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  1. #21
    A few questions for expert Orochi out there:
    - Since a Parry gives you a free heavy or a free light overhead combo (x2 strike), which of the two deal the most damage?
    - Can you change the direction of Storm Rush mid-dash?
    - I realise that when playing Orochi I never block/parry by reflex anymore, I only ever use deflect as I feel like it flows better with the playstyle (not a good thing I know). When would you actively seek to block/parry over deflecting?
    - So far I've only come across easy opponents where Dodge a telegraphed attack => Storm Rush => Light Overhead Combo punishes them extra hard. Are there opponents that I should avoid doing that against? (which class have low enough animation time that they regain control before the Storm Rush hits after a telegraphed attack?)
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  2. #22
    Originally Posted by Mylmyzz Go to original post
    A few questions for expert Orochi out there:
    - Since a Parry gives you a free heavy or a free light overhead combo (x2 strike), which of the two deal the most damage?
    - Can you change the direction of Storm Rush mid-dash?
    - I realise that when playing Orochi I never block/parry by reflex anymore, I only ever use deflect as I feel like it flows better with the playstyle (not a good thing I know). When would you actively seek to block/parry over deflecting?
    - So far I've only come across easy opponents where Dodge a telegraphed attack => Storm Rush => Light Overhead Combo punishes them extra hard. Are there opponents that I should avoid doing that against? (which class have low enough animation time that they regain control before the Storm Rush hits after a telegraphed attack?)
    - Parry gives you a free heavy and allows you to follow into a second heavy, a feint, or the ability to just finish with 1. The overhead leaves you with damage and no follow ups other than the finish. I would go with the heavy almost every time. Same with Guard break. Whichever one gives you the most options. As for damage, I'm pretty sure they're both pretty even.
    - You cannot change direction mid-dash. Once you set and launch yourself, you're stuck in that animation until it finishes.
    - I wrote this about deflect vs. parry in another thread so I'll just copy and paste it here:
    For me, I use both deflect and parry for different situations to reap different rewards:
    -I use Deflect for side-steps on light attacks because to trigger the dash also triggers evasion. It is safer in that regard to execute against faster, less telegraphed attacks. Therefore, it is safer to do and I encourage assassins to do it. It also throws off the tempo of the match and its quite sudden in itself, so this staggers the reaction time for your opponent and gives his brain less time to calculate what's gong on.
    -I use Parry against larger, more telegraphed attacks that I can prepare for. Still, if you mess up, there is no evasion, there is no reward. If you miss, you literally eat the attack or throw out a heavy of your own which will most certainty get punished. However, the reward is greater because it's a full guard break technically. For the Orochi for example, this is a free top heavy, which means guaranteed bigger damage. Parry also costs stamina to perform, so if you're starved on stam or borderline, it's better to not do it as a mess up can send you into fatigue.

    Lastly, if you telegraph an attack and punish like this, I don't see a problem. It's a hard punish after all. I would not use SR too much unless you're doing a lot of SR cancels and dash feints. Against overly aggressive people using lights, SR is a good option to space and punish. Against people who initiate powerful, longer-reaching heavies, you shouldn't SR so readily. SR is super punishable by other fast assassin classes, Nobushi, Zerker, PK, other Orochi, so you should be very wary that they have good, powerful side-steps. Against a person that can parry really well, SR is almost never an option.
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  3. #23
    Oooh so you can sidestep SR? I never realized that, I thought either they had to block/parry/deflect or get out of range (if they were already far enough). And good point about the free heavy, I didn't think about the follow up. Usually I did a light overhead combo, dashed back and since lower level players tend to panic quite a bit they would wiff a hit leaving them open for a SR + Double light again.

    EDIT: Another question. Sometimes after parry the heavy attack does not trigger properly. What I mean by that is, normally parry should give me the time to land a heavy as Orochi I think - sometimes it works well (heavy triggers immediately after parry, giving no time to block), but sometimes my character just doesn't do anything even if I'm spamming heavy attack. Is there a timing I'm not aware of? Should I keep heavy pressed and I will go automatically from parry to heavy attack?
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  4. #24
    Would it be possible to include suggested gear stats to aim for for the orochi? I've been having trouble trying to figure out how to set my orochi up in dominion and have been struggling to do well against teams that are warlord/raider heavy. Most the time i am unable to finish them off before they hit rage mode, and i usually die before i ever reach my own.
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  5. #25
    Dudes, thank you for this guide. I've been playing Orochi all the way to prestige one and i couldnt figure out how to do alot of his moves. Your actual box with the xbox controls was really helpful and should attempt to be made for each move. Also, unmentioned but extremely helpful is the Orochi's Zone Attack(Right Trigger plus Right Bumper) which does a forward dash and a side attack but costs a large amount of stamina(nearly half) and is very useful for harassing.

    Thanks again, i really appreciated reading this.

