On most starters (those that don't juggle extremely high), you'll have to use at least one special into a fukyo cancel to get the party started.
623H > 236K:
A versatile launcher that lets you go in a lot of different directions depending on your blood level and your starter, this is your staple way to convert pokes and abare into full wall carrying and wall breaking combos. Try to pick up with c.S afterwards given its excellent available Gatlings and high juggle.
236S > 236K:
Only really possible on certain high launching or high hitstun starters, like CH 6H, 5H, or 6P. Starts you off with a lot of forward momentum and good wall carry going into the rest of your combo and can pickup from a distance. On distant CH 5H for example you can immediately go into this string and pick up into fSSS. c.S is still your preferred pickup option where possible.
214 > 623H > 236K:
High blood commitment string that can get you into trouble if your enemy decides to burst. Carefully consider your blood level and the enemy's burst before committing to this one. A common way to convert distant pokes like 2S or max range 5K in situations where 623H will whiff. Also used in niche blood pop setups to intentionally spike your blood and combo into the bloodrage activation. Given its high blood cost, you'll often want to end these routes with blood draining enders like f.SSS or WasureyukiGuardAllStartup7+(173 Flash)+2Recovery54Advantage-39(632146S)
Filler
c.S:
High damage, excellent Gatlings, a good juggle, and it's bloodless. Don't use more than 2 in a combo or risk dropping the combo due to the same attack juggle penalty. Multiple c.S juggles are your baseline filler in the corner when trying to fill out a combo before you've built enough wall damage for a 6H Wall Splat.
5K:
Similar to close slash, with slightly worse damage and Gatlings. Importantly gatlings into 6H which is your preferred Wall Splat. Often used interchangably with c.S in corner juggles, but its very slightly higher juggle occasionally means you'll prefer 5K to c.S to avoid drops on tight links. Has the benefit of not being a proximity normal, so it sometimes allows pickups in post-236K situations where pressing S will give youf.S. This is Nago's only jump cancellable normal but this functionality sees very little use outside of niche j.K>j.D wallbounce routes. When juggling in the corner, put a slight delay between your 5Ks while holding back to OS enemies attempting to burst on the 5K hitstop.
c.S > 623H > 236K:
Suboptimal extender that nonetheless works in virtually every situation. Juggles high enough to almost always connect into a subsequent c.S pickup. Keep the blood cost in mind - you can only do so many of these in a combo, particularly without offsetting blood draining normals. It's very flexible but the poor blood profile means that better filler is often available. Since it works even on heavily prorated combos, can be helpful to use after Red Roman Cancel when you aren't sure how to continue.
(c.S) > 5[D], (c.S/5K/2K):
Very high damage bloodless filler which is only possible in the corner on high juggles off of good starters/roman cancels. Due to the high blowback of 5[D] and certain characters' hitboxes in juggles, you may need to pick back up with 2K before splatting with 6H
c.S > 2H > 236S > 236k > (c.S/5K):
A reasonable choice of filler in or near the corner which offers a solid amount of damage for reasonable blood management due to 2H's blood drain offsetting 236S's blood cost. A good choice on more damaging starters like CH 214H. Downsides are that it is reliant on distance to corner - you have to route consciously around stage position using this string.
c.S > 2H > 236k > 623H > 236k > (c.S/5K):
More expensive than c.S > 2H > 236S > 236k due to the extra fukyo, but not dependent on position to corner. Pretty tricky to execute compared to the standard 623H extensions.. 623HGuardAllStartup11Recovery21Advantage-7 juggles slightly higher with lower forward momentum than 236SGuardAllStartup18~29RecoveryTotal 39Advantage+5 does, so route accordingly.
c.S > 5H > 623H > 236k > (c.S/5K):
Your best option in the corner for filler. Only possible very early in certain high-juggling combos. The same blood profile as c.S > 2H > 623H > 236k > (c.S/5K) but for more damage and less wall damage.
623HH > 214H > 623H:
For when you want to make sure either you or your opponent dies in one combo. Very flashy and high damage but incredibly weak to enemy burst given the very high blood cost. Only possible on higher juggles - 623HH won't ground bounce high enough for 214H to pickup on prorated routes. This is absolutely not a recommended string for beginners. The most common situation on these routes is a blood pop, and most routes involving this string are trying to either intentionally combo into that blood pop or land a kara Super (632146K~S or 632146H~S) and kill their opponent before that happens.
Enders
f.SSS:
A perfectly fine ender. The main benefits of this ender are good wall carry, a tumble into a hard knockdown for Oki, and blood drain of -1.29 blood bars. a great way to drain blood and put yourself in a position to continue pressure with your opponent now much closer to the corner than they were when you started. The tumble into Hard Knockdown means you are almost always advantaged enough to 236k meaty c.S after ending this way, you'll just have to time it yourself given the variable advantage depending on how scaled the combo is and how high your enemy is juggled when they get hit by it. Of note: the second hit of the chain, f.SS, is a very common burst point for enemies who want to deny you the HKD and high blood drain of the third hit, particularly considering that you need to spend further blood to cancel from this point. When you're close to your enemy and they burst in this way, the forward momentum from f.SSS may cause you to sideswap with your opponent during burst startup, bursting you into the corner and putting you at significant disadvantage. Do your best to space further away from your opponent in combos that you intend to end with f.SSS to avoid this.
