Samurai Shodown/Sogetsu Kazama

Sogetsu Kazama 風間 蒼月, Kazama Sōgetsu

Damage Taken: 105% Rage Factor: 0.22 Rage Duration: 9 seconds Jump: 48 frames (Slow) Forward Walk Speed: 0.25 (Slow) Back Walk Speed: 0.2 (Slow) Dash Speed: 1.3 (Fast) Back Dash: 27 frames Weapon Pickup / Drop: 40 / 37 frames

Introduction

The stylish Kazama brother returns in 7 with his moveset hearkening back to his 5SP/4-Slash iteration. Sogetsu's most defining gameplay traits are his dominance in neutral, due to his long heavy normals and water pillars which can hit the opponent from almost anywhere on the screen, and his okizeme, due to his Moon Rise AKA bubble holding down his opponents and allowing for loopable knockdown situations. These traits combined with his teleports turn playing neutral against Sogetsu into a test of patience and knowledge checks.

Playstyle

Sogetsu Kazama is an elegant setplay character who bullies opponents with oki after punishing openings.

Strengths

Weaknesses

Good normals: His far cancellable 5B, a recoil cancellable 2C that doubles as a sweep and his far-reaching 66C ensure that poke wars against Sogetsu are almost always in his favor. Full screen SSM: He has access to a fullscreen, low-hitting SSM, giving him a very threatening option at any range. Bubble: His bubbles give Sogetsu access to some scary okizeme, which is a luxury few can afford in SamSho Unblockable setups using his bubble: The threat of bubble is enhanced with Rage Explosion, giving solid unblockable combos Solid Guard Crush options Hard to punish when blocked: Most of Sogetsu's moves can be done from pretty far away, making them hard to punish when blocked

Commital neutral: Although his options are scary, they're also situational. Guessing wrong can be very costly for Sogetsu. Low damage on average: Most bubble combos and setups are rather short and end in a knockdown. Weak to zoning: Sogetsu has no real way to deal with fast projectiles, forcing him to hold pressure from fireball characters.

Gameplan

Sogetsu's gameplan revolves around screen control and fishing for knockdowns, so he can run his bubble oki after.

Neutral

Playing Sogetsu's Neutral requires good reads and awareness as well as patience since he relies on them to keep opponents from getting too close, though he benefits from the run-ins of the opponent, that's the major way for him to deal damage. He has a few key moves for neutral being: 2C, 5B, 623S.

For most characters, it's hard to not get in and place an attack attempt on Soggy. As if they attempt on something at mid range, they will be knocked out of it by pillar before they can get it out. The best might be a trade but they will be kept out again. On Soggy's side, it's important to get to know the rhythm of your opponent so you can raise the pillar at the right place to keep out the opponent and to catch any jump-ins. Soggy's pillars cover 80% of the space around the screen, but again it really requires good awareness to make it 80% instead of 8%.

When the opponent finally made it to mid screen or less, they have entered the best range for Soggy. His 2C at max range is relativly safe when he recoil-cancels into a B pillar on block, this move will put the opponent at a little less than full screen and they will need to get close again. Another great move for this range is his 5B as it is one of the best pokes that goes for half screen, it can check most dash-ins, and can confirm into pillar on hit, making it better than it already was. His 5C can also be used to check in for dash-ins, but a hard read is required so don't use it too much. This is the ideal range for Soggy's full potential.

If the opponent gets a bit closer, Soggy would usually go for a grab to push the opponent for some space, or neutral jump to check dash-ins with his fast j.C. The slash of j.C covers a lot of space around him (front and below) also making it a great air to air along with its speed. A great way for pushing the opponent away again when used in combo with 2C.

Overall, Soggy's neutral is solid from anywhere midscreen to a little less than full screen. It requires good reads and patience as most opponents need to dash-in on Soggy to get their damage dealt. Getting into a good habit of taking notes on the opponents would be a great advantage for his neutral.

