|| // ==== || ==== || // || // || || || || // ||// || || || ||// ||\\ || || || ||\\ || \\ ==== ||==== ==== || \\ Soul Calibur IV (Playstation 3) Kilik FAQ Copyright 2008-2009. Lou "Raidenwins" Vassilev. All rights reserved. Submitted: 01-??-2009 Contact: sub_zerowins@hotmail.com **************************************************************************** * Version History * **************************************************************************** Version 0.1 (01-??-2009) ============================================================================ TABLE OF CONTENTS I. Introduction II. Disclaimer III. Character Bio IV. General Strategies V. Abbreviations VI. Frame Data VII. Best tools and tools for specific situations VII. 1. Asura Dance VII. 2. Festival of the Damned VII. 3. While Raising B (WR B) VII. 4. Other VIII. Combos VIII. 1. What is a Combo? VIII. 2. The Combos IX. Tech Traps IX. 1. What is a Tech Trap? IX. 2. The Traps X. Specific anti-character strategies X. 1. Astaroth X. 2. Cassandra X. 3. Ivy X. 4. Mitsurugi X. 5. Xianghua X. 6. General anti-rush down strategies XI. Miscellaneous XI. 1. The Mortal Kombat Connection XII. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) XIII. Credits ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- | I. Introduction | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- This FAQ is for the character Kilik from the game Soul Calibur IV for the Playstation 3 console. It is designed as a compilation of the knowledge and wisdom of numerous Soul Calibur, in general, and Kilik, in particular, players accumulated over the years, in addition to my personal observations and insights into this masterfully done and truly beautiful game. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- | II. Disclaimer | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- This strategy guide is mine and it is only meant for use on www.GameFaqs.com and http://www.8wayrun.com/index.php. You can only link to it and with my permission only. Kilik and Soul Calibur IV are property of Namco Bandai Games Inc. For questions, comments, etc., email me at sub_zerowins@hotmail.com. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- | III. Character Bio | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- III. 1. General. Kilik was orphaned as a baby in front of the Ling-Sheng Su temple. He was taken in, and as soon as he could walk, would train into adulthood. During this time, Kilik spent a good amount of time with another orphan, Xianglian, who inherited one of the three treasures of the Ling-Sheng Su temple, the Dvapara-Yuga. Kilik, after years of rigorous training, would also receive one of the treasures, the Kali-Yuga. It was peaceful in the temple, until one day, the Evil Seed rained down on it... ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- | IV. Strategies | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- General Strategies ------------------- Kilik is a character who is best suited to being played at a medium to long distance from the opponent. The first step to playing an effective long range game is to know the range of your moves. When playing against a close range character Kilik can afford to whiff a move every know and then so that is a good time to get a feel for his reach, just don't overdo it too much or you are bound to get punished. Long range will not be incredibly damaging but it will keep the opponent at bay, chip away at their health, and force them to come inside and attack potentially opening up an opportunity to counter attack. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- | V. Abbreviations | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- The following abbreviations denote different character actions and states. Some of them are standard, i.e. they are already predefined in the game (by the game developers), while others were adopted by the Soul Calibur community as a sort of a technical jargon in order to facilitate easier and faster communication and discussion of gameplay terms. /-------------------------------------------------------------------\ | Abbreviation | Meaning | Explanation | |-------------------------------------------------------------------| | A | Horizontal attack | Performs an attack in a | | | | horizontal plane | |-------------------------------------------------------------------| | B | Vertical attack | Performs an attack in a | | | | vertical plane | |-------------------------------------------------------------------| | K | Kicking attack | Kicks the opponent | |-------------------------------------------------------------------| | G | Guard | Blocks opponent attacks | |-------------------------------------------------------------------| | 1 | Down Back | Pressing Down and Back | | | | simultaneously on the | | | | D-pad or the left stick | | | | of the controller | |-------------------------------------------------------------------| | 2 | Down | Pressing Down on the | | | | D-pad or the left stick | |-------------------------------------------------------------------| | 3 | Down Forward | Pressing Down and Forward| | | | simultaneously on the | | | | D-pad or the left stick | |-------------------------------------------------------------------| | 4 | Back | Pressing Back on the | | | | D-pad or the left stick | |-------------------------------------------------------------------| | 5 | Neutral | Don't press anything on | | | | the D-pad or the left | | | | stick | |-------------------------------------------------------------------| | 6 | Forward | Pressing Forward on the | | | | D-pad or the left stick | |-------------------------------------------------------------------| | 7 | Up Back | Pressing Up and Back | | | | simultaneously on the | | | | D-pad or the left stick | |-------------------------------------------------------------------| | 8 | Up | Pressing Up on the D-pad | | | | or the left stick | |-------------------------------------------------------------------| | 9 | Up Forward | Pressing Up and Forward | | | | simultaneously on the | | | | D-pad or the left stick | |-------------------------------------------------------------------| | [any] | Hold | Press and Hold the | | | | button or direction | | | | indicated | |-------------------------------------------------------------------| | (any) | Optional | This means the button/ | | | | direction in the | | | | parenthesis can be | | | | skipped | |-------------------------------------------------------------------| | _ | Or | Press either of the | | | | buttons or directions on | | | | the left or right of _ | |-------------------------------------------------------------------| | + | And | Press both the buttons/ | | | | directions