ll need to cancel it into an assist, blast, or super move to continue the combo. Version Damage Guard Startup Active Recovery Frame Adv B 1900 HLA 15 - - - Charging tackle forward into 2 palm hits Distance: Medium; equivalent to her backdash distance Version Damage Guard Startup Active Recovery Frame Adv C 2100 HLA 18 - - - Charging tackle forward into 2 palm hits Distance: Far

Web of the Spider 214A/B/C

Version Damage Guard Startup Active Recovery Frame Adv A 1200 L 25 - - - Send out 3 web strands fanned out at a 45° angle down. Spawn web at opponents feed, then pull back web strands Will whiff if used too close to opponent Even though it's a low, it acts like two hits. You can block the first "hit" (the web spawn) high, and still be able to switch your guard to low to block the actual hit It's a solid move that is advantageous on block, but be careful, as it will whiff you're too close to the opponent, it doesn’t hit full screen, and it can be countered by projectiles, invincible moves such as Variable Rush, and 5D rolls. Version Damage Guard Startup Active Recovery Frame Adv B 1200 HLA 25 - - - Send out 3 web strands fanned out horizontally. Same properties as 214A, except this is a mid Version Damage Guard Startup Active Recovery Frame Adv C 1600 HLA 25 - - - Send out 3 web strands fanned out at a 45° angle up. Same properties as 214A, except this is a mid

Supers

Enchant Plus: Linear Acceleration j236AB

Damage Guard Startup Active Recovery Frame Adv 5500 HLA 6 + 7 - - - AKA: Maximum Spider! Unlike the move this super is nicknamed for, Linear Acceleration has 0 tracking and only travels in a set diagonally upward trajectory A useful tool for ending a combo when the opponent is low on life and you're short on meter, or if you're running a Carol assist load out and can't devote the meter to a Lethal Blaze Combos easily after any of Muramasa's air normals, or after 5C 2D. Comboing after j.236AB with assist cancel > 236C is possible, but not recommended as only works for low to ground j.236AB and heavily prorates the combo As Muramasa has no hurtbox once she starts traveling across the screen, this super has some uses versus zoning characters (Ouka, Anna) to plow through their projectiles or catching the opponent mashing on long duration air moves like Ethica j.E or Heart's Homing

Enchant Minus: Magnetic Barrier 623AB

Damage Guard Startup Active Recovery Frame Adv 4800 HLA 6 - - - Super counter with a fair amount of active frames. When the opponent is in hitstun, you can combo into this move. Will not counter throws or projectiles, only physical attacks. Triggers if the opponent touches any part of Muramasa’s body, so it can be used to stop lows, overheads, and crossups. A strong combo starter if assist or blast canceled on hit, the knock back caused by this move can be followed up with anything you could combo a 5E into The hitgrab version has enough range to catch a grounded opponent (doesn’t work on downed or launched characters) from the same range as 5C, even if it's only when the opponent is already in hitstun. Can be canceled with 5D during the second half of the move, though only during the Blast State. You also recover faster when it's performed as a counter. It's very effective for controlling the opponent and forcing them to not just rush you down. It’s also good for escaping when pushed too close to the corner. If it misses, you will be left defenseless and will have to suffer a huge punish. It also makes you defenseless against throws and some moves such as Sonico's cats and band member can't be countered, so it's important to know when to use it.

Manual Down Self-repairing 421AB

Damage Guard Startup Active Recovery Frame Adv 2000 HLA 6 - - - Muramasa's only Invincible startup move other than Variable Rush In Spider Form, you replenish health overtime; hold buttons to prolong healing duration Move has poor recovery, so don't open yourself up for a punish Usage is limited for this super The minimum health that will be recovered is about 1500, and the maximum recoverable health is about 3000. You are throw invincible during this move, but not strike invincible. You also low profile many attacks while in this form. This move is useful for interrupting blockstrings, can be used as a reversal, or can be used for timer scamming. Although this move cannot cancel directly into a partner or blast, the hit it provides does reset damage proration on the opponent.

Counter Raid 6+E in blockstun

Damage Guard Startup Active Recovery Frame Adv 500 HLA 20 - - - Your invincible guard cancel. While almost all characters use their 6A animation for this, Muramasa uses the same animation as her f.B, which gives him a slight range advantage. Muramasa tends to be at a disadvantage if she is forced into an up close fight, so if the opponent forces you into a bad situation, you might want to spend 1 bar of meter to get out of it.

