Soul Calibur Study & Character Strategy

I’ve played about 200 matches of Soul Calibur IV online since it debuted weeks ago. While I have had epic matches with soul-shattering defeats and triumphant victories, one thing has been bugging me from the get-go: the lack of character selection variety, particularly the ranked matches. I started logging all of the matches that I played and asked some users on Soul Calibur message boards to do the same. These are the results:

Highlights:
-The Top 4 characters add up to a whopping 51.40%. So you’ll be facing one of these 4 around half the time.
- The Top 10 characters add up to 76.65%
- Comparatively, the bottom 16 characters add up to 23.06%. That means you have a slightly lower chance of running into Kilik than more than half the cast.

Comments about the results:
-In Soul Calibur, knowing your enemies’ attacks is just as crucial as knowing your own. Knowing how to block is crucial. Using an unpopular character increases the chances that your opponent won’t know how to block your attacks. Conversely, after fighting so many Kiliks and Mitsurugis, I know exactly how to stop all of their attacks.

-Here’s an easy way to be cooler than other people: watch/like/use things that aren’t popular. Popular stuff is for people who don’t know any better. Indie stuff is hip. Using Setsuka or Ivy will automatically boost your hip level by 2% every time you use them.

Mini-Guides
In the interest of helping others become better at underused characters (who are actually good!), here are some mini-guides. I’ll be using Soul Calibur directional notation which is based on a number pad. So, 2=down, 8=up, 6 is towards a character. Thus, 236 would be a quarter circle forward. Two numbers in a row means double tap that direction.

Amy: Amy is amazing. She’s fast, has great lows and has a super dismissive attitude. Plus, look how cute she is! Embarrassing a beefy Astaroth player with the smallest and youngest character in the game is strangely satisfying.

3BA: Wow, this move is amazing. Fast. Safe. Hits mid then low. What’s not to love?

A+K B: This unblockable is fast. Real fast. You can also switch it up with A+K K, which is totally safe on block.

6BB: Incredibly quick. Will stuff pretty much anything if you’re in range. Try it after A+KK. Just don’t hit a third B if it gets blocked, because the third hit isn’t safe.

2+A+B. A very tricky low hit that knocks down. A bit slow, but it looks like a mid.

Cassandra: It is sad that her sister gets so much love when Cassandra is so similar. Personally, I like playing with her more. She’s got more style.

236B: Block until your opponent throws out a move that looks like it has high recovery time. Then use this sucker to knock them down.

236B(Hold): A little slower, but can stun so you can hit them with another 236B, or if you can time it right, 4BBA.

8+A+B: Quick hop that hits mid and then low.

1A: This thing hits low, has knock down and has crazy range.

2+B+G: Cassandra is one of the only characters with a crouch grab. Use it when you get them scared of 1A or after you’ve hit them with a few standing grabs.

8 Way Run+B+K: Very linear, but has good range and will leap over all of those Kiliks, Astaroths, Nightmares, Rocks and Siegfrieds who only go for their long distance sweeping attacks.

2+B+K: A fast, crouching hit that will duck under highs and if you counter hit them, you can hit them with 236B or 4BBA.

Yoshimitsu: I’ve always been a fan of Yoshimitsu. He’s kooky, unpredictable, and has crazy attacks. In Soul Calibur IV, he is legitimately a great character. Plus, he looks nuts.

66K: Moves forward quickly, goes over lows and knees them in the face. Good for ring outs. Very fast.

aB+K: Do it. You’ll love it.

33B B+K: Great for dodging then smashing!

Ba: If you counter hit with this, it does huge damage. Use it on mashers for great results.

Notes:
The study is obviously imperfect. It was meant more as for a general painting than an exact science. Yoda and Vader weren’t counted. Also, matches seem to vary depending on what level you play against, with lower levels seeming to have more Kiliks and high levels having more Mitsurugis.

Special thanks to AkazukinChacha who is responsible for most of this data. He’s played 2000 matches and has been recording all of them since he started. If you’re interested in additional research, check out the 8WayRun Forums. They’re full of useful information.