Soul Calibur V: Pyrrha Alexandra Guide

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Fei

[08] Mercenary
This is a direct copy and paste from my blog at avgi.wordpress.com

Disclaimer: I do not claim to be any good! My tech jargon might not be up to date. Additionally, this entry was written without the aid of Google anything. It was written based solely from the play experience of 1-2 days play (no frame data etc etc).

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Currently a quick and dirty play guide for Pyrrha of Soul Calibur V. I assume the reader has some experience in fighting games in general and I use standard notation for SCV freely.

Game Plan:

In short: Win by rushdown / technical skill.

Players of Sophitia should be at home here, since Pyrrha is the spiritual successor of her. Noticeably missing her fantastic 66B and 4B from SCIV. Her damaging lows are very telegraphed and fairly risky; often times, she relies on 1K pokes and throws as the only reminders to the opponent to duck (though online vs many players, you can 1A,A quite a many times before they block low either due to inexperience or lag).

Sound advice in general typically involves blocking a move and choosing to either punish with 236B4, punishing with AA/BB for frame advantage and mix ups, or if the move is nonpunishable set up a throw/mid/low mix up. Also as a general rule of thumb, don’t use moves that take your feet off the ground unless they’re absolutely guaranteed beyond a shadow of a doubt (9B, 9K are my exceptions).

When playing any character, you want to consider the character match up, the range you’re currently compared to the opponent, and the states of the two characters (standing vs down, wiffed attack, etc). Once you know your situation, you can look at your tools. All of this happens in real time, so practice is obviously required for success.

At Close Range (About tip of AA range or less):
At this range, you’re typically in the more advantageous position since your tools are generally among the fastest in the game. Fairly liberally use AA/BB here. If you can clearly feel they’re blocking mid, 1K or throw them. If you some how are eating pressure at this close range, just 2A and react accordingly.
Moves on hit in general that don’t knock down (ex. Use AA, BB):
  • On hit gauge response. You can do another AA/BB if they’re swing happy (or 2A). If they’re blocking, choose to throw or 1K poke.
  • On block, A+B counter in general beats follow up attempts on damage on her. You can 2A as a relatively safe alternative (which you could then still chain in to AA/BB or A+B counter).
Alternatively you can straight punish most blocked moves at close or mid range with 236B4 which will put the opponent in a knocked down status (refer to opponent grounded section).

At close range with some sort of neutral state or advantage, 1K and 6BK, the K almost always hits, when it does, 2A is a fantastic follow up! This will lead to options of 2K or Throw, alternatively a beefy mid is great if they are duck happy.

At Mid Range (About 1B tip range):
Try to harass with 1B, 6B+K, 3A. When they turtle up you can move in for mid/low/throw mix ups. Your damage isn’t great at this range, but you do have pretty surprising reach (it’s still not good).

When playing the spacing game, 11B and 66A are two of her best tools. 11B is a very strong step punish tool and generally good just to throw out after any wiff that you see in mid'ish range.

Often there is a mini stale mate here as you have to decide when the best moment to close the gap is. Some match ups, it doesn’t hurt to linger in this range (characters with not many good/high damage mid range tools), while in others, you may be pushed out of this range rather quickly or perhaps this is an unfavorable range to be in (for example Nightmare has much safer, and much higher damage moves at this range than you do).

Long Range (Anything outside of her normal sword swings):
Avoid this range and try to be at least in Mid Range. Spend more time in 8way run mode or stepping in and out of screen. Look for chances to dash punish careless wiffs.

This range is only favorable to be in if you are running the clock and want to safely keep advantage. In that case, all lows are slow enough to be reacted to (either jump or block), thus, only block mid at this range. Make sure to keep your back away from rings edge to avoid accidental losses. If they dash in, it’s usually safer to block and eat mix up and retaliate after. Most common dash in moves are fairly high damage, while your mid range moves are not very damaging, in most cases you would lose on the trade, and even if you didn’t, the risk reward isn’t worth it in my opinion. Let them get close, then into negative frames, then force mix up on them instead.

While Opponent Grounded:
This is a great situation for you to be in, as characters don’t have many threats while they’re grounded. During this situation, you want to milk any free damage you can or set it up, so when they get up (they’re in a mix up position again), they eat big damage and get grounded again.

1A, 1K, 1B – Good choices while they’re grounded for free damage.

Dash up fake a low by doing a slow’ish launcher or WS A+B. This works fairly well in these cases for reasonably good damage and much less risk than if they were standing because this is one situation where a low is almost always expected.

Rings Edge:
Back to ring – you can 33B followed by B+K, it tech crouches so sometimes highs will wiff, it’ll reverse launch for ring out. Alternatively, you can 66B+K,A,B followed by B+K for a similar effect.
Opponents back to ring – You can ring out from 3B, 1AA, 236236A+B+K and many other moves that knock up (or knocks down). Be careful not to be reverse rung out by Nightmare, Hilde, Siegfried, etc.

