Samurai Shodown 3/Shizumaru Hisame

緋雨閑丸, Hisame Shizumaru

Colors

Introduction

Shizumaru doesn’t know his real name, so he named himself after his sword. If the rumours are true, it’s amazing that his dad didn’t do that first.

Shizumaru, the protagonist of Samurai Shodown III, lives up to his “new poster boy” status by having every tool he needs to play well in any scenario he finds himself in, all wrapped up in a simple and easy to grasp package. Sporting great space control tools, some seriously good normals (especially in the air), fast hard-hitting mixups, and easily accessible damage in both Techniques, Shizumaru fills the role of an approachable and simple character with enough tricks to help him keep up with the craziness that pervades the rest of the game.

Slash has an incredibly well-rounded toolkit, gaining an anti-air special that doubles as an effective chipping move, a fast projectile reflector, and some funky okizeme options courtesy of the upgraded Kirisamejin. You can’t go wrong with Slash Shizumaru if all you want is a solid character who plays the game and plays it well. Or maybe you just want to make people guess the entire match.

Bust, meanwhile, trades away Slash’s more utilitarian specials for a dizzying set of aerial movement tools, using his umbrella to float and pogo all over his opponents, throwing off anti-air timings and generally bullying them into submission. He’s also great at timerscamming. Bust is overall the much more gimmicky Technique pick, but his outrageous moves still allow him to look swaggy as he dances around the opposition with rapid float cancels.

Strengths	Weaknesses
Has some of the best jumping normals in the game Slash has access to some pretty grimy okizeme Bust has the game's most extensive set of aerial movement options	Limited range on his ground normals can make his neutral game tricky Slash's overall gameplan is fairly one-dimensional Bust relies on more gimmickry than may be comfortable

Stats

Damage taken	Rage rate	Rage duration	Throw startup	Deflect advantage	Deflect disadvantage modifier
95%	87.5%	4 sec	14f	+20	±0

Normal Moves

Far Slashes

5A (Properties) - Air unblockable, deflectable, cancelable (Description) - Reasonably fast poke with the umbrella. Nice range, though the cancel doesn't really do anything. Good for harassment.

5B (Properties) - Cancelable (Description) - A downward-angled swing with slightly more range than 5A. Can combo into 421S, but not at max range. Pretty decent poke and whiff punisher.

5C (Properties) - Deflectable, cancelable (Description) - A huge downward swing with the parasol with excellent range. Doesn't recoil on block, so you can occasionally use this to harass people at further ranges by cancelling into 236S. This string is obviously not airtight, as a proactive opponent can just smack you between hits if they're in range.

2A (Properties) - Cancelable (Description) - Quick jab at the opponent's shins. Can combo into 623A, but only from point blank range. Recoil on block means you have better options for abare.

2B (Properties) - Cancellable. Hits low. (Description) - Two-hit uppercut with the parasol. Lightning fast 5f startup. Despite the angle it's at best mediocre for anti airing, compounded by any jumpin beating this leading to deep hitstun. Instead, it's a really important combo starter and mixup tool for Shizu. Use this after empty jumpins for maximum irritation.

2C (Properties) - Cancellable. Hits low. (Description) - Big three hit stab at the opponent's feet with the parasol. Excellent range makes this great for poking, although the recoil on block makes this less useful for setting up potential pressure scenarios than 5C.

Near Slashes

n.5A (Properties) - Air blockable, deflectable, cancelable (Description) - Kind of like 2A but standing. No good for anti-air owing to its ability to be air blocked, but it may see some use as a quick point blank punish when cancelled into 623A.

n.5B (Properties) - Air unblockable, deflectable, cancelable (Description) - Kind of like 2B but standing and slower. Actually can hit anti-air, and can more or less be used interchangeably with 2B in combos.

n.5C (Properties) - Air unblockable, deflectable, cancelable (Description) - Two hit stab with the parasol. Both hits are cancelable. Mostly used in punishes or resets off of a Kirisamejin.

n.2A (Properties) - Cancelable (Description) - Same as 2A.

n.2B (Properties) - Cancelable (Description) - Same as 2B.

n.2C (Properties) - Cancelable (Description) - Same as 2C.

Overheads

5BC (Properties) - Hits high. (Description) - Standard jumping swing overhead. Good advantage on crouch hit, but punishable on stand hit at close range.

u.5BC (Properties) - Hits high. (Description) - Standard hopkick unarmed overhead. Reasonably advantageous on crouch hit, amazingly punishable on block and stand hit.

