Haohmaru FAQ
For Capcom vs SNK 2 on Arcade, Dreamcast, and Playstation 2.
Written by Kenny "Kenshi" Tam
Contact:
[email protected]
===============
Version History
===============
Version 1.0
January 24, 2002
Everything.
January 27, 2002
Added Groove info etc.
=================
Table of Contents
=================
I. Introduction
II. Profile
III. Annotations and Abbreviations
IV. General Moves
V. Special Moves
VI. Desperation Moves
VII. General Notes
VIII. Strategies
IX. Combos
X. Miscellany
XI. Notes and Credits
===============
I. Introduction
===============
This is an FAQ for Haohmaru. I first used him in Samurai Showdown
years ago, and occasionally in the NGPC Version. I'm actually a big
Rurouni Kenshin fan, and this is the closest I can actually get
(where's Ukyo!! and Genjuro!!!)
The move lists and descriptions I got from sitting next to my machine
and watching the move several twenty times on training mode.
===========
II. Profile
===========
Full Name: Ha Oh Maru (Emperor/Conqueror Man?)
Nationality: Japan
Favorite Food: Sake.
From: Samurai Spirits
==================================
III. Annotations and Abbreviations
==================================
UB U UF UB= Up-Back U= Up UF= Up-Forward
\ | / B= Back N= Neutral F= Forward
B--N--F DB= Down-Back D= Down DF= Down-Forward
/ | \
DB D DF
LP= Light Punch MP= Medium Punch HP= Hard Punch
LK= Light Kick MK= Medium Kick HK= Hard Kick
P= Any Punch K= Any Kick
PP= Two Punches Simultaneously KK= Two Kicks Simultaneously
PPP= All Three Punches KKK= All Three Kicks
QCF= Quarter Circle Forward (D, DF, F)
QCB= Quarter Circle Back (D, DB, B)
DPM= Dragon Punch Motion (F, D, DF)
RDP= Reverse Dragon Punch (B, D, BD)
HCF= Half Circle Forward (B, DB, D, DF, F)
HCB= Half Circle Back (F, DF, D, DB, B)
360= Spin Joystick in Full Circle
Super Jump= Tap Down, then Up or any Up direction quickly to do a
further, large jump. A trail will appear behind the opponent if done
correctly.
Dash= Tap Forward or Back twice quickly to move quickly in that
direction.
Throw= When near an opponent, press either Forward or Back and Hard
Punch or Hard Kick to execute a throw attack.
Throw Escape= When being grabbed for a throw, Press either Forward or
Back and Hard Punch or Hard Kick to escape.
Evasion= Press Light Punch and Light Kick simultaneously. Depending
on the groove, the character will perform an action that will evade
most moves for the duration of the action.
Taunt= Press Select to do a special taunt.
Grooves
*******
C-Groove:
---------
This mode is similar to the Alpha Series as well as Capcom Groove in
the original game. The character has a gauge at the bottom of the
screen, which is divided into three sections, shown by a larger area
as the level increases. Attacking and performing moves will increase
this gauge.
Depending on the Level, Different levels of Super Combos can be
performed:
Level 1- Super Combo Command + LP or LK
Level 2- Super Combo Command + MP or MK
Level 3- Super Combo Command + HP or HK
The higher the level, the more powerful it usually will be. The
levels are cumulative, so doing a level 2 super on with a Level 3
gauge will leave the bar with 1 level left.
Dash- Tap either Forward or Back Twice quickly to do a small dash in
that directly.
Rolling- Press LP and LK simultaneously to perform a moving dodge,
which can pass through most Special and Super moves, as well as the
opponent.
Counter Attack- While blocking, immediately tap Forward + MP+MK to
perform a counterattack. Note that it requires 1 level of the Super
Gauge to perform this move.
Air Block- Press Back whilst in the air to block. Super moves cannot
be air blocked.
Tactical Recovery- When Knocked down, press all 3 Punch Buttons to
delay your character getting up.
A-Groove:
---------
This mode is similar to the Custom Combo Groove, the V-ism from
Street Fighter Zero 3. At the bottom of the Screen is a Custom Combo
Gauge, which can be filled up by attacking. At 50% full, a Level 1
Super combo can be performed. When full, a Custom Combo can be
performed.
