SoulCalibur V: Advanced Techniques

This thread is a compilation of information on advanced techniques. This is aimed at newer players who are ready to start delving deeper into the game's system and want to know where to start. This is not a comprehensive guide to the every intricacy in the game's system, but rather a number of techniques that any player would agree are quite useful.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

I. Movement

• 8-Way Run
• Quick Step
• Advanced & Retreating Step

II. Movelist Access

• Recover Crouch Cancel
• Buffered 8-Way Run
• Instant Full Crouch
• Instant While Rising
• Back Turned Setups

III. Guard Impact

• Covering Options in the Guard Impacted State
• Maximizing Damage Post Guard Impact
• Guaranteeing Damage Post Guard Impact

IV. Miscellaneous

• Guard Throw Escape

MOVEMENT

8-Way Run

The main component of the system's movement and the namesake of the website, 8-Way Run is used to avoid moves that track . In general, 8-Way Run is the weakest form of movement, but it's also one of the safer forms of movement. You can cancel 8-Way Run at anytime after the start-up with either an 8WR attack, or G. This can allow you to bait certain moves from your opponent if you know their options are limited. For example, Siegfried can try to bait a 66A from Pyrrha by using 8-Way Run at a distance. When he anticipates her using it, he can instantly cancel the 8WR into his SBH auto-GI and punish her for it.

Quick Step

Quick Step is the best way to avoid the many linear moves that populate the game. It is done with a quick 22 or 88 input. Besides avoiding vertical moves, it can be also used to properly position yourself safely when outside the opponent's range. However its usefulness is mitigated somewhat by its unsafety - there is a 15 frame window between the initiation of the step and the game accepting G inputs again.

Advancing Step

Advancing Step is similar to Quick Step. Advancing Step moves you towards your opponent with a single 6 input. Advancing Step is a good way to maintain close quarters with your opponent, especially against one that is constantly retreating. Close range fighters can apply this to great effect against characters like Astaroth or Siegfried. Advancing Step is also the only Step movement that is still safe to use - Advancing Step can be cancelled with G at any point during the step.


Retreating Step

The opposite of Advancing Step, Retreating Step allows you to create distance between your opponent with a single 4 input. Long range fighters can use this to maintain their optimal spacing. It can also be used to make an opponent whiff a short range move, with varying success depending on the speed and distance covered by that character's Retreating Step - it varies from character to character. Note that you cannot safely cancel a Retreating Step with G - you have roughly a 20 frame window from the time you press 4 and the time the game accepts G inputs.

MOVELIST ACCESS

Recover Crouch Cancel

Recover Crouch Cancel is a technique that allows you to recover in a standing state from moves that would normally force you into a crouched state. To do it, tap 6 during the very end of the recovery of the move that leaves you in crouch, and you will recover standing instead. Though not as important or effective in this game, the RCC gets you out of crouch and back into standing mode so you can buffer standing attacks. This can be used to use attacks that might have useful special properties in situations you normally would not be able to, or to extend combos.

Example: Yoshimitsu Combo = FC ~ ~

Buffered 8-Way Run

In SoulCalibur V, the method of double tapping a direction to "instantly" get the corresponding 8-Way Run attack has been removed - you must step in that direction before the move executes. However, there are ways to either remove the step or do a move that has a direction different from the one indicated by your movement.

To remove the step, one needs to buffer either a 66 or a 44 input, and then slide to the direction indicated. This will do the move without doing a Quick Step or Step beforehand, and is a much more fluid animation. However, this does not make the move faster - it only removes the step and nothing more. Example 1 and Example 2 show two ways to do it.

To do a move that has a different input than the direction you're moving, a similar input is used from the above method, except one can buffer it from any direction, or even 8WR. Buffer whatever direction you want to move in first, and then slide to the direction of the move you wish to do. Example 3 and Example 4 show two ways to do it.

Example 1: Ezio 11A =
Example 2: Ezio 22AA =

Example 3: Siegfried 22A =
Example 4: Siegfried 66B =


Instant Full Crouch

Instant Full Crouch allows you to do attacks that are normally only available from FC. This is useful if one has extremely powerful attacks available to them from FC. If done correctly, the move appears to be done in one perfectly fluid motion as if it was a move that was available to you from standing. iFC moves are, when done perfectly, one frame slower than the regular FC move. Example 1, Example 2, and Example 3 show three different characters that can benefit from this technique.

