Samurai Shodown/FAQ

What is this game like?

The Samurai Shodown series has a gameplay focus on high overall damage and relatively short combos, combined with impactful system mechanics that add multiple layers of strategy to the common approaches that players take when interacting with each other. In a Samurai Shodown match, drastic, match-shifting momentum changes can come from one mistake, and Samurai Shodown 2019/SamSho 7 (this game) is no different.

In terms of specific offensive mechanics, SamSho has untechable throws that can be used to start combos, and a Rage Meter that fills up as you take damage; once it's filled, it turns into the Max Rage meter, which grants a flat damage increase, enhances certain special moves with additional effects, and gives access to the powerful Weapon Flipping Technique (WFT) to disarm your opponent and prevent them from using most of their moves until they retrieve their weapon. Independent of the Rage Meter and Max Rage, every character also has access to a situational, but highly-damaging Super Special Move (SSM), which can only be used once per match.

SamSho's defensive mechanics include Deflects (when armed) and Blade Catches (when unarmed); these allow you to call out most weapon-based attacks and disarm your opponent for being predictable. It also has a Just Defend that occurs when you block an attack right before it hits you; this prevents chip damage from attacks, allows you to use a Stance Break to force your opponent to give you some breathing room, and slightly fills your Rage Meter. SamSho also features a burst system known as Rage Explosion - an unblockable, 0 damage attack with high pushback that can be done even while you're getting hit. Rage Explosion boosts your damage even more than Max Rage normally does, gives you instant access to your Weapon Flipping Technique, and also unlocks a powerful reversal attack called Lightning Blade or Issen, a blazing-fast, full-screen dash attack that scales off of your missing health and can do up to 70% of an opponent's lifebar in a single strike.

Due to the strength of both offense and defense, SamSho forces both players to make every decision count and to observe their opponent's habits carefully, giving its neutral a unique feel that punctuates periods of slowness and stillness with sudden bursts of activity. The game has many archetypes from other fighting games, but they each have a uniquely SamSho flair to them that best suits the slow, high-tension pace of most matches.

Beginner's Guide

Want to get started with the game? Learn how the mechanics and control works? Then watch the video below and enjoy!

• Beginner's Guide (by "Eddventure")

Who should I play?

Character Overview Video

If you prefer to watch a video detailing each of the characters, watch the following video, otherwise scroll down and read some short introductions to each characters (more in-depth on their respective character pages).

• All the Characters in Samurai Shodown (by "FlameMDQ")

Character Difficulties

• Easy characters are pickup-and-play with fairly simple game plans. Great for beginners and players coming from other games.
  

• Intermediate characters require some knowledge of their mechanic, setups, and need some execution.
  

• Advanced characters have execution requirements or specific knowledge needed to be played effectively.
  

Easy

Character	Best Range	Archetype	Notable Tools/Traits	Playstyle Summary
Haohmaru	Mid-Far	Shoto/Neutral	Reversal DP Projectile Reflect Fireball Feint	Haohmaru is a well-rounded "shoto"-style character with strong neutral and high damage.
Kyoshiro	Mid-Far	Neutral	Reversal DP Command Grab Crouch walk	Kyoshiro Senryo is a mid-range zoner with powerful anti-airs and unconventional mixups.
Jubei	Mid-Far	Neutral/Counter	Command Counters Cannot throw/combo into WFT	Jubei Yagyu is a defensive character with a suffocating mid-range presence and powerful fundamentals.
Charlotte	Mid-Far	Neutral	Reversal DP Fast WFT Cross-up Jump-in	Charlotte is a defensive footsies character who keeps the opponent at bay with her great mid-range pokes and poweful zoning tools.
Earthquake	Mid-Far	Keep-away	Fast WFT Teleport Command Grab Wall jump Disjointed Normals	Earthquake is a big-body zoner who wants to overwhelm the opponent with his powerful long-range pokes from afar.
Shiki	Close	Rushdown/Mixup	Reversal DP Teleports Cross-ups Command Grab Fullscreen SSM Rekka	Shiki is a fast rushdown character who suffocates the opponent with her close-range pressure and mixups.
Yashamaru	Mid	Neutral	Double Jump Rage Upgrades Every Special Cannot throw/combo into WFT	Yashamaru Kurama is a footsies character with best-in-class aerial control and long reaching pokes.
Darli	Mid-Close	Rushdown/Mixup	Command Grab Cross-up Jump-in Armored Specials/WFT Unblockables	Darli Dagger is a no-nonsense rushdown character who keeps up the pressure with her great jumping buttons and high damage.
Wan-Fu	Mid	Neutral	Reversal DP Loses Weapon after using Special Command Grab (unarmed) Cross-up Unblockable	Wan-Fu is an all-or-nothing rushdown character who can force himself onto you by throwing his weapon away.
Warden	Mid	Neutral/Mixup	Target Combos Feints Projectile Reflect Guard Point on some Moves Unblockable	Warden is a powerful fundamentals-focused character who suffocates the opponent with his amazing normals.