Okizeme

Mostly revolves around running high-low mix using his bubble/236S. A good Sogetsu will have a variety of setups on hand, ensuring opponents always get hit by his bubble.

For a comprehensive list of Sogetsu bubble setups, check out Lewd_Stares' bubble oki flowchart

Normal Moves

Far Slashes

5A

5A	Damage Guard Startup Active Recovery Total Hit Adv Block Adv Guard Dmg Cancel Recoil Deflectable Unarmed 30 Mid 6 4 11 20 -2 -5 5 Yes No No No Sogetsu quickly chops at his opponent. Special cancellable.
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5B

5B Frame 1 Frames 2-4

Damage Guard Startup Active Recovery Total Hit Adv Block Adv Guard Dmg Cancel Recoil Deflectable Unarmed 100 Mid 12 4 20 35 -3 -12 10 Yes Yes Yes No Sogetsu does a downward slash with his curved sword. Sogetsu's main mid-screen poke. Special cancellable, allowing for quick knockdowns with 623S even at tip range, which makes his pokes hard to contest due to the threat of him special cancelling into his pillars. One of his primary combo tools after throw.

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5C

5C	Damage Guard Startup Active Recovery Total Hit Adv Block Adv Guard Dmg Cancel Recoil Deflectable Unarmed 220 Mid 21~23 4 30 53 KD -20~-18 25 No No Yes No Sogetsu lunges forward with his sword. On hit, always wallbounces and knocks down, allowing for oki. Does not recoil, making it a somewhat risky, but rewarding option in neutral.
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2A

2A	Damage Guard Startup Active Recovery Total Hit Adv Block Adv Guard Dmg Cancel Recoil Deflectable Unarmed 30 Mid 6 4 11 19 -1 -4 5 Yes No No No Sogetsu does a quick crouching chop. Same as 5A but with better frame advantage.
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2B

2B	Damage Guard Startup Active Recovery Total Hit Adv Block Adv Guard Dmg Cancel Recoil Deflectable Unarmed 80 Mid 10 2 20 31 -1 -12 10 Yes Yes Yes No Sogetsu slashes at his opponent's ankles. Special cancellable. Shorter range than 5B, but with faster startup.
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2C

2C

Damage Guard Startup Active Recovery Total Hit Adv Block Adv Guard Dmg Cancel Recoil Deflectable Unarmed 150 Low 18 3 33 53 KD -28 25 No Yes No No Sogetsu leans forward and does a low slash. Recoil cancellable, making it the preferred option to use in neutral. Gives a good enough knockdown on hit to set a bubble. Hard to punish on block due to the aforementioned recoil cancel option, allowing Sogetsu to frametrap with pillar at any time.

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Near Slashes

n.5B

n.5B Frame 1 Frames 2-3	Damage Guard Startup Active Recovery Total Hit Adv Block Adv Guard Dmg Cancel Recoil Deflectable Unarmed 90 Mid 10 3 22 33 -3 -12 10 Yes Yes Yes No Sogetsu quickly slashes downwards. His main combo tool after a deep jump-in.
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n.5C

n.5C Frames 1-2 Frames 3-4

Damage Guard Startup Active Recovery Total Hit Adv Block Adv Guard Dmg Cancel Recoil Deflectable Unarmed 200 Mid 18 4 31 52 -5 -28 25 No Yes Disarm No Sogetsu does a stationary spinning slash. Recoil cancellable. Same as 5C in animation, but worse overall due to no knockdown and less damage. Has suprisingly tall hitbox, which makes it useful as an anti-air In most situations where you get to use n.5C, it's better to do 2C instead for the knockdown, since they share the same startup and recoil cancel properties.

