GGST/Nagoriyuki/Strategy

Overview

Starter Guide

Combos

Strategy

Matchups

Counterstrategy

Okizeme

Frame Data

Resources

General Strategies

Blood Gauge

The Blood Gauge shown here is slightly more than half full.

The Blood Gauge is a mechanic exclusive to Nagoriyuki. It is divided into three "Blood bars", consisting of 100 "Blood points" each. The gauge will start to fill when he uses special moves. He can cancel special moves into each other, which stacks their effects. Every Blood bar filled up increases the speed and power of his sword normals, as well as the range of his normals. The gauge depletes if he lands any sword normal, Bloodsucking UniverseGuardGround ThrowStartup7Recovery48AdvantageNA (623P) or WasureyukiGuardAllStartup7+(173 Flash)+2Recovery54Advantage-39 (632146S). It also depletes passively over time at a rate of 2.4 Blood (.8% of the total Blood gauge) per second.

The benefits of filling the Blood Gauge are significant, but it comes with drawbacks as well. Filling one or two bars increases the amount of damage Nagoriyuki takes (+11% at one bar filled, +25% at two bars filled). Filling all three bars forces Nagoriyuki into Blood Rage, a state so risky that defeat becomes near certain if the opponent punishes it. It’s important to keep the Blood Gauge below 300 points to avoid the Blood Rage state.

The following two tables show all moves that affect the Blood Gauge. The first table shows moves that increase the Blood Gauge, the second; which moves deplete it. The “On Block” and “On Hit” columns show by how much the Blood Gauge is reduced by connecting moves on block and on hit, respectively. Filling or depleting the Blood Gauge is gradual, occurring over several seconds. The “Duration” column shows the time it takes for the move’s gauge increase or gauge depletion to finish.

Moves that increase Blood

Move	Increase	Duration	Increase per Second
236K, 214KGuardN/AStartup-RecoveryTotal 25AdvantageN/A	+43.2	3 seconds	+14.4
236SGuardAllStartup18~29RecoveryTotal 39Advantage+5, 214HGuardLowStartup14Recovery17Advantage-3, 623HGuardAllStartup11Recovery21Advantage-7	+90		+30

Moves that decrease Blood

Move	Decrease on Block	Decrease on Hit	Duration	Decrease on Block per Second	Decrease on Hit per Second
f.SGuardAllStartup16Recovery28Advantage-17, f.SSGuardAllStartup13Recovery19Advantage-8, 2SGuardLowStartup12Recovery21Advantage-11, j.SGuardHighStartup13Recovery20AdvantageN/A, j.DGuardHighStartup15Recovery20AdvantageN/A	0	-7.2	6 seconds	0	-1.2
5HGuardAllStartup20Recovery27Advantage-14, 2HGuardAllStartup19Recovery29Advantage-17, 6HGuardAll (Guard Crush)Startup17Recovery30Advantage-2, j.HGuardHighStartup16Recovery23AdvantageN/A	-7.2	-57.6		-1.2	-9.6
f.SSSGuardAllStartup14Recovery35Advantage-22	-64.8	-115.2		-10.8	-19.2
632146SGuardAllStartup7+(173 Flash)+2Recovery54Advantage-39	0	-194.4		0	-32.4
623PGuardGround ThrowStartup7Recovery48AdvantageNA	N/A	-312	2 seconds	N/A	-156

Blood Gauge Management

• 

  236S
  +90 Blood

• 

  214H
  +90 Blood

• 

  623H
  +90 Blood

• 

  623HH
  0 Blood, free follow-up!

• 

  236K
  +43.2 Blood

Zarameyuki (236S), Kamuriyuki (214H) and Shizuriyuki (623H), all fill the Blood Gauge by 90 Blood points. FukyoGuardN/AStartup-RecoveryTotal 25AdvantageN/A (236K / 214K), fills it up by a mere 43.2 Blood points, making it a rather resource efficient option and better than other specials when in a pinch. Bloodsucking UniverseGuardGround ThrowStartup7Recovery48AdvantageNA (623P) reduces the Blood Gauge by 312 Blood points if it connects and it costs nothing to use. It’s useful as part of a strike/throw mix-up, especially when the Blood Gauge is high. The final hit of f.SSSGuardAllStartup14Recovery35Advantage-22 reduces the gauge by a whopping 115.2 Blood points on hit, making it an excellent option for depleting the gauge. It also drains an impressive 64.8 Blood points on block; higher than any other blocked move. However, f.SSS is unsafe on block and does not lead to any extended combos. Therefore, it is best used with 50% Tension. That allows the user to PRC for safety on block and reduce the Blood Gauge without opening the opponent up. On hit, f.SSS > RRC provides combo opportunities while reducing the gauge.