Intermediate

Character	Best Range	Archetype	Notable Tools/Traits	Playstyle Summary
Nakoruru	Mid-Close	Hit and Run/Stance	Fast WFT Light/Kick Convertable WFT Projectile Reflect Walljump Fly Stance Air throw	Nakoruru is a pixie character who can easily dominate the neutral game in the air or on the ground.
Hanzo	Mid-Close	Hit and Run/Setplay/Mixup	Command Grabs Cancellable Backdash Cross-up Teleports Walljump Air throw	Hanzo Hattori is a mixup-grappler with very good mobility and powerful okizeme.
Galford	Mid-Far	Zoner/Setplay/Mixup	Command Grabs Cancellable Backdash Teleports Walljump Air throw	Galford is a hybrid zoner/rushdown character who uses his dog Poppy to create opportunities for himself.
Tam Tam	Mid-Far	Zoner	Reversal "DP" Command Grab Command Grab SSM Instant Overhead Rekka	Tam Tam is an aggressive zoning character, who can easily force you into hard 50/50 mixups.
Genjuro	Mid-Close	Rushdown/Mixup/Setplay	Reversal DP Fast WFT Light/Kick Convertable WFT Command Grab Crossups Rekka	Genjuro is a close-range rushdown character with a large arsenal of powerful mixup tools on the ground.
Kazuki	Mid-Close	Neutral/Resource Management	Air-Invul Anti-air Unorthodox Teleport Resource Management Walljump	Kazuki Kazama is an aggressive "power-up" character with explosive damage potential and varied neutral.
Mina	Mid-Far	Zoner/Stance	Bow Stance Fast WFT Light Convertable WFT Projectile Absorb/Counter Command Jumps Walljump	Mina Majikina is a stance-based zoner with high mobility and strong buttons for every situation.
Iroha	Mid-Far	Shoto/Zoner	Double Jumps Hop Dash Reversal DP Command Parry Crossup Jump-ins Command Grab SSM	Iroha is an oppressive zoner with great aerial mobility and strong high-low mixups.
Cham Cham	All	Zoner/Mixup	Demon Flip Command Jump Command Grab (from Demon Flip) Crossup Walljump	Cham Cham is a flexible rushdown-character who can pester the opponent from afar or up-close.
Hibiki	Mid	Neutral	Fast WFT Light/Kick Convertable WFT Above Average WFT Damage Command Dash Command Parry	Hibiki Takane is a footsies monster with high damage and some of the best normals in the game.
Amakusa	Mid-Far	Zoner/Mixup	Projectile Invul Specials Cancellable Command Dashes Crossups Disjointed Normals Walljump	Shiro Tokisada Amakusa is a zoner with powerful, long-range pokes and unconventional movement options.

Advanced

Character	Best Range	Archetype	Notable Tools/Traits	Playstyle Summary
Ukyo	Mid-Close	Neutral/Mixup	Instant Overhead Projectile Reflect Crossup Cancellable Backdash TK motion execution	Ukyo Tachibana is a defensive mixup character with strong grounded neutral and one of the best 50/50 mixups in the game.
Yoshitora	Close	Rushdown/Mixup	Reversal DP Instant Overhead Crossup Jump-in Armored Special Command Grab Unique win condition via landing all specials	Yoshitora Tokugawa is a "toolbox" character with a large bag of powerful mixups and strong pressure from his jump-ins.
Wu-Ruixiang	Far	Zoner/Setplay/Trap	Traps setups Projectile Reflect Command Counter Guard Points SSM Combos Unblockable Setups	Wu-Ruixiang is a trap-based zoner who lays mines on the ground to create opportunities for herself.
Rimururu	Close	Timescam/Setplay/Trap	Air-Invul Antiair Projectile Reflect Crossup Jump-ins Multiple Jumps/Walljumps Cancellable Backdash SSM Combos Unblockable Setups	Rimururu is a passive-aggressive pixie character who thrives on frustrating the opponent until they overextend.
Basara	Far/Close	Zoner/Setplay/Mixup	Teleport DP Feints via Clones Command Grab Crossup Jump-ins Cancellable Backdash Walljump Disjointed Normals Reversal WFT SSM Combo Unblockable Setup	Basara is a tricky zoner with deceptive movement and strong mixups from a knockdown.
Shizumaru	Mid	Neutral/Mixup	Reversal DP Projectile Reflect Crossup Jump-in Instant Overhead Cancellable Backdash TAP Walljump Float Fullscreen Anti-projectile SSM	Shizumaru Hisame is a flexible character with powerful rushdown tools and strong control over the airspace.
Sogetsu	Mid-Far	Zoner/Setplay/Mixup	Air-Invul Antiair Teleports Walljump Fullscreen SSM Unblockable Setups	Sogetsu Kazama is a setplay character with very good neutral, allowing him to get his okizeme started easily.
Gongsun Li	Mid-Far	Neutral/Zoner/Setplay/Timescam	Air-Invul Antiair Teleports Fast WFT Walljump Disjointed Normals (Unarmed) SSM requires setup	Gongsun Li is a runaway zoner who dicates the pace of the match with her great fireball and fast teleports.
Baiken	Mid-Close	Neutral/Mixup	Air-Invul Antiair Instant Overhead Armored Command Dash Command Guard Strict Half-circle Inputs	Baiken is a mixup character with great control over the mid-range who can keep up the pressure once she gets an opening.

