GGST/Nagoriyuki/Strategy

Overview

Starter Guide

Combos

Strategy

Matchups

Counterstrategy

Okizeme

Frame Data

Resources

General Strategies

Managing Blood Gauge

The most important thing you're going to learn as Nagoriyuki. Nago's blood gauge fills up as he uses specials and decrease as he lands S normals, HS normals, command grab, and Super. 236K/214K cost 43.2 blood while 214H, 623H, and 236S cost 90.0 (command grab cost nothing to use). Landing S or H normals decrease the blood gauge, especially on hit. Doing so will allow you to offset the cost of Nago's specials. For example, 236K cost 43.2 blood but if you land 5H then cancel into 236K it'll cost roughly 14.4 instead. The gauge does not fill instantaneously so you will have to maintain a rough idea of where your blood gauge is going to be after using specials.

Each segment of blood gauge reduces the start up of Nago's HS normals and increase their range, allowing for better neutral pokes and better conversions/strings. 5K > 6H works at 1 blood bar whereas your opponent needs to be crouching for it to work at 0. 2S > 5H works at 2 bars.

Blood Rage

Blood Rage triggers when Nago reaches 3 bars of blood (300 blood total). Your goal is to never reach this point. During Blood Rage, Nago loses access to all specials and constantly loses HP (even if he gets comboed) but gets the most range on his normals and access to his Zansetsu super. Blood Rage releases a small shockwave that leaves Nago -7 but pushes the opponent away. If the opponent is not in range of this shockwave Nago is punishable from fullscreen and you will likely have to either burst or lose the round right then and there. If you do enter Blood Rage you can either walk back and play defensive until the timer is over or fish for 2H/5H > super to try and kill the opponent. Zansetsu is fullscreen so if you have good enough reactions you can punish impatient opponents from almost anywhere. People who know the MU will commit to walking back or downbacking as your health bar drains so you can try to land some 5Hs to deal a bit of chip before hand. It is worth noting that using Zansetsu will also end blood rage but the super is also very punishable so be careful about throwing it out.

Neutral

Mid Range / Footsies

Nagoriuki is excellent in the mid range due to possessing outstanding mid-ranged space control tools. One such move is 2S, which has a good combination of speed and range. It's likely to score a counter hit or interrupt a grounded approach when used in footsies range. It also has rather fast whiff recovery, which means that throwing out a second 2S after one missed is quite effective for interrupting overly aggressive opponents. If your opponent jumps while 2S is out, interrupt their aerial approach with an anti-air instead, if you have time. In addition, the hitbox of 2S hits low enough to be able to counter low profile When a character's hurtbox is entirely beneath an opponent's attack. This can be caused by crouching, certain moves, and being short. moves, such as  I-No's Stroke the Big Tree or  Sol's Night Raid Vortex. Another great tool is f.S, which complements 2S quite well. It has incredible range and has a higher hitbox than 2S, allowing it to contest aerial opponents. It’s also quite easy to hit confirm due to its in-built follow-ups. It’s on the slower side, which means it might have to be used preemptively, but it’s well worth it.

• 

  2S

• 

  2S Hitbox

• 

  f.S

• 

  f.S Hitbox

A counter strategy against mid-ranged pokes is to position oneself to make them whiff before approaching or contesting them with 6P. For 2S, this isn’t too much of a problem due to its fast whiff recovery and due to its hitbox hitting low enough to interrupt 6P. On the other hand, f.S is quite vulnerable due to having a whopping 28 frames of recovery. If your opponent attempts this, vary your timing, positioning and move choices more to throw them off. Stay sharp!

At 0 blood bars, Nagoriyuki’s normals are underwhelming. His buttons are strong, but at low blood, Nagoriyuki’s powerful strike/throw mix-ups are more rewarding than playing keep out. Therefore, your goal at 0 blood bars is to find a way to close space. Fukyo (236K/214K) is a teleport that has invulnerability above Nagoriyuki’s chest. The ability to mix up Fukyo forward and Fukyo back, in combination with it’s fast speed, makes it difficult for the opponent to react to it. Combining it with normals like 2S or 5K makes for a strong approach option. If you manage to land a stray hit with or buttons, you can convert into combos and initiate pressure from there. On block, utilize their various gatings and special cancel options to initiate pressure.