on the left | | | | and right of the + sign | | | | simultaneously | |-------------------------------------------------------------------| | ~ | Slide input | Input the buttons faster | | | | and in smooth | | | | conjunction | |-------------------------------------------------------------------| | : | Just frame input | Input the button or | | | | direction on the right | | | | of the : in the next | | | | frame after the one on | | | | the left | |-------------------------------------------------------------------| | , | Followed by | Input the button or | | | | direction on the right | | | | of the , after the one on| | | | the left | |-------------------------------------------------------------------| | * | Optional delayed | After tapping the first | | | input | button/direction you have| | | | the option to wait a | | | | a short time before | | | | tapping the second one | |-------------------------------------------------------------------| | AT | Attack Throw | | |-------------------------------------------------------------------| | CH | Counter Hit | This condition occurs | | | | when you hit the | | | | while he is in the | | | | process of attacking you | |-------------------------------------------------------------------| | FC | Full crouch | | |-------------------------------------------------------------------| | 8WR | 8-way run | | |-------------------------------------------------------------------| | GB | Guard break | | |-------------------------------------------------------------------| | RC | Recover crouch | | |-------------------------------------------------------------------| | iFC | Instant full crouch| | |-------------------------------------------------------------------| | WR | While raising | | |-------------------------------------------------------------------| | iWR | Instant while | | | | raising | | |-------------------------------------------------------------------| | JF | Just frame | | |-------------------------------------------------------------------| | GI | Guard impact | | |-------------------------------------------------------------------| | TC | Tech crouch | | |-------------------------------------------------------------------| | TJ | Tech jump | | |-------------------------------------------------------------------| | TR | Tech roll | | |-------------------------------------------------------------------| | MO | Monument | Corresponds to pressing | | | | Down, Down and Forward, | | | | and Forward on the D-pad | | | | or the left stick | |-------------------------------------------------------------------| | BP | Back Parry | Corresponds to pressing | | | | Down, Down and Back, and | | | | Back on the D-pad or the | | | | left stick | |-------------------------------------------------------------------| | Mid | Middle attack | Middle is any attack | | | | that connects while the | | | | opponent is crouching, | | | | regardless of whether | | | | they are blocking or not | |-------------------------------------------------------------------| | | Wall splat | | |-------------------------------------------------------------------| | NC | Natural combo | | |-------------------------------------------------------------------| | NCc | Natural combo on | | | | counter hit | | |-------------------------------------------------------------------| | HCF | Half circle forward| Corresponds to pressing | | | | Back, Down and Back, | | | | Down, Down and Forward, | | | | and Forward on the D-pad | | | | or the analog stick \-------------------------------------------------------------------/ ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- | VI. Frame Data | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- The table below lists the frame data for each of Kilik's moves. /---------------------------------------------------------------------------\ | No.| Button Combination | Impact | Block | Hit | Counter | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 1 | A | 19 | -4 | +2 | +4 | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 2 | A, A | 19 | -6 | +4 | | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 3 | A, A, B | 19 | -10 | x | | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 4 | aB | 14 | -6 | +6 | x | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 5 | aB, B | 14 | -24 | x | | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 6 | 6A | 13 | -10 | +0 | | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 7 | 6A, A | 13 | -10 | +0 | | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 8 | 6A, A, A | 13 | -8 | x | | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 9 | 3A | 25 | -6~-5 | +4~5 | | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 10 | 2A | 23 | -11~-10* | +0~1 | | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 11 | 1A | 19 | -16* | -2 | | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 12 | 4A | 26 | -11~-10! | x | | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 13 | 7_8_9A | 27 | -8~-7 | +2~3 | | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 14 | WR A | 19 | -10~-9 | +2~3 | | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 15 | FC A | 19 | -14* | -4 | | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 16 | 66A | 27 | -17~-16 | x | | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 17 | 66A, A | 27 | -9~-8* | x | | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 18 | 33_99A | 29 | -13~-12 | x | | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 19 | 22_88A | 23 | -6~-5 | +2~3 | +4~5 | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 20 | 22_88A, A | 23 | -20 | x | | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 21 | 22_88A, A, A | 23 | -29~-28* | x | | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 22 | 22_88A, B | 23 | -15~-14 | x | | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 23 | 11_77A | 30 | -20~-19* | -8~-7 | | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 24 | 44A | 27 | -9 | +1 | | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 25 | 44A*A | 27 | -8* | x | | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 26 | B | 22 | -9 | -2 | -2* | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 27 | B, B | 22 | -6 | +4 | | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 28 | 6B | 20 | -16~-15 | -6~-5 | | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 29 | 6B9 | 13 | -9 | +1 | | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 30 | 6B3 | 21 | -15~-14* | -3~-2* | | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 31 | 3B | 18 | -15~-14 | -3~-2 | x | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 32 | 3B*B | 18 | -20~-19 | x | | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 33 | 2B | 22 | -8 | -2 | -2* | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 34 | 1B | 27 | -16 | -4 | x | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 35 | 4B | 26 | -18~-17 | x | | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 36 | 4[B] | 35 | -3~-2 | x | | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 37 | 46B | 13 | -14 | -2 | +13 | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 38 | 7B | 37 | -7~-6* | +3~4 | | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 39 | 8_9B | 37 | -7~-6* | x | | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 40 | WR B | 21 | -12 | x | | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 41 | FC 1B | 28 | -9~-8* | -3~-2 | | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 42 | FC 2B | 22 | -10 | -2 | | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 43 | FC 3B | 17 | -9 | +3 | x | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 44 | 66B | 16 | -10 | -2* | x | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 45 | 33_99B | 17 | -10 | -2* | x | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 46 | 22_88B | 22 | -17~-16 | x | | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 47 | 11_77B | 30 | -14* | x | | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 48 | 44B | 27 | -17~-16* | -6~-5* | | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 49 | K | 13 | -8 | +2 | | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 50 | 6K | 23 | -12 | x | | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 51 | 3K | 18 | -14 | -5 | | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 52 | 3k~B | 18 | -10 | x | | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 53 | 2K | 15 | -14* | -4 | +2 | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 54 | 1K | 15 | -12 | -2 | | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 55 | 4K | 21 | -14 | x | | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 56 | 4K*B | 21 | -14* | -4 | x | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 57 | 7_8_9K | 20 | -3 | +5 | | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 58 | WS K | 15 | -12 | x | | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 59 | FC K | 15 | -14* | -4 | +2 | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 60 | 66K | 23 | -10 | +0 | +0* | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 61 | 33_99K | 24 | -10 | +0 | +0* | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 62 | 66KK | 23 | -13 | -3 | +1 | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 63 | 66KKB | 23 | -16~-15 | x | | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 64 | 22_88K | 25 | -16* | -6 | x | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 65 | 22_88KB | 25 | -16~-15 | +0~1 | x | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 66 | 44K | 30 | -1* | x | | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 67 | 11_77K | 31 | -1* | x | | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 68 | A+B | 20 | -8 | x | | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 69 | 6A+B | 19 | -12 | x | | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 70 | 1_3A+B | 25 | -16* | -4 | x | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 71 | 2A+B | 27 | -16~-15* | -6~-5 | | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 72 | 4A+B | 28 | -12 | -2 | | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 73 | 4A+B, B | 28 | -21 | x | | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 74 | 4A+B, B*B | 28 | -20~-19 | -7~-6 | | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 75 | FC A+B | 24 | -7* | x | | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 76 | A+K | 20 | -5~-4* | +3~4! | | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 77 | 6A+K | 37 | -10 | x | | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 78 | 2A+K | 32 | -16~-15* | x | | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 79 | 4A+K | 43 | -9* | x | | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 80 | B+K | 26 | -23~-22 | -5~-4 | | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 81 | B+K, 46B | 26 | -23 | -7 | | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 82 | B+K, 46B, 41236B | 26 | -25 | x | | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 83 | B+K, 46B, 41236:B | 26 | -17 | x | | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 84 | 6B+K | 24 | -10~-9 | x | | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 85 | 2B+K | 23 | -13 | | x | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 86 | 2[B+K] | 23 | | | | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 87 | 4B+K | 35 | -12~-11* | x | | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 88 | MO A | | -6 | x | | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 89 | MO B | | -15* | x | | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 90 | MO K | | +0 | x | | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 91 | MO A+B | | x | x | | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 92 | MO A+B~K | | -3* | x | | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 93 | BP A | | -13~-12* | +2~3 | | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 94 | BP B | | +18 | x | | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 95 | BP K | | -14 | x | | \---------------------------------------------------------------------------/ ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- | VII. Best tools and tools for specific situations | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- VII. 1. Asura Dance Asura Dance is performed by pressing B+K, 6B, 41236B. It is considered to be Kilik's best tool in Soul Calibur IV. The reasons for this are first that the initial part of it, i.e. B+K, auto Guard Impacts all non-kick Mids and Tech Jumps all lows and second that it has a very good ring out potential. So pretty much every time you anticipate the opponent is going to attack using a Mid or a Low it'd be a good strategy to use Asura Dance, especially if they are close to medium range from the edge of the ring. The only downside to Asura Dance is the difficulty of performing its last part, i.e. 41236B. But then again, with a move so powerful it only makes sense for it to not be easy to perform. With that said here are some tips on executing it successfully: -- What works for me personally is what I like to call the Tapping Method. The idea behind it is that since there is a small interval of time in which to input the B, and since it has to be pressed at the exact same time as 6, you'll be more likely to achieve the exact timing if you press B multiple times. Another thing that helps with getting the last part down is to use the analog stick instead of the D-pad for the half circle forward motion. I