A BEGINNER'S GUIDE TO KAZUYA MISHIMA ================================================================================================= 1.0 FORWARD ================================================================================================= Hello, and welcome. This is a guide written to bring you from a starting player to one who has solid competency with Kazuya Mishima. As such, advanced techniques such as the Crouch Dash, Tag Juggles, and Frame data will not be discussed here; I will instead be concentrating on covering the basics. When you read this guide, keep in mind that I am not totally objective; I favour certain moves over others because I think they look better, or have more success with them than others. All I can do is say how well I think a particular move works; It's up to you whether or not to include it in your arsenal. It'd be a pretty boring world if everyone suddenly started to play Kazuya the same (poor) way I do :D So, I’ll not rate the moves, nor be telling you what to do. Instead, I’ll present the salient points on each move and offer what I use them for. ================================================================================================= 2.0 DISCLAIMER ================================================================================================= This guide is not subject to any real copyright stuff but I would appreciate it if you referenced me for any material from it you may use. I also hear that some sites sell guides like this, and though it is hardly likely that they will pick this doggerel up, I did this for free and hope people will accept it in that spirit. Tekken, all of its characters, and everything else belongs to Namco. All other trademarks belong to their respective owners. ================================================================================================= 3.0 TABLE OF CONTENTS ================================================================================================= 1.0 FORWARD. 2.0 DISCLAIMER. 3.0 TABLE OF CONTENTS. 4.0 VERSION HISTORY. 4.1 Version 1.0. 4.2 Version 1.01. 4.3 Version 1.02. 4.4 Version 1.03. 4.5 Version 1.1 5.0 ABOUT THE AUTHOR. 6.0 KAZUYA MISHIMA. 7.0 PROS AND CONS. 8.0 UNIFORMS. 9.0 CONVENTIONS. 9.1 Controls. 9.2 Abbreviations. 10.0 MOVE LIST. 10.1 Counter-Hit. 10.2 Juggle. 10.3 Okizeme. 10.4 Poking. 10.5 Hit Location. 10.6 Sidestepping. 10.7 Counter-Attack/Reversal. 10.8 The Mist Step. 11.0 PUNCHES. 11.1 Demon Backhand Spin. 11.2 Demon Gut Punch. 11.4 Demon Slayer. 11.5 Double Punch. 11.6 Entrails Smash. 11.7 Glorious Demon Fist. 11.8 Shining Fists. 11.9 Soul Thrust. 11.10 Thunder Godfist. 11.11 Twin Fang Stature Smash. 11.12 Twin Pistons. 11.13 Wind Godfist. 12.0 KICKS. 12.1 Demon Scissors. 12.2 Left Axe Kick. 12.3 Hell Sweeps. 12.4 Hop Kick. 12.5 Leaping Side Kick. 12.6 Right Axe Kick. 12.7 Rising Sun 12.8 Stature Smash 12.9 Tsunami Kicks. 13.0 THROWS. 13.1 Double High Sweeps. 13.2 Hip Toss. 13.3 Stone Head. 13.4 Ultimate Tackle. 13.4 Side and Rear Throws. 14.0 UNBLOCKABLES. 14.1 Screw Uppercut. 14.2 Lightning Screw Uppercut. 15.0 COMBOS. 15.1 Ten-Hit Combos. 15.2 Nine-Hit Combo. 16.0 MOVEMENT. 16.1 Walking. 16.2 Sidestepping. 17.0 RUNNING ATTACKS. 17.1 Flying Cross-Arm Chop. 17.2 Running Tackle. 17.3 Sliding Dash. 17.4 Leaping Side Kick. 17.5 Stomp. 17.6 Unblockable Shoulder Charge. 18.0 THEY SEEK HIM HERE, THEY SEEK HIM THERE. 18.1 Ducking. 18.2 Diving. 19.0 ON THE GROUND. 19.1 Stay Put. 19.2 Roll. 19.3 Get Up. 19.4 Low Sweep. 19.5 Standing Side Kick. 19.6 Rising Cross-Arm Chop. 19.7 Rising Kicks. 20.0 BACK TOWARDS THE ENEMY. 21.0 OPENING MOVES. 22.0 FLURRIES. 23.0 TAGGING. 24.0 AVOIDING THROWS. 25.0 WHAT'S THIS CROUCH DASH CRAP, ANY WAY? 26.0 JUGGLING. 27.0 FEAR ME. 27.1 The Mist Step. 27.2 Setting up the WS. 27.3 So many options, so little time… 28.0 SPECIAL TECHNIQUES 28.1 Chickening. 28.2 Box Moves. 28.3 Supercharger. 28.4 Low Parry. 28.5 Netsu. 28.6 Hit Points. 29.0 PLAYER TYPES 29.1 The Pit Bull. 29.2 The Turtle. 30.0 PLAYER SKILL LEVELS 30.1 Masher. 30.2 Beginner. 30.3 Intermediate. 30.4 Advanced. 30.5 Elite. 31.0 THE OTHERS 31.1 A Word To The Wise. 31.2 Alex/Roger. 31.3 Baek Doo San (Lamek). 31.4 Bryan Fury. 31.5 Bruce Irvine. 31.6 Devil/ Angel. 31.7 Eddie Gordo/Tiger Jackson. 31.8 Forrest Law. 31.9 Ganryu. 31.10 Heihachi Mishima. 31.11 Hwoarang (Bob). 31.12 Jin Kazama. 31.13 Julia and Michelle Chang. 31.14 Jun Kazama. 31.15 King/Armour King. 31.16 Kunimitsu. 31.17 Lee Chaolan. 31.19 Lei Wulong. 31.20 Ling Xiaoyu. 31.21 Mokujin/Tetsujin/Unknown. 31.22 Nina and Anna, the Williams Sisters. 31.23 Ogre/True Ogre. 31.24 Panda/Kuma. 31.25 Paul Phoenix. 31.26 Prototype Jack, Jack-2, Gunjack. 31.27 Wang Jinrei. 31.28 Yoshimitsu. 32.0 WHAT'S NEXT? 33.0 CONTACTING ME. 34.0 CREDITS. ================================================================================================= 4.0 VERSION HISTORY ================================================================================================= 4.1 Version 1.0 The guide is created on 16/11/03. Due to a number of personal concerns, the guide was delayed and delayed and delayed. But it’s here now, with apologies and thanks to the Forumites who helped me put the Guide together. ================================================================================================= 4.2 Version 1.01 Minor editing for spelling, gramatical, and formatting errors. Discovered I'd left some fairly important stuff out (you know, only things like Twin Fang Stature Smash and Wind Godfist ;)). ================================================================================================= 4.3 Version 1.02 Quick re-editing of the Guide. More later. ================================================================================================= 4.4 Version 1.03 Yes, well. Re-read the guide only to discover (to my horror) that I'd left out vast swathes of information. I also discovered numerous spelling and grammatical errors. Perhaps next time I should work on "A Beginner's Guide to Proof-Reading" instead >:( ================================================================================================== 4.5 Version 1.1 Edited for clarity, primarily by removing refreences to Kazuya's Tekken 4 movelist. ================================================================================================= 5.0 ABOUT THE AUTHOR ================================================================================================= My name is Michael Adams. I am a 20-year old University student. Currently, I study Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, and Biological Science at Griffith University in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. However, I’ve had enough of that and am about to change over and take up a degree in Teaching. Yes, after 15 years so far at school, I still have not had enough and will be going back for more ~.