Haohmaru FAQ For Capcom vs SNK 2 on Arcade, Dreamcast, and Playstation 2. Written by Kenny "Kenshi" Tam Contact: kennytam@foxhound.zzn.com =============== Version History =============== Version 1.0 January 24, 2002 Everything. January 27, 2002 Added Groove info etc. ================= Table of Contents ================= I. Introduction II. Profile III. Annotations and Abbreviations IV. General Moves V. Special Moves VI. Desperation Moves VII. General Notes VIII. Strategies IX. Combos X. Miscellany XI. Notes and Credits =============== I. Introduction =============== This is an FAQ for Haohmaru. I first used him in Samurai Showdown years ago, and occasionally in the NGPC Version. I'm actually a big Rurouni Kenshin fan, and this is the closest I can actually get (where's Ukyo!! and Genjuro!!!) The move lists and descriptions I got from sitting next to my machine and watching the move several twenty times on training mode. =========== II. Profile =========== Full Name: Ha Oh Maru (Emperor/Conqueror Man?) Nationality: Japan Favorite Food: Sake. From: Samurai Spirits ================================== III. Annotations and Abbreviations ================================== UB U UF UB= Up-Back U= Up UF= Up-Forward \ | / B= Back N= Neutral F= Forward B--N--F DB= Down-Back D= Down DF= Down-Forward / | \ DB D DF LP= Light Punch MP= Medium Punch HP= Hard Punch LK= Light Kick MK= Medium Kick HK= Hard Kick P= Any Punch K= Any Kick PP= Two Punches Simultaneously KK= Two Kicks Simultaneously PPP= All Three Punches KKK= All Three Kicks QCF= Quarter Circle Forward (D, DF, F) QCB= Quarter Circle Back (D, DB, B) DPM= Dragon Punch Motion (F, D, DF) RDP= Reverse Dragon Punch (B, D, BD) HCF= Half Circle Forward (B, DB, D, DF, F) HCB= Half Circle Back (F, DF, D, DB, B) 360= Spin Joystick in Full Circle Super Jump= Tap Down, then Up or any Up direction quickly to do a further, large jump. A trail will appear behind the opponent if done correctly. Dash= Tap Forward or Back twice quickly to move quickly in that direction. Throw= When near an opponent, press either Forward or Back and Hard Punch or Hard Kick to execute a throw attack. Throw Escape= When being grabbed for a throw, Press either Forward or Back and Hard Punch or Hard Kick to escape. Evasion= Press Light Punch and Light Kick simultaneously. Depending on the groove, the character will perform an action that will evade most moves for the duration of the action. Taunt= Press Select to do a special taunt. Grooves ******* C-Groove: --------- This mode is similar to the Alpha Series as well as Capcom Groove in the original game. The character has a gauge at the bottom of the screen, which is divided into three sections, shown by a larger area as the level increases. Attacking and performing moves will increase this gauge. Depending on the Level, Different levels of Super Combos can be performed: Level 1- Super Combo Command + LP or LK Level 2- Super Combo Command + MP or MK Level 3- Super Combo Command + HP or HK The higher the level, the more powerful it usually will be. The levels are cumulative, so doing a level 2 super on with a Level 3 gauge will leave the bar with 1 level left. Dash- Tap either Forward or Back Twice quickly to do a small dash in that directly. Rolling- Press LP and LK simultaneously to perform a moving dodge, which can pass through most Special and Super moves, as well as the opponent. Counter Attack- While blocking, immediately tap Forward + MP+MK to perform a counterattack. Note that it requires 1 level of the Super Gauge to perform this move. Air Block- Press Back whilst in the air to block. Super moves cannot be air blocked. Tactical Recovery- When Knocked down, press all 3 Punch Buttons to delay your character getting up. A-Groove: --------- This mode is similar to the Custom Combo Groove, the V-ism from Street Fighter Zero 3. At the bottom of the Screen is a Custom Combo Gauge, which can be filled up by attacking. At 50% full, a Level 1 Super combo can be performed. When full, a Custom Combo can be performed. Level 1- Super Combo Command + Button Level 2- Custom Combo - HP and HK Simultaneously Dash- Tap Forward or Back Twice to do a quick small dash towards the enemy. Safe Fall- Press All Three Punch Buttons