• 

  Fukyo (236K/214K)

• 

  Fukyo (236K/214K) Hitbox

• 

  5K

• 

  5K Hitbox

Kamuriyuki (214H) is another powerful approach option. It has massive range, good speed for its range and yields high reward on both normal hit and counter hit. It also has some airborne frames, allowing it to jump over certain attacks. In addition, the move is either neutral on block or even plus when done from a distance, giving Nagoriyuki good offensive options, such as frame traps. Like a swiss army knife, 214H is able to deal with a wide variety of situations. It’s one of the strongest special moves in the game, use it a lot. Nagoriyuki is also armed with a powerful projectile attack in Zarameyuki (236S). It shoots a clone that leaves Nagoriyuki plus on block, and it cancels out single-hit projectiles, should it clash with them. Unlike  Chipp's Gamma Blade, Nagoriyuki’s clone is fully invincible. Cancel 236S into 236K to advance towards your opponent. The frame advantage of 236S allows you to initiate a strike/throw mix-up if it's blocked. Keep your Blood Gauge in mind though, as 236S into 236K fills the gauge up by a significant amount.

Mix up all of these tools to make your approach as unpredictable as possible.

• 

  Kamuriyuki (214H)

• 

  Kamuriyuki (214H) Hitbox

• 

  Zarameyuki (236S)

• 

  Zarameyuki (236S) Hitbox

At two blood bars, the dynamic shifts completely. Nagoriyuki won’t be able to go for the same mix-ups due to the risk of entering Blood Rage. Instead, the goal is to utilize his enhanced normals to decimate unsuccessful approach attempts. 5H has outstanding range and good speed at two bars. It covers ground space well, but requires you to be wary of jump-ins and certain low profile When a character's hurtbox is entirely beneath an opponent's attack. This can be caused by crouching, certain moves, and being short. moves. 2H at two blood bars covers the air while also catching most characters running forward, but whiffs against crouching opponents. Both 5H and 2H leads to knockdowns on normal hit and powerful combos on counter hit, the easiest of which is to simply cancel into 236K and go for 6H OTG. Don't forget about mixing in the occasional 2S for checking people slightly closer, or as a safer way to check ground space. 2S > 5H is a combo at two blood bars, which helps Nagoriyuki build momentum. Try to restrict your special move usage to only Fukyo at this level. Landing an normal completely nullifies the Blood Gauge build up of a single Fukyo. Therefore, feel free to cancel normals into Fukyo in order to maintain optimal distance and keep up the pressure. normals also slightly reduce the cost of Fukyo on block. If your opponent sits still when you teleport after landing a move on block, feel free to mix them up with Bloodsucing Universe (623P). You can also go for 623P if you score a knockdown.

• 

  5H Hitbox (Two Blood Bars)

• 

  2H Hitbox (Two Blood Bars)

• 

  Bloodsucking Universe (623P)

At one blood bar, Nagoriyuki can play either the mix-up strategy or space control strategy, though it will be to a lesser extent. Nagoriyuki can use the same strategy of closing space and mixing up the opponent that is effective at 0 blood bars, but you will have to be more mindful of the cost of your special moves. Two special moves can easily bring you to two bars or trigger Blood Rage. Alternatively, you can use Fukyo or 236S to safely reach two bars from a distance and then use Nagoriyuki’s massive normals.

Defense

Defensive System Mechanics

Faultless Defense (FD), Psych Burst and Yellow Roman Cancel (YRC) are cornerstones of defense in Guilty Gear, as they are quite handy for breaking out of pressure. They all cost a resource though, so think about how you use them. Nagoriyuki struggles to challenge pressure due to his mediocre abare options, lack of low profile moves and lack of meterless reversals. Therefore, mastering defensive system mechanics is especially important for Nagoriyuki.

Faultless Defense

Powerful defensive option, but drains Tension as you use it!