^ I do not ride Kangaroos, Wombats, or Bilbies around, contrary to what you have seen on "The Simpsons". In my spare time, I work, study, play computer games, read, work, and study some more. Griffith University has a Tekken Tag machine, and that is how I learnt to play. I recently bought a PS2 to feed my addiction. It was cheaper to buy one than to keep spending money at the arcade :D ================================================================================================= 6.0 KAZUYA MISHIMA ================================================================================================= Born the only son to Heihachi, Kazuya’s early years were hard. Heihachi Mishima had been scarred by the loss of the woman that he loved, and blamed his son, Kazuya, for killing his wife, who died in childbirth. Thus it was that nothing Kazuya ever did could match up to the price Heihachi had paid for his son. Heihachi attempted to create the perfect successor and leader for the massive Mishima Zaibatsu, by beating the emotions out of young Kazuya and teaching him to be ruthless in battle. Heihachi even went to the extent of adopting a Chinese orphan, Lee Chaolan, and openly favouring him over Kazuya to bring out his competitive streak. All seemed to be progressing well for Heihachi until Kazuya met Jun. Holding her dead pet rabbit and weeping piteously, Jun sparked Kazuya’s softer emotions back into life. He offered to hunt down and kill the mountain lion that had slain her pet, but Jun begged Kazuya to spare it, saying that killing was simply part of its nature. Kazuya decided to stay around and talk to Jun, which would have been fine. Until Heihachi showed up. And saw Kazuya being nice. To a girl. Obviously, the only reasonable punishment for such a vile act was to hurl the little $^& off a cliff, which Heihachi promptly did. Throwing Kazuya off the edge, Heihachi told his son that only a true Mishima could survive, and that Kazuya was not a true Mishima. He laughed, then walked off, thinking himself rid of Kazuya. Such would not be the case, however; at the bottom of the cliff, where Kazuya lay bleeding and broken, he was visited by a supernatural entity: a demon. The demon offered Kazuya his life and strength enough to make his father pay…for the trifling price of his soul. The deal was struck, and Kazuya clawed his way back up the cliff, shedding the tattered remnants of his humanity as he did so. Instead of returning to the Mishima Zaibatsu, Kazuya distanced himself from the corporation. He traveled the world, studying a variety of martial styles and founding a number of small business concerns until Heihachi Mishima decided to try to rein Kazuya in by calling the first King of Ironfist tournament. Kazuya, sensing his chance for revenge, decided to compete. No-one could halt the prodigious warrior as he smashed through all opposition to face Heihachi in the final match, which took place upon the very same cliff top the pair had faced down last over. This time, the Devil’s strength and Kazuya’s burning rage proved too much for Heihachi to deal with, and Kazuya took suitable revenge by tossing his father off the cliff. Oh, the delicious irony. With Heihachi out of the way, Kazuya took over the Mishima Zaibatsu. However, he’d smacked down all of his rivals and didn’t really care about money, and really, you can only have so much fun taunting Lee. So it was that Kazuya called the second King of Ironfist Tournament. During this tournament, Heihachi returned from the supposed ranks of the dead (hey, he was a true Mishima, remember ;)) and Jun arrived back in Kazuya’s life. Again weeping and moaning piteously about the animals. Apparently Lee was having them tortured in his attempts to create the ultimate fighting machines. Kazuya and Jun wound up together during the course of the tournament, with Jun trying to redeem Kazuya. Kazuya and Heihachi again faced down in the final bout, this time fought on the lip of an active volcano. Kazuya denied himself the strength of the Devil in the fight, trying to free himself of the evil influence; unfortunately, now fighting against two opponents- the Devil and his father- Kazuya was unable to prevail. Heihachi snapped his spine and hurled him into the volcano. But mere paraplegia and terrible, fiery burnings are not enough to stop our hero. Oh, no. Quite the contrary. Aside from a few new scars and a bigger attitude, Kazuya came through the incident unscathed and ready to wreak dire vengeance against his father in Tekken 4… ================================================================================================= 7.0 PROS AND CONS ================================================================================================= Kazuya Mishima is probably one of the easiest characters to learn how to use, which is somewhat odd as he’s an Unlockable character that you don’t start out with. He has a relatively simple fighting style coupled with high-damage, easy-to-perform moves, and is, without a doubt, the single coolest character to appear in the Tekken series. Yes, Jin PWNS Kazuya three ways from Sunday and other characters may be faster, but trust me on this: once you’ve fought with Kazuya, you won’t be going back to any of those other pansies ;) On the downside, though, is the fact that his move list is really quite small. Whilst this makes him easy to learn, it means you’ve got to fight smart, as you don’t have the luxury of variety to keep your opponent on their toes. Kazuya's ease of use and limited move list make him the best of the Mishimas to learn with. I learned to fight Mishima style with Jin, which was a great deal harder due to JIn's Kazama style moves and the fact that he uses many, many moves other than the Mishima bread-and-butter attacks that Kazuya packs. ================================================================================================= 8.0 UNIFORMS ================================================================================================= Pressing 1 or 2 (Square or Triangle on the PS2) will give you Kazuya in his white Gi pants and black belt. Pressing 3 or 4 (X or O on the PS2) gives you Kazuya in his stylish purple pimp suit. ================================================================================================= 9.0 CONVENTIONS ================================================================================================= (These were borrowed from Kioni Kappahala's excellent Jin Kazama Guide for Tekken 4) 9.1 Controls. [ Controller Layout ] ----------------------------------------------------- ub u uf Jump Up-Back Jump Up Jump Up-Forward \ | / b -- n -- f Walk Back / Block Neutral Walk Forward / | \ db d df Crouch / Low Block Crouch Offensive Crouch Button 1 (Square on the PS2): Left Punch Button 2 (Triangle on the PS2): Right Punch Button 3 (X on the PS2): Left Kick Button 4 (O on the PS2): Right Kick Button 5 (Any of the trigger buttons or the right analogue stick on the PS2): Tag 9.2 Abbreviations. d/f tap down forward D/F hold down forward d/b tap down back D/B hold down back u/f tap up forward U/F hold up forward u/b tap up back U/B hold up back qcf quarter circle forward qcb quarter circle back hcf half circle forward hcb half circle back WS while standing up SS side step either way N joystick in neutral , followed by + at the same time ================================================================================================= 10.0 MOVE LIST ================================================================================================= We'll start with the easiest moves and move through to the harder stuff. First is the name, then the commands to input to do it. After that is the hit range and damage for the move. Beneath that will be my analysis of the move. It's split up into Punches, Kicks, Throws, Unblockables and Combos. ================================================================================================= 10.1 Counter-Hit. Moves take on special properties if you smack your opponent with them whilst they are trying to do something themselves. Typically, this will be extra damage and some stunning, or knockdown/knockback. Some moves also juggle your opponents on a counter. ================================================================================================= 10.2 Juggle. After putting your opponent into the air, juggle them! Smack them around as much as you can. There isn't a damn thing they can do about it, except scream in agony. ================================================================================================= 10.3 Okizeme. The art of "ground-fighting". After putting your opponent on the floor, lay into them some more. Hardly sporting, but that's the way it goes. This guide will not have a section devoted to Okizeme, but I may mention it in the move analysis. ================================================================================================= 10.4 Poking. The art of poking is crucial. This combines interrupting your opponent's moves with throwing out fast and reliable damage. Poking, although annoying in the extreme when you are the target, will be vital to your success. ================================================================================================= 10.5 Hit Location. A "H" hit is High. This can be blocked by pressing back, or ducked underneath. It can be avoided by some jumping attacks. An "M" hit is a Mid hit. This is blocked by pressing Back. This will hit crouching opponents. It can be avoided by some jumping attacks. A "L" hit hits Low. These hits can be blocked by pressing d/b, parried by tapping d/f during the attack, or jumped over. ================================================================================================= 10.6 Sidestepping. You can sidestep in two directions; left and right. Sidestep to the left by tapping Up twice, or right by tapping Down twice. Some attacks may require more than one sidestep to avoid. ================================================================================================= 10.7 Counter-Attack/Reversal. Some characters can reverse an attack by pressing B+1+3 or B+2+4 during an attack. They then grab you and attack back, so beware of using the same attacks over and over again. Some characters have a variant on this, the Parry, in which they push your limb away and you stagger. They then have an advantage when they attack. Everyone can parry low attacks by pressing d/f. Unfortunately, Kazuya lacks the ability to Counter and can only use the universal Low Parry. ================================================================================================= 10.8 The Mist Step The Mist Step (tap “f”) is the single most vital move in Kazuya Mishima’s arsenal. Tapping “f” takes care of the “f,N,d” notation of all the Mishima moves, in addition to leaving him in a sidestep that can avoid enemy attacks. It’s easy to learn, and very, very effective: if you only learn one thing from this guide, learn to Mist Step. ================================================================================================= 11.0 PUNCHES ================================================================================================= 11.1 Demon Backhand Spin. 2,2. H,H. 12,21. Kazuya lashes out with a right jab, then performs a quick spinning backfist. For a two-punch move, the damage done here is nothing short of obscene. The downsides are that the move hits twice high and there is a bit of recovery lag. I find this to be pretty good for smacking opponents out of their own attacks. It doesn’t have the hit properties of, say, Shining Fists, but results are fairly repeatable. If you can land this on a Counter, or want to lay into someone who’s in for a bit of recovery time themselves, this move works very well. Make sure you’re hitting 2,2 here or you will get the opening for Shining Fists instead. ================================================================================================= 11.2 Demon Gut Punch. WS+2. M. 25. If you’ve read anything else about Kazuya, you will be familiar with this move. It induces a hideous amount of stun time, and the damage on a successful counter-hit is nothing short of God-like. Of course, this has a pretty major downside; the Demon Gut Punch is such an uber move that most people loose sight of the fact that Kazuya has other moves as well. Their game style revolves solely around trying to land the Demon Gut Punch Counter and they really don’t know what to do if it is not working. But now that we’ve got that out of the way, the Demon Gut Punch is rightly feared and commonly abused. A single D.G.P. can turn the tide of a rapidly-downhill fight; the mere threat of seeing Kazuya go into a crouch is often enough to send opponents scurrying in terror. Good moves to follow on to a Counter-Hit Demon Gut Punch are a d/f+2 Gut Punch, Hell Sweeps, Wind Godfist, Shining Fists, Twin Fang Stature Smash, Tsunami Kick, or even a standard Mishima “4”. Kazuya is t3l-l 0\/\/l\l. The major problem you’ll find with this move is the WS timing. Practice is the only thing that can alleviate that, though you can also use set-up moves for the WS (which can be found below). ================================================================================================= 11.3 Demon Slayer. 1,2,2. 5,10,18. H,H,H. Three high hits in a row, and fairly easily read. You can mix between this and the Twin Fang Stature Smash to keep your opponents guessing, with the occasional foray into a d/f+2 Gut Punch to keep them honest. The recover is a tad slow, but if you use this as a counter-hitting tool rather than spamming or random attacks, you should be fairly safe. Again, just be sure you’re hitting the right buttons, and not hitting the diagonals when you go for this. ================================================================================================= 11.5 Double Punch. 1,2. 5,10. H,H. Wowee. Left jab, right cross. But it leads into both Demon Slayer and Twin Fang Stature Smash, so it’s not all bad. The primary use for this move alone is to get them to guess whether you’re going to Demon Slay them, Twin Fang Stature Smash them, or end it here and then do something else (like a Gut Punch). Throws also work well as a mix-up. I dunno. It’s pretty bad when your character’s best mix-up is 1,2 isn’t it ;) If you’re messing up, you might get a Glorious Demon Godfist (you’re tapping “f” and hitting the buttons too quickly), a Stonehead Throw ( you’ve gone “f,f” and hit the punches too quickly), an Entrail Smash (you hit d/f before “1”) or a Soul Thrust (you pressed f+2 and missed the “1”). Aside from that, just check that you’re not just hitting the wrong buttons. ================================================================================================= 11.6 Entrails Smash. d/f+1. 17. M. Kazuya takes a short sidestep, then comes in with an upwards hook punch to the kidneys. This move’s slight sidestep properties can be enough to get you out of the way of enemy attacks, but learning the timing and being consistent is somewhat more difficult than doing it by accident. This move’s main place, near as I can see it, is in Juggles, to buy more time for a follow-up attack. It’s impressive, but it lacks any hit properties that will allow you to really do much, aside from maybe a Throw. Ironically, if you’re stuffing this attack up, you’re probably doing yourself a favour by performing Thunder Godfist. This is because you are tapping forwards (and thereby initiating a Mist Step) before you hit d/f for the Entrails Smash. Make sure that you do not tap “f” and then attempt an Entrails Smash; also, the diagonals at most arcades are fairly deeply rooted, so that might give you some headaches as well. The Tekken Forumites say that sidestepping after this move, during the time your opponent is stunned, is also a good idea. I've been able to get off a few Side Throws, because people tend to recover by tapping "F" and stepping in, so you slide past them on the sidestep. ================================================================================================= 11.7 Glorious Demon Godfist (Assassin’s Hand, Spleenripper, etc). F+1+2. 