whilst Landing to recover on the ground. Rolling- Press LP and LK simultaneously to perform a rolling dodge which can pass through most Special and Super Attacks, as well as the opponent. Counter Attack- While blocking, immediately tap Forward + MP+MK to perform a counterattack. Note that it requires 1 level of the Super Gauge to perform this move. P-Groove: --------- This Groove is the most similar to the Street Fighter 3 system. It includes the Parry Command as well as a single level Super gauge which fills up when attacking. Super Combo- Super Command +Button Note that there is only one level in P-Groove, and that it will be a Level 3 combo. Parry- The Instant the opponent makes contact with a hit, Tap forward for High Attacks, and Down for low attacks. The opponent will Parry the away the opponent, leaving them open for a counterattack. The timing window has been decreased significantly though, making it harder to perform. Dash- Tap Forward or Back Twice to do a quick small dash towards the enemy. Safe Fall- Press All Three Punch Buttons whilst Landing to recover on the ground. Small Jump- Tap Up, or any Up Directional to do a small jump. S-Groove: --------- This groove is similar to the Extra mode from the King of Fighters series, as well as the original SNK-Groove from the Original Capcom vs. SNK. The Super Gauge is filled by Charging, Pressing the HP and HK simultaneously. The Character will begin charging up their powers and their gauge will start increasing. Note that the character cannot move or perform any attacks whilst doing this. When the Bar is full, the character is slightly stronger as well as being able to do a Level 1 Super Combo. Note that the bar will start decreasing once it reaches the maximum and the opportunity to perform Super combos will end when the bar is empty. When the Character takes enough damage, the Vitality Gauge will begin flashing. At this point the Character can do unlimited Level 1 Super moves, and if the Super Gauge is also full, a Level 3, MAX Super Combo. Run- Tap Forward or Back Twice to run towards the enemy. Tactical Recovery- When Knocked down, press all 3 Punch Buttons to delay your character getting up. Counter Attack- While blocking, immediately tap Forward + MP+MK to perform a counterattack. Note that it requires 1 level of the Super Gauge to perform this move. Dodge- Press LP and LK simultaneously to do a quick dodge animation. The character does not move, but has the same properties as the roll. Small Jump- Tap Up, or any Up Directional to do a small jump. N-Groove: --------- This Groove is similar to the Advance Mode from the King of Fighters. The character can perform Super combos when they have 'stock.' The super Gauge is filled by attacking. When full, the Super gauge will reset but a Counter will appear in the box next to it, indicating the character now as 'stock.' The Character can perform as many Level 1 super Combos as there are number of stock. The character can 'Power MAX' by pressing HP and HK together. It will cost a single stock unit, but the character will become more powerful. In addition, MAX level moves can be performed. Run- Tap Forward or Back Twice to run towards the enemy. Safe Fall- Press All Three Punch Buttons whilst landing to recover on the ground. Rolling- Press LP and LK simultaneously to perform a moving dodge, which can pass through most Special and Super moves, as well as the opponent. Counter Attack- While blocking, immediately tap Forward + MP+MK to perform a counterattack. Note that it requires 1 level of the Super Gauge to perform this move. Small Jump- Tap Up, or any Up Directional to do a small jump. K-Groove: --------- This groove is he most similar to that of Samurai Spirits (Showdown.) the gauge fills up as the character gets hit and receives damage or performing Just Defense. When the gauge fills up, the character will be in Rage MAX mode, which allows the character to perform MAX Super combos as well as dealing more damage. Note that the bar will start decreasing once it reaches the maximum and MAX mode will end when the bar is empty. Just Defense- Tap Back right before the enemy makes contact with their hit. If done successfully, the character will take no Guard damage as well