    Also, how do you dash on xbox?
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  6. #26
    Wow.... Tried beta and it's too insulting game for me: spend 6 hours to learn and be bitten by every player. Game is interesting but it's hard to find a pleasure to play pvp with someone. To be permanently kicked up is not a big pleasure. With AI a had no problems as usual but 90% of players smash my Omashi like a **** on the ground. Maybe it's not that type of game which is dedicated to the chill. Maybe later be better.
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  7. #27
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    Originally Posted by ANDROPOLISSUA Go to original post
    Wow.... Tried beta and it's too insulting game for me: spend 6 hours to learn and be bitten by every player. Game is interesting but it's hard to find a pleasure to play pvp with someone. To be permanently kicked up is not a big pleasure. With AI a had no problems as usual but 90% of players smash my Omashi like a **** on the ground. Maybe it's not that type of game which is dedicated to the chill. Maybe later be better.
    A lot of players in the test is quite dedicated to bettering themselves, and the matchmaking could possibly be better with matching you with similarly skilled players. I think things will be better at launch though with a larger player base and more variance of what type of player is fighting.
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  8. #28
    Lol.. axe auto aim... i got hit by it also.. its better to hit back it cancels his attack..
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  9. #29

    Orochi counter move is slow for me

    The Amakakeru Ryū no Hirameki. Is slow.. people can side step out of it.
    With less effort since its telegraphed when you set up then dash from afar. And Even when you counter by evade an attack up close then charge. I find peacemaker have god like sidestep or orochi is just slow or got bad aim slashing 180 degrees flat like standing tall like a tree chopping which can be dodged by going under it
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  10. #30
    Hi everyone,

    Just a little background to confirm I'm not some random: I'm a Prestige 2 Orochi and have played probably over 300 duels (including Custom) in the beta on and off stream. My win rate after the beta finished was 82%, having encountered and played a lot of great players who were humble enough to help me train. Thanks for the close duels everyone! I streamed the vast majority of my playtime on my Twitch, and previous to this beta I played in the December Technical Test.

    With that said, I'd like to write a piece on the Orochi that might be classified as advanced tips. Since the guide here is already really spectacular, I'd like to expand on a few things that are not covered, and talk about some matchups.

    The format of the next few sections will be as follows:
    • Mindset, challenges and playstyle
    • Tools, mix-ups and attacks
    • Matchup analysis vs. other classes


    Mindset, challenges and playstyle
    Before I go crazy in this section, I want to first point out that most of these are my opinions strictly from a dueling perspective. I've played against many players ranging from all different skillsets, but I mainly focused my attention on dueling against the best players this game has to offer. I'm competitive in nature and enjoy a good challenge, even if things the game can be frustrating at times. The only way to get better is to face better opponents than you, be humble, and learn why you're losing by asking them. This is how you build a competitive circle of like-minded players, and how you will naturally expand your skills as a duelist. I strongly recommend that players follow this mindset, especially when you have the Orochi as there are many challenges ahead of you at the higher levels.

    When I mentioned challenges, I'm referring mainly to class matchups. As with all fighting games that have asymmetrical class designs, there are bound to be favorable and unfavorable matchups. Now, don't get me wrong: Skill is a huge factor in this game just like every deep/high-level/esports fighting game. A good player with solid mechanics and a good foundation will be able to take games from a poor player with a class that would be considered favorable in a matchup. At the same time, there will always be instances where certain matchups will seem like a struggle compared to others. This, often-times can shift around according to player playstyle and skill, but most of the time I firmly believe that certain classes by design are stronger when fighting certain class. I will expand on this further below.

    The first thing I want to talk about here is playstyle. One of the things that greatly separates players whenever they pick up a class is how they play them vs. how they're intended to be played. For example, Orochi is a highly-mobile "assassin" class that focuses on counter-attacking. Sure, this is a nice pitch and all, but what does it really mean? For me, it means the following:

    • The class has fast dashes and responsive movement
    • The class has multiple attacks built with "evasion" in their movement e.g. Storm Rush
    • The class has a deflect that can instantly punish attackers a well as having a parry
    • The class inflicts high damage when they're able to connect
    • The class has good mix-ups e.g. feints and cancels

    If you enjoy these things about the Orochi, let's continue onto the next part of the discussion where we will talk about aggressive and defensive playstyles. For me personally, I fit in the aggressive archetype. I like dictating the tempo of the fight, I actively use a large toolbox (more on this in a sec) of mix-ups, and I like the mobility. When you're fighting me in a duel, I'm pretty much always pressing buttons. Whether this is is to find ways to fake out a player so I can exploit their defenses, or to bait out attacks. Regardless of what I'm doing to the opposing player, I'm transforming openings into big damage whenever the opportunity presents itself. For the purposes of this guide, I will be primarily speaking from this archetype since it is my preferred fighting style.

    The other playstyle I want to talk about here is the defensive archetype. In general, this is how Orochi is intended to be played. He's fast, sure, but he does stuff that makes the player want to attack. His health pool isn't the greatest, so what he's looking for here is the ability to poke enough at the opponent that he commits to attacks that exposes him to big damage from the Orochi. Remember, Orochi can really capitalize on someone's mistakes with his general toolkit, so being able to bait out a heavy into a parry translates to a massive health swing in the Orochi's favor. The defensive playstyle of the Orochi will be a more docile approach in the duel, but don't confuse this will being slow. Just because he's not pressing buttons doesn't mean he'll be an easy opponent. In fact, I would argue that he's even more dangerous because there's less chances he'll be caught exposed or over-extended.