26. M. Kazuya lunges in, leading with the left. He slams his fist into his opponent’s guts, and they grab their shattered internal organs and slowly, slowly pitch over forwards. This move is what Kazuya is all about. Though not as scary as the While Standing Demon Gut Punch, this attack is still a powerful tool. It takes a while to wind up and recover from, but if it comes off, you’re set. It can be followed up by a f+2 Soul Thrust, a Mishima Cheese Wheel, a Wind Godfist, or for those with fast hands, a f,f+1+2 Stonehead throw. Plenty of fun for the whole family. Yukifumi adds: “Regarding f+1+2, a semi-successful setup for it I have found is f+2 (blocked), f+1+2. The blocked f+2 pushes your opponent a nice distance back, and if they attempt to Crouch Dash in or something of the sort, there's a decent chance they'll eat f+1+2, giving you a free Hell Sweep to Wind Godfist juggle on normals (Lightning Screw Uppercut on bigs).” This works well and is kind of like a reversed Soul Annihilator. Against the computer, a B+1+4 Lightning Screw Uppercut after a Glorious Demon Godfist is all-but guaranteed. So, if you’re loosing, whip out the cheap attacks and go f+1+2, B+1+4. ================================================================================================= 11.8 Shining Fists (Mishima Flash Punch Combo) 1,1,2. 5,8,18. H,H,M. Probably the most recognised move in Kazuya’s arsenal, this move is largely used in defensive poking. If the first two moves hit, the last is guaranteed. The final hit can be delayed a fair while, so mix up your timing and keep your opponent guessing. The H,H,M format means that you may catch people who duck the first two punches, but don’t count on it. Kakarott SSJ III tells me that if you poke with a b+1 before launching into the rest of Shining Fists, it is all guaranteed due to the frame advantage generated with the cheesy b+1 poke. Personally, I think 1,1,2 is overdone and I prefer other moves like the Demon Backhands. But such techniques are a lot more risky, so be warned. ================================================================================================= 11.9 Soul Thrust. f+2. 30. M. A devastating right cross to the body, this powerful move is excellent in juggles and when used on charging opponents. Pow! My favourite setup from this move is right at the start of the round. F+2, d/f+2, f,N,d/f+2 (Soul Thrust, Gut Punch, Wind Godfist). If the Soul Thrust hits, just about everything else is guaranteed, so have fun! ================================================================================================= 11.10 Thunder Godfist. F,N,d/f+1 or Mist Step (tap F), d/f+1. 29. M. This potentially Kazuya’s most damaging single hit. If you can connect on a Counter, the damage is multiplied by craploads and you can dish out close to 60 damage in one hit. Still not impressed? It’s a Mist Step move, meaning it can be performed quickly and easily, even by starting players. The move also hits Mid. So, once you’ve mastered the Hell Sweeps, mix this move in to keep them guessing. Most people will either guess wrong or simply block high as the Hell Sweeps do less damage than the Thunder Godfist. This move can also be followed with a (30) for a Mid-Hitting sidekick that does 20 damage, or a (4) for a Hell Sweep that does 12 damage. Use these moves carefully, as good opponents will learn and either counter or parry the last hits. However, they can work well on the unsuspecting. ================================================================================================= 11.11 Twin Fang Stature Smash. 1,2,4. 5,10,15. H,H,L. Kazuya delivers a left cross, followed by a right jab, then feints high but ends with a shin kick. This move may seem good because of its H,H,L attacks, as most opponents will find it difficult to block it all. However, this is somewhat unsporting and also counterproductive- reliance on this move alone will blind you to other possibilities. The best place for this move (and the d/b+4 Stature Smash alone) is to teach your opponent to block low at specific points (when you dash in, when they see 1,2 and so forth). This accomplished, teach them another lesson by performing a Mid hit. Kazuya has a lot of Mid hit options- the Axe Kicks, Gut Punches, Twin Pistons...even Thunder Godfists hit mid. ================================================================================================= 11.12 Twin Pistons. WS+1,2. 12,15. M,M. This brutal attack is Kazuya’s other WS punch option. Most people are attracted by the sparkly (and impressive) Demon Gut Punch, but the Twin Pistons are faster and it is a Juggle Starter. The twin Mid hits can be used to take out opponents who are ducking, but will be less than effective on anyone blocking High (as High Block also blocks Mid). However, the mighty Twin Pistons leads straight into a cheap and easy (4) juggle for some serious damage. I prefer a f+2 Soul Thrust juggle as it does the same amount of damage but is less overdone. ================================================================================================= 11.13 Wind Godfist. f,N,d,d/f+2. 25. Special Mid. You've all seen it; Kazuya lashes out with an uppercut, sending his opponent flying into the air. This is probably Kazuya's best Juggle Starter, as it can be performed anywhere (unlike the Twin Pistons, which require a WS). It can be used to initiate Tag Juggles, because it launches to a sufficient height for your Tag partner to come on and dish out some pain. This move can also be intiated off the Mist Step for those having difficulty with the Crouch Dash movement. The "Special Mid" hit height means that the attack can be blocked either High or Low. However, it can also be easily landed on opponents that are staggering backwards (either from a Gut Punch or Soul Thrust), making it an ideal follow-up atack. ================================================================================================= 12.0 KICKS ================================================================================================= 12.1 Demon Scissors (Mishima Flip Kick). 4,3 or u/f+4,3. 25. M. This is a good option for attacking people that like to roll forwards to stand, as it will hit them more often than not. If you have a plan for attacking your opponent from the ground, or are looking for a way to stylishly evade a charging attack, this move is a good option. Whilst it does deliver solid damage and has good range, it has a pretty major downside: you end up on the floor. And whilst Kazuya does not damage himself like Heihachi does if he misses, being on the floor is not fun. ================================================================================================= 12.2 Left Axe Kick. f,f+3. 23. M. Kazuya dashes in, then swings his leg up and in for a devastating left Axe kick. This attack will floor your opponent and can induce some pretty severe stuns as well. I have seen the computer stun juggle with Kazuya’s 10-hit combo after pulling this out on me, and…it hurt. A lot. This is a good move to use against opponents who are attempting to stand or who are running in. After you knock them down, follow up with a b/d+4 Stature Smash kick to dump them back on the ground. The only real downside with this move is the fact that Kazuya visibly dashes in with the attack. If you repeatedly use this attack, your opponent will learn to read it and will punish you. ================================================================================================= 12.3 Hell Sweeps. F,N,d/f+4,4 or Mist Step,d/f+4,4. 