Hold any two buttons except (or the FD Button if one was set) while blocking to perform Faultless Defense (FD). As long as the direction and buttons are held down (and the Tension Gauge isn't empty), you will continue to perform Faultless Defense.

A unique type of guard that gradually depletes Tension when used. Faultless Defense augments your block by giving it several special properties. Firstly, it increases pushback on block, making it useful to make space between you and the opponent. By using Faultless Defense early in the opponent's blockstring, the opponent will be pushed back enough that later attacks will miss, allowing you to punish the opponent's whiffed attack or disengage. When in use, Faultless Defense also prevents the R.I.S.C Level from increasing and nullifies chip damage. This is essential for survival in situations where chip damage runs the risk of finishing you off.

Keep in mind that you don't have to hold two buttons for a long time in order to use Faultless Defense effectively. It's also possible to press the buttons briefly - slightly longer than a tap - just before the opponent's hit connects. By doing this, you can let go of Faultless Defense in between the hits of an opponent's blockstring, allowing you to save some Tension. This requires some precision though, so it will require practice.

Yellow Roman Cancel

Turn the tables with this powerful defensive option!

Press any three attack buttons (except ) simultaneously while in blockstun to perform a Yellow Roman Cancel (YRC). Costs 50% Tension.

Yellow Roman Cancels can be used when blocking at the cost of 50% Tension, for the purpose of stopping an attacking opponent and resetting the momentum of the match. Yellow Roman Cancels can not be performed when your character is in a Guard Crush state. Upon activation, your character creates a shockwave that forces the opponent into a Guard Crush state, granting your character massive frame advantage. Yellow Roman Cancel is a useful tool for challenging an opponent’s pressure, especially for characters that are lacking in character-specific tools.

However, Yellow Roman Cancel is -16 on block and leaves your character in Counter Hit state during its recovery frames. Sharp opponents can block it on prediction and punish it heavily. Make sure to vary when you go for a Yellow Roman Cancel to avoid becoming predictable. In addition, the hefty 50% Tension cost must always be taken into consideration. Said Tension could be used for Overdrives or extending combos or blockstrings with other types of Roman Cancels. Practice utilizing all of your defensive options so as to not end up over relying on Yellow Roman Cancel and burning Tension too quickly.

Psych Burst

Press + any other attack button to perform a Psych Burst. Costs a full Burst Gauge.

A powerful defensive option that can be used in a variety of situations at the cost of a full Burst Gauge. Upon activation, your character releases an invincible shockwave that knocks opponents away. If the opponent is in a completely invulnerable state, the shockwave can still hit the opponent's collision box instead of their hurtbox and ignore any type of shield or armor, which results in some invulnerable skills, such as Overdrives, still being hit during their invincibility frames. Bursts can be used at almost any point in the match, including when you’re in blockstun or hitstun. This allows Bursts to function as both a combo breaker and as a way to challenge the opponent’s pressure. The Burst Gauge refills very slowly over time, so it can be a good idea to use it early in a match to break out of a powerful combo, such as a Counter Hit combo. This will allow you to spend the rest of the round recharging it, making it more likely to have another opportunity to use it again later in the match.

While Bursts are very powerful, they are far from infallible. The activation shockwave is not instant, so sharp players can predict incoming Bursts and punish them heavily. A common method of doing so is canceling attacks with jump cancels or Roman Cancels, then blocking the Burst and punishing the recovery. Because of the risk associated with it, you should vary the timing of when you go for Burst to avoid becoming predictable. Lastly, keep in mind that Burst cannot be performed while your character is stuck to the wall, being thrown, or being hit by an Overdrive.

Counter Pokes

6P - A decent counter poke due to its upper body invulnerability. It’s on the slower side for a 6P, but useful nonetheless. Use it to challenge an opponent's attack in mid or close range. Many attacks extends the character's hurtbox further out than the animation implies, due to the weapon itself having a hurtbox. This is especially prevalent on moves like  Faust’s f.S. If you experiment with 6P, you might be surprised at how many attacks can be beaten with it.