    Lastly, I want to talk about shifts in playstyle that all high-level Orochis have to adapt to. As you fight any specific opponent, you either have to turn it up a notch (always turn it up) and adapt quickly if you want to stay on top of your opponent. Since I'm an RTS player mainly, there's a great phrase that I want you guys to remember: When ahead, stay ahead. When it comes to dueling with the Orochi, this means that as you play an opponent, you're always looking to expand on the mental game. What this means is that you always need to keep your opponent on his toes, and the only way you're going to be able to do that is by being fluid in your playstyle and utilizing more tools from your toolbox. This means that you need to shift from aggressive to defensive if things are not working out, or being able to explore more mix-ups or baits to get your opponent to open up. What does this mean really? I'll explain below.

    The Immortals. They failed our king's test, and a man who fancies himself a god feels a very human chill crawl up his spine.

    Tools, mix-ups and attacks
    As you probably already read a billion times by now, I keep mentioning this magical toolbox that the Orochi has. No, this is not a physical thing that he has in his back pocket, but more of a mental one where he can pull it out and beat his opponents over the head with it. That's right, I'm talking about all the options and abilities he has that "tests" your opponent and probes his playing ability. This means that in the first opening moves of the duel, you're looking for patterns, reaction times, playstyle, knowledge of the matchup, and generally just game sense. If this was StarCraft, I'm scouting my opponent and gathering data. If I manage to probe hard enough, he's going to just fall over and die. However, it must be said and said again that while you're getting reads on your opponent, a good opponent is going to get the same knowledge from you. Studying in this case, goes both ways.

    Now that you're in the actual match, let's examine some of the tools of our trade shall we? This part might get long, but please bear with me. As an example, I'll just bullet point some of the typical things I like to do in a duel. This is most certainly not a definitive list of things I like to do in a duel, but a good start so I can showcase some typical behaviors. Keep in mind that at the end of the day, if you're not doing damage, you're not winning the duel. Therefore, all of your tools must be designed to do damage itself, to bait reactions, or to force bad decisions so you can get damage in.

    How I'm using certain terms:
    • Cancel/Feint - Stopping the attack animation before it fully executes
    • Empty Dash - Dashing either to the side or towards the opponent and entering a neutral state
    • React - Purely reacting to the opponent's behavior, strict timing
    • Bait - Waiting for the opponent to execute an expected behavior so you can react with a counter solution
    • Predict - You download your opponent's behavior so you execute a counter solution before he even does as a way to intercept
    • Reset - Enter a neutral state so you can re-engage your toolbox

    My general toolbox:

    Neutrals:
    Mixed light attacks --> Reset
    Mixed light attacks --> Heavy attack Feint --> Bait
    ..etc

    Heavy:
    Heavy attack --> Bait --> Heavy attack
    Heavy attack Feint --> React
    Heavy attack Feint --> Top light attacks/Guard Break
    ..etc

    Zephr Slash:
    React --> Side-step Zephr Slash --> Reset
    Dash in Zephr Slash --> Reset
    Dash in Zephr Slash --> Guard Break
    Side-step/Dash in Zephr Slash --> Top light combo
    ..etc

    Riptide Strike:
    React --> Riptide Strike --> Reset
    Riptide Strike --> Predict --> Heavy attack
    Riptide Strike --> Heavy attack Feint --> Bait
    ..etc

    Storm Rush:
    React --> Storm Rush --> Top light combo --> Reset
    Storm Rush --> Top light combo --> Zone attack
    Storm Rush --> Cancel
    Storm Rush --> Delay cancel
    Storm Rush --> Delay, release
    Storm Rush --> Cancel or Delay cancel --> Empty dash
    ..etc

    Dash/Side-step:
    Empty Dash --> Reset
    Empty Dash --> Guard Break --> Top heavy attack
    Empty Dash --> Mixed neutrals
    Empty Dash --> React --> Riptide Strike
    Empty Dash --> Heavy, feint --> React
    Empty Dash --> Predict Guard Break --> Top light combo
    Empty Dash --> Zone attack
    Empty Dash --> Storm Rush series
    ..etc

    Here are some examples of how you should enter a duel with an unknown opponent:

    Probing and scouting:
    • Empty dash around, fake a few Storm Rushes, empty dash in, scout attack patterns and playstyles. The first few seconds is to scout for general playstyle and game knowledge.
    • Empty dash in, go for Guard Break to test CGB reaction. Try a few top lights and surprise Zepher Slashes. You're testing for reaction times.
    • Bait out a successful Storm Rush + top light combo, go for a Guard Break and scout for pressure reaction. If you connect, punish with free heavy. Else, restart the Storm Rush and dash dance and probe for more info.

