Super Naruto: Clash of Ninja 4/Esoterica

Strategies

Stance Break

Stance Break is a term used to describe the act of terminating the pose a character is in when a move is Y-Canceled (hence, "breaking the stance"). This can be done by any non-attack action, such as walking forward or backward, sidestepping, or jumping.

Normally, when an attack is Y-Canceled, the resulting combo damage decays at twice the rate, as an extra 5% scaling penalty is added to the next attack that hits the opponent. However, this additional damage decay only applies if an attack is done out of the stance resulting from a Y-Cancel; as a result, performing a Stance Break will override that penalty and cause the next attack to scale normally.

Due to action priorities, characters are forced to enter a "jump" state for 1 frame after performing an input involving an upwards direction (8B or 8A). Because jumps are considered a non-attack action, these moves will automatically perform a Stance Break upon use. Another easy Stance Break technique that works for crouching moves is to hold [1] or [3] while doing juggles with them, which will prioritize walking after the Y-Cancel but pressing a button while holding those down diagonals will give the crouching button every time.

Just-Frame Super

When cancelling a super-cancellable attack into a super, if the attacking character didn't have enough chakra for the super before the attack but the attack will give them enough chakra to super once it connects, the super cannot be buffered. Instead, the input must be manually timed specifically during the remainder of the active frames after the attack connects. This is typically referred to as a "just-frame super" and is essential for many optimal combos.

Most characters experience this when using as a combo ender immediately after a , in which case it's typically a 2 or 3-frame window to input the attack.

Billy no Jutsu

A technique to punish LKnJ in which the player holds back after an attack or y-cancel, thus getting the earliest possible turn around and then throwing the opponent while they are still recovering from the teleport. Named "Billy no Jutsu" after the player Billy Shipp (Purefunked) who popularized the technique in competitive play.

Rob no Jutsu

Similar to Billy no Jutsu, but for air RKnJ. In this instance the player must sidestep to avoid the RKnJ attack after turning around and then throw. Named after the player Heartnana (Rob).

Instant While-Running

CS2 Sasuke performing his running attacks and a running sidestep in very close proximity to the opponent.

The phrase "Instant while-running" or "IWR" refers to a character using a running attack shortly after the minimum number of frames they must be running before running moves will initiate, which is universally on the 7th frame onward. This is special because, with proper execution, strong moves that are normally locked behind needing space to run can be used in close proximity without being as telegraphed as normal. Most commonly useful with running teleports and running attacks that have instant crush frames to dodge attacks, or for running sidestep that will dodge more attacks on recovery than a standing sidestep.

Instant Turnaround Throw

If a player inputs a throw on the very first frame of the turnaround animation as the character turns to face the opponent they they are backturned to, they will immediately turn around and perform the throw on the opponent if they're in range instead of having to wait on the full turnaround animation to complete (which takes 7 additional frames in SCON4).

Front Substitution

A Front Substitution (or "Front Sub") describes a phenomenon in Clash of Ninja games (including SCON4) where the victim's attempt at substituting out of a combo brings them in front of the attacker instead of behind. This usually results in the attacker continuing their combo on a now chakra-deprived opponent. Moves and techniques known to cause front sub are referred to as Front Sub Setups.

Cause

During substitution, the opponent's hidden placement marker invisibly remains in position for several frames and can be pushed by other characters. If the attacker bypasses this position before the teleport happens (by running/moving forward), a Front Sub will occur because the opponent will now teleport from behind the player to the front, instead of the opposite. Because the invisible opponent can be pushed, the victim must usually be juggled high in the air or the attacker must use an attack which ducks down in order to succesfully "get under" the invisible opponent. Front subs happen as a matter of course if the attacker and defender are facing the same direction, since KnJ reverses the direction the defender is facing. Front subs may also happen due to stage walls and corners, throw combos or during strings which combine juggle moves and attacks with forward movement.

Setups

• Passing below or turning around ahead of an airborne opponent. Common opportunities for front sub setups are after high-launching moves like Kisame or Hinata .
  • Some moves have a tendency to naturally cause this in the middle of a combo due to their movement, such as Temari's j.B in her j.B loops.
• Sidestepping mid-combo, or doing a running sidestep during a combo.
• Facing away from an opponent instead of towards them.

