I love this guy (consistent 3 second knockouts and standing suicides) so I wrote a faq for him. Please let me know what you think about it (like whether or not it's good enough to post etc.) I'm thinking about a Kunimitsu FAQ too but I want to get more info about how I did on this one first. Thanks BTF The Unofficial Yoshimitsu FAQ by Brian Fan (btf1@acpub.duke.edu) Contents: 1) Character Description 2) Moves 3) Canned Combos 4) Un-canned Combos 5) The Unblockables 6) Strategy vs. People 7) Stretegy vs. the CPU 8) Thanx and Afternote Like Jeff (author of the Tekken II Counter FAQ) I make no guarantees to the accuracy of this FAQ, but the following has been true for me... 1111111111111111111111111 1 Character Description 1 1111111111111111111111111 Yoshimitsu is the odd-looking fellow with the wicked-looking sword. You can pick the (superior) Yoshimitsu with the green pants and hat (no, I have no idea what the word on top of it is) by selecting with either punch button. Selecting Yoshimitsu with either kick button gives you the (inferior) Yoshimitsu that's buck naked and wielding a red-bladed sword. 222222222 2 Moves 2 222222222 (Of course, compiled by Luke & Lordzor...) GRAPPLING TECHNIQUES 2+4 Jawcrusher 1+3 Flying Press QCB+1+2 Missile Press 1+3 or 2+4 Spinning Missile Press SPECIAL TECHNIQUES 2,3 Punch-Kick Combo 2,D+3 P-lowkick Combo 3,[4] Lightning Kick[s] f,f+4 Jumping Knee u/f+3+4 Flipping Stomp f,f+3+4 Spiral Launch 1+2 (during Spiral Launch)Spiral Dive 3+4 (during Spiral Dive) Kangaroo Kick B+1 (1-6 times) Spinning Hilt Strikes D/B+3 (1-5 times) Spinning Leg Sweeps f+4 after (during leg strikes 1-4) Falling Tree Kick D/B+2 Spinning Fist Strikes D#,d/f+3 Spinning Sweep B+3+4 (1-6 times) Teleport (WC)+3+4 Sit Down, F or B to teleport 4~3 Kangaroo Kick 4,4,4 High Kicks F+2 Backfist (turns them around) f,F+1+4,N Fake Suicide f,F+1+4 Turning Suicide [unblockable] (WC)+1+4 Standing Suicide [unblockable] D#,d/b,b+1 Samurai Cutter [unblockable] U/F+1+2,D Helicopter Stomp [unblockable] d/b+1 Shoulder Cut [unblockable] d/b+1,N,D/B,1 Charging Shoulder Cut [unblockable] b,B+1 Sword Thrust [unblockable] b,B+1,N+1 Saw Blade [unblockable] 1,2,1,4,4,4,1,1,1,1 Tenstring 1,2,1,4,2,2,2,4,1,1 Tenstring 4,4,2,2,1 Fivestring 4,4,2,2,4,4,1,1,1,1 Tenstring 1,2,1,4,4,4,1,3+4 Eightstring 4,4,2,2,4,4,1,3+4 Eightstring 33333333333333333 3 Canned Combos 3 33333333333333333 2,3 & 2,D+3 Punch-Kick Combos These are pretty slow and if you're fighting any person with more than 3 brain cells, they'll most likely figure out the pattern after the first or second time you do this. The punch & lowkick combo works ok against people since I find they don't tend to block low as easily as they block high, but the punch & highkick combo have "Reverse Me" written all over them. 3,4 Spin Kick & Heel Kick Works ok against people since the second kick hits middle and is hard to reverse due to its speed. Keeps people at bay too if you just do the spin kick. Doesn't work against the CPU if you're past level 3 or so. f,f+3+4,1+2,3+4 Sprial Launch, Spiral Dive, & Kangaroo Kick All 3 are blocked high and unless your opponent forgets about the kangaroo kick at the end, it's not likely to hit. Also, it's easy to grab Yoshimitsu immediately following the kangaroo kick (looks kinda funny, one moment he's inverted, recovering from the kick and the next, he's being thrown) so use this sparingly. However, this combo is good for closing long distances quickly while keeping your opponent from rushing at you. B+1 (repeatedly),D/B+3 (repeatedly), f+4 Spinning Hilt Strikes, Spinning Leg Sweeps, & Falling Tree Kick Probably one of the more useful canned combos, the hilt strikes are hard to see coming and (provided you can make a smooth transition) the leg sweeps are practically unblockable as well as unpredictable since you can start them anytime. The falling tree kick is also nice since it hits middle and must be blocked high again. This combo is non-reversible once you get the first hilt strike off. 4,4,4 Spinning Right Kicks This is the