12,12. L,L. Kazuya spins low twice, sweeping his opponent off their feet. This is good to use against opponents who roll to the sides after being knocked down, and can be thrown out during a bout to send them flying as well. This is the accompanying attack to the Wind and Thunder Godfists. After teaching your opponent to fear your Crouch Dash or Mist Steps, mix between these three attacks and keep them guessing. If they're on the floor, only use a single Hell Sweep. This will hit them, and do damage, but if you continue with the second Hell Sweep, it will knock them too far back for any more pressure or attacks. Do not overuse this attack, as good opponents will either start using mid-hitting attacks, block the Sweeps, or Low Parry you, none of which are particularly pleasant. ================================================================================================= 12.4 Hop Kick. u/f,N+4. 25. M. This move is a juggle starter, though the point at which it stops being a standard kick and assumes Juggling properties is quite hard to determine and even more difficult to explain. It requires a fair bit of practice, but of late I've been able to Hop Kick for a Juggle Starter, then follow with a Wind Godfist and end with a Hell Sweep. It can be done; just be patient and keep practicing. ================================================================================================= 12.5 Leaping Side Kick. f,f,f+3. 30. M. Kazuya runs forwards, then leaps into the air to deliver a side kick. This move is fairly powerful, but also quite dangerous due to the f,f,f requirement, which basically puts you into a Run. If you are counter-hit during this move, it will hurt a great deal. Quiete frankly, you're more likely to use use this when you make a Running Attack (described below) rather than off the bat in a fight. ================================================================================================= 12.6 Right Axe Kick. f+4. 27. M. This Axe Kick may be slightly more useful than the Left Axe Kick, as there is no noticeable telegraphing effect when it is used. However, it is somewhat lacking in range and appears to take a bit longer to recover from, though this could just be me. It can be used in Juggles, and looks pretty good if you do it right. Otherwise, it is another knockdown attack with some good block stun properties. ================================================================================================= 12.7 Rising Sun. u/f+4,4,4,4. 25,15,12,25. H,L,L,M. The infamous Mishima Cheese Wheel, saviour and bane of n008s world-wide. A cheap attack that is often disdained, the Rising Sun is an important tool in your arsenal. Before I continue, let me say this: do not spam this move. If you only use this move and do nothing else, you have missed the point. Yukifumi tells me this is an excellent move to follow the Demon Gut Punch stun with. The second kick will miss, but the rest of the kick series goes off for some pretty phat damage. I also use this when my opponents are tagging in; it offers the third hit as an advantage over Hell Sweeping an incoming enemy, and it works most of the time as people tagging in are usually doing something themselves. So we even get a counter-hit! The other good time to use the attack is when you’ve knocked an opponent down. ================================================================================================= 12.8 Stature Smash. d/b+4. L. 17 This is a kick you may be familiar with from Kazuya’s 1,2,4 combo. Kazuya briefly feints high, but then delivers a kick to the shins. The primary use of this move lies in the fact that it hits low and comes out fairly quickly. Used repeatedly, your opponent will see it coming every time and be ready for it, but used to mix it up with Gut Punches (d/f+2), you can really confuse (and hopefully fatally injure) your opponents. It also works fairly well against grounded opponents, particularly those who like to roll towards you. ================================================================================================= 12.9 Tsunami Kicks. d/f+4,4 or WS+4,4. M.M. 10,18. Kazuya delivers a simple crescent kick, then comes back with an axe kick. These moves both hit Mid and can be performed from the While Standing movement. This becomes more important at higher levels of play, but even for beginners the Tsunami Kicks are a useful and important part of your arsenal. At the very least, you can use this to perform a Tag Juggle to strip health permanently from your opponent. This move is best mixed in with High and Low attacks. Low Attacks are blocked Low, and High hits can be ducked underneath, so if you can train your opponent to duck and then mix this in with the Gut Punches, you’re all set. ================================================================================================= 13.0 THROWS ================================================================================================= Throws are an integral part of the game. Some players regard them as “cheap”, but really it is their own fault if they cannot learn to Break throws or evade them by ducking. Throws are an excellent way of putting in an attack that can’t be reversed and will most likely succeed. But as with everything else, you must learn when and how to Throw, as spamming with any move is the short route to destruction. When Throwing, you *MUST* press your Attack and/or Direction buttons at exactly the right time. Incorrect timing will result in some sort of punch or kick, but these errors are easily corrected, so don’t worry. ================================================================================================= 13.1 Double High Sweeps. 1+3. H. 30. Kazuya grabs his opponent, stares at them, then kicks them in the head with a Roundhouse, bringing his leg back in a Crescent kick that knocks them back and away. Though stylish, this Throw has limited tactical application. It knocks your opponent back too far for any really effective follow ups, though it can lead to the very stylish Double High Sweep to Mishima Flip Kick kill. This attacks’ primary place is in intimidating your opponent, impressing the crowd, or finishing your opponent off. It can be escaped by pressing (1). ================================================================================================= 13.2 Hip Toss. 2+4. H. 28. Kazuya grabs his opponent and performs the obligatory Karate chop-socky drop-throw. This throw is probably a bit more useful than the Double High Sweeps as it ends with your opponent substantially closer to you than the Double High Sweeps will. It can easily be followed up with a Stature Smash, Hell Sweep...anything that hits Low, really. It is escaped by pressing (2). ================================================================================================= 13.3 Stonehead. f,f+1+2. H. 33. Kazuya grabs his opponent, glares into their eyes, and then headbutts them. This is Kazuya’s Command Throw, meaning it is escaped by pressing both 1+2. As such, it is unlikely that an opponent will Escape this throw. So it’s ideal for opening rounds if you want to start with a Throw. Since it’s Kazuya’s only f,f move, however, it can be betrayed by the signature dash animation as he closes in. You can perform a special Tag Throw if you are paired with Jun. Press 5 after you complete the Stonehead; Jun will run on, grab the disoriented opponent, and perform an Arm Bar on them for 30 points of damage. ================================================================================================= 13.4 Ultimate Tackle. D+1+2. H. 5. Kazuya runs in, grabs his opponent by the waist, drives them to the floor, and prepares to lay into them. Press 1,2,1,2,1, to perform the mounted punches. Each does 5 damage. This move can be reversed with a 1+2 from your opponent, and escaped on the ground with a b+2. This move works well against the unaware, and the computer. Against better opposition, it is less than useless, no matter how cool it looks (and it does look pretty damn cool!). ================================================================================================= 13.4 Tag Throws. 