Example 1: Siegfried FC (B) = (release)
Example 2: Yoshimitsu FC 3K = (release)
Example 3: Leixia FC 3B = (release)


Instant While Rising

Instant While Rising allows you to do attacks that are normally only available from WR. This is useful if one has extremely powerful attacks available to them from WR. IF done correctly, the move appears to be done in one perfectly fluid motion, as if it was a move that was available to you from standing. iWR moves are, when done perfectly, five frames slower than the regular WR move.

Example: Siegfried WR B = (release) (release)
Example: Algol WR KK = (release) (release)


Back Turned Setups

Some characters have great BT mixups but have no moves that leave them in BT. One way to get into back-turned is to jump over your opponent. This can be done while your opponent is using an advancing crouching low, or when he/she is rolling on the ground. Another way is to recover from a knockdown into a back turned position. When you get knocked down, pay attention: if you are either FUFA or FDFT, you can recover into a BT position by tapping either K+G or A+B+K.

GUARD IMPACT

Covering Options in the Guard Impacted State

While you are in the GI state, the only options available to you are to try and GI their attack, or input throw escapes. There is roughly 27 to 30 frames frames of vulnerability after being Guard Impacted, which means that any move that is i27 or faster will hit you if you do not Guard Impact back. Assuming you have enough meter, you can Guard Impact back, but this is not always the wisest option - throws cannot be Impacted, nor can Critical Edge moves, and if your opponent does either of those, you will have wasted meter for something that you could not have possibly defended against.

Maximizing Damage Post Guard Impact

You're going to want to input a move immediately after you hit your GI input to get it to come out as fast as possible, because on the chance that your GI whiffs, your move won't come out anyway. Your impact and move should be all one motion - for example, do 4A+B+K236B instead of 4A+B+K ~ 236B.

Move selection is extremely dependent on which character you're using, what your gameplan is, what your optimal spacing is, and your ring positioning. Realize that your opponent is also going to be mindful of these things as well, and will most likely respond to the option that will do the most damage - if there is a wall behind you and you have a slow wallsplat option, they are likely to try and reverse Guard Impact during the later parts of vulnerability. If the ring's edge is to your left, and you have a fast move that knocks down to your left, your opponent will likely try to Guard Impact you at the earliest possible opportunity. You can extrapolate the possibilities and situations from there - be mindful of your options, and be mindful of the options your opponent has.

Throw attempts are guaranteed after a successful Guard Impact, but the actual throw is not. In general, you should not be using throws after Guard Impacting unless you're playing a character that has very strong throws, like Astaroth. They also have certain niche uses that are covered in the next section.

As a final note, if you Guard Impact your opponent and they do not have enough meter for a Guard Impact of their own, any move you do within the vulnerability window is guaranteed.

Guaranteeing Damage Post Guard Impact

Because of this game's changes from the past iterations, it is possible to get 100% guaranteed damage after a Guard Impact, which makes it a very powerful technique. There two ways to get guaranteed damage, both giving extremely different damage. The first is, if you have at least 1.5 meter, is to Guard Impact and then use your Critical Edge. None of the Critical Edges can be Impacted back except in circumstances that do not apply to post-Guard Impact states, and you can safely use this technique with any character. Take note that this technique is more successful with some characters than others - for example, a Viola that has her orb set in a poor position may want to use a different technique. In addition, the copious amount of meter required for this technique does not make it an efficient use of meter, and thus should be used in circumstances when you absolutely need that damage.

The other way to get guaranteed damage is to use a throw. This is the preferred method if you need only a sliver of damage for the victory, because throws do damage even on break. Because throw breaks do their damage based on the strength of the throw, it's recommended that you use your strongest throw post break - characters with command grabs will shine here. This should only be done in circumstances when even the break will guarantee the win, because a throw break after a GI is essentially 0.5 meter for around 7 damage and reset spacing depending on the timing - the reward is not bad depending on the character you're playing, and you need to take it on a character-by-character basis, but generally there are better ways to spend your meter.

MISCELLANEOUS

Throw Breaking Behind Guard

This is a technique to ensure you have at least a 50% chance of breaking a throw if you're simply sitting there blocking. To do this, simply mash on either A or B while holding G. There is no way to tell which throw break you are mashing, or if you're even doing the technique at all.