Wall:
When opponent is launched into wall, I find 3B or 3A+B good choices, it splats them and leaves them at your feet for wake up.
When your back is near the wall, same general rules as you would have if your back was against the rings edge, play a bit safer, since the punishment for being flung into the wall is almost the same as being rung out.

Meter Usage:
I find you want to use your super 236236A+B+K when you launch, guard break, or stepped something slow and want to punish. The damage is pretty good.

Her ex moves seem lackluster and I have not warranted much use from them (not being able to hit-confirm the ex parts typically weirds me out). I make an exception for 66B,A+B+K. It guard crushes pretty quickly (although expensive way to do so) and seems safe. It follows into 22BAK for pretty nutty damage.

I would not consider using meter for guard impact since she has a meterless GI.

Current Most Used Tools:
Pokes:
  • AA – Kills step, Punishes most punishable moves on block.
  • BB – Good damage. One of her best moves.
  • 2A – Defensive poke. Also one of her best moves.
  • AK, 6BK, 4K – Other pokes at close range.
  • 1B, 3A, 66A, 6B+K – Good mid range pokes.
Lows:
  • 1K – Fast, mostly safe low.
  • 11A – Fairly good range low, on counter, links to another A, ie 11AA
Damage:
  • 66A+G, B+G – A good amount of her damage can come from throws
  • 236B – Best punish tool, remember to tap 4 as just frame for extra damage. I tack this on to any launcher as extra damage.
  • 3B, 66K, 3A+B, 66B – Good damage punishers/launchers (better from side step). Follow with 236B or 236236A+B+K.
  • 4A,A and 4A,B – High Low and High Mid mix up. It’s natural combo on counter hit.
Utility:
  • A+B -
A free GI. Most people can’t GI on reaction, they do it on anticipation. To make this shine, you want to set yourself up in situations where the opponent wants to attack you so the odds of the GI going off is significantly higher. After SAFE blocked moves such as AA/BB are excellent places to toss this out. Use less often if opponent is throw happy.

It's good vs any character with fast AA and BB's that people tend to throw out after blocking your AA/BB. It's more good vs "faster" characters (such as Pyrrha or Leixia), and not as good vs "slower" characters (such as Siegfried or Astratoh). It is also good vs characters with canned strings that have moments where you can move (such as Maxi stuff in general) and other "slow" strings.
  • B+K, B – Good counter to vertical moves, remember to tap 4 for extra damage on hit.
  • 33B – Reverse launcher, follow with B+K for surprise ring out.
  • 9B, 9K – Both avoids lows. Good to counter telegraphed lows and 2A’s of other characters.
  • wsA,wsB, wsA+B – A stops step, B is a fast mid, A+B keeps you in tech crouch for quite a long time
  • 22BAK and 236AA – Both of these moves are high risk, but very solid punishers on step.
Combos:
  • Any launcher – 236B or 236236A+B+K
  • 4B,44A,236B – This comes from a high move that’s rather slow. 80 damage from a safe move is pretty good.
  • 66B,A+B+K,22BAK – This is also slow to start, safe on block, but comes from a move that hits mid instead, costs gauge though.
How to Deal With:

  • Spammers – Block (the whole) move, retaliate with 236B quickly (usually should be free if you’re quick). Or block move, AA/BB and follow close range rules of mixing it up.
  • Random Lows – GI, Block and Punish, use more 9B, 9K, or B+K during regular play.
  • Over-aggressive players – Block while look for windows to use 2A, AA/BB, 236B, on hit, you gain momentum and they have to block or eat more hits, allowing for further pressure from you.
  • Step happy players – Players who step too much will eat 4AB, 4AA, AA, 3A, 66A from you.
  • Passive players – If they turtle too much, punish by throwing them or doing lows. Alternatively throw extra 6B+K’s since they break guard pretty quickly. Cash in by doing a high damage combo of choice once guard breaks.
  • When the range is too long – If being kept out by Ivy 6B, Killik stuff, or Nightmare swings, try to find the max range of move and stay about there until they wiff, dash in and be ready to block a quicker close range move from them, once this occurs, they’re at negative frames (disadvantage) and you’re free to choose a mix up of your own.
  • Internet Lag – If the opponent is the cause of the lag, I would use high risk rush down such as 1AA/BB and throw spam often hoping for it to quickly win the game or lose it so I can move on with life without being angry.
Other Notes:
  • While blocking you can tap A or B to break a throw, there isn’t really a catch to tapping A or B while blocking and there is reward of meter gain and throw break if you’re lucky.
  • While blocking you can fuzzy guard by tapping up while blocking. Doing this quickly would keep you grounded but if the opponent tries to do a low, the game mechanics will select a jump for you to evade the low. Combined with tapping A or B, with practice, it makes for pretty insane defenses.
  • Her Omega version has 66B!
Feel free to click on the title of this post so you can leave comments, suggestions, questions, and friend invites on PSN under xFei.