2S - Overall a great button because of its speed, range and cancel options. It functions well as a counter poke because of the aforementioned reasons and because it has slight low profile When a character's hurtbox is entirely beneath an opponent's attack. This can be caused by crouching, certain moves, and being short. properties.

2D - A low sweep with minor low profile When a character's hurtbox is entirely beneath an opponent's attack. This can be caused by crouching, certain moves, and being short. properties. It leads into strong okizeme on normal hit or powerful combos on counter hit. Can be useful against opponents that preemptively use short buttons.

5H - A strong counter poke due to its massive range and disjoint. Keep in mind that at 0 blood bars, the speed and range isn’t good enough for it to be effective, so use it with at least one blood bar. It’s quite rewarding on counter hit. Good usage of 5H can make it difficult for the opponent to approach you. Use it from ranges where Nagoriyuki’s other counter pokes won’t reach.

• 

  6P Hitbox

• 

  2S Hitbox

• 

  2D Hitbox

• 

  5H Hitbox (One Blood Bar)

Anti-Airs

Anti-airs, as the name suggests, are moves that are useful against aerial opponents. They are typically either fast, high-reaching, protected by invulnerability of some kind, or a combination of these traits. Nagoriyuki has four effective anti-airs: 6P, 5P, 2H and Air Throw.

6P - A safe and reliable option due to its upper body invulnerability. It’s on the slower side for a 6P, but useful nonetheless. Combos into Kamuriyuki (214H). A useful option if your reaction speed is fast enough to use it in time

5P - Lacks the upper body invulnerability of 6P, but it’s much faster, making it essential in situations where you don’t have enough time to use 6P. It can also catch opponents trying to jump during close range brawling.

2H - A riskier option than the buttons due to being slow and lacking invulnerability of any kind. On the flipside, it yields enormous reward on counter hit and has incredible range when boosted with one or two blood bars. Use it preemptively to interrupt aerial approaches from longer distances, such as IAD approaches.

Air Throw - A useful anti-air for all characters, especially against opponents that like to jump into block. Combos into 6H OTG, making it quite rewarding. If your opponent has a habit of jumping out during your pressure, use air throw to punish them.

• 

  6P Hitbox

• 

  5P Hitbox

• 

  2H Hitbox (One Blood Bar)

Abare

Abare means to attack during an opponents frame advantage with the intention of interrupting their pressure. Naturally, fast moves work best for this task.

5P - At 5F, this is Nagoriyuki's fastest move and best abare option by extension. It combos into 6P > Kamuriyuki (214H) for a meterless knockdown, something that not every character can get from their buttons.

2P - Slightly slower at 6F, but has the advantage of hitting lower to the ground, making it more effective against opponents that crouch or use low profile When a character's hurtbox is entirely beneath an opponent's attack. This can be caused by crouching, certain moves, and being short. moves.

• 

  5P Hitbox

• 

  2P Hitbox

Nagoriyuki’s invincible reversal, Wasureyuki (632146S) can also be used for abare due to its invulnerability.

Reversals

Invincible reversals are moves used to steal your turn back by force. They can be used during holes in an opponent's blockstrings or during your wake-up to punish sloppy oki. Nagoriyuki only has one invincible reversal: Wasureyuki (632146S)

Wasureyuki (632146S) - An Overdrive with frame 1 invulnerability against both strikes and throws. It is punishable on block, but can be Roman Canceled for safety. This would end up costing 100% Tension though. If all else fails, it can be used as an expensive cover-all option to take your turn back by force. If it hits at tip range, the first hit won’t link into the cinematic, reducing the move’s damage potential. In addition, the opponent can sometimes fall out of the attack if the angle is a bit off.

Okizeme

Safe Jumps

A safe pressure option that beats invincible reversals. Typically requires setups since the timing for the jump is strict and you have no tell to base that timing on. Not the most common option for Nagoriyuki since much of his oki comes from 6H OTG soft knockdowns.