Level 1- Super Combo Command + Button
Level 2- Custom Combo - HP and HK Simultaneously
Dash- Tap Forward or Back Twice to do a quick small dash towards the
enemy.
Safe Fall- Press All Three Punch Buttons whilst Landing to recover on
the ground.
Rolling- Press LP and LK simultaneously to perform a rolling dodge
which can pass through most Special and Super Attacks, as well as the
opponent.
Counter Attack- While blocking, immediately tap Forward + MP+MK to
perform a counterattack. Note that it requires 1 level of the Super
Gauge to perform this move.
P-Groove:
---------
This Groove is the most similar to the Street Fighter 3 system. It
includes the Parry Command as well as a single level Super gauge
which fills up when attacking.
Super Combo- Super Command +Button
Note that there is only one level in P-Groove, and that it will be a
Level 3 combo.
Parry- The Instant the opponent makes contact with a hit, Tap forward
for High Attacks, and Down for low attacks. The opponent will Parry
the away the opponent, leaving them open for a counterattack. The
timing window has been decreased significantly though, making it
harder to perform.
Dash- Tap Forward or Back Twice to do a quick small dash towards the
enemy.
Safe Fall- Press All Three Punch Buttons whilst Landing to recover on
the ground.
Small Jump- Tap Up, or any Up Directional to do a small jump.
S-Groove:
---------
This groove is similar to the Extra mode from the King of Fighters
series, as well as the original SNK-Groove from the Original Capcom
vs. SNK.
The Super Gauge is filled by Charging, Pressing the HP and HK
simultaneously. The Character will begin charging up their powers
and their gauge will start increasing. Note that the character
cannot move or perform any attacks whilst doing this. When the Bar
is full, the character is slightly stronger as well as being able to
do a Level 1 Super Combo. Note that the bar will start decreasing
once it reaches the maximum and the opportunity to perform Super
combos will end when the bar is empty.
When the Character takes enough damage, the Vitality Gauge will begin
flashing. At this point the Character can do unlimited Level 1 Super
moves, and if the Super Gauge is also full, a Level 3, MAX Super
Combo.
Run- Tap Forward or Back Twice to run towards the enemy.
Tactical Recovery- When Knocked down, press all 3 Punch Buttons to
delay your character getting up.
Counter Attack- While blocking, immediately tap Forward + MP+MK to
perform a counterattack. Note that it requires 1 level of the Super
Gauge to perform this move.
Dodge- Press LP and LK simultaneously to do a quick dodge animation.
The character does not move, but has the same properties as the roll.
Small Jump- Tap Up, or any Up Directional to do a small jump.
N-Groove:
---------
This Groove is similar to the Advance Mode from the King of Fighters.
The character can perform Super combos when they have 'stock.'
The super Gauge is filled by attacking. When full, the Super gauge
will reset but a Counter will appear in the box next to it,
indicating the character now as 'stock.' The Character can perform
as many Level 1 super Combos as there are number of stock.
The character can 'Power MAX' by pressing HP and HK together. It
will cost a single stock unit, but the character will become more
powerful. In addition, MAX level moves can be performed.
Run- Tap Forward or Back Twice to run towards the enemy.
Safe Fall- Press All Three Punch Buttons whilst landing to recover on
the ground.
Rolling- Press LP and LK simultaneously to perform a moving dodge,
which can pass through most Special and Super moves, as well as the
opponent.
Counter Attack- While blocking, immediately tap Forward + MP+MK to
perform a counterattack. Note that it requires 1 level of the Super
Gauge to perform this move.
Small Jump- Tap Up, or any Up Directional to do a small jump.
K-Groove:
---------
This groove is he most similar to that of Samurai Spirits (Showdown.)
the gauge fills up as the character gets hit and receives damage or
performing Just Defense. When the gauge fills up, the character will
be in Rage MAX mode, which allows the character to perform MAX Super
combos as well as dealing more damage. Note that the bar will start
decreasing once it reaches the maximum and MAX mode will end when the
bar is empty.