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Kicks

5D

5D	Damage Guard Startup Active Recovery Total Hit Adv Block Adv Guard Dmg Cancel Recoil Deflectable Unarmed 50 Mid 13～16 4 14 30 -2~+1 -4~-1 5 No No No Yes Sogetsu does a quick, curved knee strike. Gains low invuln on the 7th frame of startup which lasts for 12 frames. Safe on block in most cases, allowing for tickthrow situations.
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6D

6D	Damage Guard Startup Active Recovery Total Hit Adv Block Adv Guard Dmg Cancel Recoil Deflectable Unarmed 50 Low 10 5 14 28 -3 -6 5 Yes No No Yes Sogetsu does a quick kick at his opponent's ankles. Hits low. Special cancellable. Reaches slightly further than his 2D. Useful for high-low mix, as it's a standing low.
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2D

2D	Damage Guard Startup Active Recovery Total Hit Adv Block Adv Guard Dmg Cancel Recoil Deflectable Unarmed 20 Low 6 3 9 17 +1 -2 5 No No No Yes Sogetsu does a low kick. Solid range for a 2D. Used for high-low mix.
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3D

3D	Damage Guard Startup Active Recovery Total Hit Adv Block Adv Guard Dmg Cancel Recoil Deflectable Unarmed 30 Low 12～19 8 22 41 -5~+2 -14~-7 5 No No No Yes Sogetsu does a sliding kick. Similar to his 66D, but doesn't knock down on hit. Travels further than 66D.
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Dash Normals

66A

66A	Damage Guard Startup Active Recovery Total Hit Adv Block Adv Guard Dmg Cancel Recoil Deflectable Unarmed 30 Mid 11 5 16 31 -4 -9 5 No No No No Sogetsu does a running chop. Standard running poke in neutral.
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66B

66B	Damage Guard Startup Active Recovery Total Hit Adv Block Adv Guard Dmg Cancel Recoil Deflectable Unarmed 100 High 21 2 30 52 KD(+71) -16 10 No No No No Sogetsu does a running somersault slash. Knocks down on hit, allowing for bubble oki after. Has decent forward momentum.
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66C

66C

Damage Guard Startup Active Recovery Total Hit Adv Block Adv Guard Dmg Cancel Recoil Deflectable Unarmed 140 Mid 10~13 5 30 48 KD(+85) -18~-15 20 No No Disarm No Sogetsu does a running circular slash. A running version of his 5C without the wallbounce and forward momentum. Grants knockdown on hit. Because of the lack of momentum, it makes for a very solid poke that's hard to punish unless it's done preemptively, especially when spaced correctly. Shares the tall hitbox of his n.5C.

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66D

66D	Damage Guard Startup Active Recovery Total Hit Adv Block Adv Guard Dmg Cancel Recoil Deflectable Unarmed 70 Low 9～16 8 20 36 KD(+97) -15~-8 5 No No No Yes Sogetsu does a running slide. Knocks down on hit, but has less forward momentum than 3D.
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Air Normals

j.A

j.A	Damage Guard Startup Active Recovery Total Hit Adv Block Adv Guard Dmg Cancel Recoil Deflectable Unarmed 30 High 5 4 - - - - 5 No No No No Sogetsu does a quick downward air slash. Solid air-to-air. Faster than j.B, but has worse reach.
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j.B

j8.B	Damage Guard Startup Active Recovery Total Hit Adv Block Adv Guard Dmg Cancel Recoil Deflectable Unarmed 120 High 10 4 - - - - 10 No No No No Sogetsu does a wide air slash forward. Similar to jA but with bigger reach.
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j.B

j7/9.B	Damage Guard Startup Active Recovery Total Hit Adv Block Adv Guard Dmg Cancel Recoil Deflectable Unarmed 100 High 8 2 - - - - 10 No No No No Sogetsu does a downwards air slash. Bigger vertical reach than his j8B.
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j.C

j.C	Damage Guard Startup Active Recovery Total Hit Adv Block Adv Guard Dmg Cancel Recoil Deflectable Unarmed 150 High 12 3 - - - - 20 No No No No Sogetsu does a wide, downwards air slash Generous hitbox, making for a good jump-in. His best air-to-ground move.
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j.D