Backturn Unblockables

When both characters are facing the same direction, some attacks performed by the lead character (with their back turned to the opponent) will become unblockable. This is because the hitbox is big enough (or positioned in such a way) that it will hit your opponent behind you, but the game's logic says you must be facing a certain direction to block this attack (i.e. if the game reads the attack as attacking to the right, you must be facing left to block it). Shino is a nuanced case of this. Shino's bugs when dropped take his current facing to decide which direction the attack is attacking in, however, the bugs themselves are homing onto the opponent's position. This means that they can carry that direction while traveling around the stage and when they make contact with the opponent the game will then check if the opponent is facing the correct way to block them.

While the above talks about a true backturn unblockable, there also exist attacks that simply hit your opponent's back. This happens because the attack is programmed to only take your opponent's position and your current facing into account. So, a move like Itachi or will appear at your opponent's location, but if you're facing right, it will use the opponent's left-most position to create the clone with no regard for the opponent's facing. This means that if you're in this back turn scenario, the clone is now created at your opponent's back leaving them unable to block the attack.

In either of these back turn scenario's, if the opponent is facing the opposite direction they will be able to block the attacks. This is because attacks from the second scenario will now be hitting in front of the opponent which naturally means they can block and attacks from the first scenario now read that you are facing the proper direction to block them, and so you will be able to.

Notable examples are Gaara, Jirobo and , many Itachi clone moves, Tayuya, and Haku. In the Clash of Ninja games you cannot intentionally turn your character away from the opponent. These setups work because your opponent must always get up facing you, repeating the backturned scenario. There are many more than listed here.

Phantom Sword

Whenever Kisame or Zabuza use their attack just before landing, there is one frame where the hitbox of the attack will be displaced, and it will also be able to hit to the sides of them. If this one frame is lined up to connect with an opponent, it will be completely unblockable to them if they try to guard it. This is most commonly referred to as the Phantom Sword.

Video Example

General Game Info

Backturn Hitstun

The hitstun incurred from attacks that hit a standing character from behind is less than the hitstun when hitting them from the front. This causes basic strings to not combo and allows the defender to escape the string via several ways, including sidesteps, running forward, jumping, turning around, counters (that activate on back hits), crushes and more. From the attacker's standpoint, counterplay includes:

• Initiate a juggle as soon as possible (either from a throw or a launching move) in order to render the reduced hitstun irrelevant
• Land an attack that is hard-coded to turn the opponent around to face you on hit, thus normalizing the hitstun (such as Sasuke's )
• Use a string with rapid attacks that are still able to combo even on backturn hit
• Use an attack which staggers the opponent (stagger duration is not reduced due to back-turned hits)
• Use an attack with quick recovery and attempt to punish the defender's reaction (for example, Guy jab followed by run-up throw to punish a turnaround)

Attack Clash

of Ninja.

A clash occurs when two attack hitboxes connect with one another at the same time. When such a situation occurs, the point of impact will flash with inverted greyscale colors and play a unique sound effect to signify the clash, and both attacks are neutralized. Despite this, both of the clashing attacks will also be considered as to have connected with the opponent on hit/block by the game, thus allowing either character to continue cancelling their attack into the remainder of its string (including into a super if it's a super-cancellable attack).

Clashes take priority over attack trades in this game, so even if the attacks were also going to hit each opponent's hurtboxes, the two characters will clash instead of hitting one another.

Projectile Neutralization

Attacks that utilize bladed weapons (i.e. kunai/needle/shuriken/claw swipes/projectiles) are able to neutralize projectile bladed weapons if their hitboxes overlap with the projectile's. For example, Sakura is able to neutralize other thrown projectiles with her shurikens, and Kakashi can neutralize thrown kunais with his () when timed right. This mechanic gives importance to the raw number of thrown projectiles, as characters who throw stockpiles of bladed weapons at once (such as Itachi and Orochimaru) are able to neutralize incoming projectiles while still having some left over to continue flying at the opponent.

Note: Attacks that can do this can be identified by the HAZIKI flag in Debug Training.

Gravity Scaling

The falling velocity of the victim of a combo increases from every single hit they take during the combo. This is intended to eventually cause the combo to drop so combos don't go on forever.

