SOUL CALIBUR: Voldo Strategy Guide V1.2
=======================================
By Giles Gaffney (Founder of Kung Fu Movies Website)
[email protected]
http://freespace.virgin.net/sheila.farmer/kfm.htm
29th July 1999


>>>>>>>>>>>
LEGAL STUFF
>>>>>>>>>>>

This guide is MY intellectual property, please respect that, feel free to
distribute it in its current UNCHANGED form. This guide is not to be used for
profitable purposes, Be it magazine, book or any other publication, without
my prior consent. If you want to HTML or FTP this guide, feel free to do so,
in its current UNCHANGED form, including ALL Copyright information.
The latest version can always be found at GameFAQS.

Unpublished work Copyright 1999 Giles Gaffney.


>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
TABLE OF CONTENTS
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

HISTORY
INTRODUCTION
ABOUT THIS GUIDE
NOTATIONS
POWER MOVES
APPROACHING BLIND STANCE
BLIND STANCE
MANTIS CRAWL
STRINGS SUMMARY
STRINGS CONCLUSION
THROWING
FLOORED OPPONENT
RING OUT
CONCLUSION


>>>>>>>
HISTORY
>>>>>>>

V1.2 - 29th July 1999
Another update
-Added Strings Summary section
-Added Floored Opponent section
-Fixed a few errors in Mantis Crawl
-Various other bits and pieces

V1.1 - 20th July 1999
Big update this time thanks to all the feedback;
-Added Ring Out section
-Added Conclusion
-More Strategy on Power Moves
-Fixed an error in Strings Conclusion
-Fixed a typo error in title!
-Various other bits and pieces

V1.0 - 16th July 1999
-Initial release


>>>>>>>>>>>>
INTRODUCTION
>>>>>>>>>>>>

In Soul Calibur, Voldo is one of the least used characters. Before you put
your money into the machine, check the percentage screen to see what the most
popular characters are. Mitsurugi, Kilik and Maxi will probably be in the top
3 and Voldo will be somewhere right at the bottom. This is because Voldo is
difficult to learn, especially if you are used to playing with characters
like Mitsurugi. Anyone wishing to learn Voldo must devote his life to him and
must start as a child, preferably at the age of 3. He must bathe in secret
lotions, take the special pills and hold to a rigorous diet for 30 years!
Only joking:-) Voldo's not that difficult to learn, honestly! If you can take
the time out then it will be a very rewarding experience because Voldo has
the largest amount of moves and is one of the best characters in the game.
Most players don't know how to defend against Voldo, either. Supposing you
want to beat that expert Mitsurugi player then put forth the effort to learn
Voldo.
On the other hand, I know some players that are desperately in need of a
Voldo guide. With the coming of the Dreamcast version, I feel that there is
too many moves lists and not enough true strategy guides. This Guide is
intended to be a basic beginners guide for learning Voldo. I've kept
everything simple and easy to follow. From here I expect you to develop your
own tactics. Here I present to you the first REAL Voldo Strategy Guide.
Hope you appreciate my work!


>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
ABOUT THIS GUIDE
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

My strategy consists of;-
1. Carry out strings that makes use of Voldo's Mantis Crawl
and Blind Stance.
2. Occasionally use strong, slow moves at the start of a round and in-between
strings.
3. Juggle with Voldo's Air Throw

My strategy is missing;-
1. Eight way run tactics
2. Caliostro Rush tactics
3. Lot's of other stuff


>>>>>>>>>
NOTATIONS
>>>>>>>>>

QCB     = Quarter Circle Back (d,d/b,b or 214)
~       = Input the second command immediately after the first
FC      = Fully Crouching (move must be performed while ducking)
WS      = Move must be performed while joystick is moving from down to
         Neutral
BS      = Blind Stance
MCR     = Mantis Crawl
MHT     = Mantis Crawl with head towards opponent
MFT     = Mantis Crawl with feet towards opponent


>>>>>>>>>>>
POWER MOVES
>>>>>>>>>>>

Voldo has a number of strong, slow moves that I particularly like to use at
the start of a round, but sometimes use them in-between strings and stances
too.

DEMON ELBOW f,[f]+B - Voldo charges towards opponent with a sliding elbow.
This move is unblockable after spirit charge and good for ringing out but can
easily be dodged. I use this one the least.

INSANE FREAK f,[f]+G+A+B,K - Voldo Does a somersault then a kick to the head.
This is probably Voldo's most powerful move. Use this aggressively,
especially against Mitsurugi. If the first hit fails to do any damage then
I'm normally very successful with the second hit because there's quite a bit
of delay and many people are unsure whether to block high or low.