1+5. H. Damage varies, though is usually about 30. Tag Throws are a safe and easy way of bringing your Tag partner in. They are escaped with a (2). ================================================================================================= 13.5 Side and Rear Throws. Any Throw from the appropriate side. Damage varies. You can perform a special throw if you have latched on to your opponent from the sides or the front. Kazuya will perform one of three Throws: Left Side- Steel Pedal Drop. Kazuya grabs their leg, whips them up and over his head, and slams them into the ground head-first. It does 40 damage and is escaped with a (1). Right Side- Skull Smasher. Kazuya grabs them, kicks their legs out from underneath them, and drags them back by the hair so they can see what’s coming for them. He then slams his fist into the middle of their forehead. This does 40 damage and is probably one of the most intimidating Throws in the game. It can be escaped with a (2). Rear- Reverse Kneck Throw. Kazuya grabs them by the neck and uses the leverage provided by his back to dump them onto the ground, inflicting 50 points of damage. Not very impressive, but the damage is quite OK. You cannot Escape a Rear Throw. ================================================================================================= 14.0 UNBLOCKABLES ================================================================================================= I really must warn you: although Unblockables offer insane damage and can't be blocked (duh... hence the name), the downside is that they take forever to execute (forever and a day, in the case of the Lightning Screw Uppercut), and leave Kazuya very, very vulnerable throughout. Although the computer will eat them on a regular basis, no human opponent who has seen the move before will allow you to land it. Sadly, Kazuya cannot cancel out of these moves, so they are useless as sucker moves as well. ================================================================================================= 14.1 Lightning Uppercut. b+1+4. M. 40. Kazuya ducks down, spins a few times, arcs blue lightning, then leaps up with an uppercut similar to the Thunder Godfist. Unfortunately, the attack knocks your opponent too far away to follow up. The only advantage this move has over the Lightning Screw Uppercut is that it takes less time to execute. This move will hit grounded opponents who have their heads towards you. The most common error here is that you get the longer-spinning Lightning Screw Uppercut (See below) or some sort of kick or punch. So either you didn’t get the buttons down in synchronicity, or you didn’t tap “back”. If you got the longer-spinning Lightning Screw Uppercut, you held “back” instead of just tapping it. ================================================================================================= 14.2 Lightning Screw Uppercut. B+1+4. M. 80. Kazuya’s biggest single hit. Kazuya goes down, spins for three and a half years, and then rises up with a massive uppercut. As spectacular as this move is, it is simply too dangerous to even contemplate. If you tried this move and it didn't work, makes sure you are holding back. Otherwise you may get a punch, kick, or Screw Uppercut instead. As above, this will hit grounded enemies with their heads towards you. ================================================================================================= 15.0 COMBOS ================================================================================================= Here are your canned attack strings. Though powerful, these attacks are predictable, though they will serve you in good stead against the computer. Use them wisely, as an experienced opponent will know the block and counter points by heart. ================================================================================================= 15.1 Ten-Hit Combos. Ten-Hit String 1: f,f+2,1,2,2,3,4,4,1,2,1. HHHHMMLHMM. 7,8,6,7,6,11,5,5,8,30 Ten-Hit String Two: f,f+2,1,2,2,3,4,4,3,2,1.HHHHMMLLMM. 7,8,6,7,6,11,5,5,25,30. ================================================================================================= 15.2 Nine-Hit Combo. f,f+2,1,4,4,2,4,3,2,1. HHMMMMLM. 7,6,7,10,5,7,5,25,30. ================================================================================================= 16.0 MOVEMENT ================================================================================================= As summed up by the immortal words of Sun Tzu: "No combat can be won without movement." Although I'm generally content to allow Kazuya's attacks to move me around the arena, occasionally you do need to move for yourself. Most obviously, we want to get away from an attacking opponent, and move towards an opponent who is running. Although Tekken Tag isn't a truly 3-D game, it kinda sorta operates in three dimensions. As well as moving back and forward and up and down on one plane, we can Sidestep to the Left, and to the Right. So, when do we do what? ================================================================================================= 16.1 Walk. Walking is done by holding either forwards or backwards, in which case you will start taking steps towards (or away from) your opponent. It's slow, but you can only be Counter-Hit, not Major Countered, whilst you're walking. Walking backwards will slowly, slowly get you away from the action, with the added benefit of your being in a permanent Standing Guard. That's about it, really. ================================================================================================= 16.2 Sidestepping. You can Sidestep by tapping up or down twice in succession. Kazuya has no While Sidestepping attacks in Tekken Tag Tournament. When your opponent uses a highly linear attack (such as a punch combo), sidestep after the first few hits and move out of harm's way. Do not, I repeat, do not, sidestep against multiplanar attacks, as you will get creamed every time. Edddie Gordo and Hwoarang track very, very well, and likely will not miss, either. To be perfectly honest, I can offer relatively little advice on Sidestepping. I rarely do so; I have yet to work it into my game pattern and I'm looking for advice myself. I have been advised that Sidestepping to the Right after an Entrails Smash works wonders. ================================================================================================= 17.0 RUNNING ATTACKS ================================================================================================= To run, tap forwards once, then hold forwards. Running takes care of any "f" notation for any of Kazuya's regular attacks, and there are a number of special attacks Kazuya can only perform whilst he is running. Just note, however, that Running attacks track very poorly, so watch for cunning opponents who sidestep around them. ================================================================================================= 17.1 Flying Cross-Arm Chop. Run at least 3 Steps, then press 1+2. H. 30. Kazuya runs forwards, then flings himself at his opponent in an attack similar to the Leaping Cross-Arm Chop you can perform while getting up (see below). It is a highly linear attack, because Kazuya does not track well whilst running. Make sure you have taken at lest 3 steps and have hit the 1+2 buttons correctly. Otherwise, you may get a different running attack or a Punch attack. ================================================================================================= 17.2 Running Tackle. Run 3 steps or more towards your opponent. H. 5. Kazuya runs forwards and then executes the Ultimate Tackle, which you can follow up as per the usual steps from the 