worst canned combo Yoshimitsu has. The kicks are too predictable to be of any use and can be blocked regardless whether or not a/the preceeding kick(s) were blocked. Against someone with reversals, expect to be reversed the moment you start this combo and expect to be interrupted by anyone else. Tenstrings: Some of Yoshimitsu's strongest and weakest points are his tenstrings. The strong points, of course, are that most of them end in unblockables with the weak points being the right kicks in the strings. The 1,2,1 (punch, uppercut, uppercut) are nice in that all three will hit if the first connects, but most veterans will reverse or duck the kick following and take you out of the tenstring. The same is true about his 4,4,2,2,4,4... string. The moment someone sees those right kicks coming, it's over for Yoshi. Tenstring Timings: In case you're having trouble with the tenstrings, this is how I do them. I hit the buttons much more than I need to, but this is because I hit them as fast as I can instead of trying to wait a certain period of time between hits. Oh yeah, you don't need to smash the buttons, just tap them quickly. 1,2,1,4,4,4,1,1,1,1 Hit 1,2,1 as fast as you can and begin buffering 4. When Yoshimitsu his second spinning kick, start buffering 1. 1,2,1,4,4,4,1,3+4 Same thing as above, but after his second spinning kick, hit 1,1,3+4,3+4. 1,2,1,4,2,2,2,1,1 Hit 1,2,1 as fast as you can then hit 4,4,2,2,2,4 and begin tapping 1. If it goes right, you should end up tapping 1 right before he goes into his jumping knee. This is the coolest looking and hardest-to-time combo. 4,4,2,2,4,4,1,1,1,1 Hit 4,4,2,2,2,2... until he starts his first punch, then tap 4 until he starts his spinning kick. At this point, start tapping 1. 4,4,2,2,4,4,1,3+4 Same thing above, only hit 1,1,3+4,3+4 after the spinning kick. 44444444444444444444 4 Un-canned Combos 4 44444444444444444444 4~3,(wait),(WC)+1+4 Kangaroo Kick + Standing Suicide Yoshimitsu launches his opponent into the air with a kangaroo kick and sticks his victim with his sword by suiciding as his opponent falls. The tough part for this is getting the kangaroo kick to connect since it is so slow. Do it if your opponent is doing a predictable move himself (i.e. Paul's falling leaf combo, Lei's sweep & hook kick, Yoshimitsu's 3 right kicks...) Careful though, it is possible to be hit low or medium right before your kick connects (don't think you can be hit high, but I haven't checked that). Your opponent will go soaring straight up behind you. Don't turn around or hit any buttons. When your opponent has started falling back down, do the suicide move and he/she will be impaled as they come down. If the move kills them, you will take no damage from the suicide. Otherwise, the combo takes off roughly 2/3 to 3/4 of their energy and 1/3 to 1/2 of yours. It's a nice finishing move but risky at the beginning of the round. f,f+3+4,1+2,3+4,(wait),(WC)+1+4 Spiral Launch + Spiral Dive + Kangaroo Kick + Standing Suicide This is the same thing as the preceeding combo. If the spiral launch connects, your opponent may be knocked over with the kangaroo kick connecting but not launching them high up into the air. However, if the spiral launch is blocked but not the kangaroo kick, do the suicide as they start to gain momentum on their way down and the same thing happens as above. This combo is particularly nasty since it can make for 3-second rounds against stage 1 or stage 2 CPU opponents (that's right, it can do 100% damage). There are more un-canned combos at http://home-cgi.ust.hk/~ma_lyn/tekken.html But the first one here I got from Jeff (see credits) and the second one I developed myself. 