Kicks

5D (Properties) - Air unblockable, cancelable (Description) - A quick upward kick with a lot of active frames. Great for anti-air, as you get to force a high/low after they land.

6D (Properties) - Cancelable. Air unblockable. Hits low. (Description) - Shizumaru's main low poke. Great range, a whole mess of active frames, combos into 623S quite easily. Also used in his restand combo.

2D (Properties) - Cancelable. Air unblockable. Hits low. (Description) - Quick kick to the toes that has 4 active frames. This combined with instant overhead j.C is a very threatening and lightning fast mixup. Can link into itself or 6D, but both require frame perfect timing outside of meaties.

3D (Properties) - Air unblockable, cancelable (Description) - Shizumaru's sweep that, in a concerning trend, refuses to hit low. Its fairly high angle and large active period makes it pretty good for anti-air.

Jumping Normals

j.A (Properties) - Hits high. Deflectable (low height) (Description) - A quick horizontal poke with the umbrella. Fast, and has a surprising amount of hitstun. Bust Shizu makes great use of this in conjunction with his float. This is what you'll likely use during air-to-air situations if the opponent is above j.C's huge hitbox.

j.B (Properties) - Hits high. (Description) - A downward angled swipe that isn't too bad as a jump-in or an instant overhead, but is generally outclassed by j.C. Another air-to-air option if they're too high for a j.C

nj.C (Properties) - Hits high. (Description) - A huge downward swing, similar to Genjuro's nj.C. It actually hits behind Shizumaru later into the animation, letting it potentially beat cross-under anti airs. Surprisingly versatile as an anti-approach tool. Just smack 'em with this if they keep getting too close for comfort.

j.C (Properties) - Hits high. (Description) - The biggest, dumbest button there ever was. Shizu stabs downward with his parasol, hitting with its entire breadth. The hitbox is as big as it looks. This can very easily cross up, and will probably lead to a huge combo if it does. It's also a consistent instant overhead. If you're sorely missing Tam Tam, press this button a few times.

j.D (Properties) - (Description) - A fairly low commitment jumping kick. Not bad, but why aren't you using j.C?

Dashing Normals

66A (Properties) - Deflectable (Description) - A quick dashing jab. Not the best range, but still useful for confirming cross-under anti-airs.

66B (Properties) - Air unblockable, deflectable, cancelable (Description) - Dashing 5B. Would be good if not for the fact that it has a blind spot right at the distance where anything might be able to combo from it. Generally not worth using.

66C (Properties) - Unblockable (Description) - Shizumaru winds up before swinging with the parasol, hitting the opponent twice. Very telegraphed and lack of knockdown make this one hard to use. but you might see some use out of it in your okizeme with Slash.

66D (Properties) - Air unblockable, cancelable (Description) - Running 3D. Not a low, but it gives you time to set up whatever oki your chosen technique prefers. Resets on air hit, so it's a very strong cross under anti-air that lets you set up a high/low afterwards.

Unarmed Normals

u.5S (Properties) - Air unblockable (Description) - A quick chop. Not half bad for an unarmed normal.

u.2S (Properties) - Air unblockable (Description) - Basically 5A but crouching.

uj.S (Properties) - Air blockable (Description) - 2A but in the air. Active for a long time.

u.66S (Properties) - Air unblockable (Description) - Talk to the hands. A shove with decent range, can be useful for making some space.

Command Moves

- 「Sankaku Tobi」 - j.3/6/9 near wall (Description) - Shizumaru's wall jump. You've got the dumbest air buttons this side of Nakoruru -- and floating shenanigans if using Bust -- so feel free.

Special Moves

Universal

- 「Kirisamejin」 - 236S (Properties) - Air blockable. Knockdown. (Description) - Shizumaru tosses out his parasol as a projectile. It's too slow for you to be winning any fireball wars with it, but it's good for harassing from further ranges, and it sets up a juggle state on hit, making it great for trades and back hit combos. Keep in mind, however, that Shizumaru will be considered unarmed until the parasol returns to him. It's also handy to toss out after a cancellable normal when you otherwise won't get a combo. Slash Only: If the parasol doesn't hit the opponent on the way out, it will have a hitbox on the way back, granting it new utility for okizeme at the expense of having it return to him at a slower speed than Bust. Opponents jumping in on this are essentially forced to either take the hit and risk a restand, or block and get guard broken.