also found out that you have to do all three parts of Asura Dance very quickly immediately one after another. And finally, what helps to ensure that you get a good HCF is to start the motion not from 4 but from 7 or even 8. So with all of that said, Asura Dance turns into this: B+K, 6B, (8)741236BBBB -- Another tip for successfully executing the last portion of Asura Dance is to input 41236B anytime during the second hit, it doesn't have to be incredibly fast, but you need to be precise with the 6+B. So in this case Asura turns into: B+K, 6B, 4123 6+B -- Yet another tip for pulling off Asura Dance is to do one big circle with the analog stick (this is similar to tip #1). In that case Asura Dance would be performed like so: B+K6B98741236B Other than those tips, all you have to do really is go into Training mode and practice, practice, practice! You may be able to pull off Asura Dance in Training once in a while but, trust me on this, regardless of how hard you thought it was during practice in a real match, against a skilled opponent and in the heat of battle it will be 10 times harder. The best thing to do really is practice Asura so much that it becomes second nature. Only then will you be able to pull it off during matches consistently. There is a stronger version of Asura (like the normal one isn't strong enough, LOL) that is called GB Asura Dance. GB Asura is performed by entering B+K, 6B, 41236:B, i.e. the last B has to be entered in the next frame after the 6. The differences from the normal version of Asura are that the GB version is -17 frames on block while the normal one is -25 and that the GB version does more damage. As far as the GI and TJ windows for Asura Dance, here is a quote from a message board post on 8wayrun.com by user Orionics: "...it seems like B+K GI activates at frame 4 -----Kilik 66KK blocked -13, yoshi 6B(i17) JIed by kilik B+K. Yoshi B(i16) hits Kilik B+K.. B+K GI window closes after frame 14 -------Kilik 6AA blocked -10, yoshi 4B(i24) GIed by B+K. Kilik 44A blocked -9 , yoshi 4B(i24) hits Kilik B+K. B+K tech jumps at frame 9 -------Kilik AA blocked - 6, yoshi 2K(i15) TJ by B+K. Kilik 3K hits -5, yoshi 2K(i15)hits Kilik B+K. B+K tech jump window closes after frame 20 -------Kilik aB hits +6, yoshi 2A(i14) TJ by B+K. Kilik aB hits +6, yoshi 2K(i15) hits Kilik B+K." So to sum this up: Asura Dance GI frame window: 4-14 Asura Dance TJ frame window: 9-20 What that means is that if the opponent performs any non-kick mid attack for which the point of impact falls between frames 4 and 14 of the execution of Asura Dance, it (the non-kick mid) will be Guard Impacted. And similarly, any low attack whose point of impact is between frames 9 and 20 of Asura Dance's window of execution will be Tech Jumped. As with all other moves, one has to be careful to avoid or be prepared for situations when the move is blocked. In that vein, here is a quote from user Eltoshan: "The goal when doing Asura IMO is to never let the last hit get blocked, be it the GB version or not. Even if you do perform the GB, the last hit leaves you close enough on block, the opponent gets a free throw, while the non-GB version pushes the opponent out more, many characters can get a free launcher or knockdown into high advantage wakes. So it is even more important to hit confirm or GI bait with something like a blocked 8B." VII. 2. Festival of The Damned (FOTD) Festival of the Damned is performed by pressing 236A+G, 46A, 41236B. It is Kilik's most complex and most damaging throw (it has a damage of 30). What makes it especially good though is the fact that it can be followed up with Asura Dance for an even higher damage (75) and an excellent ring out potential. As with Asura Dance though, there is a considerable degree of difficulty associated with pulling of FOTD successfully. Arguably even more so than Asura, if for no other reason than the fact it simply requires more buttons/directions presses. The good news though is that the last part of FOTD is the same as the one for Asura so you only have to learn it once. So with that said here are several tips on executing FOTD successfully: -- Do 236A+G 46A as fast as possible and then just keep doing 41236 B repeatedly. -- Instead of pressing 236A+G, 46A for the first and second parts of the throw you can do 2364~A+G, 6A. -- If FOTD is delayed or if you end up in MO through 2[B+K], it is easier to do it Hayate's way (look above), because it is faster to input 4A+G, 6A than A+G 46A. A note about the timing though: the 46A part has to be done as fast as possible. After that you can relax and either wait a moment for the 41236B or do it slowly. If you do it too early your first input won't count and you'd have to repeat it. -- 46A has to be pressed within 10 frames of A+G being pressed. -- You can substitute the first two parts of FOTD with 4123[6]A+G, but it has to be done fairly quickly. FOTD then turns into: 4123[6]A+G, A, 41236B That one is really hard to pull off on a D-pad. The analog stick is the recommended tool here. The A can be mashed out. You don't have to hold 6 or mash A after the first part, but it adds an element of security to executing the move. The last part, 41236B, has to be done as soon as you see the second part of FOTD come out. -- And yet another way of performing FOTD is: 236[4] (WAIT DELAY) ~[6]A+G~A (mash), 41236B and a slightly modified version of the above: 236 (WAIT DELAY) 4+A+G ~[6] A (mash), 41236B And here are some general FOTD tips (not directly related to executing it successfully): -- If you input Asura Dance too fast after FOTD, Kilik does the first attack in the wrong direction and Asura whiffs. As far as setting FOTD up in a fight, one good time to use it is after a 2A on hit, when the opponent expects a WR B and guards. Another good set up is the combo 11B -> 2[B+K] which ends in MO which means you don't have to do the first 236 of the FOTD. So if your opponent guards that, you can follow it up with a delayed FOTD. On some stages (e.g. star wars), you can ring out right from the beginning, if you open up the match like this. VII. 3. While Raising B (WR B) If Kilik is in a crouched position and then while he is raising up you press B, he will perform WR B. WR B is a very powerful tool in Kilik's arsenal because it can be followed up with 66B for guaranteed damage and on block it pushes the opponent back quite a bit, so it's a safe move to perform. WR B can also be effectively utilized as a part of a 50/50 mind game against a downed opponent. You could run up to them and then they will be faced a choice, block high or block low. If they expect a throw (or a low hit) they will block low and if they expect a Mid they will block high. Since WR B hits Mid you can use it an opponents who ducks or guards low. In my experience when you run up to an opponent after they have been knocked to the ground, most of the time they will block low because they expect a throw. That would be a good time to bust out WR B. Another scenario that occurs often is you will run up to them and try to grab and they will block low. Then in anticipation of a throw from them you will block low and then it's their turn again to block low and so on. There is just something about being close up to the opponent that makes people want to throw. So what you could do in this situation is after the first throw attempt-low block exchange, instead of attempting a throw again use WR B. In the likely event that the opponent is blocking low WR B (which, again, hits Mid) will connect. VII. 4. Other None yet. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- | VIII. Combos | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- VIII. 1. What is a combo? For the purposes of this strategy guide a combo is a series of 2 or more attacks where if the first one lands all of the remaining ones are guaranteed. VIII. 2. The Combos /---------------------------------------------------------------------------\ | No. | Button Combination | Type | Damage | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 1 | 2A+B (first and second hit) | NC | 16 | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 2 | A, A | NC | 20 | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 3 | 6A, A | NC | 20 | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 4 | ~aB | NC | 24 | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 5 | MO K | NC | 26 | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 6 | WS K | NC | 27 | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 7 | ~kB | NC | 30 | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 8 | 6A+B (1st and 2nd hit) | NC | 30 | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 9 | 6B+K | NC | 32 | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 10 | 11_77B, 6B2 | NC | 34 | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 11 | 3~kB | NC | 35 | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 12 | 44A, A, 6B2 | NC | 35 | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 13 | 6A+B (3rd, 4th and 5th hit) | NC | 35 | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 14 | 2A+B (second and third hit) | NC | 36 | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 15 | MO K * 6B2 | NC | 38 | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 16 | Normal range: [2]_[8]B, 66B | NC | 39 | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 17 | 4A+K | NC | 40 | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 18 | (4A+B[*])B, B | NC | 40 | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 19 | WR B, 2B+K (MO) | NC | 40 | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 20 | MO A, 2B+K (MO) | NC | 40 | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 21 | Close range: [2]_[8]B, A+K | NC | 41 | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 22 | FC A+B | NC | 41 | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 23 | MO K, 2B+K (MO) | NC | 42 | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 24 | 4K, (*)B | NC | 45 | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 25 | 3B, (*)B, 6A, A, A | NC | 45 | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 26 | MO K, 44K | NC | 45 | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 27 | [2]_[8]A, A, A | NC | 46 | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 28 | A, A, B, 6A, A, A | NC | 46 | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 29 | WR B, 66B (No AT), 2K | NC | 46 | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 30 | MO K, 6B+K | NC | 46 | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 31 | MO, A, 46B, 6A, A, A | NC | 49 | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 32 | MO, B+G, 46B | NC | 50 | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 33 | A+B | NC | 52 | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 34 | WR B, 66B | NC | 54 | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 35 | 6A+K | NC | 55 | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 36 | 4A+K, 6B2 | NC | 55 | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 37 | [2]_[8]B, A+K | NC | 57 | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 38 | Long range: [2]_[8]B, 3k~B | NC | 58 | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 39 | 4A+B | NC | 60 | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 40 | 4A+K, 2B+K (MO) | NC | 60 | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 41 | A+B, 46B | NC | 62 | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 42 | [2]_[8]B, 3~kB, 6B2 | NC | 62 | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 43 | A+B, 66B | NC | 64 | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 44 | 4A+K, 6B+K | NC | 64 | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 45 | A+B, 6B2 | NC | 66 | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 46 | B+K, 6B, 41236B | NC | 69 | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 47 | 4A+B, B, B | NC | 70 | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 48 | A+B, 2B+K (MO) | NC | 70 | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 49 | MO, A+G, 46A, 41236B, B+K, 6B, 41236B | NC | 75 | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 50 | B+K, 6B :41236:B | NC | 80 | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 51 | 1_3A+B (no AT), 6B2 | NCc | 29 | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 52 | 46B, 66B | NCc | 30 | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 53 | 3B, B, 6A, A | NCc | 34 | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 54 | B, B | NCc | 37 | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 55 | 46B, 6A, A, A | NCc | 38 | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 56 | [2]_[8] * B, B | NCc | 41 | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 57 | 3B, (*)B | NCc | 41 | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 58 | 44A, (*)A | NCc | 41 | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 59 | 6A, A, A | NCc | 42 | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 60 | 66_33_99K, K | NCc | 43 | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 61 | A, A, B | NCc | 44 | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 62 | 46B (close), 66B | NCc | 45 | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 63 | [2]_[8]A, B | NCc | 47 | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 64 | [2]_[8]K, B | NCc | 47 | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 65 | A+K | NCc | 49 | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 