• 

  5H
  -57.6 Blood on hit

• 

  2H
  -57.6 Blood on hit

• 

  6H
  -57.6 Blood on hit

• 

  j.H
  -57.6 Blood on hit

• 

  f.SSS
  Big drain both on hit and block!

Blood Gauge increase and depletion is gradual, and the effects of multiple moves stack if additional moves are used before the effects of previous moves are finished. For example, using 214H into 623H in quick succession will fill the gauge by 180 points, even if the latter is used before the effect of the former is finished. This applies for gauge increases, gauge depletion and a mix of the two, which can be used to your advantage. For example, say that Nagoriyuki is currently at 270 Blood. At this amount, using 236K will force him into Blood Rage. However, by landing a 5H and canceling into 236K, the 57.6 Blood point depletion of 5H will ensure that 236K won’t push the gauge to its limit. Effective management requires you to keep the effects of previous moves in mind when going for the next move.

• 

  632146S
  -2 Bars

• 

  623P
  -3 Bars, goodbye Blood Gauge!

The only exception to the stacking rule is 623P. If 623P connects, the Blood Gauge's progression halts - no matter how fast it was previously increasing or depleting - before the move applies its Drain effect. This can save the user from activating Blood Rage. In addition, the Drain effect lasts its full 2 second duration even if the Gauge empties during the effect. Several Special moves can have their Blood Gauge costs negated when used during the Drain effect, as long as their total Blood Gauge cost is less than 312 points. This enables more Special move usage and longer pressure sequences than normal if 623P lands.

Blood Rage

Oh no!

Increasing the Blood Gauge is an inevitability due to being a side effect of using special moves. It also allows the user to take advantage of enhanced sword normals. However, this must be done cautiously. Filling it completely forces Nagoriyuki into the dangerous Blood Rage state, which has several immense drawbacks.

• Loss of specials: Blood Rage disables Nagoriyuki's specials, impairing his ability to approach and mix up enemies. Without specials, Nagoriyuki is forced to walk, jump, or high jump in order to close space. This leaves him with little to open up a patient player with.
  
• HP depletion: Blood Rage drains 50% of Nagoriyuki's maximum health over its duration, making every second spent in Blood Rage very costly. The health depletion cannot KO Nagoriyuki, but it persists even if Nagoriyuki is being comboed. As a result, getting caught in a combo during Blood Rage can spell a swift end.
  
• Transformation animation: Entering Blood Rage forces a lengthy, vulnerable animation, allowing any character to whiff punish. On block the animation is less unsafe at -12, but still leaves him consistently punishable.
  
• Squishy: Nagoriyuki takes 25% extra damage while in Blood Rage (compared to his baseline damage taken modifier). Combined with its punishable activation and 50% health drain, this means that an unsafe Blood Rage activation allows for a very high damage combo against Nagoriyuki, if not an outright round loss.
  

Good opponents won't get hit by this, but if they do? SLASH

In addition, Nagoriyuki has no good way to exit Blood Rage. The player can either let Blood Rage end naturally at a massive health cost, or spend 50% Tension on ZansetsuGuardAllStartup11+(58 Flash)+10Recovery80Advantage-66 (632146H) to end it early. The latter option is a -66 mid, which is punishable even at long distances. To summarise, the drawbacks of the mode massively outweigh the advantages, so it should generally be avoided. Nagoriyuki players must constantly watch the Blood Gauge and manage it carefully to avoid Blood Rage. You must maximise the benefits and mitigate the drawbacks of Blood Gauge to play Nagoriyuki effectively.

Time for a robbery!

If you enter Blood Rage, you have two options for stalling it out. The first is to retreat and play defensively until the duration finishes. The second is to fish for 5H/2H > Zansetsu to finish your foe off. Zansetsu reaches full screen, so if you have good enough reactions you can punish impatient opponents from almost anywhere. People who know the match up will most likely commit to blocking as your health bar drains, as the risk/reward ratio is more favourable for them that way. The best you can do is to land 5H to deal a bit of chip damage. None of these options are great, they are merely ways to make the best of a bad situation.

A better option is to activate Blood Rage intentionally by comboing into it. This allows the user to sacrifice HP to deplete the gauge. This is difficult, but can be very rewarding if pulled off correctly.

In case you do end up surviving the entire Blood Rage duration, you will get rewarded with a super freeze animation, during which there will be an entire second for you to see what the opponent is doing and react accordingly, such as with WasureyukiGuardAllStartup7+(173 Flash)+2Recovery54Advantage-39 if they're in the middle of an attack. Then you'll have an entire empty Blood Gauge to go ham with, prime opportunity for a grand robbery!.