j.D	Damage Guard Startup Active Recovery Total Hit Adv Block Adv Guard Dmg Cancel Recoil Deflectable Unarmed 30 High 8 14 - - - - 5 No No No Yes Sogetsu does a quick air kick. Standard air kick. Your best jump-in when unarmed.
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Unarmed Normals

u.5S

u.5S	Damage Guard Startup Active Recovery Total Hit Adv Block Adv Guard Dmg Cancel Recoil Deflectable Unarmed 50 Mid 6 4 11 20 +2 -5 5 No No No Only Sogetsu does a quick chop. Standard unarmed attack. Functionally similar to 5A
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u.2S

u.2S	Damage Guard Startup Active Recovery Total Hit Adv Block Adv Guard Dmg Cancel Recoil Deflectable Unarmed 50 Mid 6 3 11 19 +1 -4 5 No No No Only Sogetsu does a quick crouching chop. Functionally similar to 2A.
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ju.S

ju.S	Damage Guard Startup Active Recovery Total Hit Adv Block Adv Guard Dmg Cancel Recoil Deflectable Unarmed 50 High 6 10 - - - - 5 No No No Only Sogetsu does a quick air chop. Standard unarmed air attack.
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u.66S

u.66S	Damage Guard Startup Active Recovery Total Hit Adv Block Adv Guard Dmg Cancel Recoil Deflectable Unarmed 50 Mid 11 7 14 31 KD(+107) -5 5 No No No Only Sogetsu does a dashing chop. Like all dashing unarmed normals, knocks down.
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Universal Mechanics

Guard Break

Guard Break (Throw) 5C+D / 6C+D 5C+D / 6C+D 4C+D 4C+D	Version Damage Guard Startup Active Recovery Total Hit Adv Block Adv Guard Dmg Cancel Recoil Deflectable Unarmed Neutral / Forward 0 Throw 3 - 71 74 +20 - - - - - Yes Back 0 Throw 5 - 69 74 +25 - - - - - Yes Universal throw. Allows for a short combo after. Opponents can be thrown into bubbles, allowing for setups.

Surprise Attack

Surprise Attack (Overhead) 5B+C Armed Armed Unarmed Unarmed

Version Damage Guard Startup Active Recovery Total Hit Adv Block Adv Guard Dmg Cancel Recoil Deflectable Unarmed Armed 60 High 21 2 26 48 +2 -16 10 No No No No Sogetsu does a vertical somersault slash. Universal overhead. Doesn't knock down. Essential to his high-low mix, as the lack of a knockdown allows people to get pushed into bubbles, giving Sogetsu a higher reward off of it than most characters. Unarmed 60 High 20 4 21 43 KD(+100) -11 10 No No No Only Sogetsu does a jumping kick. Universal overhead. Unlike most unarmed overheads, has no forward momentum. Knocks down.

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Dodge

Dodge 5A+B	Damage Guard Startup Active Recovery Total Hit Adv Block Adv Guard Dmg Cancel Recoil Deflectable Unarmed N/A - 1 16 22 38 - - - - - - Yes Universal dodge.

Stance Break

Stance Break A+B during Just Defense	Damage Guard Startup Active Recovery Total Hit Adv Block Adv Guard Dmg Cancel Recoil Deflectable Unarmed 0 Mid 5 - - 52 KD -24 - - - - Yes Universal Stance Break.

Counter (Deflect) / Blade Catch

Counter (Deflect) / Blade Catch 236A+B Weapon Deflect Weapon Deflect Blade Catch Blade Catch

Version Damage Guard Startup Active Recovery Total Hit Adv Block Adv Guard Dmg Cancel Recoil Deflectable Unarmed Armed 0 N/A 2 11 34 46 +35~+59 - - - - - No Universal deflect. Light/medium slashes stun the opponent on successful deflect. Heavy/running slashes disarm the opponent on successful deflect. Unarmed 0 N/A 2 12 9 22 KD - - - - - Only Universal Blade Catch. Knocks down and disarms, regardless of slash strength.