BLIND DIVE FC,d/f+A+B - Voldo dives towards opponent. It's recommended that
you only use this at the start of a round or whenever you are far from
opponent because voldo can travel a whole screen's distance and can easily
be rung out by mistake. When performing, it's best to charge up to
unblockable by holding down d/f+A+B. The only way opponent can avoid damage
is by dodging.

DEATH ROSE A+K - Voldo spins towards opponent. Always charge this move up for
maximum damage. You might want to try ticking in a throw (G+A) after
executing this.

Experiment with all of these and try

Move - BLIND DIVE => DEATH ROSE => THROW
Command - FC,d/f+A+B -> A+K -> G+A

The move you should utilize the most is the INSANE FREAK. The other moves are
fairly easy to dodge and the DEATH ROSE can sometimes leave you open. It all
depends on the type of opponent you are going up against but you will find
that INSANE FREAK generally gives the most luck. If you charge towards
opponent with INSANE FREAK then he might interrupt the attack with a simple
A,A or something. For that reason, only use it after you've blocked an
attack. When doing so, what if you respond with DEMON ELBOW, a simple
one-hit attack? Your opponent will block it easy and so it would go back to
being his turn to attack you. INSANE FREAK has 2 hits and is much slower and
confusing, therefore is the better one to respond with. In the time it takes
for Voldo to perform INSANE FREAK, your opponent is prone to making mistakes.


>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
APPROACHING BLIND STANCE
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

To use Voldo efficiently you must learn to use his Stances together with
tactics. You can tell if he is in Blind Stance because his back will be
towards opponent.
The easiest way of getting to BS is by QCB although it's better to use a move
that ends in BS, like LUNATIC SPIN (WS+K). LUNATIC SPIN is a "while standing"
move which means you must first (crouch, release joystick, press K). WS moves
can be easily strung together with other moves that end fully crouching (FC).
Here's some strategies to get to Blind Stance;-

Move - EVIL BOW => LUNATIC SPIN => BS.
Command - d+A+B -> WS+K

EVIL BOW is one of Voldo's main moves. This move has very good reach, hits
low and ends FC - good for ringing out opponent. LUNATIC SPIN is a WS move
and ends in Blind Stance.


Move - GATE PRYER => RAT KICK => LUNATIC SPIN => BS.
Command - f,[f]+A+B,K -> d+K -> WS+K

The first move is another one of Voldo's preferred moves. It's very powerful
and good for getting in close. Even if opponent blocks, it doesn't really
effect the rest of the string because RAT KICK is quick and has good reach.
It's all these excellent moves that make Voldo one of the best characters in
the game. RAT KICK ends in FC.

There are many more effective ways of arriving at BS but I won't cover
anymore. I'll just keep things simple for now.


>>>>>>>>>>>>
BLIND STANCE
>>>>>>>>>>>>

Once in Blind Stance, you can perform some of Voldo's better looking moves
like the amazing FREAK ROLL or extend the strings from the previous section.
Here's some tactics;-

Move - BS => FREAK ROLL => SPASM.
Command - A+B -> d

Voldo does, what looks like, a big spinning roll - similar to Blanka's move
in Street Fighter 2. Supposing opponent blocks this, Voldo will still end in
BS so try repeating it. Once successful, keep pressing down on the joystick
to follow up with SPASM and maximise the string.
After FREAK ROLL, Voldo follows through with a reverse semi-circle motion,
exactly like Blanka. When players see this, they like to come running after
you and try to attack you as you land. SPASM is great for training players to
keep away after FREAK ROLL.


Move - BS => REVERSE EVIL BOW => FREAK ROLL => SPASM.
Command - d+A+B -> A+B -> d

You might want to try adding in the REVERSE EVIL BOW for a surprising low
attack, which still ends in BS, before executing FREAK ROLL.


Move - BS => BLIND DROP KICK => FREAK ROLL => SPASM.
Command - d+K -> A+B -> d

A variation of the other string. BLIND DROP KICK leaves Voldo lying down.
Just keep pressing A+B to rise in BS and finish carrying out the string with
hardly any noticeable delay.


Move - BS => REVERSE EVIL BOW => BLIND DROP KICK => FREAK ROLL => SPASM.
Command - d+A+B -> d+K -> A+B -> d

It's possible to include both low attacks before FREAK ROLL.