as gain some vitality. The character will also recovery sooner and be able to counterattack. Run- Tap Forward or Back Twice to run towards the enemy. Tactical Recovery- When Knocked down, press all 3 Punch Buttons to delay your character getting up. Small Jump- Tap Up, or any Up Directional to do a small jump. ================= IV. General Moves ================= Standing- ********* Light Punch- A quick Hiratsuki (stab) to chest level. Notice that there is a weird orange thing whenever you slash; that is the actual range as opposed to the blade itself. As such he has quite a long jab which is also fast. Combos into Kogetsu Zan. Medium Punch- An extended Hiratsuki. Haohmaru fully extends his arms in this version. As with the LP, the orange slash mark is the actual hit range, thus, giving him half screen range! Up close it becomes backhand Tsuki (chest) slash. Hard Punch- A heavy, double handed right Karatake (downwards slash.) Looks VERY painful and players can't help but cringe when getting hit. Reaches almost half screen, but has long delay time. Up close it changes sides to a reverse Karatake. Does HUGE damage. Light Kick- Quick step to the ankles. Short range but comes out fast. Pretty short range, but useful if the opponent is too close for comfort. Medium Kick- A sidekick to the head. Slightly more range than the LK. Comes out pretty fast though, and may interrupt if lucky. Up close it is a turning kick to the back of the opponents leg. Hard Kick- A lunging step kick to the gut of the opponent. He takes a small step though, so it not considerable. It comes out as fast as most of the other characters though. Up close it is a kick to the face, similar to Terry or Rock's. Jumping- ******** Light Punch- A flying sideways slash. Fast move, angled slightly downwards. Good for combo starting if opponent is ipen. Medium Punch- A stronger version of LP. His whole body is extended though, giving a larger target to hit. Hard Punch- Another ferocious looking Karatake. It forms a slash crescent slightly more than a semi circle. Does heavy damage but can be used a combo starter too. Beats most jumping attacks in the air, and can beat some anti-air attacks even. Light Kick- A flying knee. Short range, similar to many other characters. Angled upwards so you need to hit air or time late to hit grounded opponents. Medium Kick- A stretched flying kick. Generic jump kick. Hard Kick- Stronger version of Medium kick. Stick with the slashes. Crouching- ********** Light Punch- Crouching Hiratsuki to the groin region. Tell me why it does so little damage all things considered! It is slow by LP standards, since he sticks the blade out for quite a while. Medium Punch- An ankle slash. Roughly the same speed as the LP version, and reaches the same range. Can combo into Kogetsu Zan. Hard Punch-A rising Sakakaze (upward slash.) Great coverage since it covers both his front and top. Somewhat slow move, but it can counter a lot of moves, such as the Hurricane kick or even the Rage Runs. Light Kick- Quick kick to the ankles. Moves as fast as you can jam the button, and can be cancelled. Looks kinda funny when he does it, and even more when the button is pressed quickly. Medium Kick- Slower version of the LP. I think they are conveying the point that they don't like the Kick attacks. Hard Kick- An sliding sweep reaching 1/4 screen. Moves pretty fast but leaves Haohmaru vulnerable if blocked. ================ V. Special Moves ================ All his special moves have A LOT of delay, but are very powerful and high priority. Use them carefully. Command Moves: -------------- -nil Throws: ------- One Arm Throw - (B or F+HP) Haohmaru grabs the opponent with one arm and slams them. Sword Butt - (B or F+HP) Haohmaru strikes down the hilt of the sword onto the enemy. Special Moves: -------------- Ougi: Senpuu Retsu Zan (Secret Whirlwind Slash) - (QCF+P) Haohmaru reels back and then slashes forward, creating a traveling character sized tornado towards his opponent. Upon hitting, the tornado explodes into a huge whirling tornado column, hurling the opponent to the top of the screen and dropping them. Button used determines how fast the tornado travels and how far up the opponent travels. There is no different