Rage Explosion

Rage Explosion 5A+B+C

Damage Guard Startup Active Recovery Total Hit Adv Block Adv Guard Dmg Cancel Recoil Deflectable Unarmed 0 Unblockable 21 1 - 58 0 - - - - - No Universal Rage Explosion. Due to the explosion putting the opponent in unblockable, 0 damage hitstun with high pushback, it's possible to push people into your bubbles with specific setups, allowing for very risky, but potentially game-winning conversions.

Lightning Blade

Lightning Blade (Issen) 5A+B+C during Rage Explosion	Damage Guard Startup Active Recovery Total Hit Adv Block Adv Guard Dmg Cancel Recoil Deflectable Unarmed 300~709 Mid 9 - - - KD -44 - - - - No Universal Issen. Damage scales off of missing health.

Command Moves

Wall Jump

Wall Jump (near wall)9	Damage Guard Startup Active Recovery Total Hit Adv Block Adv Guard Dmg Cancel Recoil Deflectable Unarmed - - - - - - - - - - - - Yes Standard wall jump.

Special Moves

Moon Glow

Moon Glow 623S Abunai desu yo. Abunai desu yo.

Version Damage Guard Startup Active Recovery Total Hit Adv Block Adv Guard Dmg Cancel Recoil Deflectable Unarmed A / Rage 100 / 144(48x3) Mid 12 / 18 10 28 56 / 56 KD(+117) /KD(+107) -18 / -10 5 / 9 No No No No Sogetsu summons a water pillar that sprouts from the ground. Knocks down on hit. Sogetsu's main screen control and combo tool. Rage version hits an additional 2 times and grants a better knockdown. A version hits a character's length away from him. Has head invulnerability for the first 11 frames of startup, making it an excellent anti-air. His ender after n5B. B / Rage 100 / 144(48x3) Mid 18 / 18 10 33/31 60 / 58 KD(+115) / KD+109) -22 / -12 5 / 9 No No No No Hits midscreen. Sogetsu's main combo tool and confirm from 5B. C / Rage 100 / 144(48x3) Mid 18 / 18 10 37/33 64 / 61 KD(+90) / KD(+112) -26 / -15 5 / 9 No No No No Hits almost fullscreen. Sogetsu's main punish tool for fireball attempts

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Moon Rise

Moon Rise 236S

Version Damage Guard Startup Active Recovery Total Hit Adv Block Adv Guard Dmg Cancel Recoil Deflectable Unarmed A 30 Mid 51 110 16 65 +24 +8 5 No No No No Also referred to as "bubble". Sogetsu places a water bubble onto the screen that stuns opponents on hit. Sogetsu's infamous oki tool. Bubble placements vary with slash strength. Holding the slash button after the bubble comes out does Aquatic Moon Rise. Essential to his gameplan, as it's the crux of his okizeme and his main setup tool. The bubble will stay active for 110 frames before disappearing. A version places the bubble a character length away from Sogetsu. B 30 Mid 61 110 14 73 +26 +10 5 No No No No Places the bubble at mid-screen length. C 30 Mid 71 110 12 82 +27 +11 5 No No No No Sets the bubble nearly fullscreen.

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Aquatic Moon Rise

Aquatic Moon Rise 236[S]

Damage Guard Startup Active Recovery Total Hit Adv Block Adv Guard Dmg Cancel Recoil Deflectable Unarmed 30 Mid - 110 - 159 +39 +23 5 No No No No Holding the slash button after doing 236S allows Sogetsu to move the bubble and alter its position as long as the bubble is active. Sogetsu cannot move while the bubble is being moved. Used in setups where the default bubble position won't work for some setups, as well as area denial.