    Fighting aggressive players:
    • Start mixing in a more defensive pattern of movement, moving away from the enemy with fake Storm Rushes and back dashes. Use Storm Rushes to punish over-extensions.
    • Mix in a few dash-ins to test for player response. If their response is attack, go for deflect/parry/SR/RS, the whole nine yards. Use a lot of evasion-based attacks to poke and apply pressure.
    • Bait out over-commitments by looking vulnerable and apply Riptide Strikes or Storm Rushes to counter-hit or trade favorably. Delaying heavy attacks can punish light attackers harshly. Feints will be less effective against hyper-aggression.

    Fighting defensive players:
    • Mix in more aggressive patterns of movement, moving into the enemy and staying in the danger zone. You're basically in heavy reach of your opponent, which is what you want really: You want to bait out bad commitments and over-reactions by hovering over them.
    • Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee: Punish over-extensions with Storm Rush and be careful of throwing in non-feinted attacks. Every attack you throw out that cannot be canceled or feinted will be punished harshly by a good defender.
    • Utilize more complicated baits with feinted attacks, empty dash delays and close-range Storm Rush cancels where you can dash into a Guard Break. Throw out top light combos after baiting out GBs, and poke more with area attacks.

    This might look a little confusing at first, and at first glance it doesn't look like much, but I promise you it will make sense at the end once you start mixing all of it together.

    For example, let's take this recent clip from a game I played vs. a Prestige 1 Kensei.

    Let's see if I can sum up some tools used here:
    • Empty Dash --> Zone attack
    • Storm Rush --> Cancel
    • Empty Dash --> Reset
    • React --> Deflect --> Light, top light
    • Storm Rush --> React --> Cancel --> Top light combo
    • More Empty Dashes
    • Switch stance --> Predict --> Storm Rush
    • React --> Parry --> Top light combo
    • Predict --> Riptide Strike

    For the purposes of explaining, I will talk about Neutrals and Heavies first, before moving onto "evasion" style attacks such as Riptide Strike, Storm Rush, Zephr Slash and Empty Dashes. Keep in mind that Empty Dash is my own term, and doesn't exist in the Orochi moveset. It's simply a neutral dash, either to the side, away or towards your opponent. When I say neutral dash in this case, I mean that you dash and then let all your frames cool before you perform an action. Oh, and I added the ..etcs in there to symbolize that there's more combinations that you can do, and once you start mixing in Storm Rush combos with Empty Dashes, you can literally pull from a million different combinations of things to do.

    Before we go any further, I want to touch upon some early terms I used in this section. I spoke of reacting, baiting and predicting. A lot of the time as a counter-attacker, you react a lot to the opponent. However, a lot of what I do with my playstyle is that I like to bait once I have an idea of what my opponent's attack patterns. If they're predictable, I will start integrating prediction attacks into my own game to hopefully catch them off-guard. This is why you hear terms in the fighting community like "downloaded". This literally means that you've completely analyzed your opponent's play, and you can pretty much beat them flawlessly. The faster you can do this, the more it highlights that your opponents' toolbox is limited or have an inability to adapt. Every player is guilty of this at some point or another, whether it's stubbornness or just overconfidence that the repeated and predictable attack patterns will work every time. In the video above, since this is someone I've played a few games against already, I started to analyze their attack patterns and adapted to them. This is why you see me throwing predicted attacks of my own, even though my opponent didn't exactly do what I wanted him to. The key to a successful mix-up game is to slowly introduce new elements of your toolbox as the match continues. This assures all kinds of unpredictable patterns to keep your opponents' guessing at all times. In turn, this stresses their mental ability and keeps them on their toes, or else they will just crumble under the weight of your mix-ups game.

    Light and Heavy attacks:
    I'll start by saying that I don't like using too many neutral attacks or heavies with the Orochi. I don't think the class necessarily fits into the pattern of attacking a lot directly in the face of the opponent. While mixed, multi-direction light attacks can be useful, they can easily be blocked by an experience player and punished harshly if used heavily. The only time I really like to throw in a combo is if my opponent demonstrates the inability to block multi-directionally, but this is rare in high-level play. As for heavies, throwing out heavies in attempts to drive off overly aggressive players is perfectly viable, especially since they have more range and stopping power than the lights. Orochi has one of the fastest overhead heavies in the game and you can delay your heavies to bait your opponents in thinking they can come in and attack you. Often times, when executed correctly, you will stop them dead in their tracks or you trade damage favorably.

    The odd-ball out here is the zone attack, which deserves its own mention. The first thing you notice when you perform the zone attack is that it has a pretty nice frontal cone that hits directly in front of you. However, while it can hit side-steppers and comes out really quickly, it also does mediocre damage and drains half of your stamina. The range is also deceptively small and should only be used when you're pretty close to your opponent. Realistically, you really want to mix these attacks into your skill repertoire once in a while because it allows you to do decent damage out of the blue without having to commit to more predictable attacks.