Variable Rush

All Variable Rushes allow you to do a sequence of attacks depending on if you hit the A, B, or C button. If you press nothing, the VR will end. If your VR is blocked, you have the option to press nothing, or keep attacking. Even if you keep attacking, you could still stop at any time, assuming you don't execute the final attack.

Depending on what combination of buttons you use, you can come up with some useful strings.

CE

Damage Guard Startup Active Recovery Frame Adv Varies HLA 7 + 12 - - - Charging tackle into a 6A A route - ends with corner carry into knockdown. Use this if you need to guarantee a kill. It’s useful for closing combos due to its high guaranteed minimum damage. B route - ends with corner carry into launcher. You can follow up with an air combo, but it is also possible to follow up with a 236C without doing a follow-up jump after the launch. C route - ends with corner carry; opponent can tech recover in air after

Lethal Blaze

Railgun MAGATSU 236236BC

Damage Guard Startup Active Recovery Frame Adv 10000 HLA 11 + 1 - - - Sends large wave that travels fullscreen; mid Good for punishing whiffed moves (DPs, etc.) has Armor post super flash. Note that if the attack misses, your armored form is not completely invincible. Rather, it puts you into a super armor state, so you will still take damage from specials and supers. This is an extremely powerful Lethal Blaze move that can reduce an opponent's health by nearly half. From close or far range, it unleashes 10,000 damage raw. The speed of the shockwave makes it easy to end combos with and it can also be used in response to seeing the opponent’s super flash in order to punish whatever move they were attempting. However, since the shockwave is a projectile, it can be avoided by 5D and projectile invincible moves.

Combos

Please check out the Notation section, for help on understanding how to read and write combos!

Meterless

2B 2C> 236B > j.B dj9.B C j.236A > j.E j.236C >j.C

• Basic BnB to setup a wall air tech trap situation

...2B 2C> 236B > j.B dj9.B E j.236C > j.C j.236A > j.E

• Floor bounce tech trap setup

Air throw > Land 236C > j.B dj9.B E j.236C > j.C

Throw D > 236A > j.B dj9.B C j.236A > j.E j.236C >j.C

• Midscreen to corner throw combo

Throw > 5B 2C 236B > j.B dj9.B E j.236C > j.C

• Corner throw combo

Throw D > cl.B 6A 2C > 236B > j.B E j.236C > Land cl.B 5B 214C

• Corner throw to ground tech trap setup

Throw D > 236A > j.B dj9.B C j.236A > j.E j.236C >j.B > Land 236C > Air throw reset

• Throw into corner air throw reset setup to catch mash tech.

2B > 5C > 623C

A basic combo that connects with the opponent consistently regardless of distance or location. You can use various assist cancels and combos to extend the combo after the 623C.

2A (can be repeated) > 2E > 623B

A basic combo that connects regardless of distance or location once you’ve hitconfirmed off of 2A.

2B > 2C > 236B > j.B > djc > dj.B (> dj.C > dj.236A) > j.E > j.236C > ender of your choice

Basic air combo from a close range 2B. If you’re too close to the corner, j.C > j.E will not connect, so omit that part and just do dj.B > dj.E instead in that situation. 2C cancel timing is during the second half of the animation, so be careful not to input the 236B too early.

2B > 5C > (delayed) 214B > cl.B (> 6A) > f.B > j.B > djc > dj.B (> dj.C > j.236A) > dj.E > j.236C > ender of your choice

Basic air combo used when the opponent is not near the corner. Since 2C can’t reach after 2A or from the max range of 2B, go for this air combo in that situation. However, be careful of the timing, as it is a bit different from the timing used to connect 214B after 2C. The 214B is difficult to connect if you immediately cancel, so delay it slightly.

2B > 5C (delayed) 214B > 6A > 2C > 214C

If you want a good knockdown after the 2B > 5C route, use this. 2C > 214C offers a longer knockdown than other routes.

2B > 2C > 236B > j.E > j.D > low altitude j.C > land > 214B > 5B > 214C

A slightly more damaging okizeme route. Low altitude j.C keeps the combo stable for the 214B. This can be followed up with meter or assist use.

(j.236B hit >) j.B > 2B > 2C > 236B > j.B > j.C > j.236A > j.E > j.236C > j.236AB

This combo is also shown in the Muramasa character introduction video on the official website. The opponent needs to be on the ground for the first j.236B to connect properly.