Setups

• c.S > f.SSS, j9, j.H
  • Only works near corner
  • Beats all reversals except for  Leo's S Reversal
    • although having the same startup as  Sol and  Chipp's reversals, Leo's weight class makes him land sooner giving you less frame advantage on the knock down
• [4D or 6D], j9, j.H
  • Works anywhere
  • Beats 9F+ reversals:  Nagoriyuki,  Ram,  May,  Axl,  Faust, and  Potemkin's Overdrive reversals as well as  Ky's meterless reversal
  • Will not beat  I-No,  Giovanna,  Millia's,  Ky's Overdrive reversals or any other meterless reversal besides Ky's.

c.S

A great meaty option for many reasons. Fast 7F startup, 6 active frames, great reward on counter hit, plus on block, the most gatling options out of any normal. The downsides are you have to be close enough to not get f.S and it only narrowly outranges reversal throws. It's many active frames should give you a relatively generous window to meaty a reversal throw attempt however, so that is only a minor drawback. c.S is a great option after a close OTG 6H > 236K.

6H

Another great meaty option for many of the same reasons as c.S. Has the same number of active frames, even greater reward on counter hit, and can be made plus on block when canceled into Fukyo (214K). Additionally, the disjointed hitbox allows it to clash with many invincible reversals, pass through bursts and potentially avoid YRC at range. On block 6H > 214K is +2 allowing you to continue to pressure respectful opponents. When compared with c.S has less pressure options on block, less reward on normal hit, and slower startup but still a great option in its own right. To take full advantage of the disjointed hitbox, meaty with 6H at its maximum range.

2K

A quick low to beat opponents walking back on their wakeup. Gatlings into 2D to loop back into more oki. Walking back against Nagoriyuki's oki is a low risk option to avoid the strike/throw mixup but it only works when waking up at the very tip of Bloodsucking Universe's range. 2K beats this otherwise safe option so mix in the option in this situation.

When timed right, meaty 2K > 5P will link while also being safe to 10f reversals and slower. OTG 6H > 236K will set this up for the link but only meaty enough to recover in time for 11f reversals which notably still includes  Ky's S Vapor Thrust and  Axl's Overdrive. On block, this setup will leave Nagoriyuki +2 on block instead of the usual -1.

Being a low, this option also beats the FD/throw tech option select.

Bloodsucking Universe (623P)

The throw in strike/throw. It is important to be aware of the 5 frames of throw invincibility on wake up in Strive. Due to this, throws can never truly be "meaty" and can only land on frame 6 after wakeup at the earliest so time it accordingly. Nagoriyuki has throw invincibility himself during this move so it naturally beats reversal throws. Since meterless reversals are only strike invuln in Strive, throws have a narrow window to beat meterless reversals after the wakeup throw invincibility and before they become active.

Notably good against Anji since it beats his couter Overdrive and he has no 5F normal to stop the grab during his wake up throw invuln.

Fukyo (214K)

Very safe option but virtually gives up pressure. Can be strategically used to safely test how your opponent will react to your oki. Notably can punish opponents trying to keep their invincible reversals safe by canceling into RRC on block since invincible reversals cannot be PRC'd when they whiff.

Zarameyuki (236S) > Fukyo(236K)

Hits meaty off 6H OTG or delayed after 623P. Can tick throw or continue pressure on block, confirm on hit, or hold block during the flash on reversal super and punish. Can also hold 4 to block reversal dps but harder to confirm off of.

Command grab (623P) setups

Landing Nagoriyuki's bite command grab (623P) (or at least threatening it) is important to convince the opponent to jump or mash, which allows you to open them up with frametraps. All of these setups let you mix up command grab or a tight frame trap, either with a gatling or with 214H/623H if there are no gatling options available.

Note that there is a 5f throw invulnerability window after blockstun, meaning that any tick throw setups require a minor delay between the attack and the command grab or the grab will whiff.