    Zephr Slash and Riptide Strike:
    For the most part, Zephr Slash should mainly be used as the side-step variant and only on reaction. If your opponent is throwing out overhead lights, heavies, guard breaks, or other telegraphed attacks that can be dodged, Zephr Slash will be able to deal a small amount of damage and get you out of harms way with little or no consequence. Again, these are mainly used on reaction and should not be used as a predictive or baiting measure. Overuse of this ability as a side-step without reaction will be telegraphed quite convincingly in front of your opponent and easily punished. As for the dash-in variant of the Zephr Slash, this should only be used if you're trying to surprise your opponent or trying to chase someone who likes to back-dash a lot. The reach is superb and it can definitely reach out and surprise opponents who thought they were safe. Again, take extra precaution on this ability because overuse will see it parried from a mile away and punished hard. It's important not to get overly greedy with Zephr Slash: Take the free damage, even if it's a single light attack. Going all eager-beaver is a great way to get yourself killed.

    Riptide Strike is one of my favorite abilities for a number of reasons but its use is very specific. I primarily use it as a reactive tool against opponents who like to press buttons, either because they're aggressive, over-eager or likes to guard break a little too predictably. However, I like to throw out the random prediction every now and then because I'm confident that I analyzed their attack patterns and the situation at that time "looks" like a good time to attack me. Basically, you have to put yourself in the opponents' shoes at the time: Does the Orochi look vulnerable enough for a straight on attack? If the answer you think is yes, then a Riptide Strike is a perfect way to say no. There's no better way to say sorry, you just lost a couple of bars of health while the built-in evasion prevented any return damage to the Orochi. Not just that, but you can follow up with another heavy which can be delayed for a bait, or feinted for a setup parry or a clean reset.

    Storm Rush and Empty Dashes:
    Where do I begin? The combination of Storm Rush and Storm Rush cancels is the bread and butter of Orochi movement. Movement is king for the Orochi because it allows him to control the tempo of the game, bait out bad decisions and counter-attack with real man Samurai damage. This is why for Storm Rush, you can literally do a billion things when used in conjunction with your regular dashes and side-steps. It gives you space to breath, let's you re-collect your tools, and helps you punish the opponent really hard if he's not prepared.

    Storm Rush itself can be used in many different ways. Here are some brief examples:
    • You can let it rip as normal to punish any form of over-commitment. Storm Rush has built-in evasion due to the back-dash, hits with a heavy attack that can lead to a free two-hit overhead light combo, and can bring you closer to the opponent to start a mix-up game like a Guard Break into a free top heavy. Since you're so mobile, you can control the distance that you initiate this attack to give your opponents less time to react.
    • You can delay the attack by holding it down and then letting it go to throw off your opponents' timing. This also allows you to enter the fight without running into your opponents' attacks so you don't get interrupted and can strike safely while they're still in recovery frames.
    • You can cancel it immediately but still show the stance to your opponent so it forces a guard direction. This, in combination that you can mix the direction of your Storm Rush will always keep the opponent guessing.
    • You can cancel it after a few steps so you can gain a few steps on the opponent while potentially juking an early parry or over-eager response. If you do this close enough to your opponent, you can end up close enough to execute a Guard Break of your own to really surprise the opponent.
    • You can cancel it after a delay, which frankly, can just screw with the opponent's timing if he's trying to block or parry it.

    When you mix Storm Rush in with your regular dashes, you become a whirlwind of confusion. As you can see above, your empty dashes have tons of options once you're in combat distance of your opponent. For example, you can go anywhere from dash in for a surprise guard break, or bait out an attack into the Storm Rush series, or just face check into the enemy and wait for a response. The end result should look something like this, while at the same time getting your own parody on YouTube.



    Parry vs. Deflect
    One of the more frequent questions I get asked while playing the Orochi is which one I like using more; Parry or Deflect? Well, the answer is not really a straight one as it all comes down to what you're trying to accomplish. For me, I typically favor parry if I can guarantee that I will land it. This is not always possible as parry requires precise timing and has no built-in evasion. In fact, if you throw out a heavy when you're trying to parry vs. a heavy that gets feinted for example, you're probably going to get counter-parried which can lead to big damage. This is just one example of what happens when you mess up, so I would say that parries should only be used against larger, more telegraphed attacks that you can for sure secure. Parry is just amazing when it lands: It imposes a huge stamina drain on your opponent and leaves them completely at the mercy of the Orochi in a lot of cases. Some classes can get hit by a free overhead heavy just like a Guard Break, but for other classes it leaves them just out of the range. The ideal follow-up in this case is to go for a two-hit overhead light combo, or go for a guaranteed, uncounterable Guard Break after the parry into a top heavy. Personally, this is my ideal follow up because it allows me to feint out the next heavy, bait a trade or reset completely. It just gives me more options vs. the light combo, although the light combo has longer reach than the grab. The damage is also very comparable.

    As for the deflect and punish, I would use this whenever you're looking at faster or less predictable attacks because you have built-in evasion. Unless you're eating overheads, side-stepping is relatively safe with the Orochi when you're looking to avoid attacks. If you land the deflect, great: It's guaranteed damage with the light attack version and it swings the tempo of the game back in your favor. It's also a great tool to keep pesky attackers more aware that your Orochi isn't a free, and that you're able to punish even the fastest light attacks. Regardless, deflect is a great tool against faster attacks that you can't really telegraph but more can still react favorably to them. The only thing you have to really remember is that you cannot deflect unblockable attacks. Whether this is the Raider's area attack or Kensei's heavy overhead, don't try to deflect those whatever you do. Instead, show him that you can parry his jank and punish accordingly.