in damage though. The move has long start up and recovery, so don't use it in a fireball war. It is very hard to difficult to jump across though, so unless they roll through it, his recovery is not as bad as the start up. Fake Senpuu Retsu Zan(Fake Whirlwind Slash) - (QCF+K) What the hell is the point of this move?? Haohmaru pretends to do the real attack. It doesn't even look like he is going to do anything other than a dodge. Opponents who are SUPPOSED to fall for it are characters like Yamazaki who will counter it, but since they predict rather than depend on impossible reflexes, this move actually has no use. It makes a good taunt maybe. Ougi Kogetsu Zan (Secret Crescent Moon Slash) - (DPM+P) Haohmaru does a circular slash, then follow a up with a larger, leaping slash. Basically this is Haohmaru's uppercut type move, where HP version does two hits. Punch button used determines the height and horizontal distance of the attack, where HP goes the furthest. The start up of this move is fast, but the recovery is horrible. Haohmaru is left vulnerable as he lands. It does take a while to reach the apex, and in that duration is pretty much invincible (except against moves like Raging storm, Power Geyser etc.) Ougi: Resshin Zan (Secret Earthquake Slash) - (QCB+P) Haohmaru leaps forward at his opponent and slams his blade down. Similar to a Ryu Tsui Sen Move (from Rurouni Kenshin) where he does an aerial attack towards a ground opponent, landing faster than usual. All versions leap at the same height, but the LP reaches 1/4 screen. MP reaches half screen and HP hits full screen. As such it can be used to leap over projectiles as a counter attack, or to punish far mistakes. It isn't as fast, so they may be able to counter with something hard. Keep in mind though, even though the HP reaches full screen, it lands in front of the opponent. Be sure to time it you don't land directly on the projectile. =================================== VI. Super Moves/Desperation Attacks =================================== Hiougi TenHa FuJin Zan (Secret Heaven Constraint Slash) "TenHa! Fu Jin Zan!" - (QCF, QCF+P) Haohmaru does souped up version of the Sogetsu Zan. He does several circular slashes on the ground, then finishes with the upwards leap. It hits for 4 hits at LP, 5 at MP, and 6 at Max level. Max level goes full screen, whereas weaker versions go half screen. Opponents caught in the air may simply bounce off or get caught on all the hits, depending on how they landed. On the ground however, it can connect for all hits. Tenha Denku Retsu Zan (Heavenly Dunk Straight Slash?) "Atama kita ze! Koredemo kurai na!" -(HCB, F+P) Lvl 3 or Max Haohmaru spins around and slashes down with an extremely powerful attack. Fully connected, it does up to 50% damage. There is a slight start up delay though, but it is quite fast. Miss it though and they can recipocate manifest your missed damage since Haohmaru stays in his pose for a while after the attack. The range is about the same as is HP, and it does hit air borne opponents if close enough. It can a lot of moves, other than the defensive Supers, such as the Raging Storm or Power Geyser. ================== VII. General Notes ================== Haohmaru still retains his strength and power, but is slower when compared to the other characters. Keep in mind that the Samurai Showdown games had all characters using weapons, thus, the delay that Haohmaru has. His general strategy has changed to meet the different game engine, as well as characters. ================ VIII. Strategies ================ Haohmaru is a strong character. His slashes do a lot of damage, but have significant lag time. His kicks are quick but limited in variation, but nonetheless useful. Try to limit your mistakes and make every hit count; an keep your opponent from moving around too much. Versus; Shotokans (Gouki,Ken,Ryu) ------------------------- Most of them still rely on the fireball/dragon punch trap. With the onset of rolling however, their game now includes some offense to counter rolling. Haohmaru could leap over their fireball with your Rissen Zan, but it is hard to time. You might time it early so you land on the projectile, or too late so you eat a Dragon Punch or worse. You