New Moon

New Moon 214S

Version Damage Guard Startup Active Recovery Total Hit Adv Block Adv Guard Dmg Cancel Recoil Deflectable Unarmed A N/A - 19 25 15 58 - - - No No No No Also referred to as "teleport". Sogetsu vanishes into a water puddle before reemerging. Used mainly for repositioning and after recoil cancels, although it can be used to close in and punish certain moves. Sogetsu's position after teleporting depends on the slash strength used. A version teleports Sogetsu at the end of the screen. B N/A - 19 25 9 52 - - - No No No No Teleports Sogetsu right in front of the opponent. Very situational teleport. Can be used as a hard callout for jumps, as it places you right below the opponent during the height of their jump arc when done during jump startup. C N/A - 19 25 13 52 - - - No No No No Teleports Sogetsu right behind the opponent. Used to punish certain fullscreen moves and to check if the opponent is paying attention. Risky to use against aware opponents. Has strike invulnerabilty for the first 3 frames after emerging, but still has a throw hurtbox.

Supers

Weapon Flipping Technique

Lunar Slash 236B+C No longer burstable. No longer burstable.

Damage Guard Startup Active Recovery Total Hit Adv Block Adv Guard Dmg Cancel Recoil Deflectable Unarmed 408 (36x6,60x2,72) Mid 1+15 81 60 - KD -40 - No No No No Sogetsu attacks the opponent with a flurry of spinning slashes before stabbing his sword into the ground and finishing the opponent with a water blast. Solid damage WFT. Rather fast startup, so it can be combo'd into from his B buttons, even at tip range, and from most setups. Very unsafe on block.

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Super Special Move

Blood Moon Prison 641236C+D

Damage Guard Startup Active Recovery Total Hit Adv Block Adv Guard Dmg Cancel Recoil Deflectable Unarmed 640 Low 10+24 1 70 - KD -59 - No No No No Sogetsu sends forward a wave of water that traps the opponent in a big water bubble, then tosses two water shurikens into the bubble to shred the opponent before making the bubble burst with a water droplet. Goes fullscreen, allowing for very heavy punishes on certain moves, making the opponent wary of using them. Hits low. Fast enough to be done from most successful medium slash deflects.

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Combos

List combos, use numpad notation.

• 5B xx 623B / WFT
  Mid range punish combo.

• n.5B xx 623A / WFT
  Close range punish combo.

• 5CD / 4CD...
  Throw...
  • 5B xx 623B / WFT
    Standard throw follow up.
  • n.5B xx 623A / WFT
    Corner throw follow up.
  • 5C
    The optimal basic follow up, only after back throw.

• jump C (Deep hit)...
  • 5B xx 623B / WFT
    Midscreen combo.
  • n.5B xx 623A / WFT
    Corner combo.
  • 5C / n.5C
    Universal combo after jump C deep hit.
  • Lighting Blade
    Issen combo.

• 236S (Ground hit)...
  • 2C
    Basic follow up with decent range for a knock down.
  • 5B xx 623B / WFT
    Midscreen follow up.
  • n.5B xx 623A / WFT
    Corner follow up.
  • 5C / n.5C / 66C
    5C is more damaging than pillar combo or 2C but need to be fast to connect.
  • SSM
    SSM follow up.
  • Lighting Blade
    Issen combo.

• 236S (Air hit)...
  • 623S
    Juggle combo.
  • j.C / 5C
    Inconsistent but will connect.

Guard Crush

• n.5C / 5C...
  After recovery...
  • SSM
    SSM follow up. (Be careful with opponent bursting to avoid it)
  • The only reason to not cancel the recovery is for SSM, or else go for the one below for optimal damage.

• n.5C / 5C...
  Cancel recovery...
  • Lighting Blade
    Universal Issen combo.
  • 236A(Hold)...
    Control the bubble by holding back to connect...
    • 5B xx 623B / WFT
      Follow up with medium combos. Knocks down.
    • n.5C
      Follow up with a heavy. MAX damage (Slight more than pillar combo) without rage but no knock down.

Videos

• Sogetsu tutorial and combos by LegendaryWolf Shirou
• LuwudStares vs Gorro at WNF Online Edition

Colors

External Links

• Twitter hashtag: #SS_SO
• Sogetsu Setups Includes all Sogetsu Setups on wake up.