    Stamina Management
    Lastly, but arguably more importantly, I would like to touch upon good stamina management. Everything; all your attacks, feints, dashes and mix-ups count for nothing if you don't have a good guage on how to use your stamina. Almost all of your mix-ups that require any of the Storm Rush series requires stamina to execute. The same applies to any of the attacks that you feint, and when used in conjunction with regular attacks, you might find yourself running low at times. The most dangerous thing that can happen to an assassin is not being able to move and have their ability to attack neutered. This is exactly what happens if you become fatigued, so take extra care that you're not over-committing if you're running low on stam. Always watch the meter and manage it correctly as you're running your mix-up game. The stamina meter is your lifeline, even more so than the health bar due to how swingy the damage you can personally inflict. Remember, if you need to take a breather to let your stamina recharge, you have the movement tools to be able to. Don't get greedy.

    Matchup Analysis
    I've been talking a lot now on the strengths of the Orochi and what the class is capable of, so let's change gears a little and talk about the class weaknesses. As I said earlier in the guide, when it comes to assymertical design, every class is different. Therefore, the Orochi will have specific weaknesses unique to its class and none other.

    One of the things that I noticed when I started dueling more and more experienced players is that the number of Orochis started to drop sharply in the player pool. Of course, this could very well be a sign that people are just not focusing on a singular class and they want to try out other classes, it is a beta after all. However, the more I played the class against other duelists, the more I started asking questions about their experiences. The more I probed, the more I discovered that other duelists shared the same opinion: The class falls out of favor at higher levels of play.

    This is both a blessing and curse for many reasons, but I'm going to share the most important one: The Orochi is one of those classes that the majority of the players flock to because of their cool appearance and stereotypical Samurai flavor. He's the Weebo's dream and everyone wants a piece of that delicious Storm Rush. However, as they play on and advance into greater and greater challenges, they hit a plateau that they can't overcome with just Storm Rush spam. Orochi is definitely one of those classes that gets a bad rep because unskilled players will cry about their power on the forums without improving their own game. However, a calculated and responsive player will quickly make amateur Orochi players cry home in tears. Good, because this is the harsh reality of a well-designed fighting game and at the top-levels of competition, the game certainly does not cater towards the weak. This guide is designed for the true masters of the sword, so thanks for staying with me so far.

    I never really touched upon why exactly do Orochi players suffer at the highest level of play and maybe I should. The truth of the matter is: Orochi players suffer against really good defensive players who can react well and cannot be baited. Remember, you are a fast-moving, juking Ninja/Samurai hybrid that relies on counter-attacks to be effective. A good defensive player that does not allow himself to be counter-attacked will be a frustrating wall that most Orochis won't be able to break. To make matters worse, most classes that have strong shield play or have a punishing top counter will severely limit the Orochi's key damage tools. This means that the amount of tools that the Orochi can employ in the duel will be limited, thus reducing his effectiveness overall.

    With that said, now onto the good stuff. Keep in mind that this reflects my opinions against high-level duelists only.

    Knights
    Warden - The poster boy for the game is actually one of Orochi's worst enemies. He has a good amount of life, a solid block, and a good selection of fast attacks and abilities that can really stagger the Orochi's play. The main weapon of the Warden in this matchup are its quick light attacks, the lighting fast zone attack, the shoulder charge chain, and the extremely deadly overhead counter. When it comes to the overhead counter, the mere threat that this exists is enough to deter most Orochi players from trying from the top guard. Just having this as a tool virtually eliminates normal surprise tools like the dash-in Zephr, the double top light combo and the overhead heavies. After the first time you take a crushing counter to the face, you'll have to be quick to adjust your playstyle accordingly or just get destroyed. The key to this matchup is a really keen mix-up game utilizing advanced feints, SR cancels and delayed attacks to bait out attacks. The Warden's heavies should be free to deflect and parry, but most high-level Wardens will stick to their abnormally fast lights and shoulder bash/GB mix-ups. A really patient Warden simply has more tools to fight the Orochi with.

    Conqueror - If you thought the Warden was a bad matchup, the Conqueror is one of those classes that can infuriate Orochi players to no end. The power of the Conqueror is the classes ability to virtually take no damage if they're playing pure defensive and endlessly chain shield bashes to corner lock you. When it comes to being shield bash chained, this is one of the most difficult things for the Orochi to shake because it also inflicts a harsh penalty to your stamina. As you know, stam is the key in surviving duels because it fuels all your movement abilities and feints. Once he starts whirling his mace you have to mentally prepare for a very fast heavy attack. I would strongly recommend using side-steps and Zephr Slash in response to shield bash and bait out early attacks with the mace with Storm Rush cancels. You can also bait out shield parries with feinted heavies and a good mix-up GB game can open up the Conq for big damage. Just be very wary of your surroundings and try not to get trapped by the shield bash and throw chains. Once you're stuck on the wall without stam, you're pretty much dead.

