BBTag/Yu Narukami/Strategy

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General Tactics

Yu Narukami wants to play at mid range where his 5A's long reach can be used to poke opponents guards. Close range forces Narukami to use his 4A Smart Combo, which while fast has poor damage and range. Note that at close range his only safe on block specials are EX Zio and EX Swift Strike, so he must burn meter to use specials and still stay safe. If the opponent lacks a good long range game, Narukami can hang back and use Zio to force an approach, deal chip damage, and build meter. In blockstrings, using both 5A and 2B's jump cancel effectively is vital to Narukami's pressure and mix-up as it allows him to create ambiguous high / low situations without using his very committal Swift Strike or Raging Lion. His Persona, Izanagi, is immune to the effects of Reject Guard, making it a strong option against RG spamming opponents. With resources, Narukami can essentially keep opponents locked in long blockstrings that have very few gaps by switching between assists and EX Zio as needed. Avoid burning meter on constant Reject Guards and reversal supers as Narukami needs meter for oki and non-assist reliant mix-ups.

Okizeme

Narukami uses Swift Strike to end almost every meterless combo and gets only basic meaty pressure off the A and B versions. With 1 bar of meter, he can use EX Zio to cover all of the opponents wake-up options (except for invincible throws if Narukami is too close) at the cost of slightly less metergain and damage. With 2 bars, Narukami can end a combo with Cross Slash for a safe-jump set-up and optimal damage. See the Okizeme page for Yu Narukami in the Navigation section for more information.

Blockstrings

Narukami can flow to and from 5A very easily, which can be jump-canceled to either reset pressure and apply mix-ups or to disengage from a risky situation. He can also keep blockstrings going for a long time thanks to his excellent range and a variety of cancel options, however Smart Combo follow-ups (i.e. 4AA, 5AA, and 5BB) can only be done once per string so if he uses the first part and then cancels into another normal he will be unable to use that Smart Combo's follow-ups in the same string. Thus 5AA and 5B should not be used carelessly (5A can be used repeatedly but 5B can only be used once). If Narukami has at least 1 bar, he can use EX Zio to reset pressure while keeping his blockstring true, allowing him to maintain pressure for absurd lengths of time. However, effective use of Reject Guards can be used to escape and possibly punish it so don't get predictable with how you use it. His biggest flaw when it comes to blockstrings is converting them into a hit through a mix-up as Narukami is reliant on assists for covering his slow and/or unsafe mix-ups. His main tools for overheads (5C and Raging Lion) and lows (2C and non-EX versions of Swift Strike) are horribly unsafe on block and cannot convert into full combos on their own. A solo Narukami is a predictable Narukami.

Tips and Tricks

  • Conserve meter! EX Zio is an absurdly strong tool but its threat is diminished if Narukami constantly Reject Guards or uses reversal supers!
  • Keep your partner alive! Outside of liberal EX Zio usage, Narukami cannot safely apply mix-ups on his own which means assists are very important!
  • Don't end up alone! Use Active Switch and Cross Raids to tag Narukami in if his partner is low on health.
  • Don't use Izangai carelessly! Narukami loses 2.5% of his current health every time his persona gets hit or if it is summoned when he gets hit.
  • Use throws! 5A can be rebeat into multiple times in the same string and can be canceled into his throw, making it easy to slip into a blockstring!
  • Get opponents to the corner! It is the only place where Narukami can effectively use his best oki without burning resources.
  • Use Raging Lion to end mid-screen combos! It combos directly into Swift Strike for massive corner carry, nearly guaranteeing a corner position.

Fighting Yu

Narukami has many powerful neutral tools which include both air and ground usable full-screen-traveling projectiles, a similarly reaching slide that hits low, a far reaching dive-kick that hits high, long reach with his katana, and a pressure-resetting tool that travels full-screen. However, without an assist he can't deal much damage, has to take big risks to land mix-ups, and has very predictable and unsafe pressure. Force him to fight on his own by forcing or baiting bursts and cut off his resources by forcing him to use Reject Guard. Using strong oki is also a good idea as his defensive options are all very one-dimensional and in the case of his supers, expensive. Above all else, taking out his partner puts him at a massive disadvantage, regardless of whether or not you still have a partner of your own.

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