Move - BS => REVERSE EVIL BOW => BLIND DROP KICK => FREAK => MANTIS CRAWL.
Command - d+A+B -> d+K -> A+B~G

When doing the FREAK ROLL, if you keep pressing Guard quickly after A+B then
Voldo will only do the first part of FREAK ROLL and, instead, go straight
into MANTIS CRAWL (MCR). See next section.


>>>>>>>>>>>>
MANTIS CRAWL
>>>>>>>>>>>>

MANTIS CRAWL (MCR), like BS, is another one of Voldo's stances. This opens
the door to more moves. Performing this from BS can lengthen the strings
from the last two sections even further.
A quick way to get to MCR is by pressing {d_d/f}+A+K.
Once in MCR, you can walk by pressing f or b, charge into opponent with
MANTIS FIRE DANCE (f,f) or perform other moves.
After MANTIS FIRE DANCE, voldo will remain in MCR for a split second so you
can perform other MCR moves. Here's some strategies;-


Move - MCR => BOWING LUNATIC FLIP => MCR => BOWING LUNATIC FLIP...
Command - d+A+K -> K -> d+A+K -> K...

This string is quite interesting. Voldo keeps flipping over like a gymnast.
Most players just don't know what to do in a situation like this!


Move - MCR => MANTIS FIRE DANCE => ASYLUM BREAKOUT.
Command - f,f -> B

After you have executed MANTIS FIRE DANCE, depending on whether opponent
tried dodging it, voldo can end up with his feet towards opponent (MFT) or
his head towards opponent (MHT). Hopefully you can keep voldo in MHT but
in the event where he ends in MFT then ASYLUM BREAKOUT is the ideal move to
finish the string.


Move - MCR => MANTIS FIRE DANCE => BOWING LUNATIC FLIP => Throw.
Command - f,f -> K -> G+B

Most times Voldo will end in MHT which is what you want so you can execute
BOWING LUNATIC FLIP. If Voldo ended in MFT then you would accidentally
execute SCORPION KICK which doesn't look very impressive. After BOWING
LUNATIC FLIP, Voldo ends in BS.
When opponent rises, try throwing them. Voldo will shift once from BS before
throwing. The shift can avoid some attacks and helps the throw to be more
successful.


Move - MCR => MANTIS FIRE DANCE (MFT) => ASYLUM BREAKOUT => BS => FREAK =>
MCR => MANTIS FIRE DANCE (MHT) => BOWING LUNATIC FLIP => Throw.
Command - f,f -> B -> A+B~G -> f,f -> K -> G+B

ASYLUM BREAKOUT ends in BS so you might want to try and carry on the string.


To conclude this section, just a note to say, NEVER use MANTIS FIRE DANCE
when you are at the edge of the ring! See RING OUT section for alternative
Strategy.


>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
STRINGS SUMMARY
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

f,[f]+A+B,K -> d+K -> WS+K -> BS -> A+B -> d
            d+A+B -> WS+K -> BS -> {d+A+B} -> {d+K} -> A+B -> d
                             BS -> {d+A+B} -> {d+K} -> A+B~G -> MCR -> f,f -> B
                                                                MCR -> f,f -> K -> G+B


>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
STRINGS CONCLUSION
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

All the strings I've suggested in the previous sections are very efficient
and very difficult to interrupt. As you can see, It's very easy to switch
between a normal standing position and the two stances therefore all the
strings can flow nicely together into one HUGE string! There's even ways of
stringing moves together in a never-ending loop, but to finishing with FREAK
ROLL or a Throw is much more stylish! You might want to try making up your
own Strings. There are millions of combinations you could experiment with. I
Have only listed a few that I use for my strategy. Here's examples of big
strings;-

Move - EVIL BOW => LUNATIC SPIN => BS => REVERSE EVIL BOW =>
BLIND DROP KICK => FREAK ROLL => SPASM.
Command - d+A+B -> WS+K => BS => d+A+B -> d+K -> A+B -> d

Executing low attacks between BS and FREAK ROLL gives your opponent a slight
chance of interrupting the string.


Move - GATE PRYER => RAT KICK => LUNATIC SPIN => BS => FREAK => MCR =>
MANTIS FIRE DANCE => BOWING LUNATIC FLIP => Throw.
Command - f,[f]+A+B,K -> d+K -> WS+K => BS => A+B~G => MCR => f,f -> K -> G+B
                            *                                         *

It's always best to go for MANTIS CRAWL because half the time you'll end up
doing FREAK ROLL by accident.
Notice, in this string, that there are no low attacks between BS and MCR.
This gives an almost guaranteed string. The only possible places opponent can
interrupt you is by blocking the FIRE DANCE correctly, or where the * symbol
is. To interrupt the string at these points is very difficult and your
opponent will need lot's of luck too. Most likely, he will be killed!