6H:
Your most damaging normal which also provides a moderate amount of blood drain (enough to fully offset a 236K with a little extra blood drain left over) and a soft knockdown of variable advantage depending on your opponent's height and the gravity proration of the combo. The Wallsplat of choice for discerning Nagoriyuki players.
214H> OTG The act of hitting the opponent when they are knocked down. Short for "off the ground" or "on the ground."6H:
Solid damage and a reliable knockdown that leads directly into OTG The act of hitting the opponent when they are knocked down. Short for "off the ground" or "on the ground."6Hokizeme. A common midscreen ender for shorter routes on less rewarding buttons like 5P, 5K, or f.S
WasureyukiGuardAllStartup7+(173 Flash)+2Recovery54Advantage-39(632146S):
Big damage and blood drain makes this a great choice for an ender, particularly when you're close enough to the wall to get a super wallbreak for a hard knockdown and positive bonus. You shouldn't always do this when you have meter, but it's a very strong option to control the blood gauge and pump your damage up. Can be kara special cancelled into from any of Nago's special moves with the string 632146K~S
OTG 6H > 236K
OTG The act of hitting the opponent when they are knocked down. Short for "off the ground" or "on the ground."6H is a powerful combo ender for its extra damage and okizeme. The knockdown advantage on the soft knockdown is +10 which sets up a meaty c.S or 2K. Nagoriyuki can route into this ender after most hard knockdowns (2D, 214H, air throw).
Fukyo (236K) can be left out when the Blood Gauge is dangerously high at the cost of okizeme.
Wall Splat
The most common wall splat moves are:
623HH (100 damage)
6H (70-90 damage)
5H (60-70 damage)
2H (50-60 damage)
Last hit of f.SSS (25-35 damage)
Despite hitting twice, 623HH scales like a single 100 damage move. It is your best wallsplat damage-wise, but costs 90 Blood to use, unlike your S and H normals that reduce it. It is also hard to make it splat exactly on the second hit and not earlier or later.
6H will be your most common wall splat, having the best combination of damage and Blood drain.
Last hit of f.SSS gives you the most Blood drain at the cost of damage. This wall splat is relatively easy to set up midscreen from X > 214H > 623H routes.
Wall Break
Your most best wall break moves are:
632146S (100 damage)
6H (70-90 damage)
5H (60-70 damage)
2H (50-60 damage)
If you have 50 Tension, breaking the wall with Wasureyuki is almost always the optimal choice due to its massive damage, Blood drain, and hard knockdown oki after the wall break.
When there isn't enough Tension to do this, use one of your H normals (6H>5H>2H, whichever is in range).
If the wall splat is triggered with f.SS, you can go into f.SSS for blood drain, 6H for meterless damage, or Wasureyuki for blood drain, damage, and oki.
If the wall splat is triggered with the final hit of f.SSS and your Blood Guage is less than 1 bar, 6H will not be fast enough to land. Opt for c.S or 5K in this case or if the tight 6H link is too difficult.
Zanshin
5A+D (Air OK)
Version
Damage
Guard
Startup
Active
Recovery
On-Block
Attribute
Invuln
AD
Total: 45
1~25 Guard All
AD Attack
0, 3300
Air Unblockable
16
10
10
-10
BT
1~End All
Triggers on strikes, throws and projectiles.
Hakumen's reversal which can stop a wide variety of attacks thrown at him. Since this is a counter, unlike most other characters' reversals, it cannot be used as an anti-air. Fortunately, this reversal doesn't have a lengthy animation which makes it one of the safest to whiff in the game. Despite the animation, it can also catch lows.
A strategy to using this is to reversal the opponent's partner tag-in after one of their characters is downed. The invulnerability granted by the attack followup allows you to recover much faster than them, letting you take the advantage.
Hakumen is invincible during the entire attack
After the counter is triggered, Hakumen extends his arm and throws his opponent backwards. The side-swap can be useful for getting yourself out of the corner. The attack has invulnerability during the entire animation and is completely safe on whiff. You can use this to your advantage against okizeme that involves the opponent planting a meaty projectile/assist on you while they go high/low. This attack's invul. frames can be used to escape certain setups since the counter catches both highs and lows.
Version
Level
P1
P2
AD
AD Attack
0, 4
80
100, 60
AD:
On successful parry of a strike, the opponent is forced into 20f of hitstop for the counter attack, except if the strike is a 'Persona' style normal
AD Attack:
Minimum Damage 0, 165 (165)
Version
Damage
Guard
Startup
Active
Recovery
On-Block
Attribute
Invuln
j.AD
Total: Until L+21L
1~15 Guard All
j.AD Attack
0, 3300
All
17
4
36
BT
1~End All
The air version completely halts air momentum, though this shouldn't be used to bait anti-airs, since you're still punishable until you land. Other than that, it works just like the ground version.
Much like the ground version, Hakumen is invincible during the entire attack, so even if you miss, you can't be punished. Launches the opponent up, though it can't combo'd off of. (As of 2.0 this can now be linked into j.236B+C distortion during Resonance Blaze)
Version
Level
P1
P2
j.AD
j.AD Attack
0, 4
80
100, 60
j.AD:
On successful parry of a strike, the opponent is forced into 20f of hitstop for the counter attack, except if the strike is a 'Persona' style normal
GuardAllStartup7+(173 Flash)+2Recovery54Advantage-39 (632146S)