Just Defense- Tap Back right before the enemy makes contact with
their hit. If done successfully, the character will take no Guard
damage as well as gain some vitality. The character will also
recovery sooner and be able to counterattack.
Run- Tap Forward or Back Twice to run towards the enemy.
Tactical Recovery- When Knocked down, press all 3 Punch Buttons to
delay your character getting up.
Small Jump- Tap Up, or any Up Directional to do a small jump.
=================
IV. General Moves
=================
Standing-
*********
Light Punch- A quick Hiratsuki (stab) to chest level. Notice that
there is a weird orange thing whenever you slash; that is the actual
range as opposed to the blade itself. As such he has quite a long
jab which is also fast. Combos into Kogetsu Zan.
Medium Punch- An extended Hiratsuki. Haohmaru fully extends his arms
in this version. As with the LP, the orange slash mark is the
actual hit range, thus, giving him half screen range! Up close it
becomes backhand Tsuki (chest) slash.
Hard Punch- A heavy, double handed right Karatake (downwards slash.)
Looks VERY painful and players can't help but cringe when getting
hit. Reaches almost half screen, but has long delay time. Up close
it changes sides to a reverse Karatake. Does HUGE damage.
Light Kick- Quick step to the ankles. Short range but comes out
fast. Pretty short range, but useful if the opponent is too close
for comfort.
Medium Kick- A sidekick to the head. Slightly more range than the LK.
Comes out pretty fast though, and may interrupt if lucky. Up close
it is a turning kick to the back of the opponents leg.
Hard Kick- A lunging step kick to the gut of the opponent. He takes
a small step though, so it not considerable. It comes out as fast as
most of the other characters though. Up close it is a kick to the
face, similar to Terry or Rock's.
Jumping-
********
Light Punch- A flying sideways slash. Fast move, angled slightly
downwards. Good for combo starting if opponent is ipen.
Medium Punch- A stronger version of LP. His whole body is extended
though, giving a larger target to hit.
Hard Punch- Another ferocious looking Karatake. It forms a slash
crescent slightly more than a semi circle. Does heavy damage but can
be used a combo starter too. Beats most jumping attacks in the air,
and can beat some anti-air attacks even.
Light Kick- A flying knee. Short range, similar to many other
characters. Angled upwards so you need to hit air or time late to
hit grounded opponents.
Medium Kick- A stretched flying kick. Generic jump kick.
Hard Kick- Stronger version of Medium kick. Stick with the slashes.
Crouching-
**********
Light Punch- Crouching Hiratsuki to the groin region. Tell me why it
does so little damage all things considered! It is slow by LP
standards, since he sticks the blade out for quite a while.
Medium Punch- An ankle slash. Roughly the same speed as the LP
version, and reaches the same range. Can combo into Kogetsu Zan.
Hard Punch-A rising Sakakaze (upward slash.) Great coverage since it
covers both his front and top. Somewhat slow move, but it can
counter a lot of moves, such as the Hurricane kick or even the Rage
Runs.
Light Kick- Quick kick to the ankles. Moves as fast as you can jam
the button, and can be cancelled. Looks kinda funny when he does it,
and even more when the button is pressed quickly.
Medium Kick- Slower version of the LP. I think they are conveying
the point that they don't like the Kick attacks.
Hard Kick- An sliding sweep reaching 1/4 screen. Moves pretty fast
but leaves Haohmaru vulnerable if blocked.
================
V. Special Moves
================
All his special moves have A LOT of delay, but are very powerful and
high priority. Use them carefully.
Command Moves:
--------------
-nil
Throws:
-------
One Arm Throw - (B or F+HP)
Haohmaru grabs the opponent with one arm and slams them.
Sword Butt - (B or F+HP)
Haohmaru strikes down the hilt of the sword onto the enemy.
Special Moves:
--------------
Ougi: Senpuu Retsu Zan (Secret Whirlwind Slash) - (QCF+P)
Haohmaru reels back and then slashes forward, creating a traveling
character sized tornado towards his opponent. Upon hitting, the
tornado explodes into a huge whirling tornado column, hurling the
opponent to the top of the screen and dropping them. Button used
determines how fast the tornado travels and how far up the opponent
travels. There is no different in damage though. The move has long
start up and recovery, so don't use it in a fireball war. It is very
hard to difficult to jump across though, so unless they roll through
it, his recovery is not as bad as the start up.