2B > 5C > 2D > j.236AB

A combo that can be used after hitconfirming regardless of distance. It can be extended even by canceling into assists that don’t directly hit the opponent (such as Sakura), as a fast cancel will allow you to execute a 214C or 236C.

E > delay 214B > 6A > 2C > 236B > j.B > j.C > j.236A . j.E .

(Midscreen ground throw >) 5D > 236A > j.B > j.E > j.D > j.C > 214B > 5B > 214C

A combo from a ground throw. The route is to cancel the throw with 5D and follow it up by attacking with your string, closing with knockdown from 214C for okizeme.

6A (anti-air hit) > 5E > 214B > cl.B > f.B > jc > j.B > j.C > j.236A > j.E > j.236C > j.C

A combo that connects anti-air 6A to 5E. If you omit the 214B between 5E and cl.B, you can also use the route of [~j.236C > land > 5A > 5B > 214C]

Air Combo Parts ~j.E > j.236C > j.C (>236AB, various assist cancels) This is the basic air combo ender that you can optionally end by spending 1 bar. The j.C is easy to execute if you input it just before landing. Also, when you do this combo near the wall, you can use 214C to catch the opponent while they’re still in midair.

~j.E > j.236C > land > 5A > 5B > 214C (421AB, Variable Rush, Lethal Blaze, Various assists)

The other basic air combo ender. The enemy lands in front of you, so better for okizeme. If the opponent is too high in the air for this to connect, you can delay j.E > j.236C slight so that the j.236C hits the opponent while they’re lower in the air, making it easier to connect. If you want to end with a Variable Rush, you need to use a very slight delay. If you want to connect with your Lethal Blaze, you need to cancel very quickly.

Corner Combos

(Corner ground throw~) 5D > cl.B > 6A > 2C > 214B > j.B > j.E > j.236C > Ender of your choice

This combo is possible if you are close to the opponent when canceling 5D. Works on everyone except Saya. The strength of this combo is that it leads into an air combo.

(Near corner ground throw) 5D > 5C > 5E > 5D > 6A > 5C > 214C

Use this if you are further away from the corner, such as if you were too far for the 2C in the above corner combo to connect. The focus of this route is okizeme.

(Near corner ground throw) 5D > 5C > 5E > 5D > 6A > f.B > air combo

Use this if you are further away from the corner, such as if you were too far for the 2C in the above corner combo to connect. The focus of this route is damage.

(Corner) > 6A > 2B > 5C > 5E > microdash > 5B > 5C > 214C

This is a basic combo for when you've forced your opponent into the corner. By ending the combo with a forced knockdown from 214C, you are granted strong okizeme within the corner.

Metered and Partners

...2B 2C > 236B > j.B C j.236A > j.E j.236C > j.C j.236AB

• Basic Maximum spider setup combo.

...5B > 5C > 623x > Dragon > 2B > 5C > 214B Dragon hits Level3 or J623AB

...5B > 5C> 623x > Kaigen ender

...starter JE Kaigen ender

Blast

j.B dj9.B C j.236A > j.E ABC > land 5E 236A j.E D j.C > land 214B 236236BC

• Midair j.B to assistless Magatsu confirm

2B 5C 2D j.236AB <Amy> 5E ABC > 214B > 5B j.BC <Akane> 236A j.E VR

• Fancy Two assist Blast combo, makes use of both assists and blast in a way that can be extrapolated to other situations easily

Basically, you will want to hitconfirm with one or two strikes and launch combos. If the opponent is blasting, you can combo with your 623AB counter to catch them before initiating your combo blast. If you have an assist who can prevent the blast, the damage will be higher if you hit them before the blast is triggered. However, be aware that the combo connection after the combo blast from this situation is limited due to the recovery compensation caused by the hitstun decay of the assist’s attack.

(opponent gets hit in the air or on the ground) > combo blast > 5E > 214B (> 2A) > f.B > jc > j.B > j.E > j.236C > land > 5A > f.B > 214C > assist cancel, lethal blaze, et cetera.

Stable midscreen combo. It can be done without an assist and its strengths are that it doesn't matter if you blast when the opponent is on the ground or in the air and they can't blast out of it. If you're near the corner, don't use 214B. Rather, use 5E > 5D > cl.B > f.B > jump cancel to start your air combo.

(opponent gets hit on the ground) > combo blast > 2B > 5C > 623C > 5D > 5A > 623A > cl.B > 6A > 5E > 623B > assist cancel, lethal blaze, et cetera.