Intentional Blood Rage Activation

Oh yes?

The drawbacks of Blood Rage can be mitigated under the right circumstances. On hit, the Blood Rage activation hitbox blasts the opponent away fullscreen into a hard knockdown. Normally this is a bad thing, as Nagoriyuki is unable to approach the distant opponent without his special moves. However, if the opponent is cornered when they are hit with the activation explosion, they will end up in a hard knockdown state close to Nagoriyuki. This enables deadly close-ranged mix-ups that can finish the opponent off.

This set-up allows you to mitigate the various drawbacks of Blood Rage. On hit, the transformation animation becomes rewarding instead of punishing. Nagoriyuki doesn't need special moves to approach if he’s right in front of his opponent already. The HP depletion cannot KO Nagoriyuki, which means that if he’s already at low enough health to be KO'd in one confirm, the HP loss doesn’t matter much either.

It’s possible to combo into the activation with loop combos, such as c.S > 623H > 236K loops and 623H > 214H loops. Once you've knocked your opponent down, Nagoriyuki has access to both strike/throw and high/low mix-ups. In Blood Rage, j.H becomes an unreactable overhead if done instantly from a jump, which can be mixed up with lows and throws. However, a Roman Cancel is required to convert off of this instant overhead j.H. Without Tension, it is punishable even on hit.

While rewarding, this strategy is risky. You’ll need a good understanding of the Blood Gauge’s behaviour to combo into the activation reliably. Even pro players mess it up occasionally. Additionally, you’ll have to take the opponent’s resources into consideration. If the opponent has enough Tension for an Overdrive, you won’t be able to force a 50/50 as any strike or throw risks being beaten. If they have Burst, they can time the Burst to escape the combo after you’ve used enough specials to enter Blood Rage, but before the activation itself occurs. This would result in activating Blood Rage at an unsafe distance. Lastly, there is no guarantee that the mix-up will work even if set it up correctly. Sacrificing HP for a reward that isn’t guaranteed is risky. If your opponent guesses right on your mix or employs effective counter play to your Blood Rage activation, you risk taking a high damage punish due to the extra damage you take while in Blood Rage.

Intentional Blood Rage activation can lead to high risk, high-reward mix-ups. But the set-up requires stage positioning, awareness of the opponent’s resources and quick adaptation and timing to pull off. For beginner and intermediate players, there’s too much to keep track of for the strategy to be reliable. Advanced players can make good use of it if they assess the situation correctly. If you're an advanced player looking to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat, or if you seek style over stability, intentional Blood Rage set-ups may be for you.

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Round Start Options

• 

  623H
  These 2 attacks...

• 

  5K
  ...cover many options.

• 

  2S
  Walk Back punish

• 

  214H
  Backdash punish

• 

  6P
  Sometimes even 623H's invul doesn't cut it

Nagoriyuki has quite strong round start options, with buttons that are fast, have long reach, and also lead to high reward on hit. This makes learning round starts in specific matchups a particularly rewarding endeavour for Nago. It is important to note that almost every character in the game can dash block round start in order to move themselves closer to Nago while protecting themselves from all of Nago's round start options. This can influence round start RPS closer to their favor.

623H - Thanks to its good range and speed, 623H beats many strikes and it leads to great damage on counter hit. The only strikes that can beat 623H are fast ones that hit low enough to circumvent the upper body invulnerability. Not all characters have such a move, which results in an oppressive round start RPS favouring Nagoriyuki. The opponent can walk backwards to get out of range of 623H, but this makes them susceptible to being hit by 2S. Also, their punish attempt leaves them vulnerable to being counter hit by 623HHGuardHighStartup10Recovery29Advantage-16 if they time it wrong.

FGC scientists have created entire charts detailing their characters' round start options against Nagoriyuki. A common insertion is: "and this option gets blown up by 623H, too".

2S - Punishes walking back as well as attempts at running in. Generally, 2S should be used as a more reserved round start option for when the opponent has been conditioned to respect Nagoriyuki. If 2S connects, spend Blood for as strong of a conversion as possible.

5K - A safe option for beating slower buttons that extend their hurtboxes enough to be hit from round start distance, such as Sol's f.SGuardAllStartup10Recovery13Advantage+2 and Ky's 2DGuardLowStartup10Recovery18Advantage-10. Remember that 5K doesn't have the reach to hit on round start by itself, it only does if the opponent extends their hurtbox by attacking.

214H - An option with a lot of range but comparatively slow startup, usually used to beat roundstart backdash. The advancing movement can be critical in volatile matchups where constantly exerting pressure is key such as Asuka. Can be substituted with f.S, which has similar range and is less unsafe if blocked, although it's much less rewarding, especially in screen control.