'Throws" section, above. Make sure you are running at least 3 steps; otherwise, he may just run in and stand there. Not good. ================================================================================================= 17.3 Sliding Dash. Run towards your opponent for 3 or more steps, then press 4. L. 17. Well, that's about it. Run forwards, hit (4) and Kazuya will slide along the ground and knock his opponent down. This is a good move to perform when tagging in as it hits low and executes quickly. Make sure you are running and you hit (4). Otherwise you will see his standard Right kick. ================================================================================================= 17.4 Leaping Side Kick. Whilst running, press 3. H. 30. This is identical to Kazuya's f,f,f+3 Leaping Side Kick. ================================================================================================= 17.5 Stomp. Run at least 3 Steps. Hits Grounded opponents only. 14. Kazuya runs forwards, then stomps on his opponent as he runs over them. Make sure you don't press any other buttons when attempting this attack. ================================================================================================= 17.6 Unblockable Shoulder Charge. Run towards your opponent for at least 4 Steps. M (Unblockable). 30. Run from a large distance away. Kazuya will drop his head down behind his shoulder and slam into his opponent for 30 points of Unblockable damage. Follow this up with a quick Tsunami Kick to raise the damage to 46. Make sure you are running from the required distance and didn't hit any other buttons when attempting this attack. ================================================================================================= 18.0 THEY SEEK HIM HERE, THEY SEEK HIM THERE ================================================================================================= 18.1 Ducking. An important part of the game is knowing when to Duck. Ducking is a vital tactical tool; you can slot in WS attacks, avoid enemy attacks (and especially enemy throws and generally become more flexible. To Duck effectively, you must learn your opponent's Hit Heights for their attacks and be able to accurately predict them; to do this, watch them play and read the appropriate guides for the other characters. What you need to watch out for are opponents with a lot of Mid hits, as they can rapidly shift over and punish people who are avoiding their attacks. You can Duck into three positions: Low Block. Holding Down/Back will see you duck down and inch away from your opponent. Although you can be hit by Mid attacks, Low attacks will be blocked and High attacks will miss. Crouch. Holding Down will see you remain in place. You will be in the same defensive position as above, but you are only on Passive Block, which will not block all moves. Offensive Crouch. Holding Down/Forward will see you duck down and creep forwards. You have no defence against Low attacks in this stance, but High attacks will still miss. Ducking is a particularly vital part of Kazuya's game plan due to his three important While Standing attacks- Twin Pistons, Demon Gut Punch, and the Tsunami Kicks. ================================================================================================= 18.2 Diving. A more extreme way of avoiding attacks is to Dive, by doing the Mishima Flip Kick. Now invulnerable to anything but Low attacks, Kazuya is on the floor. A bad idea against anyone displaying Okizeme talent, but with the number of wake-up attacks at Kazuya's disposal, sometimes a frighteningly good tactical choice. This is particularly true against Eye Laser morons. ================================================================================================= 19.0 ON THE GROUND ================================================================================================= You could be put on the ground for a variety of reasons. Most people panic when they hit the floor, fearing a follow-up attack. Your opponent, unless they're an Okizeme master, probably won't have a lot to follow up with, so just stay calm and think ahead. I have won games by intentionally putting myself on the deck to sucker my opponent in. ================================================================================================= 19.1 Stay Put. Take a nap. Why not? The longer you stay down, the more likely it is that your opponent will try to hit you, so getting up would be a good idea. It's a good idea to stay down when your opponent is running towards you (it hurts less to get Stomped on than to get Shoulder Charged, for example), or if you have a plan in mind. Staying down can be followed up with any of the other options available. ================================================================================================= 19.2 Roll. This is what most people will do. Press (1) to roll to the left, or D+1 to roll to the right. It will take you away from oncoming linear attacks, but beware nearby Mishimas, who will punish you with a Tsunami Kick if you try this. Kazuya will not stand up automatically at the end of a side roll, so make sure you instruct him to stand. You can also roll forwards or backwards by pressing those directional buttons. ================================================================================================= 19.3 Get Up. Press "Up" and stand. Not very inventive, but it gets the job done. The only bonus here is that you should be able to get some WS moves happening. ================================================================================================= 19.4 Low Sweep. 3. L. 10. Press (3) and Kazuya will perform a low-hitting sweep as he stands. Many people do this because they think their opponent won't expect a low hit while they get up. ================================================================================================= 19.5 Standing Side Kick. 4. M. 12. Kazuya stands up, spins, and delivers a side kick. This is good to use on opponents who you've educated to block low, as it will catch them out and they'll have to start guessing. ================================================================================================= 19.6 Rising Cross-Arm Chop. Whilst Rolling Forwards or Backwards, 1+2. M. 15. Kazuya rolls forwards, then launches himself at his opponent. Damage is low, but it does hit mid. Still, a common move that many opponents will expect to see, so don't use it too much. Make sure you are hitting 1+2, or he may simply roll forwards then deliver a punch. I also discovered by accident that you can perform this move by pressing 1+2 when Kazuya rolls backwards. He will roll back a little, then fling himself forwards. I tried this out at the arcade and it worked quite well; my opponent had never seen it before, either. The idea here is to use it to avoid their attack and retaliate, all whilst you get back up. ================================================================================================= 19.7 Rising Kicks. Whilst Rolling Backwards, 3+4. M. 20. Kazuya rolls backwards, then uses his arms to hurl himself feet-first at his enemy. Again, a relatively common move, though it does hit mid. Your opponent will be knocked down. Make sure you are hitting 3+4 properly, or Kazuya may roll back and deliver one of his kicks instead. ================================================================================================= 20.0 BACK TOWARDS THE ENEMY ================================================================================================= Obviously, this is not where you want to be. You can turn around by holding the direction pad in the opposite direction, but this takes a while, and is not a good idea. The best way to turn around is to