• 2K/5K/c.S/etc. > 6K > 623P
  • Requires 6K to be done relatively close to the opponent to be in range for the command grab.
  • Doing 214H instead of 623P here is a 1f gap frame trap, which is tight enough to catch throws.
• 236K > 5P/2P/5K/2K/c.S > 623P
  • Uses the forward momentum from Fukyo to be in range for the command grab after the initial attack.
  • All of these normals can gatling into tight frame traps to discourage jumping/mashing.
• f.SS > delay 623P
  • Nagoriyuki moves forward slightly when ending f.SS without canceling into the third hit, allowing you to get into range for the command grab.
  • If f.S was started close enough, you only need a minor delay after f.SS before attempting the command grab since you don't need to get into range. On the other hand, this setup does not work regardless of delay if the initial f.S is started too far away.
  • Mixing up with 214K leaves you minus, but able to whiff punish slower mash attempts or force an air block.
  • Mixing up 214H after f.SS is a 1f gap frame trap.
• 236S > 236K > 623P
  • Due to being a projectile 236S will not cause pushback on FD allowing you to still get a tick throw off it. Start to use when the opponent starts using FD on your other setups.

Fighting Nagoriyuki

Nagoriyuki must play around his Blood Gauge, which means players fighting against Nagoriyuki also must pay attention to the blood gauge in order to know what options Nagoriyuki has available at that moment. In general, Nagoriyuki will have more dangerous frame trap options at low blood but a better neutral game at high blood. When the blood gauge is higher Nagoriyuki's command grab becomes more rewarding as it will give him oki as well as the blood to open up more of his frame trap options once again. As a defender, avoiding the grab with jump or backdash will become the lower risk option as Nagoriyuki will have very few options of extending combos especially without tension. Knowing when Nagoriyuki has overextended on special moves and has made blood rage imminent will also help with defense as Nagoriyuki's only option to stop the Blood Rage activation from happening is landing his command grab and any combo he starts will be cut short from the activation animation.

Defending and Punishing Blood Rage

Blood Rage is a fail state for the Nagoriyuki player, but it's up to you to maximize the punishment it brings. Don't get surprised by the activation. Make sure you're watching the Blood Gauge so you can set yourself up to punish.

If possible avoid blocking the activation. It's only -7 on block and can push you outside of c.S range. As long as your back is not up against a wall you should have time to avoid the activation with a backdash after the screen freeze. For optimizing damage off of a whiffed activation, front-load your damage to avoid guts scaling later on and be sure to use a combo that will last the full duration of the Blood Rage health drain (about 3.5 seconds). If you've missed the punish on the activation and the Nagoriyuki tries to exit Blood Rage early with his Blood Rage Overdrive, block it and you will have a full second to dash up (or Fukyo, or Hammerfall) from fullscreen and punish.

When defending against Blood Rage just block and use Faultless Defense. FD will be your best friend during Blood Rage. Nagoriyuki gets huge chip damage in Blood Rage so you want to prevent that whenever possible. Nagoriyuki does not have access to his command dash or command grab in Blood Rage so his ability to open up your guard is very limited. The only exception is that his j.H becomes an instant overhead. Look out for that threat when Nagoriyuki is close enough and has tension to convert off of it. Nagoriyuki's Blood Rage Overdrive has very slow startup. If he catches you committing to an attack or backdash (which you shouldn't be doing, you should just be blocking) you should be able to PRC it and block the Overdrive in most cases.

Intercepting Command Dash

Nagoriyuki's forward command dash can be used to force in some extra pressure or sneak in a command grab but doing so off of anything but 236S (the clone projectile) is risky and can often be punished with a c.S starter. If you block one of his HS normals and he follows up by canceling into a forward command dash he will be at -7 frame disadvantage, which is punishable depending on the spacing.

Forward vs Backward Both directions of Nagoriyuki's command dash have identical startup animations so they can be confusing to react to. Backwards command dash has less recovery than the forward version so you are likely to get whiff punished if you blindly intercept the forward dash before determining which version it actually is. On the other hand, if you wait long enough so that Nagoriyuki reappears after his dash you will likely not have enough time to interrupt his next attack.

Since Nagoriyuki's backwards command dash has less recovery, he'll stay invisible for a much shorter duration during the back command dash compared to the forward version. You can use that fact to react to the forward command dash sooner than normal. Instead of waiting to see where he'll reappear it can be better to get familiar with the timing of just his backdash and react to whether or not he has reappeared on time. If he hasn't reappeared on time further back, you will know it's a forward dash just a little bit earlier than if you were to wait and react to him appearing in front of you.