55555555555555555555 5 The Unblockables 5 55555555555555555555 This is probably the section that distinguishes Yoshimitsu from all other characters. He has 8 unblockables that range from minor damage to major damage and hitting at all attack levels. f,F+1+4 Turning Suicide I have personally never used this as I have found that my opponents tend to back away when I rush at them (f,f) and because the reach for the suicide is too small for my liking. However, the fake for this f,F+1+4+N is useful (as noted below). (WC)+1+4 Standing Suicide There are a few places you can use this beauty. It, of course, has the same reach as the turning suicide, but the trick with the standing suicide is in luring your opponent into approaching you right before you execute the move. One of the setups is to do the fake suicide (f,F+1+4+N). A human opponent will most likely back off and then run in to back throw you (seeing you turned around). As soon as you see their dash, execute the move. The sit down and teleport is also useful as it will leave you turned when you're too far away from your opponent. The same thing applies here, when you see them dash in, do the standing suicide. D#,d/b,b+1 Samurai Cutter This is one of the few unblockables that only hit low (like Anna's bloody scissors). Basically, use it when your opponent is doing a string of high moves since you should already be in a crouch. (Ex: Nina's string of 4 high punches) Also, most people have a hard time seeing this move coming since it takes virtually no windup time. U/F+1+2,D Helicopter Stomp Another unblockable that I don't use too often. It hits medium if you can manage to come down right in front of your opponent (use D to come down prematurely). Usually, the other person just runs behind you or jump kicks you while you're in the air. d/b+1 Shoulder Cut One of his most useful unblockables, it takes no time to windup and has a good reach. The damage is pretty small, but it's so fast that this move is virtually un-reversable. d/b+1,N,D/B,1 Charging Shoulder Cut Yoshimitsu brings his arm back and starts hopping towards the opponent (hit 1 to slash). Has the same reach and damage as the shoulder cut, but it looks more menacing. This one is hard to reverse as well since it's fast and unpredictable. It sucks for closing distances. b,B+1 Sword Thrust This is his most damaging unblockable (does between 75% and 90% damage). The only drawback is that anyone half awake will see hit coming and either back up or jump over it. The reach is pretty amazing, however, and you can sometimes hit people who dash back only once. b,B+1,N+1 Saw Blade Another useful unblockable! This one is slightly more damaging than the shoulder cuts and samurai cutters but it involves your opponent running into your blade as you spin it. Use it when you see someone starting a tenstring from too far away or if they're charging at you. Another great time to use it is when Paul or Lei or anyone else with a slow unblockable starts winding up. Their unblockable will connect with the blade and leave you unscathed. Some attacks do go under the blade, most notably, Jun's sweeps (3~4,4,4). Also, if you do this too frequently, you could end up eating an unblockable (i.e. your opponent decides to start one after you do your saw blade). 66666666666666666666666 6 Strategy vs. People 6 66666666666666666666666 Yoshimitsu is probably not one of the strongest characters in the game. His moves are somewhat predictable and he has no reversals. I find myself relying on people's unfamiliarity with his tenstrings (yeah, right) and playing defensively (i.e. reacting to other people's moves) when I use him. There are exceptions, of course. His spinning hilt, spinning leg, falling-tree kick works well as do his unblockable sword slashes. Both are extremely hard to counter. The 1,2,1 that starts off some of his tenstrings are useful as well since they have good speed and the last two hit middle. As a sidenote, one extremely cheezy thing to do is the first 7 hits of his tenstring 1,2,1,4,2,2,2 against people who don't have reversals. This part can be done over and over and over again since you can start your 1,2,1 immediately after the 2,2,2 usually beating your opponent to his move. In any case, the first punch and the kick hit high while the rest hit middle so it's almost like an infinite middle hitting string. You can also sneak in a low punch after 2,2,2 before starting your 1,2,1 again. 