What's the game's tier list?

Here are some tier lists from notable players for the current patch (Ver 2.40).

North America

Aggregate community list from the following top players: Scrub Saibot, Anton FKA LewdStares, Inazuma, Royalpsycho, Sorrow, Maki, Tao, BboySonicX (March 29th, 2023). (v2.40).

Post-Frosty Faustings 2023 tier list (February 2023) (v2.40).

BBoySonicX is a high-level player from the US who plays Wu-Ruixiang and Iroha.
Updated November 23rd, 2023.

Healing Vision is a high-level Amakusa player from the US with top 8 placements at Combo Breaker 2023, the Evo 2023 community tournament and Lunar Bout 2023.

Japan

WATANABE PRESIDENT is a Baiken player who notably won the Evo Japan 2023 SNK community tournament and the Kansai Gaming Party (KGP) 2023 tournament. Source: https://twitter.com/Hikari_ushizima/status/1592560818100776960?s=20.

Europe

Hundert's tierlist explanation: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1OTMv681Bn8MsEzqsSRpUvFX5BcRGn37aZqXgmMfaeD0

What are some common beginner mistakes?

In order of importance:

• Not using Rage Explosion.
  • Rage Explosion is a powerful comeback mechanic. In general, if you are down in life, below 40% life, and have already lost a round; then it's time to Rage Explode. Of course each player's rage explosion strategy will vary by player preference, character, and situation.

• Using Lightning Blade after a throw.
  • Lightning Blade damage is greatly reduced after a throw. More so than other throw follow up options. In almost all cases, it's better to use another throw follow up.

• Jumping during an opponent's Rage Explosion.
  • Lightning Blade does high damage and can easily be used to anti air. If your character can't adjust their jump movement, don't jump. Even if your character can adjust their jump, jumping is still highly risky.

• Not using Just Defense.
  • Just Defense can be a powerful answer to fireball zoning. An opponent may try to zone you out with fireballs. With proper Just Defends, the opponent is feeding you rage meter. It is also great to use on wakeup. If you're going to guard on wakeup, guard just as your character stands so that a blocked attack is just defended. If your opponent is within stance break range, then you can even use that to escape the pressure.

• Not knowing your BNBs.
  • Samsho is not a combo heavy game. Very simple combo routes will get your damage conversions to optimal or near optimal. BNBs are typically going to be a normal into a special. Just 2 moves. At a basic level, you'll need BNBs in two situations. The first situation is a punish or hit confirm. The second is a throw follow up. Know your BNBs in these cases. The routes are likely to change when rage is active, so know rage and non-rage routes.

• Using Rage Explode too early.
  • It is not usually to your advantage to Rage Explode before you have lost a round. You might be able to win a round that you might have otherwise lost, but you've set yourself up for failure in the following rounds.

• Mashing Deflectable Normals.
  • If a skilled opponent sees you mashing, they will deflect and SSM you. And taking an SSM makes losing the round near certain. If you feel the need to mash out of a scramble, 2D is a low risk option.

• Not mixing up recoil cancels
  • Winning the recoil mind game is a big part of Samsho. If you are predictable with your recoil options, an opponent will know what you're about to do and punish. On a recoil, you can deflect, use a special move, or just do nothing. Do what your opponent isn't expecting.

Frame Data & System Data

What does Frame Data mean?

Frame data describes the full sequence of animation for an attack.

• Damage: This is the base damage the attack will do without scaling. For more information: Damage Scaling Chart.
• Guard: Whether the attack has to be blocked mid, low, or high.
• Startup: States the first frame in which the attack will hit.
• Active: How many frames the attack can hit for.
• Recovery: The recovery of the move on whiff. Recovery = Total - Startup - Active + 1
• Total: The full duration of the move, from start to end.
• Hit advantage: How many frames you can move before the opponent after hitting the opponent from the front. +5 means you recover 5 frames before the opponent, -3 means he recovers 3 frames before you.
• Block advantage: Like the other advantages, except when the move is blocked. Since there are recoil animations, this will often be very different from the others.
• Guard damage: This is how much damage the attack will do to the internal guard meter in percentage.
• Cancel: If the attack has cancelable regions.
• Recoil: If the attack has a recoil animation when blocked and there are recoil cancel regions.
• Deflectable: If the attack is deflectable by weapon deflect, 236A+B.
• Unarmed: If the attack is available unarmed, or only while unarmed.