- 「Baiu Ensatsujin」 - 623S (Properties) - Air unblockable. Knockdown. (Description) - A dragon punch, and one of the rare instances where Shizumaru actually uses his sword. Mostly used in combos, but the A version can be useful for reaction anti-air. The hitbox extends behind Shizumaru at the apex of the jump. It has a surprisingly fast landing recovery, so you might get lucky and escape a bigger punish once or twice.

- 「Amanagare Kyorakuzan」 - 421S (Properties) - Knockdown. Air unblockable. (Description) - What you'll know as Shizumaru's TAP in later games. While it doesn't have the ridiculous damage potential it would come to be known for, it is still fairly damaging and quite easy to combo into, making it a staple for Shizumaru's conversions. Bust Only: has slightly faster startup than Slash’s equivalent on the B and C versions, but he needs to wait a bit after performing the move for the umbrella to come back. It’s therefore not a bad idea to jump after landing it so you can grab the umbrella sooner and possibly come down with Bust Shizu’s air trickery.

Slash

- 「Hisame Gaeshi」 - 41236A (Properties) - Knockdown. (Description) - Shizumaru puts the umbrella in front of him and opens it up. It has two different hitboxes that can hit the opponent directly -- the largest one will simply knock the opponent away, dealing no damage. However, at a very precise spacing (about the tip range of the umbrella) this move will deal a chunk of damage and knock the opponent down directly in front of you, though this is far too inconsistent to be relying on for any reason, especially considering that there's no way to combo into it. This move's primary use is for reflecting projectiles, and while you'll have to read any attempts by your opponent to chuck some plasma at close range, this can discourage people from throwing it out at further ranges.

- 「Samidare Giri」 - 63214S (Properties) - Air unblockable. Knockdown. (Description) - Shizumaru opens his parasol and twirls it a bunch, catching anyone who dares get caught in its deadly whimsy. Deals nice chip damage to close out rounds. While the short horizontal range limits its use in combos, the generous upper body invulnerability and strong damage make this a good anti-air if they don't have a big downward-angled jumpin.

- WFT「Bouu Kyoufuzan」 - 6321463214CD (Properties) - Air unblockable. Knockdown. (Description) - Slash's WFT has a lot of forward movement until he hits either his opponent or a wall, making it useful as a combo tool and a funny predictive anti-air. Deals slightly more damage than Bust’s equivalent if the first two hits connect. Comboing into this off of n.2B will stun every time. Despite appearances, this can be beaten out by a well-placed button. It's just very risky for the defender to attempt, because getting caught will mean eating big damage and losing their weapon, and it's very easy to punish on block anyways. One particular caution you should take is to not use this when the timer is running out unless you have the life lead. This WFT takes an incredibly long time to actually deal damage.

Bust

- 「Shigure」 - j.2C (Properties) - Air blockable. (Description) - Weird parasol pogo. You can make people freeze up with it, and it will probably throw people off their guard from time to time, but it has very little hitstun and it has a ton of landing recovery. Probably not even worth that much as a gimmick.

- 「Kosame」 - j.8C (Description) - The parasol float that defines Bust Shizumaru. It has instant startup and recovery, so it’s not too risky if the foe’s anti airs aren’t on point. On top of the usual benefits from being able to screw with your aerial approaches by halting your momentum and drifting left and right, floating also initiates proximity guard. With this, you can literally stop people in their tracks by floating if they’re on the defensive. It’s also super easy to cancel the float -- just press a button. Doing a fast float cancel jA from a backdash is quite easy this way, and gives you access to a tricky retreating overhead that's less risky than the standard j.C IoH.

- WFT「Uryu Ressatsujin」 - 641236AB (Properties) - Air unblockable. Knockdown. (Description) - Bust's WFT may have a less unwieldy input than Slash, but it comes at the expense of being much slower, having shorter range, and dealing less damage than a clean Slash WFT. Its biggest boon is a brief period of invincibility partway through the startup, but it runs out well before the actual hitbox occurs. As with Slash's equivalent, it also takes ten years to deal damage. Don't use it when time's running out and you have the life deficit.

Strategy

Shizumaru is a fairly well-balanced character. While most of his grounded normals lack the range some other characters have, he's to more than enough options in the neutral to help him overcome his range issues. He can pretty handily harass people with his far C buttons, his 236S projectile and his extremely good coverage of air space with j.C, a good albeit slow anti-air in 623S, great kicks, and the very unique ability to perform an 'Instant Block'.

His general anti-airs aren't exactly high damage on their own, but a lot of them reset airborne opponents, meaning you get to force a very nasty high/low afterwards with his strong combo lows and his j.C instant overhead.