66 | 2A+B | NCc | 53 | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 67 | 3B, B, 6A, A, A | NCc | 53 | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 68 | ~aBB | NCc | 54 | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 69 | 44A, A, 6B2 | NCc | 57 | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 70 | A, A, B, 6A, A | NCc | 58 | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 71 | A, A, B, 66B | NCc | 58 | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 72 | 1B, [2]_[8]B, 3~kB, 6B2 | NCc | 61 | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 73 | 1B, [2]_[8]B, A+K | NCc | 63 | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 74 | [2]_[8]A, A, A | NCc | 64 | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 75 | 6A+B | NCc | 68 | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 76 | A, A, B, 6A, A, A | NCc | 69 | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 77 | 3B, B, , 2B+K * MO | | 36 | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 78 | 66A, , 2B+K * (MO) | | 36 | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 79 | 4G_1G, , 3B, B, 6A, A, A | | 36 | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 80 | 66A, , 6B+K | | 40 | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 81 | A, A, B, , 2B+K * MO | | 43 | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 82 | 4G_1G, , B+K, 6B, 41236B | | 44 | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 83 | 33_99A, , 6B+K | | 45 | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 84 | 3B, B, , B, B * 2_8 B+K | | 48 | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 85 | A, A, B, , B, B * 2_8 B+K | | 49 | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 86 | 4A, , 6B+K | | 50 | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 87 | MO K, , B, B * (2_8 B+K) | | 51 | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 88 | 22B, , 6B+K | | 52 | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 89 | 22B, , B, B, (2_8 B+K) | | 52 | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 90 | 22A, B, , 2B+K * (MO) | | 52 | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 91 | 3~kB, , 2B+K * (MO) | | 53 | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 92 | 22A, B, , 6B+K | | 55 | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 93 | 4B, , 6B+K | | 56 | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 94 | 3~kB, , 6B+K | | 57 | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 95 | 66K, K, B, , 2B+K * (MO) | | 58 | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 96 | 22B, , 6A+B | | 63 | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 97 | 66K, K, B, , B, B, (2_8 B+K) | | 66 | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 98 | 3B, B, , 6A+B, , 3B, B, , (2K) | | 71(72) | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 99 | A, A, B, , 6A+B, , 3B, B, , (2K) | | 74(75) | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 100| 4A+B, , 6B+K | | 76 | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 101| MO B+G, 46B, , 6B+K | | 78 | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 102| MO B+G, 46B, , 2B+K * (MO) | | 78 | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 103| 22B, , 6A+B, , 3B, B, , (2K) | | 79(80) | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 104| B+K, 6B, 41236B, , 2B+K * (MO) | | 89 | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 105| 66K,K,B,,6A+B,,3B,B,,(2K) | | 89(90) | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 106| B+K, 6B, 41236B, , 6B+K | | 94 | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 107| A+B, 3B, B, , B, B * (2_8 B+K) | | 88-95 | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 108| CH 6A+B, , 6A+B, , (2K) | | 107(108) | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 109| (Close to W) A+B, 3B, B, 3B, B, (2K) | | 115(116) | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 110| A+B,3B,B,,6A+B,,3B,B,,(2K) | | 133 (134 w 2K)| | | (Must be perpendicular to W at 6A+B) | | | \---------------------------------------------------------------------------/ (Combos are ordered by type and by the amount of damage they inflict) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- | IX. Tech Traps | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- IX. 1. What is a Tech Trap? For the purposes of this strategy guide a tech trap is a move that is guaranteed to connect if executed while the opponent is attempting to perform Ukemi (tech). Ukemi is when you press GUard plus (optionally) a direction to recover after being knocked to the ground. Tech traps are possible because when you perform Ukemi you create a fairly small frame window where you are vulnerable to certain attacks. IX. The Traps /------------------------------------------------------------------------\ | No. | Button Combination | After Move | Type | Damage | |------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 2 | 11A | 88B, 3~kB | All | 78 | |------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 2 | 2A+K | 88B, 3~kB | All | 91 | |------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 1 | 4[B] | 88B, 3~kB | Back, Normal, | 100 | | | | | Forward | | |------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 1 | 1A | 9B | All | 78 | |------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 1 | 88B | 9B | All except | 90 | | | | | right | | |------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 1 | MO A+G, 46A, 41236B| 9B | All except | NA | | | | | back | | |------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 1 | WR B | WR B | Back, Normal, | NA | | | | | Front, Right | | |------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 1 | 2A | WR B | All | NA | |------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 1 | 2A+B | WR B | All | NA | |------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 1 | 22_88K, B | WR B | All | NA | |------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 1 | B+K, 6B, 41236B | WR B | Back, Normal, | NA | | | | | Front | | |------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 1 | B+K, 6B, 41236B | WR B, 2A+B | All | NA | |------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 1 | 1A | WR B, 66B (no AT) | All | NA | |------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 1 | 88B | WR B, 66B (no AT) | All except | NA | | | | | right | | |------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 1 | MO A+G, 46A, 41236B| WR B, 66B (no AT) | All except | NA | | | | | back | | |------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 1 | 2A+K | 11B | All | 60 | |------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 1 | 4B+K | 11B | All | 62 | |------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 