777777777777777777777777 7 Strategy vs. the CPU 7 777777777777777777777777 General Stuff: If you're having trouble, one of the things you can do to start off a round is run up to your opponent and use the missle press on him/her. This works for me 90% of the time since this throw is not escapable. Other CPU cheeze includes hitting your opponent a few times and sitting back to heal the rest of the time (of course, teleport away when they run at you). Heihachi: Most of his moves hit high, so as long as you stay about one character's width away from him you're safe from his attacks. I have not found a way to consistently cheeze Heihachi yet with Yoshimitsu. Jack-2: You can throw in a spinning left kick (just hit 3) immediately after his uppercut rush. When he sits down, block low against his low swings and hit D/F+3. Otherwise, try for a sword slash as he gets up. Jun: As with Heihachi, there isn't really a move to consistently hit her with. Her vulnerable spots are immediately following her cartwheel kick or her tooth fairy. Try to throw in a left kick at these points or 1,2,1 from his tenstring. King: He has 4 moves he does consistently that you should be prepared for. First, stand out of frankensteiner range. Otherwise, crouch a lot. He also likes to do a running jump at you that stuns when blocked. Continue blocking high after this for a followup kick or a spinning kick as he gets up and hit him with 1,2,1 if he does the spinning kick. The last two moves you should be prepared for are his ali kicks and ali kick + right uppercut. I usually let the first two ali kicks hit (block high) and block low the third ali kick (he is throwable after this if you're fast). If he goes for the ali+uppercut, I've already blocked high and he's still recovering so it is VERY easy to do a missle press or whatnot at this time. Law: Wait for him to whiff his knuckle punches (back away), then give him a left kick. If you block his punches he'll most likely be able to block your kick. Lei: Crouch till the second turning punch clears your head and hit either throw (you don't need to stand up). Two spinning missle presses take him out easily. Michelle: Always block her combos low for second hit and high for third hit. She has a pretty big recovery time whenever she misses an uppercut. Nina: Most of her combos start out and end high (except for her double palm). I like to try launching her in particular for the suicide kill. Paul: Stand just out of range of his sweep and wait for the falling leaf combo. Hit him with a left kick or 1,2,1 or whatever else you feel like when he does his combo. Yoshimitsu: Launch him immediately following his spinning right kicks. Kunimitsu: She has the same problem with predictable right kicks. Kazuya: Pray Devil: Pray Hard 88888888888888888888888 8 Thanx and Afternote 8 88888888888888888888888 This is my first attemt at writing a FAQ, so if it's obvious, I apologize. Comments will be appreciated and flames will be laughed off. I would like to thank, in particular: Jeff S. -- for introducing me to the game and for playing the big, slow, easy-to-kill (j/k Jeff) brutes Bravo Knuckle (counterhit) + Pounce = Ouch! Brian P. -- for the reverse-my-every-other-move Jun, Nina, and Anna which forces me to keep learning new stuff Burly -- for I'll-sweep-and-hook-kick-whenever-my-back-is-turned Lei Key -- for Kazuya and his tenstring (minus the last 3 hits) and Baek and his tenstring (h,h,h,l,h,h,h,l,h,run in for the kill while he's winding up his unblockable) Lordzor, Luke, and all the Tekken FAQ and homepage authors -- their time and info is much appreciated Namco -- of course Lots of people whose names I forget/dunno but either a) do the same moves/tenstrings over and over again b) don't know how to block tenstrings c) don't know how to block for the free games. This FAQ is completely free of charge and anyone demanding monetary compensation should be hung by their toenails and disemboweled. Stir slowly, simmer at low heat, reproduce at will and enjoy. BTF (btf1@acpub.duke.edu)