>>>>>>>>
THROWING
>>>>>>>>

If opponent likes to execute vertical attacks (attacks using the B button)
then there's a very effective way of avoiding them and throwing opponent
straight after! When you see opponent performing vertical attack press QCB to
change into BS. When changing, Voldo shifts or dodges slightly off the axis
so you can avoid attack. Pressing G+B from BS makes Voldo shift again before
throwing!

QCB (shift/dodge) => G+B (shift/dodge) => Throw.

It's amazing how you can avoid attacks and throw from Blind Stance. Sometimes
it's possible to rotate around opponent 180% and throw them from behind!

Voldo can also throw the opponent while they are in the air! Press d/b+K to
launch opponent then immediately press and hold forward then keep tapping
G+K. Voldo will grab opponent in the air and perform BLOODY DRILL. This makes
the perfect juggle! Unfortunately, this throw can still be escaped with the
standard A escape.

d/b+K~f, G+K

It can be very difficult to pull off at times. Just make sure you press f
quickly and hold it.
Voldo's air throw is extremely damaging. If you manage to execute it
successfully then the round is yours!


>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
FLOORED OPPONENT
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

In Soul Calibur, when you knock down your opponent, there is always a way to
get a guaranteed ground hit. Voldo is no exception. After you've floored
opponent with a powerful move, string or air throw, immediately follow it
with EVIL BOW (d+A+B) for a ground hit. If you think opponent will rise
quickly then you might want to try starting another string;-

Air Throw => Ground Hit => LUNATIC SPIN => BS...

This section will updated in the future after I've experimented with some
more okizeme techniques.


>>>>>>>>
RING OUT
>>>>>>>>

There's some good ways to ring out your opponent but there's also some some
good ways to accidentally ring yourself out! I always lose one or two rounds
by ringing myself out but still win the match. Honestly, when playing Voldo,
the biggest fight is with yourself! The main thing is to watch you don't get
rung out.
If you finish the round with a string listed above then your opponent will
probably be impressed and amazed at you. Whereas if you finish the round by
ringing him out then he will be angry.
It's so easy to get rung out in Soul Calibur. That's one thing the critics
don't like.

Moves that ring YOU out;-

BLIND DIVE FC,d/f+A+B - Please be careful! Only perform at the start of a
round or when you are far from opponent. If you are unsure, even in the
slightest, then don't use this move.

MANTIS FIRE DANCE - DO NOT use this near the edge of the ring. When you are
carrying out a string, check to see if you are close to the edge, if so then
try finishing early with FREAK ROLL. Supposing it's too late and you are in
MCR, then you still have a few options;-

1. Miss out the FIRE DANCE and execute BOWING LUNATIC FLIP as well as
finishing with a throw.
2. Back away by crawling in the opposite direction. Opponent will most likely
come running after you because it's so humiliating to watch Voldo crawling
around like an animal! By now you should be more closer to the center of the
ring. When opponent is about mid-range from you, perform MANTIS FIRE DANCE
and continue the string.

Moves that ring out opponent;-

SPINNING UMBRELLA - This is Voldo's G+A throw. Must be performed near edge of
ring, ofcourse.
Voldo spins opponent on his katar then takes a small leap and flings them out
of the ring onto thin air! How disgraceful!!

EVIL BOW (d+A+B) - This move is so cheap and annoying for your opponent! It
will really make him angry. If you are going to ring out with this one, be
careful opponent doesn't hit you for real!

SCORPION TAIL (d/b+K) - When ringing out with this move, if you see your
opponent clenching his fist or getting ready to headbutt you, don't worry,
you can save him by reaching out and grabbing him with Voldo's air throw!


>>>>>>>>>>
CONCLUSION
>>>>>>>>>>

Hope you liked this guide and found it useful. As you can see, Voldo is a
very good all-rounder. He has a good variation of powerful vertical attacks,
like Mitsurugi. Voldo is brilliant at stringing moves together like Maxi or
Taki and he can throw better than Hwang or Astaroth. Also, Voldo is the only
character, to my knowledge, that can send characters out of the ring and pull
them back in, to his discretion. Did you know, this strategy guide uses less
than half of Voldo's moves! Imagine what else you can do. Voldo's options are
endless. Voldo is the man!

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