6P - Beats a lot of moves due to its upper body invulnerability. A bit slower than 623H, and its combo potential falls short in comparison. It is important against some characters with pokes that beat 623H but lose to 6P, such as Baiken's f.SGuardAllStartup9Recovery15Advantage-7.

Upon successfully landing one of your round start options, you need to consider what combo route to go for based on whether or not your opponent has a full Burst Gauge. If you opt to go for a longer combo that involves the use of multiple special moves, your opponent could input Burst before the combo ends and force you to play with a high Blood Gauge. If your opponent has Burst at the start of the round, consider opting for a shorter combo that leads to a favorable position for okizeme.

Burst Baiting

While Nagoriyuki does have options for baiting Burst, they tend to be rather niche and rarely worth committing to. For other characters, the most common method of baiting Burst is cancelling an attack with a jump cancel or Roman Cancel, then blocking the Burst and punishing its recovery frames. Nagoriyuki cannot jump cancel his c.S, which limits his ability to bait Bursts in conventional ways. He is still able to jump cancel his 5K, but rarely is it ever worth dropping a combo to bait your opponent's Burst this way. In pressure, Nago's 2K recovers in time to block Burst, as long as you're holding backwards when you input the 2K. The only other option Nago has to bait Burst is using Tension to Roman Cancel. If you use a Red Roman Cancel, and your opponent isn't propped up by the shockwave, that means that they've input Burst (or Yellow Roman Cancel if your opponent tried to Roman Cancel during a blockstring) and you can hold backwards to block and punish them for it. This is also a niche option that isn't worth committing to frequently, especially considering it uses 50% of a resource. The only time it may be worth attempting is if you notice a common point during your combos where your opponent will Burst. A lot of people do tend to Burst Nago during f.S > f.SS > f.SSS, specifically in between f.SS and f.SSS, in order to deny you an opportunity to lower your Blood Gauge. You could input a Red Roman Cancel just before f.SSS just to make sure your opponent hasn't attempted to Burst, but don't fall into the habit of doing this frequently.

Neutral

Mid Range / Footsies

Nagoriyuki is excellent in the mid range due to possessing outstanding mid-ranged space control tools, such as 2SGuardLowStartup11Recovery21Advantage-11. It has a great combination of speed and range. It's likely to score a counter hit or interrupt a grounded approach when used in footsies range. If the opponent jumps while 2S is out, there might be enough time to interrupt their approach with an anti-air. In addition, the hitbox of 2S hits low enough 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 TreeGuardLowStartup16Recovery16Advantage-7 or Sol's Night Raid VortexGuardAllStartup15~31 [32]Recovery32Advantage-17. Thanks to Nagoriyuki’s powerful special moves, 2S is exceptionally rewarding for an button. Another great tool is f.SGuardAllStartup14Recovery28Advantage-17, 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.

A counter strategy against mid-ranged pokes is to position oneself to make them whiff before approaching or contesting them with 6P. For 2S, its hitbox hits low enough to interrupt 6P, however its 21 frames of recovery does mean that you do need to be cautious about when you use this normal. f.S is even more vulnerable due to having a whopping 28 frames of recovery. If your opponent attempts to make you whiff these buttons, vary your timing, positioning and move choices more to throw them off. Stay sharp!

When The Blood Gauge Is Low

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. FukyoGuardN/AStartup-RecoveryTotal 25AdvantageN/A (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, use their various gatings and special cancel options to initiate pressure.

KamuriyukiGuardLowStartup14Recovery17Advantage-3 (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 hits low, which can catch opponents simply trying to walk backwards and put some distance between you, and even has some airborne frames, allowing it to jump over certain attacks. However, the move is -3 on block at close range, making it throw punishable. Cancel it into 214K to retreat or other specials to create frame traps. Like a swiss army knife, 214H is able to deal with a wide variety of situations. Nagoriyuki is also armed with a powerful projectile attack in ZarameyukiGuardAllStartup18~29RecoveryTotal 39Advantage+5 (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 BladeGuardAllStartup25~50RecoveryTotal 42Advantage+9, 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.

When The Blood Gauge Is High

5H forces the opponent to approach carefully. Can be air dashed over...

...but 2H covers air space really well. Quite the conundrum for the opponent to solve.

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 use his enhanced sword normals, such as 5HGuardAllStartup16Recovery27Advantage-14, to punish unsuccessful approach attempts. With one or more Blood bars, 5H has outstanding range and good speed, outranging even f.S. At two Blood bars it is a great tool to keep the opponent at bay, especially considering Nagoriyuki's limited options. It’s an excellent tool for bullying characters with less range than Nagoriyuki, which is most characters. 5H covers ground space well, but can be vulnerable to 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. 2HGuardAllStartup15Recovery29Advantage-17 is similar to 5H but covers air space instead. Make sure not to whiff it against crouching opponents, as the recovery is quite hefty. Use it to box out characters and players that often approach from the air. Both 5H and 2H lead to knockdowns on normal hit and powerful combos on counter hit.