This is possible if you are closer to the corner than you are at round start position and reach the wall by the time that 623A connects. If you are too far away, you can use 5A > 6A > 5E~ for the latter part, or 623A > 5A > 623A > 2D > j.B > j.E ( > land > 623B) for the closing part. If you have a slow assist like Dragon, you can start with the last 5E and work on the timing.

(opponent gets hit on the ground) > combo blast > 2B > 5C > 623C > 5D > 5A > f.B > 5E > 5D > 5C > 623C > assist cancel, lethal blaze, et cetera.

Works further away from the corner than round start distance. 5E bounces the opponent, then 5C picks them up for the rest of the combo.

(opponent gets hit on the ground) > combo blast > instant rising j.E > j.D > land > 5C > 623C (reach the corner) > cl.B > 6A > 5E > 2D > j.B > j.C > land > lethal blaze, et cetera.

Doesn’t work if you’re already in the corner. j.D switches sides, but the rest of the combo is performed normally. This combo is optimized for a Lethal Blaze from f.B > combo blast, so if you want to use an assist cancel, you’re better off using another route for more damage.

~combo blast (check the opponent’s blast) > 623AB > 5D > dash > cl.B (f.B) > 2C > 236B > j.B > j.E > j.236C > ender of your choice

Start by checking the opponent's blast. If you have 3 bars of meter at the beginning, this route can be cancelled into a Variable Rush without an assist. If you have an assist available, go for the optimal route involving it.

Variable Rush (non-basic routes)

VR (A > C > C > C > C > B > C > B > A) DMG:8359

Technique action: Rush 6A > (cl.B > 2C > 236B > air throw > Rush x4 > Close Spider Press)

A high damage route. Effective when used to interrupt the opponent’s pressure or as a combo confirmed from a small number of hits. Since this attack string lasts for a long time, it is easy to delay your inputs to give you enough time for a Carol locust summon. However, the minimum guaranteed damage from this is lower if the combo counter is higher, so it is easier to get more damage if you launch Carol after hitconfirming as quickly as possible from a small amount of hits and connecting to this route. For example, when near the corner, you can use cl.B > 623X (1 hit) > Carol. This route will do about 120000 damage to the opponent with maximum health. The trick to inputting this is to hit C repeatedly from A > C until you see the motion of throwing in the air. The CBCB into four rush hits will be more stable if you are closer to the wall.

VR (B > A > B > C > C > B > C > B > A) DMG:7910

Technique action: Rush 6A > (2B > 5C > 5E > 3 hits of 623X > Rush x4 > Close spider press)

This is a special route found in the early days of the game. The damage is reduced, but it transitions into a continuous rush on block, so it’s better for pressure.

VR (A > C > B > B > B > B > B > A) DMG:7648

Technique action: Rush 6A > (cl.B > 2C > Jump Kick > JC without its effect > j.B > Strike Down > Close Spider Press)

This route has a high minimum damage guarantee (DMG:2805) and can be used to close combos for high damage. After A > C > B, the B > B > B > A that follows the jumping kick stabilizes the combo.

VR (A > C > C > B > A > C > A) DMG:7633

Technique action: Rush 6A > (cl.B > 2C > 236B > 214C > low altitude j.E > 2C > Close Spider Press)

This is another route that has a high minimum damage guarantee. (DMG:2578) Remember, after the A > C series, hit B as soon as the string is released.

Strategy

General

Muramasa's plays best at mid-range: close enough to reach the opponent, but distant enough to not be interrupted during any of her attack startups. Muramasa's gameplan consists of a "hit and run" style; this is due to Muramasa's limited capabilities to maintain offensive momentum, as well as her constant need to reposition herself to maintain optimal range while not being locked down by her opponent

Neutral

Muramasa is;nt character who gets to start her offense initially since most of her moves are easily interrupted or only effective at certain ranges. Thus Muramasa has to prioritize positioning her in advantage state, normally being right above the opponent in the mid range.. to the nature of her moves, so her basic approach is to use strings and web specials to frustrate the opponent and keep them at a distance. On the ground, Muramasa's main moves to use are 6A as both a reversal and an anti-air, 5E for huge reward, low-altitude j.E, and 2E into 623X. From the air, you can throw out j.B, j.C, and j.E attacks from various angles via the use of j.D cancels in the air from your strings. In addition, the angle of j.D is very high, so it can be used with j.236C in order to create left/right crossup situations.