    Peacekeeper - Peacekeeper is one of the strongest classes in the game right now and for good reason. She has great reach and tracking on her throw, which with a 3-stab combo can inflict absurd amounts of damage and bleed. Her lunge also has extreme range but it's one of her weakest tools vs. the Orochi because of your lateral movement and ability to parry top. Another one of her most powerful tools is her area attack cancel into dash. It's one of the fastest, if not the fastest attack in the game with virtually no start-up frames or warning, and the dash lets her get out of it for free with almost no chance to punish. Even though this drains stam, she's fast enough to avoid a follow up and can rinse and repeat as needed. Arguably the worst part about the Peacekeeper vs. an Orochi is her incredible neutral game. She will beat out all of your neutrals and the speed which they can chain can catch you if you try to side-step into Zephr Strike. If you dash back, her throw can always track you and guarantee a free stab-bleed combo from her. The best way to combat Peacekeeper is to keep her at distance and play a counter-attack game with Storm Rush and heavy feints into over-commitment. Once she over-commits, you can punish with some well-timed Riptide Strikes or delayed Storm Rush heavies in between her attacks. Surprisingly, your dash-in Zephr Slash will be decently useful against a lot of her back-dashes. Just make sure you don't go too crazy so you get telegraphed. Since you're both assassin classes, it will be a damage race so always have your CGB skills on point to avoid taking unneeded damage. Whatever you do, don't try to fight her in neutral range. Once she gets close enough, you're going to be trapped in there and will probably die unless you can weather her neutrals with good blocking so you can dash out to reset the fight.

    Lawbringer - Soon!

    Vikings
    Raider - The Raider is a tricky class at first because of all the heavy feints and top lunging top stuns. When it comes to fighting the Raider, the most important thing to know is that you cannot get stunned into a corner because that's where the Raider is most powerful. His heavy attacks are slow and can easily be parried, but high level Raiders will use a a solid mix-up of lights to trade and interrupt, heavy feint into lunging stun, and unblockables that cannot be deflected. Remember, you cannot deflect any unblockables so you must parry or side-step them with precise timing. Other than that, remain mobile at all times and depending on the Raider's playstyle and block defense, mix-up your play accordingly. Try and stay within the danger zone when playing the Raider, as this will make him aggressive and want to punish you with his attacks. This is where you can bait him out some of his attacks so you can start withering his health pool. Keep in mind that back-dashing does not work well vs. lunging attacks so utilize more lateral movement, and stay away from ledges and walls because that's where Raiders like to take you.

    Warlord - The Warlord is probably one of the most difficult matchups in a duel for the Orochi. He has an amazingly fast headbutt that tracks amazingly well and guarantees stamina damage and a free light. His omni-block is the bane of most attack-oriented mix-ups and his super armor on heavies makes him trade extremely well with the Orochi. When you mix in his naturally defensive playstyle and strangely quick heavy attacks, allows him to poke seemingly out of the blue and hit you when you least expect it. While short-ranged, the Warlord has good priority on a lot of his attacks and when you throw in headbutt chains with Guard Breaks, it becomes a nightmare for a lot of players to handle. You must be able to side-step right before the headbutt hurts or its going to track your movement, back-dashes will not work. The key to fighting the Warlord is patience. You must utilize every mix-up you have in your toolbox because even if you bait out a parry with a feinted parry, the answer will still more than likely be a headbutt. You answer that with quicker reactions and predicting his play by throwing out occasional two-hit overheads to interrupt him. The matchup with the Warlord is that his toolbox is absolutely massive vs. the Orochi while the opposite is true with the Orochi. What can I say? Feelsbadman.

    Berserker - When it comes to any assassins, you're pretty much looking at a very fast and vicious fight with simple mistakes leading to sudden death. For the Berseker, he's capable of some amazing movement capabilities and vicious multi-directional light mix-ups as well as plenty of feints. Good Berserkers have excellent stamina management so they can always keep pressure while never running of steam. Besides, they only need to hit you a couple of times before you're dead anyway, and if you get hit by their double jump heavy, you're just going to die from half-health. The floaty nature of some of the Berserker's attacks means that you'll have to train yourself specifically to fight this class. For one, you don't see it often in high-levels of play and two, their strangely timed attacks that spin and twirl can make parrying or deflecting a nightmare. The best tool against Berserkers is accurate spacing and not letting them get too close. You have to employ a more defensive style of movement and use your baits, Sr and heavies to draw favorable trades. Avoid using back-dash style evasion attacks like the Riptide Strike and top heavies because Berserkers have excellent lateral movement. They cover huge amounts of distances very quickly and have a Zephyr Slash equivalent so they can maintain momentum. Try to parry those if they're going to use it a lot and focus on your spacing. Most Berserkers will be too concentrated on attacking rather than blocking so you might be able to land a few surprise Storm Rushes into their face.

    Valkyrie - Soon!!