Don't forget about mixing in 2S as a safer way to check an opponent slightly closer, or 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. 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 Bloodsucking UniverseGuardGround ThrowStartup7Recovery48AdvantageNA (623P). You can also go for 623P if you score a knockdown.

At one Blood bar, Nagoriyuki can play either the mix-up strategy or the space control strategy, but neither will be as effective as they are at their optimal Blood bar amount. The mix-up strategy won't be as effective as it is at 0 bars because you 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.

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Close Range / Brawling

At close range, Nagoriyuki can employ powerful strike/throw mix-ups by combining his normals, specials and command throw in clever ways. However, the limitations of the Blood Gauge means that you can only afford to go for long pressure strings when the gauge is low.

One of Nagoriyuki’s best pressure starters is c.SGuardAllStartup7Recovery10Advantage+3. It’s fast, plus on block and highly rewarding on both normal hit and counter hit. It also has a long vertical hitbox, which means it can catch opponents trying to jump. It’s very versatile during blockstrings, as it can gatling into , , and command normals. Use its +3 frame advantage to go for resets or threaten with frame traps. When the opponent respects you, mix them up with a throw. 5PGuardAllStartup5Recovery9Advantage0 is Nagoriyuki’s fastest strike, which can come in handy if you need a move faster than c.S. It doesn’t have the best range, horizontally or vertically, but it’s a necessary tool because of speed alone. Its damage output is also good for its speed.

While useful, the aforementioned moves are lacking in range. That's where 5KGuardAllStartup7Recovery14Advantage-2 comes in handy. It possesses best-in-class frame data and range, hitting about as far as most characters' Far Slashes. It is -2 on block and has threatening gatlings and special cancels, which allows for powerful, unpredictable stagger pressure. This is useful for tick throw set-ups when combined with the forward momentum gained from a 236K. With Blood to spend, it can lead to midscreen to corner carry combos that deal 50% damage with a wall break. 5K is undoubtedly one of the strongest normals in the entire game. 2KGuardLowStartup7Recovery8Advantage-1 is Nagoriyuki’s fastest low, and his best low option in close range by extension. It has shorter range than 5K, but is just as fast. It’s similar to 5K in application due to its identical gatling options. However, it’s not as rewarding due to its increased combo scaling, which is a reasonable trade-off for hitting low.

There are several normals that 5K and 2K can be followed up with, such as 6K, 2D and 5D. 6KGuardLowStartup15Recovery13Advantage-2 is a low stomp with decent range. It pulls Nagoriyuki’s lower hurtbox backGuardLowStartup15Recovery13Advantage-2 during its startup, so it can also be used in anticipation of a low poke. It moves Nagoriyuki forward, which is helpful for getting in range for a throw. 2DGuardLowStartup12Recovery18Advantage-7 is a decent sweep for blockstrings and combos. It leads to good okizeme on hit and powerful combos on counter hit. If you're feeling bold, 5DGuardHighStartup20Recovery26Advantage-15 is a risky but very rewarding mix-up option. It is reactable, but if you condition your opponent to fear other moves 5D can catch them by surprise. Against opponents that play passively, stagger Nagoriyuki’s fast moves to condition them to block and mix in throws when they don’t expect it.

For special cancel options, KamuriyukiGuardLowStartup14Recovery17Advantage-3 (214H) is a decent move for extending blockstrings. It’s -3 on block though, making special canceling it a necessity, such as using Fukyo backward (214K) to retreat. ShizuriyukiGuardAllStartup11Recovery21Advantage-7 (623H) is also good, it can be used after 214H (or anything, really) to dissuade opponents from attacking. The second hit, activated by inputting 623HHGuardHighStartup10Recovery29Advantage-16, is highly delayable, which makes for two frame traps in one move. 236K will allow you to reset into any move from any move if you’ve conditioned your opponent to respect it. If they attack against it, use 214K and punish their whiff. Of course, using special moves will fill your Blood Gauge, so remember to party responsibly.

Remember to mix in Bloodsucking UniverseGuardGround ThrowStartup7Recovery48AdvantageNA (623P) to deplete the Blood Gauge and continue your offense. If you fail to land 623P and the gauge approaches two bars, use 214K from any move to disengage and transition to mid-ranged strategies.