623AB uses:

• Can be used to counter the opponent's attempt to blast out of you combo: when you cancel a normal into blast to go in for the kill, input 6>6235 to buffer a dash
  • If you see the blue spark of the opponent's escape blast, hit AB. This will activate magnetic barrier and counter their burst, wasting it and giving you a reset combo with a strong starter
  • If you do not see the burst spark during your blast freeze, only hit B instead to get a dashing c.5B to continue your combo from

Recommended Partners

Althea

Her strengths are combo potential and damage. She is an excellent assist for any character and can greatly increase Muramasa’s combo damage, even after an air combo ender or j.236AB. In addition, you can take advantage of how long this assist restrains the opponent by using the maximum healing time of 421AB. This assist is ready for use very quickly, but since the charge time is slow, you can probably only use this once per round.

Amy

Her strengths are improving your neutral and combo potential. She does little damage on her own, but when it hits, the opponent is stuck in hitstun for a long time and the combo proration is recovered, so if you incorporate it well into Muramasa’s air combo, you can greatly extend the route. The startup is not bad and even if you miss, Amy goes back and forth in the air 3 times from one end of the screen to the other, so this assist can create multiple opportunities for you and also restrains the opponent’s ability to jump.

Carol

Her strength is high damage. The startup time is long, so it’s very difficult to incorporate her into an improvised combo, but if you cancel into this assist, then use Muramasa’s Variable Rush for maximum damage (ACCCCBCBA), Carol’s plague of locusts will overlap with the Variable Rush’s ending. You can also adjust the Variable Rush route, as there are multiple routes that have an ending that sync up with Carol’s locusts. By adjusting the VR command, you can choose not only to go to for combo damage, but also for an earlier knockdown into setplay for more potential damage. The downside of this assist is that you can only use it once per round and, depending on where you are, such as near the corner, Carol’s attacks may miss the opponent, so you will need to adjust your combo starting position and find a VR route that works from said position.

Angela

This is a very slow assist with a high initial charge time and the startup on her actual attack is only a bit faster than Carol’s. In addition, the location of the lasers firing has a random element to it. However, she combos with j.236Ab very well and by cancelling into this assist during various combos and then immediately activating j.236AB, the lasers will hit just at the right time.

Sakura

Her strengths are improving your neutral and having a fast charge time. Although it cannot be incorporated into combos since it’s a counter, it is highly compatible with Muramasa, as she has limited invincible reversals and controlling neutral is important for her. She can be used to pressure the opponent and escape from a disadvantageous situation. She also functions as a wall due to her presence. Sakura can also be used to block reversals if you're up against a wall or on the attack. You can also use this assist to block an opponent’s counter-attack if you’re attempting your own attack. It's also very effective when used in an offensive manner, such as letting the opponent use their Vanishing Guard to gain frame advantage and then responding with Sakura to either bait and punish their attack or force them to not press a button and continue attacking yourself instead. However, it is weak to throws and has heavy proration.

Akane

Her strengths are combo potential and high damage. You can use the Paralyzer to extend your ground combos and the eliminator to get huge damage in general. However, the Dominator’s mode change depends on the opponent’s health (it becomes the Eliminator when the opponent’s health is within the red zone), and the Eliminator is slow, so you need to adopt a different combo recipe than what you would use with the Paralyzer.

Dragon

Her strength is huge damage. Like Althea, this is an excellent general purpose high damage assist that can be used by any character. It boasts about the same damage and restraining power as Carol despite being slightly faster. It is relatively easy to combo her with other assists and with Muramasa, who is typically played cautiously, you can potentially use it twice in one round under normal circumstances.

Franco

Her strengths are combo potential and neutral improvement. Although the restraint time is inferior to Althea and Henri, the balance between charge time and damage is very good, and it can be easily incorporated into combos, making it very easy to use. She’s a simple and excellent assist that can be used in many situations, so a player's individual preferences will affect how you personally use her.

Miyuki

Her strengths are neutral improvement and combo potential. Although she has low damage and a relatively high charge time, Miyuki has a fast startup upon activation where she immediately locks onto the opponent's position and launches them into the air, making it the perfect assist for extending Muramasa's combos. She can also be used to target the opponent's while they are recovering from a jump or during the startup of their projectile, punish the recovery after throwing out a Vanishing Guard, extend a combo on the ground, et cetera. Using this assist is a great way to support the tricks Muramasa can perform and expand her range of surprise attacks. She also has a fast recovery time.

Links

JP: Muramasa page on the Japanese NPB wiki

Muramasa trial combo collection

Colors

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