Fake Senpuu Retsu Zan(Fake Whirlwind Slash) - (QCF+K)
What the hell is the point of this move?? Haohmaru pretends to do the
real attack. It doesn't even look like he is going to do anything
other than a dodge. Opponents who are SUPPOSED to fall for it are
characters like Yamazaki who will counter it, but since they predict
rather than depend on impossible reflexes, this move actually has no
use. It makes a good taunt maybe.
Ougi Kogetsu Zan (Secret Crescent Moon Slash) - (DPM+P)
Haohmaru does a circular slash, then follow a up with a larger,
leaping slash. Basically this is Haohmaru's uppercut type move,
where HP version does two hits. Punch button used determines the
height and horizontal distance of the attack, where HP goes the
furthest. The start up of this move is fast, but the recovery is
horrible. Haohmaru is left vulnerable as he lands. It does take a
while to reach the apex, and in that duration is pretty much
invincible (except against moves like Raging storm, Power Geyser
etc.)
Ougi: Resshin Zan (Secret Earthquake Slash) - (QCB+P)
Haohmaru leaps forward at his opponent and slams his blade down.
Similar to a Ryu Tsui Sen Move (from Rurouni Kenshin) where he does
an aerial attack towards a ground opponent, landing faster than
usual. All versions leap at the same height, but the LP reaches 1/4
screen. MP reaches half screen and HP hits full screen. As such it
can be used to leap over projectiles as a counter attack, or to
punish far mistakes. It isn't as fast, so they may be able to
counter with something hard. Keep in mind though, even though the HP
reaches full screen, it lands in front of the opponent. Be sure to
time it you don't land directly on the projectile.
===================================
VI. Super Moves/Desperation Attacks
===================================
Hiougi TenHa FuJin Zan (Secret Heaven Constraint Slash)
"TenHa! Fu Jin Zan!" - (QCF, QCF+P)
Haohmaru does souped up version of the Sogetsu Zan. He does several
circular slashes on the ground, then finishes with the upwards leap.
It hits for 4 hits at LP, 5 at MP, and 6 at Max level. Max level goes
full screen, whereas weaker versions go half screen. Opponents
caught in the air may simply bounce off or get caught on all the
hits, depending on how they landed. On the ground however, it can
connect for all hits.
Tenha Denku Retsu Zan (Heavenly Dunk Straight Slash?)
"Atama kita ze! Koredemo kurai na!" -(HCB, F+P) Lvl 3 or Max
Haohmaru spins around and slashes down with an extremely powerful
attack. Fully connected, it does up to 50% damage. There is a
slight start up delay though, but it is quite fast. Miss it though
and they can recipocate manifest your missed damage since Haohmaru
stays in his pose for a while after the attack. The range is about
the same as is HP, and it does hit air borne opponents if close
enough. It can a lot of moves, other than the defensive Supers, such
as the Raging Storm or Power Geyser.
==================
VII. General Notes
==================
Haohmaru still retains his strength and power, but is slower when
compared to the other characters. Keep in mind that the Samurai
Showdown games had all characters using weapons, thus, the delay that
Haohmaru has. His general strategy has changed to meet the different
game engine, as well as characters.
================
VIII. Strategies
================
Haohmaru is a strong character. His slashes do a lot of damage, but
have significant lag time. His kicks are quick but limited in
variation, but nonetheless useful. Try to limit your mistakes and
make every hit count; an keep your opponent from moving around too
much.
Versus;
Shotokans (Gouki,Ken,Ryu)
-------------------------
Most of them still rely on the fireball/dragon punch trap. With the
onset of rolling however, their game now includes some offense to
counter rolling. Haohmaru could leap over their fireball with your
Rissen Zan, but it is hard to time. You might time it early so you
land on the projectile, or too late so you eat a Dragon Punch or
worse. You can counter their fireballs up close using your HP, which
is an okay poke. Use the Sogetsu Zan sparingly, even the LP since it
has a long recovery time.