Long Range / Closing Space

Nagoriyuki has many powerful space control tools, but none of them reach full screen. Therefore, your goal at longer ranges is to find a way to close enough space to use mid-ranged or close-ranged tools. Mid range is preferred if your Blood Gauge is high. Try to get in close if the gauge is low.

Nagoriyuki lacks a run, air dash and double jump. As a result, his forward movement is limited. Using FukyoGuardN/AStartup-RecoveryTotal 25AdvantageN/A (236K) is a necessity to compensate for this weakness, as a single 236K will bring Nagoriyuki into the mid range. If you have low Blood and wish to get up close, 236K leaves Nagoriyuki half-way there, allowing you to use the gap closing tactics discussed in the mid range section. The momentum gained from 236K is kept if canceled into another special, allowing Nagoriyuki to close space quickly. Combine 236K with KamuriyukiGuardLowStartup14Recovery17Advantage-3 (214H) to lunge across the entire screen rather quickly. You could potentially land a hard knockdown on an opponent who didn't block low in time. Just keep the Blood Gauge in mind, and don't rely on this tactic as a crutch.

With high Blood gauge, the opponent will be in range of 5HGuardAllStartup16Recovery27Advantage-14 after Nagoiryuki uses 236K, allowing you to start your space control game. Another option from 236K is 2S, use it if you think your opponent might try dashing up at the same time as you or go for a 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. move. However, if you use 236K into strikes too often, an alert opponent can interrupt your attack with a counter poke. You’ll have to mix up 236K into strikes with 236K into block to avoid becoming predictable.

Characters with projectile attacks can use them to interrupt 236K. This complicates the neutral game and makes clever use of all of Nagoriyuki’s options required. Super jumping is essential, as it is Nagoriyuki's only replacement for double jumping or air dashing over projectiles. It has slower startup than regular jumping, so it needs to be used more preemptively. It's also easy for an opponent to react to and anti-air if they aren't stuck in a recovery animation. Try to only go for an aerial attack out of it if the opponent can't respond to it.

Alternatively, Nagoriyuki can contest enemy projectiles with his own: ZarameyukiGuardAllStartup18~29RecoveryTotal 39Advantage+5 (236S). It starts up with a projectile clashing hitbox before becoming a traditional hitbox. It travels full screen quite fast while destroying almost any non-Overdrive projectile in the game, making it a very strong anti-zoning tool. 236S > 236K allows the user to advance towards the opponent while using the projectile as cover, providing an opportunity for a follow-up attack. This is a key approach option, as it allows the user to nullify an enemy projectile and close space at the same time. It is a rewarding, albeit Blood Gauge intensive, way to bypass enemy zoning. If 236S > 236K connect, Nagoriyuki can combo into f.SSS, mitigating the Blood Gauge increase.

Surprisingly, 6PGuardAllStartup12Recovery15Advantage-6 is useful against projectiles. The upper-body invulnerability of 6P allows Nagoriyuki to pass through some projectiles without taking damage. You can practice this against Ky's Stun EdgeGuardAllStartup13RecoveryTotal 46Advantage-14. Just be wary of projectiles with hitboxes that hit low to the ground, such as Sol's Gun FlameGuardAllStartup18RecoveryTotal 54Advantage-10. In addition, projectiles that are slow and have many active frames, such as Ky's Charged Stun EdgeGuardAllStartup39RecoveryTotal 62Advantage+22 [+25], can hit Nagoriyuki when his upper body becomes vulnerable again.

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Air-To-Air

Nagoriyuki primarily plays a grounded play style due to his poor aerial movement options and underwhelming aerial attacks. However, there are still situations where using aerials is necessary, so understanding Nagoriyuki’s aerial options is important. For example, if Nagoriyuki and the opponent happen to jump at the same time, then air-to-airs are Nagoriyuki's only option to contest the opponent. Also, if the opponent plays defensively by using chicken block Jumping into the air and blocking rather than standing on the ground and being forced to guess a high-low mixup. Loses to air unblockable attacks such as BBTAG's Reversal Actions., then air-to-airs is one way to open them up.

j.PGuardHighStartup7Recovery12AdvantageN/A - Tied for Nagoriyuki's fastest aerial attack, alongside j.K. Its combination of fast start-up speed and short recovery means it can stop air approaches. j.P has a niche use in having a high enough hitbox to swat air-stall options, such as Zato's superjump FlightGuardStartupRecoveryAdvantage-, while not being punishable on a whiff like Air Throw. However, Nagoriyuki’s lack of aerial special moves means that j.P doesn't lead to any powerful conversions. Air Throw and ground-to-airs are better options than j.P overall.