1 | 4A+B | 11B | All | 66 | |------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 1 | Delayed 22B | 11B | All except | 80 | | | | | right | | |------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 1 | BP B | 11B | All except left| NA | |------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 1 | 11B | FC A+B | All except left| 67 | |------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 1 | B+K, 6B, 41236B | FC A+B | All | 119 | |------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 1 | 4B | 2A+K | Back, Neutral, | NA | | | | | Front | | |------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 1 | 1_3A+B | CH 2B+K | All | 70-80 | |------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 1 | MO A | CH 2[B+K] | All except left| NA | |------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 1 | Max delayed A+G_B+G| CH 2[B+K] | All except back| NA | |------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 1 | 22B | MO A+B | All except | >80 | | | | | right | | |------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 1 | 6B+K | MO A+B | All except left| 82 | |------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 1 | 1_3A+B | MO A+B | All | 85-95 | |------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 1 | B+K, 6B, 41236B | MO A+B | All except left| 120 | |------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 1 | 22B | 4K | All except | NA | | | | | right | | |------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 1 | 22A | 44K | All except left| NA | |------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 1 | 1A | 44K | All | NA | |------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 1 | 6B | 3A+B | All | NA | |------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 1 | 6K | 3A+B | Back, Neutral, | NA | | | | | Front | | |------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 1 | 6B+K | 1A+B | All | NA | |------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 1 | 4B | 1A+B | All | NA | |------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 1 | 4[B] | 1A+B | All except left| NA | \------------------------------------------------------------------------/ ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- | X. Specific anti-character strategies | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- X. 1. Astaroth The difficulty of fighting Astaroth with Kilik lies in the fact that he (Astaroth) operates at Kilik's ideal range, i.e. medium to long, and also because throwing is a big part of his game which means Asura Dance won't be as effective against him as it is against other characters. With that said though, Kilik does have sufficient amount of tools to handle Astaroth, it is simply a matter of picking the right ones (at the right time). Here are some tips: -- Astaroth can be quite annoying from up close because of his fast 6K. A good move to interrupt this with is 1K. After that lands try stepping, but be ready to break any throws. You can also respond with 1B, which automatically sidesteps. Astaroth's 6K is -14 frames on block which means it can be punished by Kilik's 6A, A which is i13, i.e. it takes 13 frames for it to impact the opponent. Something else you can do after blocking 6K is to try 3~kB or WR B to create some space between yourself and him. -- Keep Astaroth at mid range. Usually Kilik is happy at mid range and out of mid range, but Astaroth is a character where being too far might not be good because of A+B and a few other moves. -- Two other tools that are good against Astaroth are 2K and 66B. -- Astaroth is a character you definitely want to keep the pressure on, while being careful not to do anything too slow even when he is at a disadvantage as he does have that ever so annoying knee. Also while applying pressure try not to use too many highs, once again, because the knee tech crouches. As long as you be careful not to let him force you into his throw combos, and keep the pressure while avoiding his fast annoying moves, you should be fine. X. 2. Cassandra Cassandra can be difficult for Kilik to fight against because she makes up space very quickly, meaning it's hard for Kilik to keep her at his ideal distance (mid to long). Here are some tips against Cassandra: -- Cassandra is a great character to use TJ moves against. 1K, 44K, and Asura Dance tend to be even more my essential against her than against most characters. -- A good move for distancing people is 4B. It tech-crouches, so if Cassandra is doing a high combo and you know it, it does great damage and puts her far away. Then you can go into BP without having to worry about being interrupted. If she's running at you to get closer, use B because she won't be sidestepping. If she is, use A. Even if they're blocked, she won't be able to get in your face. -- Against Cassandra, a couple of great moves to make some space are A+K and WR B. A+K is very evasive. It tech crouches, then jumps, then crouches. It's also safe, has high damage, it's a NCc, and pushes out a lot on block. Very nice move against those that want to apply the zero range pressure. WR B seems to be the answer to just about everything. Safe mid that pushes out quite a bit on block and gives guaranteed damage on hit. X. 3. Ivy Against Ivy you want to maintain high pressure while using a lot of quick mid or low horizontals such as 2A or 1k (not a horizontal but it gets the job done) and occasionally if you can see it coming A+B since it has tracking to a degree or you can always do an Asura Dance counter. A good attack to utilize as a move in if she gets far away is 3A. And if she tries to move in on you a good move to use is 66B. X. 4. Mitsurugi Some good strategies to use against Mitsurugi follow: -- When you're on the ground against Mitsurugi don't use A+B! He can easily punish that. -- There is a glitch that allows you to jump through Mitsurugi's Unblockable. Just tap 7. -- Mitsurugi's 3B is punishable by aB, 46B, or 1K. X. 5. Xianghua Here are some tips for fighting Xianghua: -- Punish Xianghua's 44B every time you block it. Kilik gets a free 3~kB off of this. -- Concerning X using 44B in block strings: if you block something from her, you can put her in check with either 2B or 2K (it depends on the move and spacing). An example would be: Xianghua does BB ---> you block and respond with 2B----> Xianghua does 44B ---> Xianghua will get hit -- When Xianghua does 4A+B you can always Asura Dance the 2nd hit (doesn't matter if she can transition into SxX, it's still guaranteed) -- At Mid range the Xianghua player will often use 66K/66B+K to try and beat you out. In this instance, just block; if you block 66K you can put her in check (depends on spacing), if they try 66B+K you can punish with aB or 3~kB. -- If Xianghua runs up towards you, she's begging to get grabbed, especially if she's trying for a Step B/Grab mixup. Make her think twice about running up. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- | XI. Miscellaneous | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- XI. 1. The Mortal Kombat Connection I am first and foremost a Mortal Kombat fan. That's my favorite game series of all time. I first started playing fighting games online with Mortal Kombat Deception in 2005. My favorite MK character is Raiden and that's where my handle comes from. I played a LOT of matches online in MK Deception (about 19,000), most of them with Raiden. However the last two MK games, MK Armageddon and MK versus DC Universe, have been very lackluster. And when I say lackluster I mean bad, at least in the case of MKA. That's why I've switched to Soul Calibur which is an excellent fighting game. Fortunately in Soul Calibur, starting with SC III anyway, you can create your own character. So that gave me the opportunity to have the best of both words, i.e. play my favorite character in a very well done, and very deep, fighting game. So where does Kilik come in, you ask?! Well his weapon is the Staff, the same weapon Raiden uses in MK Deadly Alliance, Deception, and Armageddon. So there you have it, that was the one and only reason I picked Kilik as my main character in Soul Calibur But enough babbling. If you are a Raiden (the one from Mortal Kombat, NOT from Metal Gear Solid) fan, here is how you can "create" him in the Character Creation mode in Soul Calibur IV. XI. 1. a. MKDA/MKD Raiden 1. From the main menu select Character Creation. 2. At the Character Select screen select the icon for custom characters (it's the one just to the right of Siegfried). 3. Select one of the New Data blocks. 4. Select male gender (duh!) and for the character's fighting style select Kilik. 5. On the next screen just hit Auto-generate character and then hit X twice to go to the character editing screen. 6. First remove all of the default equipment your custom character was generated with. Go to each type of equipment (such as Neck equipment, Shoulder equipment, etc.) click on X and then select the option None (it's the very top one) and hit X again to confirm. Ok, now comes the fun part. We are now ready to create our own Raiden! (Note: some of the equipment necessary may not be available from the beginning of the game so you may have to unlock it first. If that's case I'll list how to unlock it.) 7. For head equipment select Sedge Shade and set its Color 1 to 4: 08, 21 and Color 2 to 3: 13, 21. Sedge Shade can be unlocked by earning 10 Honors or it can be bought for 1300 gold. 8. For face equipment select Nothing. 9. For neck equipment select Shinobi Cloak and set Color 1 to 4: 36, 25 and Color 2 to 0: 28, 32. 10. For shoulder equipment select Sode and set Color 1 to 5: 43, 24 and Color 2 to 6: 43, 29. 11. For undergarments select Caretaker's Suit and set Color 1 to 9: 04, 32 and Color 2 to 4: 03, 29. 12. For upper body equipment select Warrior's Kimono and set Color 1 to 1: 44, 18 and Color 2 to 0: 41, 11. 13. For arm equipment select Ashigaru Gauntlets and set Color 1 to 3: 43, 25 and Color 2 to 4: 12, 16. 14. For lower body equipment select Kusazuri and set Color 1 to 9: 38, 30, Color 2 to 9: 42, 28, Color 3 to 0: 41, 21, and Color 4 to 1: 43, 19. 15. For ankle equipment select Bandages and set Color 1 to 0: 01, 08. You can unlock Bandages by earning 5 Honors or you can buy them for 850 gold. 16. For leg equipment select Crested Greaves and set Color 1 to 9: 40, 27, Color 2 to 9: 37, 32, Color 3 to 5: 41, 21, and Color 4 to 0: 12, 05. 17. Set Physique to -36 and Muscularity to +27. 18. For voice pick Male Voice 5 and set the Pitch to +0. 19. For hair style select Samurai Tail and set hair Color 1 to 0: 02, 01 and hair Color 2 to 6: 30, 02. 20. For face type select Face 7. 21. For eyebrow and facial hair color set Color 1 to 3: 01, 23. 22. Set eye color to 3: 01, 01 and skin color to 2: 09, 04. 23. Set the color of base equipment to 4: 27, 06. 24. For weapon you can pick anything really. They are all just different kinds of staffs (or rods). Some of them come with special abilities but they are all staffs so for our purposes, i.e. creating an MK Raiden character, it does not matter. 25. Name your newly created character Raiden and there you have it. Now you can go online (or to your friend's house) and pwn some newbs Mortal Kombat style! And finally, there are Critical Finishers in Soul Calibur IV. Something that bears more than passing resemblance to Mortal Kombat's fatalities. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- | XII. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- None at this time. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- | XIII. Credits | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Kilik, Soul Calibur IV, and all other Soul Calibur characters are property of Namco Bandai Games Inc. Raiden, Mortal Kombat, Mortal Kombat Deadly Alliance, and Mortal Kombat Deception are property of Midway Home Entertainment Inc. Thanks to Soul Calibur Neowiki (http://soulcalibur.neoseeker.com/wiki/Kilik) for the Kilik bio. Thanks to Neopopulous from the 8wayrun.com message boards for some of the general strategies. Thanks to Panther from the caliburforum.com message boards for some of the abbreviation explanations. Thanks to Token from the caliburforum.com message boards for the frame data. Credit for the tips for successfully executing Asura Dance goes to Eltoshan and Docvizzo from the 8wayrun.com message boards. Credit goes to Orionics (from the 8wayrun.com message boards) for the Asura Dance GI and TJ frame windows data. Credit for the FOTD tips goes to users ProfJamesJoynt, Hayate, Gegliosch, Isaac, BLDave, and Sebiel from the 8wayrun.com message boards. Thanks to Isaac and ExMachina from 8wayrun.com and to Asurendra from Caliburforum.com for the combos. Thanks to Hayate and BLDave from 8wayrun.com for some of the tech traps. Thanks to ExMachina, ShenOu, Rei_Shao_Khan, and The_Dark_Wall from 8wayrun.com for the anti-Astaroth tips. Thanks to Neopopulous, Rei_Shao_Khan, Isaac, and BLDave from 8wayrun.com for the anti-Cassandra tips. Thanks to The_dark_Wall from 8wayrun.com for the anti-Ivy tips. Thanks to wing_zero from 8wayrun.com for the anti-Xianghua tips. Thanks to wing_zero and Hayate from 8wayrun.com for the anti-Mitsurugi strategies. I give credit to the Soul Calibur 4 Equipment FAQ on GameFaqs.com by Thierry Vienneau (Fuuinashi) for the tips on unlocking and buying certain items needed in Character Creation. This strategy guide is property of Lou Vassilev.