    Samurai
    Kensei - High-level Kensei players can live off of a billion ways to feint and guard break from ridiculous distances. The range on their attacks also pose a problem for the Orochi because with good prediction, they can throw them out to threaten the Orochi during his attacks or mix-up game to score free hits. When fighting the Kensei, you need to be able to successfully read the feint game and gauge the distance on a lot of his attacks. Kensei heavies are actually pretty speedy and have the range to punish back-dash in a lot of cases if your reaction is not up to par. Since the Kensei's attacks also has nice lateral coverage, taking a more defensive posture against the Kensei is not a bad idea. However, you should feel comfortable changing up the pace of the battle by going in on him to keep him guessing. Watch out for his lunging Guard Break, his feint attack baits and be careful on your spacing. Again, do not try to deflect the unblockable overhead. Go for the parry instead if he does not cancel and watch out when he feints out of it into other mix-ups. The key to this matchup is to read the Kensei's mix-up game. Taking a more aggressive approach at first is definitely worthwhile just to scout out reaction times and willingness to engage. If they're a more defensive kind of player, prepare for a lot of mindgames at closer distances because while you're fast, his attacks can always reach out and touch you.

    Nobushi - The Nobushi is a class to be feared, especially at high-levels because of their amazing footsies game and bleed damage. While I wouldn't say that the Nobushi has an amazing mix-up game, her strength lies in being a defensive counter-attacker with awesome range. She can easily feint out a attack, wait for you to commit before throwing her spear out for you to run into. For this reason, the Orochi needs to get into her danger zone and constantly pressure her into making mistakes. Since most of her faster attacks are directly in front of her, you can utilize a strong side-stepping game to get attacks in. This also includes her kick, as it costs her a good amount of stam and inflicts heavy stam damage plus a free bleed combo on you if you get hit. Be careful with dashing back too much because of her spear range, and the fact that a well-timed spear can interrupt even the fastest Storm Rush because you always approach from the front. A well-played Nobushi with great reads and reactions can cause a lot of problems for the Orochi. She has many great abilities that she can utilize into her movepool that removes a lot from the Orochi's toolbox. You must utilize a strong lateral game and if you look at the Orochi's movepool, most of his damage are frontal facing which benefits the Nobushi's kit quite convincingly. Against more defensive players, you must be able to feint and bait out attacks to get damage in. Thankfully her healthpool isn't the highest, it's all about overcoming the frustration and waiting for the right opportunities.

    Orochi - The dreaded mirror match between two Ninjamurai is a literal dance of blades that can result in sudden death before you know it. Most high-level Orochi mirrors will be all about baiting, jukes and patience. If both players know how to utilize a strong-mix up game, it's worthwhile to know that since the majority of the Orochi toolbox can be side-stepped by a fast assassin-type, that the Zephr Slash on reaction will be a powerful tool. Faking and baiting enemy Storm Rushes into a parry into free GB into top heavy is also very appetizing. Due to the speed at which the Orochi can move around the battlefield, a lot of Zephr Slashes will also have to be predicted. Therefore, it might be worthwhile to spend the first couple of minutes testing the opponent's patience more than anything else. Examine if there's certain attack patterns that they're more likely to respond to, and if so, download what they respond with. Utilizing multiple Storm Rush variants in difference stances in closer proximity will be worthwhile because it gives the player much less time to react to. You might be able to even do a SR cancel into GB if you're close/daring enough. This also means that if you're close enough to SR an opponent who is just starting to dash back into SR themselves, you're guaranteed a free connect into your two-hitter. In Orochi mirrors, this pretty much means you're half-way to dead. Throws can be countered by the top two-hitter and when you're playing in this mirror, you should be happy with any damage you can get in. Don't get greedy though, since you probably already know by now, but a single SR combo can turn the battle around completely. Just remember that being patient does not mean to play docile, you still need a strong mix-up game in order to force out baits. The lunging Zephr Slash will also find use in this matchup because of the sheer range you can cover, including surprising players out of Storm Rush. Random area attacks can also be effective, but please watch your stam.

    Shoguki - Soon!!!

    Assuming player skill is equal, just by class, I would rate the current playing field to look something like this:
    • Vs. Warden - 40/60
    • Vs. Conqueror - 50/50
    • Vs. Peacekeepr - 40/60
    • Vs. Raider - 60/40
    • Vs. Warlord - 40/60
    • Vs. Berserker - 50/50
    • Vs. Kensei - 60/40
    • Vs. Nobushi - 40/60
    • Vs. Orochi - 50/50


    Closing thoughts
    Well, thank you for reading and staying with me this far. Just know that by picking and sticking with Orochi, you picked up one of the most rewarding classes in the game in high-level play. In its current form, I don't believe Orochi to be a dominant class, I really don't. The stigma that Orochi is all-powerful stems from the old belief that the class can deflect everything, kill everyone and preform unlimited Storm Rush cancels. You just need to ignore these people and focus on improving your own game. While the class is capable of great mix-ups and movement shenanigans, it takes a huge amount of effort and technical skill to get him to move in a way that your opponents want to react favorably for you. There will definitely be challenges; both mental and physical as I don't think I've pressed as many buttons with the Orochi as I have with any other character just to make him work right. Stay in there, keep at it, and befriend every high-level player that you play with, especially the ones that defeat you. These are the players that will truly improve your game.

    Good luck out there!
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