j.KGuardHighStartup7Recovery19AdvantageN/A - Has a larger hitbox than j.P and has the same startup speed, but has longer recovery and suffers from the same lack of reward. If Nagoriyuki is already airborne and the opponent is at a lower altitude, j.K is the only option that is both fast and reliably hits at the right angle. In most cases however, the move is outclassed by Air Throw and ground-to-airs.

j.SGuardHighStartup12Recovery20AdvantageN/A - A standard air-to-air poke with good horizontal range. j.S is fairly slow and unrewarding at 0 Blood bars, but improves with higher Blood. It's Nagoriyuki's best air-to-air option when long, horizontal range is required, but his ground-to-airs are better for contesting aerial foes.

j.DGuardHighStartup13Recovery20AdvantageN/A - A disjointed attack with massive range that hits diagonally upwards in front of Nagoriyuki. j.D functions as an air-to-air for opponents that approach from high angles, especially those that 2H cannot cover. It can be useful for keeping opponents from escaping the corner via the air, as well as hitting characters out of certain aerial moves, such as Elphelt's air Miss CharlotteGuardAllStartup14RecoveryUntil Landing + 7Advantage-17 (IAS) or Faust's LoveGuardAllStartup27RecoveryTotal 48Advantage-.

On hit, it doesn't lead to any reward midscreen, though it does blow them back very far. Near the corner, however, the opponent is put into a very generous wallbounce. If it wallbounces, it is highly likely to combo into almost anything, but 2H generally has the best balance of high reward and consistency.

Lastly, it briefly stalls Nagoriyuki's air momentum on use, which can be used to alter the time when Nagoriyuki hits the ground; this constitutes Nagoriyuki's only way of mixing up his air movement, so it can be useful to confuse the opponent briefly, although this is risky due to its high recovery.

Jump-In

Nagoriyuki primarily plays a grounded play style and his offense is strike/throw oriented. His lack of an air dash means that jump-in options are going to be on the slower side, so they aren’t particularly threatening. However, there are still situations where using aerials is necessary, so understanding Nagoriyuki’s aerial options is important. For example, jump-in attacks are a good way to punish projectile attacks.

j.KGuardHighStartup7Recovery19AdvantageN/A - Nagoriyuki's fastest jump-in option. The hitbox below Nagoriyuki is wide enough for j.K to function as a cross-up Attacking your opponent after changing which horizontal side you are on, usually by jumping over them., which can be set up with j.H combined with drift RC.

j.SGuardHighStartup12Recovery20AdvantageN/A - Has decent speed considering its wide hitbox, which makes it a decent jump-in option. j.S leads to powerful combos on counter hit against grounded foes. This, in combination with its long horizontal range, makes it important for punishing projectiles.

j.HGuardHighStartup14Recovery23AdvantageN/A - A decent jump-in option due to having a good hitbox below Nagoriyuki. However, its horizontal range is lacking. At 0 Blood bars, this move is too slow and short ranged to be worth using. This changes with at least one Blood bar. It can also lead to powerful combos on counter hit, making it a rewarding option for punishing projectiles with the right read.

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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.

• GGST/Mechanics#Faultless Defense
• GGST/Mechanics#Psych Burst
• GGST/Mechanics#Yellow Roman Cancel
• GGST/Mechanics#Deflect Shield

Counter Pokes

Counter poking is the act of attacking preemptively for the purpose of interrupting the opponent’s actions. By placing hitboxes in front of your character, the opponent runs the risk of being hit out of their forward movement or being counter hit out of their attacks. Counter pokes are key for playing a preventive playstyle, which is useful against aggression. The best counter pokes are typically long-ranged, highly active, quick to recover, protected by invulnerability of some kind, or a combination of these traits.

6PGuardAllStartup12Recovery15Advantage-6 - See GGST/Mechanics#6P for general 6P usage.

2SGuardLowStartup11Recovery21Advantage-11 - 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, however, it does leave Nago quite vulnerable on whiff.

5KGuardAllStartup7Recovery14Advantage-2 - Another great counter poke. It doesn't have the reach of moves like 2S, but it is much faster, making it better when the user is a bit closer to the opponent.

5HGuardAllStartup18Recovery27Advantage-14 - 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.

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 six effective anti-airs: 6P, 5P, c.S, 2H, Shizuriyuki (623H) and Air Throw.

6PGuardAllStartup12Recovery15Advantage-6 - Nagoriyuki's most reliable anti-air. Its range is much smaller than 2HGuardAllStartup17Recovery29Advantage-17, but it comes with the benefit of being a lot easier to use in a pinch due to its upper body invulnerability and superior speed. This is Nagoriyuki's main tool to stop opponents from trying to engage with air attacks on reaction. Combo into 623H for powerful juggle combos.