Around where the combo counter exceeds 99 hits, the gravity scaling actually starts to invert and the victim starts to gain height from every hit, however this hardly ever happens in normal play if at all (needs verification for SCON4).

Neutral Wakeup Extra Invulnerability Frames

If a player doesn't make any inputs on their controller during the get-up animation, they will be invulnerable for up to 3 frames following wakeup. If any input is made at all during these invulnerable frames, the invincibility will immediately end as the player begins their new action. In result, players may vary the first frame they are vulnerable after wakeup by up to six frames, combining the three frames of do-nothing invulnerability with the three frames of sidestep invulnerability.

This only happens with non-attacking wakeups (neutral, rolling, and tech roll recovery) and does not apply to wake-up kick.

Disabled Throws

During an attack's startup, the character often manifests the TDOWN flag (which can be seen in the Debug display); whenever this flag is present, the character is considered to be on a throwable state.

However, certain moves are not programmed with the flag at all; as a result, these attacks will disable the opponent's ability to execute throws altogether until their active frames, meaning that punishing the attack's startup frames with a throw is not possible when it could have otherwise been the best play to do so. This property is relatively rare and also arbitrarily spread amongst attacks in this game.

Prone vs Supine Knockdown Tech Roll

A large majority of moves in this game that launch or juggle result in a supine knockdown on the opponent (where the opponent lands on their back, face-up) and they will have three tech roll recovery directions available to them: backwards (default), up or down. However, certain moves such as Shikamaru's and Orochimaru's may launch the opponent into a prone knockdown (where they land face-down on their stomach), depending on the angle of attack. In these cases, the backwards tech roll recovery is replaced by a forward roll, which may leave the defender more vulnerable to okizeme pressure including wake-up super.

Wakeup Turnaround

While a character is getting up from a knockdown in this game, they can be made to automatically turn around to face the opponent during the middle of their wakeup animation, not only at the start of it. This is important to note as the animation will restart and thus refresh their wakeup invulnerability until the repeated wakeup animation finishes.

3D Notes & Jank

Attack Tracking

Many moves in this game have a property that's commonly referred to as "tracking", in which the character is programmed to automatically pivot their facing direction towards the opponent during specific attacks. This is intended to ensure that certain attacks connect with an opponent that may be off-axis from the attacking character, such as after sidesteps. All moves that have tracking display a flag in the Debug display (AUTODIR) that enables them to track the opponent at least 90 degrees off-axis (45 degrees to their left + 45 degrees to their right), but no more than 180 degrees (unless hard-coded to do so). In the latter case, there also exists another form of tracking where the attacking character is made to instantly face the opponent upon initiating an attack no matter where they are, even if they are directly behind their back.

Generally, attack tracking is more effective when further spaced from the opponent than when point blank, due to the closer spacing making facing angles much sharper and thus much more difficult to track.

Alternating Attack Stances

Most characters alternate the side of their body they attack with (almost) every time they initiate an attack. For example, if Naruto performs his swinging his left fist one time, the next time he does that attack it will be with swinging his right fist. This can be valuable to keep watch of because hitboxes and hurtboxes are generally tied to the "bones" of the character, so the side the character attacks with can affect which direction you may need to sidestep it to cleanly avoid it. It is most evident with attempting to sidestep sweeping attacks from opponents, where a sidestep against the direction of the sweep is effective, but a sidestep in the direction of the sweep may result in still getting hit.

Temari, Zabuza, Tayuya, Kimimaro, Itachi and Kisame are the only characters whose attacks never switch their stance, most of them being because they have animations with elements that can't simply be mirrored such as weapon unsheathing.

The Neutral Frame

Similar to the occurrence of the same name in Melty Blood games, after most actions in this game, there is one "Neutral Frame" that all actions pass through after the animation ends. On this frame, the character cannot do any actions at all except for block, and throws will not execute on this frame (although they will connect on very next frame). For example, this means that a move that hits on frame 21 cannot punish moves that are -21 on block as they will hit the opponent on their neutral frame where they can block. Another thing to note is that the neutral frame also makes it so that you may need an extra frame of leeway to be able to use certain escape options in blockstrings; to escape a blockstring with a sidestep, there must be a 2F gap or larger, and to be able to have 4B autoguard catch an attack, the gap must be at least 3F.