Offense

A lot of Shizumaru's offensive options depend greatly on the chosen Technique, but both can represent j.C as a very threatening instant overhead, as well as a dangerous low-hitting 2B that confirms into great damage and knockdown situations. 2B's lightning fast startup means it can frequently catch an opponent blocking high expecting the j.C after an empty jump. Of course, you can just land and immediately jump backwards and nail them with the j.C. You'll probably be jumping a good bit in both Techniques, so get used to running this mixup a lot.

Instant Block

When Shizumaru holds 4 to block an attack, he enters his standing block animation roughly 3-4 frames later than normal. If a slash normal collides with Shizumaru during these 3-4 frames, he is still considered to be blocking, but due to not having entered the blocking animation, he does not suffer any blockstun, and the opponent's normal will not cause a recoil. This particular exploit is referred to as Instant Block or IB. Video Example
Shizumaru can only IB under the following conditions:

• He is not crouching or airborne
• He is currently holding his weapon
• The opponent performs a grounded slash normal that recoils on block

Further, certain normals that do recoil on block cannot be IB'd, presumably due to those normals hitting once Shizumaru has fully entered his stand blocking animation, irrespective of timing. Whether or not this is a result of just Shizumaru's stand block animation, or a quirk in the way certain normals trigger proximity block is currently unknown.

Slash

Slash has an easy time playing a more reactive neutral game thanks to his Hisame Gaeshi projectile reflector (which gives him an edge in some matchups, like against Haohmaru and Zankuro) and Samidare Giri, whose upper body invulnerability makes it great for anti-airing bad jumps or even calling out certain pokes in the neutral.
If he ever finds himself in Rage or Desperation, any confirm into WFT can lead into a swift death combo.

Parasol Okizeme

From most knockdown situations, Slash Shizumaru can throw out 236S, using the hitbox on the parasol's return trip to force the opponent to block, giving you time to enforce a mixup, which will mostly consist of 2B, j.C instant overhead and circle step to cross up and catch potential offensive wakeup options. Well timed circle steps will also result in the parasol catching the opponent's 1f turnaround animation and being unjumpable.

Bust

Bust has less consistent options for defense and okizeme, but he is much better at bullying people with his float cancels.

Using Float

Aside from its obvious utility in throwing off anti-air timings, you can very easily make people sit still thanks to float triggering proximity guard for the opponent. This essentially forces your opponent to deal with your aerial mobility head on, which allows you to mess with people, creating opportunities to come down with your strong aerial normals.
After comboing into 421S, Bust Shizu throws his parasol up, making him wait longer for it to come back. However, you can neutral jump to meet your parasol in the air, essentially making this move your primary setup into float oki.

Another way to use float is from a backdash. 44~8C will make you float very low to the ground. From here, pressing any button will cancel the float -- quickly double tapping A, or pianoing B/C~A will make you float cancel with a fast overhead in j.A. If you input the backdash float fast enough, you can put yourself at a distance where you can mix up between float cancel j.A and 6D, giving you an avenue to frustrate your opponent into making more mistakes.

Combos

Universal

Front hit BnB: 2B/5B xx 421A
Shizu's main combo from a low starter. 2D can link into 2B, but it's relatively tight and not an important link for him.
While outside of the corner, this will not work on Haohmaru or Amakusa while standing, or on Kyoshiro while crouching.

Alternate front hit BnB: 2B/5B xx 623C
Works on more characters than the above combo, but Amakusa still gets out if he's standing. Genjuro also isn't affected.

Back hit BnB: 2B/5B xx 236A, 6D xx 623A
6D restands after 236A. Make sure to microwalk and slightly delay the 6D so you can get your umbrella back, otherwise you'll have no special move to cancel into.
This combo will not work on:

• Haohmaru, Shizumaru, Rimururu

You can end with 623B for a stun, but only on the following characters:

• Basara, Galford, Gaira, Nakoruru, Ukyo

Slash Only

Rage/Desperation ToD: 2B xx 6321463214CD [stun] back hit j.C 5C
If you're in Rage or Desperation, you are terrifying -- confirming 2B into WFT stuns. Hit j.C as a cross-up to get the back hit. 5C is consistent and works on everyone, but on a few more characters you can follow up the j.C with walk up 2B xx 421C for style points.

Alternate Desperation ToD: 2B xx 6321463214CD [stun] 2B xx 6321463214CD
Easiest ToD in the game.

External Links

• Shizumaru Frame Data