Avoiding vs Intercepting Intercepting is a high risk/high reward response to the command dash situation. A lower risk answer though is to just avoid the possible grab with a jump in response to either command dash. It's nearly impossible for the Nagoriyuki player to catch your jump startup. At best you can get a jumping counter hit punish against his command grab and at worst you'll have to air block and let Nagoriyuki reset pressure.

Blocking 214H (The Spinning Slash)

input	name	guard	startup	active	recovery	onBlock	notes
214H	Kamuriyuki	Low	14	5	17	-3	Increases Blood Gauge over 3s (+90/300) • Airborne 5~12F • Can cancel into Specials Frames 14~25, except Bloodsucking Universe and another Kamuriyuki • When cancelled into a Special, imparts forward momentum into the cancelled Special • Cannot cancel into specials Frames 26~35 • 12.5 Chip Damage on block

At first Nagoriyuki's 214H may seem like it should be punishable on block with its quick startup and impressive range, but that's not the case. It's actually 0 on block. It's better than even for Nagoriyuki though because he can spend more of his Blood Gauge to cancel the recovery into another special move as well. Nagoriyuki's fastest normal is 5F, so if you're playing a 6F character you do not have many options to take your turn here. Regardless it's important to know which options are available to Nagoriyuki with his Blood Gauge.

The Special Cancel Frame Trap Nagoriyuki can cancel 214H into 623H (DP) or 236S (clone) for a total of 1.8 bars of Blood Gauge. While very expensive on blood, they lead to huge reward on hit even without spending additional blood if in the corner. This is your main incentive to continue blocking and let Nagoriyuki reset his pressure. Always keep the Blood Gauge in mind though as this will become less threatening at high blood due to its cost, allowing you to contest the situation at lower risk.

Respecting Back Dash Cancel Nagoriyuki can cancel 214H into his backwards command dash leaving him +2 on block and in range for his 16F f.S and in the corner, his 12F 2S. Less rewarding than the frametrap, but cheaper at 1.4 bars of Blood Gauge and safer to reversals so you will see it a lot against more cautious players. If you get caught pressing a button to contest Nagoriyuki's 5P option Nagoriyuki will easily whiff punish. The combos Nagoriyuki can do at this range are all mildly blood or tension expensive though and he already used 1.4 bars of Blood Gauge for 214H and 214K, so keep in mind the option will be less threatening when Nagoriyuki has high blood and low tension.

Avoiding Command Grab If you show you're willing to continue blocking, Nagoriyuki will try to open you up with his command grab. A delayed backdash or jump can beat both the tight 623H (DP) frame trap and command grab, but both will lose to the 236S (clone) frame trap. Although the clone frame trap is much more reactable. At very high blood levels the command grab becomes much more rewarding for Nagoriyuki and the frame traps become more of a non-option due to Blood Rage so jumping, backdashing, or jabbing become better options.

Beating 5P as a 6F character While 5P is Nagoriyuki's fastest normal it can be punished with a low-profile move such as  Millia's 2K or any 6P. However this can be risky if Nagoriyuki has blood to spare on a special cancel frame trap or back dash cancel. 6P will lose to some of Nagoriyuki's slower options such as his 2K or command grab, but in turn that will open you up to contest the situation with your own 6F jab.

Meaty 214H Since 214H is an advancing move with multiple active frames it's likely to hit meaty at farther ranges. This changes the on block situation from 0 up to +4. There's no real threat of a mixup at this range however, so you just need to respect Nagoriyuki's pokes off the frame advantage.

All around it's a lot more complicated RPS situation than the 0 on block would imply, but know your options and keep in mind how the Blood Gauge changes the risk/reward and you should be able to keep up.

Blocking f.SS (Advancing Slashes)

No results

(WIP)

Navigation

Overview

Starter Guide

Combos

Strategy

Matchups

Counterstrategy

Okizeme

Frame Data

Resources