5PGuardAllStartup5Recovery9Advantage0 - It lacks the upper body invulnerability of 6P, but it’s much faster, making it essential in situations where 6P is too slow to be used in time. It's also useful against moves that hit too low to the ground for 6P's upper-body invulnerability, such as May's IAD An air dash performed from a standing position as quickly and as low to the ground as possible from a jump. Done by inputting 956 754, and depending on the game, using a dash macro right after a jump. j.SGuardHighStartup12Recovery15Advantage+6 (IAD). It can also catch opponents trying to jump during close range brawling.

c.SGuardAllStartup7Recovery10Advantage+3 - Its high vertical hitbox makes c.S Nagoriyuki's best anti-air against an opponent right above his head. c.S is his second fastest anti-air after 5P and it provides high reward on hit. However, it lacks upper body invulnerability and suffers from being a proximity-based normal.

2HGuardAllStartup17Recovery29Advantage-17 - A massive anti-air that is best used preemptively. 2H is sluggish, but compensates with sheer size. It's a powerful move, but it does have its fair share of weaknesses. It lacks the speed and upper body invulnerability of moves like 6PGuardAllStartup12Recovery15Advantage-6. This means that a slow or improper read makes the user likely get Counter-Hit. The long recovery frames also means that Nagoriyuki is likely to get punished on a whiff. On the flip side, 2H is massively rewarding on counter hit, and on block, its air blockstun is high enough to initiate offense if 2H is canceled into FukyoGuardN/AStartup-RecoveryTotal 25AdvantageN/A (236K). However, the speed and range of 2H isn't impressive with Blood Level 1, other anti-airs are usually better in that scenario. It's when boosted by one or more Blood bars that 2H truly shines.

Score a Counter-Hit or two with good use of this move, and the opponent will be forced to slow down and rethink their aerial approach.

ShizuriyukiGuardAllStartup11Recovery21Advantage-7 (623H) - Functions as an anti-air due to its upper body invulnerability. It's more rewarding than the buttons and has a much larger hitbox, making it useful when extra range is needed. It has faster startup than 6P, but it requires a motion input, making it slightly slower in practice. A bit tricky to use, but quite powerful for those who get the hang of it.

Air ThrowGuardAir ThrowStartup2Recovery38 or Until Landing+10AdvantageN/A - A useful anti-air for all characters, especially against opponents that like to jump into block. Combos into 2S OTG, making it a bit more rewarding than other characters' air throws. If the opponent has a habit of jumping out during pressure, air throw will punish them hard. Comes in very handy for preventing an opponent from escaping the corner.

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.

Ground ThrowGuardGround ThrowStartup2Recovery38AdvantageN/A - At 2F, this is Nagoriyuki's fastest abare option. Nagoriyuki's ground throw has longer range than those of other characters, making it applicable in more situations. It has extra utility thanks to its ability to switch sides, which is useful when Nagoriyuki's back is to the corner.

5PGuardAllStartup5Recovery9Advantage0 - At 5F, this is Nagoriyuki's fastest strike and an essential abare option by extension. It is fast enough to interrupt throws on wake up, and is quite rewarding for a 5P.

2PGuardAllStartup6Recovery11Advantage-2 - Slightly slower at 6F, but has the advantage of hitting lower to the ground, making it more effective against opponents that crouch or use moves 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.

5KGuardAllStartup7Recovery14Advantage-2 - Has much longer range than the previously mentioned moves, but suffers from slower speed at 7F. Use 5K when you need a move with a bit more range during longer holes in the opponent's offense. 5K is also very rewarding if you're willing to spend Blood for a strong combo.

Nagoriyuki’s invincible reversals, Wasureyuki and Zansetsu, can also be used for abare due to their 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 has an invincible reversal in Wasureyuki (632146S), which is replaced with Zansetsu (632146H) when he is in Blood Rage.

WasureyukiGuardAllStartup7+(173 Flash)+2Recovery54Advantage-39 (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. In times of need, 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.

ZansetsuGuardAllStartup11+(58 Flash)+10Recovery80Advantage-66 (632146H) - Functions similarly to Wasureyuki, but has enough range to reach full screen. On the flip side, it's much slower, making it more likely to fail against safe jump set-ups. Its long post-flash startup means opponents with 50% Tension can PRC on reaction to the super flash and make any attack safe. If Zansetsu connects, Nagoriyuki exits Blood Rage. If you enter Blood Rage in a way that doesn't guarantee being punished (such as a meaty Blood Rage activation), you can use Zansetsu as a rewarding option to get out of Blood Rage quickly. Just keep in mind that it is -66 on block, granting any character a full screen punish. This would result in the loss of 50% Tension and whatever damage the opponent's punish will deal to you on top of the 50% HP drain from Blood Rage. To put it more succinctly: you're screwed.

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