~xFei

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I hope someone finds my random thoughts helpful. Thanks in advance!

~Fei
 
When you said Pyrrha was rushdown I had to give the rest of your guide a read. Some notation errors (11B should've been 33B) but otherwise a decent guide. If I suspect somebody fuzzy guarding, they're gonna eat a rare 1AA is all I'm saying.
 
This is kinda helpful for beginners like myself, i think. I got this game not even thinking that i was going to play Pyrrha, i was looking forward to sticking with Mitsurugi/Voldo, but once i tried her out in story mode i was instantly hooked to her style. i love "wave dashing" with those 236's and i do enjoy her rushdown style. I do hate that she has lots of trouble against long range characters.
 
Thank's for noting the errata on the guide Lunar. Editing to reflect.

I should have made an explicit disclaimer for how I claim her to be played, but it's hopefully self-implied, similiar to how you understood it to be. Anyone can play her any way they want. *nod

Yoshi, I totally forgot to mention anything about wave dashing. Omega Pyrrha and Devil Jin seem to like wave dashing as well.

On further thought, I didn't give 66B enough credit in the guide. Safe mids, with good range, tech jumps, and comboes into stuff, is very good!

Thank you for reading, thank you for comments!

~Fei
 
bah, im not near my game right now but im assuming 66B is that move that bounces them on hit right? Even tho i base my game around setting up that move, i find it to have very slow startup. Im assuming there is frame advantage on block? trying to find out good stuff to do if opponent blocks the move, usually i follow with 236B, 4 (notations newbie here).
 
bah, im not near my game right now but im assuming 66B is that move that bounces them on hit right? Even tho i base my game around setting up that move, i find it to have very slow startup. Im assuming there is frame advantage on block? trying to find out good stuff to do if opponent blocks the move, usually i follow with 236B, 4 (notations newbie here).

66B is not frame advantage on block. Its still safe though. The brave edge version is heavy advantage on block.
 
I think I will settle with Pyrrha as my main for now since she's just so much fun to use ^^ Thanks for the write up. I'm completely new to the Soul Calibur series and I believe your guide is a great starting step for me to break into the series :)
 
Thank you for the comments!

Additional stuff that I didn't add because I forgot or what not:

1K and 6BK, the K almost always hits, when it does, 2A is a fantastic follow up! This will lead to options of 2K or Throw, alternatively a beefy mid is great if they are duck happy.

4A_A_B is great. High damage but high risk too, no one plays perfectly safe with any character, so I feel these are worth more attention than I gave. (I like 4AB more, on hit gives 3B as free damage).

When playing the spacing game, 11B and 66A are two of her best tools. 11B is a very strong step punish tool and generally good just to throw out after any wiff that you see in mid'ish range.

A+B clarification: It's good vs any character with fast AA and BB's that people tend to throw out after blocking your AA/BB. It's more good vs "faster" characters (such as Pyrrha or Leixia), and not as good vs "slower" characters (such as Siegfried or Astratoh). It is also good vs characters with canned strings that have moments where you can move (such as Maxi stuff in general) and other "slow" strings.

~Fei
 
May want to consider 22/88K as a lethal punisher. Not only is it safe on block, but the stun leads into 236B. The only issue is that it is a high instead of a mid, and the 236B can whiff if it hits at a strange angle.
 
Just wanted to say thanks for the guide, as I'm a beginner and considering Pyrrha to be a main character. :)
 
ETB: Was trying 22K a bit in matches, I found that the times I want to use it (a fast punisher) a lot of people I happen to play vs are in a tech crouch state from the end of the move they just performed, I wiffed and my heart skipped a beat a few times. I'll test it out more. 44B+K seems more guaranteed a follow up than 236B here.

Thanks for reading!

~Fei
 
Anyone got a link to the page that explains what notations like wsA mean? Would love to read this guide but I don't understand the lingo lol

Thanks in advance
 
ETB: Was trying 22K a bit in matches, I found that the times I want to use it (a fast punisher) a lot of people I happen to play vs are in a tech crouch state from the end of the move they just performed, I wiffed and my heart skipped a beat a few times. I'll test it out more. 44B+K seems more guaranteed a follow up than 236B here.
Ah, sub with 11_44_77B, then, since it hits mid. It doesn't seem to track as well as in the past, though...
 
ETB: Yea, I really like 11B. I think on wake up, 44B+K is really good, it looks so massive and awesome.

~Fei
 
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