can counter their fireballs up close using your HP, which is an okay poke. Use the Sogetsu Zan sparingly, even the LP since it has a long recovery time. Kusanagi Kyo ------------ This battle is revolved around countering and interrupting each others attack above all else. His Gami bites are fast and can get past Haohmaru's defenses with ease. However, the sword slashes are powerful enough to stop him if timed right. Refrain from special moves and stick to normal sword slashes and kicks instead, since Kyo can obliterate Haohmaru during his lag. Geese Howard ------------ A difficult or easy opponent, Geese can counter sword slashes (!) with his atemi-nages. The Senpuu Retsu Zan is useless here since his projectile is always better. Time the Rissen Zan carefully or you could end up landing on both hits of the Double Reppuuken. The HP is a bit slow in this match and you could end up getting countered. As usual, don't jump towards Geese or it's a brand new world of hurt. Rock Howard ----------- A powerful character, pupil of Terry. He has Terry's Rising Tackle and modified versions of the Burn Knuckle. Couple that with Geese's Repukken's, counters and command grabs and you get a hard fight. He can counter as well as use his powerful offense and speed to weave through Haohmaru's slow attacks and kick his butt. Try to make him miss an attack and slash him to death. Hit hard, since it is a hard battle. Yagami Iori ----------- Arg. He is difficult to beat. As with Geese, don't jump in against Iori or its Ya Otome or Jumping D even. Iori can combo you to death up close, and his moves make him quite mobile. Even though he isn't one of the faster characters, he can counter any of Haohmarus moves that miss from any distance. Try to keep Iori within HP range but not too close though, since Iori can tear Haohmaru up close. Yamazaki Ryuji -------------- The King of keep away is more or less the same from his KoF incarnations. His snake arms can keep you at bay, as they are difficult to even roll past. His S&M move counters almost any move you smack him with, so sweep him or throw him (with HK.) To try to make him miss one of his snake arms or whiff an S&M move, countering with a hard hitting move or combo. His snake arms out range Haohmaru's slashes though, but he can't double return the Senpuu Retsu Zan. ========== IX. Combos ========== Coming soon . . . ============= X. Miscellany ============= Win Quote: ---------- "Nobody who dares to face me lives for very long!" "Listen up... I'm the strongest man in the universe!" "When? Where? How? WHY? Humoh! Who cares! Let's fight!" "Enjoy yourself in the afterlife!" "You've got to fight, for the right, to live!" Special Intros: --------------- -Vs Nakoruru: Has a chat. Haohmaru then draws his blade. -Vs Hibiki: Has a chat. Haohmaru then draws his sword. -Vs Gouki: Another chat. Gouki then does his normal intro. Comments: --------- -Modeled after Musashi. Not the one from Brave Fencer (although he too was modeled after the same dude. ===================== XI. Notes and Credits ===================== -Capcom Vs SNK 2 is Trademark and Copyright of Capcom. All Characters mentioned relating to the game are as such property of Capcom. -Name for "Hiougi TenHa Fujin Zan" and Translation from Mr. Jeff "Deuce" Nusbaum's "Samurai Showdown IV FAQ/Movelist" at Gamefaqs.com -Vocal Quotes for Haohmaru referenced from Kibagami's "Vocal Translation FAQ" for "Capcom vs SNK 2" hosted on Gmaefaqs.com -Mr. Jeff Veasey at Http://www.Gamefaqs.com for hopefully hosting this FAQ. -W.W because my Genjuro and Ukyo is better. -N.H; I'd like to be your samurai. Green Black and Blue make the colors in the sky... -If, for any part, I may have borrowed or referenced information that originally stemmed from your work, PLEASE do notify me and I will immediately remove or a credit the work from this FAQ. This document Copyright 2002 by Kenny "kenshi" Tam, and may not be duplicated or reproduced (in part or in full) for profit without the explicit permission of the author. Chances are it will be rare if anyone would want to use this crappy FAQ. This document is supposed to appear on http://www.gamefaqs.com. http://www.psxcodez.com http://www.DLH.net http://www.gamespot.com