For better understanding of each category, see the Mechanics page.

What's Frame Data good for?

Frame data is mostly for tuning your game and understanding how/why things happen. You don't need it to be able to play, but it helps iron out the wrinkles.

A simple example is that you can look at the block disadvantage of a move, such as -21, and know that any attack with 21F or faster startup can punish it guaranteed.

What do the System Data numbers mean?

• Damage Taken: How much more or less damage the character takes. (e.g. 105% means the character takes 1.05x damage) The scaling applies to all moves.
• Rage Factor: This is used to calculate how much rage the character gets after taking damage. Rage increased = Damage x Rage Factor + 2
• Rage Duration: This is how long the character spends raged.
• Jump Duration: The full length of a jump in frames.
• Dash Speed: Dash speed is determined by how fast the dash is compared to Haohmaru's, which is considered as average.
• Back Dash: The total duration of back dash in frames.
• Weapon Pickup / Drop: The total frames needed for the character to pick up or drop their weapon. At frame one of weapon pick up you are considered armed so the opponent cannot interrupt weapon pickup.

All characters' data are written on the System Data page.

Is Season Pass 1 free?

Season Pass 1 was only available for free on PS4 outside Japan for a limited time right before the game's release in the west. Nowadays you'll have to pay for it.

I bought Season Pass 2 on PS4 but I can't use Mina?

Due to an issue with the PS Store, Season Pass 2 had to be delayed and thus only Mina was able to be purchased separately. When the season pass was made available later on, they decided not to include Mina in it while making it cheaper than Season Pass 1. Therefore, you will need to buy both Season Pass 2 and Mina on PS4 for the full package.

How do I find tech on Twitter?

Besides the general hashtags #SamuraiShodown, #SamSho and #サムライスピリッツ, #サムスピ in Japanese, each character in the game has a specific hashtag which people should aim to use when posting tech for ease of searching. The rule of thumb is to start with #SS_ (for Samurai Spirits / Samurai Shodown) and append the first two letters of a character's name. In case of overlap, a different 2nd letter is picked. For example: Shiki (#SS_SH) and Shizumaru (#SS_SZ), Haohmaru (#SS_HA) and Hanzo (#SS_HZ), or Charlotte (#SS_CH) and Cham Cham (#SS_CC). The current list is as follows:

Character	キャラクター	Hashtag / ハッシュタグ
Amakusa	天草四郎時貞	#SS_AM
Baiken	梅喧	#SS_BK
Basara Kubikiri	首斬り破沙羅	#SS_BA
Charlotte	シャルロット	#SS_CH
Cham Cham	チャムチャム	#SS_CC
Darli Dagger	ダーリィ・ダガー	#SS_DA
Earthquake	アースクェイク	#SS_EA
Galford	ガルフォード	#SS_GA
Genjuro Kibagami	牙神幻十郎	#SS_GE
Gongsun Li	公孫離	#SS_LI
Hanzo Hattori	服部半蔵	#SS_HZ
Haohmaru	覇王丸	#SS_HA
Hibiki Takane	高嶺 響	#SS_HI
Iroha	いろは	#SS_IR
Jubei Yagyu	柳生十兵衛	#SS_JU
Kazuki Kazama	風間火月	#SS_KA
Kyoshiro Senryo	千両狂死郎	#SS_KY
Mina Majikina	真鏡名ミナ	#SS_MI
Nakoruru	ナコルル	#SS_NA
Rimururu	リムルル	#SS_RI
Shiki	色	#SS_SH
Shizumaru Hisame	緋雨閑丸	#SS_SZ
Sogetsu Kazama	風間蒼月	#SS_SO
Tam Tam	タムタム	#SS_TA
Ukyo Tachibana	橘右京	#SS_UK
Wan-Fu	王虎	#SS_WA
Warden	ウォーデン	#SS_WD
Wu-Ruixiang	呉瑞香	#SS_WU
Yashamaru Kurama	鞍馬夜叉丸	#SS_YA
Yoshitora Tokugawa	徳川慶寅	#SS_YO

Where can I find high level gameplay footage?

North America:

• ThrustyZol hosts regular online tournaments on Xbox Series. This is currently the preferred netplay platform in NA.
• Here is a playlist of footage from the biggest post-COVID NA majors.

Japan:

• VS.netgamers hosts high-level weekly tournaments on Xbox Series, PS4 and Nintendo Switch.
• ShotBar LUCY in Chiyoda City, Tokyo is the main Japanese offline weekly. Some of their VODs are on their YouTube channel.