Kusanagi Kyo
------------
This battle is revolved around countering and interrupting each
others attack above all else. His Gami bites are fast and can get
past Haohmaru's defenses with ease. However, the sword slashes are
powerful enough to stop him if timed right. Refrain from special
moves and stick to normal sword slashes and kicks instead, since Kyo
can obliterate Haohmaru during his lag.
Geese Howard
------------
A difficult or easy opponent, Geese can counter sword slashes (!)
with his atemi-nages. The Senpuu Retsu Zan is useless here since his
projectile is always better. Time the Rissen Zan carefully or you
could end up landing on both hits of the Double Reppuuken. The HP is
a bit slow in this match and you could end up getting countered. As
usual, don't jump towards Geese or it's a brand new world of hurt.
Rock Howard
-----------
A powerful character, pupil of Terry. He has Terry's Rising Tackle
and modified versions of the Burn Knuckle. Couple that with Geese's
Repukken's, counters and command grabs and you get a hard fight. He
can counter as well as use his powerful offense and speed to weave
through Haohmaru's slow attacks and kick his butt. Try to make him
miss an attack and slash him to death. Hit hard, since it is a hard
battle.
Yagami Iori
-----------
Arg. He is difficult to beat. As with Geese, don't jump in against
Iori or its Ya Otome or Jumping D even. Iori can combo you to death
up close, and his moves make him quite mobile. Even though he isn't
one of the faster characters, he can counter any of Haohmarus moves
that miss from any distance. Try to keep Iori within HP range but
not too close though, since Iori can tear Haohmaru up close.
Yamazaki Ryuji
--------------
The King of keep away is more or less the same from his KoF
incarnations. His snake arms can keep you at bay, as they are
difficult to even roll past. His S&M move counters almost any move
you smack him with, so sweep him or throw him (with HK.) To try to
make him miss one of his snake arms or whiff an S&M move, countering
with a hard hitting move or combo. His snake arms out range
Haohmaru's slashes though, but he can't double return the Senpuu
Retsu Zan.
==========
IX. Combos
==========
Coming soon . . .
=============
X. Miscellany
=============
Win Quote:
----------
"Nobody who dares to face me lives for very long!"
"Listen up... I'm the strongest man in the universe!"
"When? Where? How? WHY? Humoh! Who cares! Let's fight!"
"Enjoy yourself in the afterlife!"
"You've got to fight, for the right, to live!"
Special Intros:
---------------
-Vs Nakoruru: Has a chat. Haohmaru then draws his blade.
-Vs Hibiki: Has a chat. Haohmaru then draws his sword.
-Vs Gouki: Another chat. Gouki then does his normal intro.
Comments:
---------
-Modeled after Musashi. Not the one from Brave Fencer (although he
too was modeled after the same dude.
=====================
XI. Notes and Credits
=====================
-Capcom Vs SNK 2 is Trademark and Copyright of Capcom. All
Characters mentioned relating to the game are as such property of
Capcom.
-Name for "Hiougi TenHa Fujin Zan" and Translation from Mr. Jeff
"Deuce" Nusbaum's "Samurai Showdown IV FAQ/Movelist" at Gamefaqs.com
-Vocal Quotes for Haohmaru referenced from Kibagami's "Vocal
Translation FAQ" for "Capcom vs SNK 2" hosted on Gmaefaqs.com
-Mr. Jeff Veasey at
Http://www.Gamefaqs.com for hopefully hosting
this FAQ.
-W.W because my Genjuro and Ukyo is better.
-N.H; I'd like to be your samurai. Green Black and Blue make the
colors in the sky...
-If, for any part, I may have borrowed or referenced information that
originally stemmed from your work, PLEASE do notify me and I will
immediately remove or a credit the work from this FAQ.
This document Copyright 2002 by Kenny "kenshi" Tam, and may not be
duplicated or reproduced (in part or in full) for profit without the
explicit permission of the author. Chances are it will be rare if
anyone would want to use this crappy FAQ.
This document is supposed to appear on
http://www.gamefaqs.com.
http://www.psxcodez.com
http://www.DLH.net
http://www.gamespot.com