execute a Throw. Kazuya will spin quickly, and that animation also has the added benefit of extending the throw's range. Since your opponent also probably went for a Throw, this will help to get you out of the incredibly painful Rear Throw scenario. At best, you will knock them away from the Throw; at worst, he'll spin quickly enough to be Front Thrown rather than Rear Thrown, which is at least a quarter of a Life Bar worth of difference. Alternatively, you can perform a kick or punch attack. These are slower, but are more powerful and will knock your opponent back and away. ================================================================================================= 21.0 OPENING MOVES ================================================================================================= At the start of the fight, you are probably looking for a fast, surprising move to tag your opponent with. Shining Fists is a good, safe, opening move; the Stonehead throw is also an excellent opening attack because it is a command throw. Another variant Dan used to use all the time was the Ultimate Tackle opener. The other, more risky option is to open straight into an Unblockable attack. Even the best players will freeze up when confronted with the thought of loosing over half their life bar from a single attack, and that freezing can be enough to actually get the move in. It will only work once, however, so don't make a habit of this. ================================================================================================= 22.0 FLURRIES ================================================================================================= Just like a real fight, I find it works best to dart in and out, making short attacks against my opponent before going back onto the defensive. Quick, safe moves like Shining Fists, Soul Thrusts, Entrail Smashes and Gut Punches work well here. The trick with making a Flurry attack is not to push it. Make a fast attack, then pull back. If you try to push too hard, you could make a mistake and find yourself in trouble. The best part of fighting like this is that you typically knock your opponent down or back, and can buy yourself valuable breathing time to think up new tactics. ================================================================================================= 23.0 TAGGING ================================================================================================= Unfortunately, no matter how good you are with Kazuya, you will be saddled with a liability- your Tag Team partner (of course, if Kazuya is your secondary character and you're reading this for ideas, he will be the liability :D). If you're anything like me, you'll be OK with Kazuya and... slightly less than OK with whoever else you have got on the team (individual characters will be discussed later on). The best time to Tag is when your opponent can't do anything about it. Tag Throws are, without a doubt, the best and safest way to Tag out, but you can't rely on that method alone. The next-best way is to knock your opponent away to give yourself time to run. Fortunately, Kazuya has many moves which can do this; Shining Fists, Major Counter-Hitting Wind Godfists, Thunder Godfists, or Soul Thrusts are probably the most effective, though, as they are probably already part of your most-often used moves. Failing that, you can Tag out after your opponent has botched a move and they are going to spend a lot of time recovering. Alternatively, you can Tag out after putting your opponent into the air; this is particularly true if you can perform a Tag Juggle. The final safe way is to Tag out when your opponent does. When your partner comes on, they are running; if you tap forwards once, then hold it, you will continue the run and can make a Running Attack, as detailed above. Note that Kazuya Mishima will not run on. I believe this is due to his Mist Step. However, the fact that you are running on means that you are vulnerable to attack; anything executed against an incoming player will hit Counter and Clean. You must Tag with caution, as an error here could very well cost you the game. When you have Tagged out, the player will regain health (Blue) up to his new maximum (Red) on the life bar. Try to keep your best character healthy. The other one can take it for the team. ================================================================================================= 24.0 AVOIDING THROWS ================================================================================================= The best way to avoid throws is to spot them early and then duck, which gives you the option of using a WS move or buying time to Tag out or do something else. However, you will get caught eventually, so you'll have to learn how to Break throws as well. Learning how and when to break throws is a vital skill. There are three button combos to break throws : (1), (2), and (1+2). If your opponent only ever uses one throw, just learn the appropriate break and keep using it. Most opponents will mix their throws up, however, so you'll need to learn how to pick the correct button. If they reach out with their left hand, the Break button is (1). If they reached out with their right, the button is (2). If they reached out with both at once, the break is 1+2. If they try to grab you from the left, the break is (1). If they tried from the right, the break is (2). You cannot break rear throws. The other way to break a Throw is to initiate a Throw of your own as soon as you see your opponent reach out. This is the only way to defend yourself against a Rear Throw. At best, it will cancel their attempt. At worst, you will turn around quickly enough to make it a Front throw instead of a Rear Throw. The final (possibly the best) way to avoid throws is through Ducking. As soon as you think they are throwing, duck. This works very, very well, and Ducking (aside from attacking back) is the only way to save yourself from being Rear Thrown. Be aware that King and Armour King have Throws which can collect you if you are Ducking, or even if you are on the floor. You must be careful against such opponents. ================================================================================================= 25.0 WHAT'S THIS CROUCH DASH CRAP, ANY WAY? ================================================================================================= Well, I have recently experienced an Epiphany and am now able to regularly pull off those accursed f,N,d,D/F moves. I'm even starting to work the "Crouch Dash" into my game. It ain't pretty, but it is effective. Mostly. Sometimes. OK, once :D The trick I use to do this is to tap the joystick (or pad) towards my opponent, then roll the stick (or slide my thumb across the pad) the same way as if I was throwing a Fireball with Ryu, from Street Fighter. You have to hesitate for an instant before you roll it, though; that accounts for the N (Neutral) position, then keep going. Depending on how accurate your motion is, and how sensitive the control you're using is, though, the results may vary and you'll need to practice a little to get it right. You may have noticed that, unlike other guides, I don't rant and rave about the Crouch Dash or f,N,d,D/F moves in general. That's because this is a guide intended for beginners. The move is part of Kazuya's arsenal, which is why I included it, but they're quite difficult to do, at least at first. If you’re having real trouble use the Mist Step in fights and practice the Crouch Dash at home. If you can't get it right, don't stress out or give up; they just need a little more time to get right. Don't waste time trying to get them down pat as soon as you start playing the game; learn other moves first, then come back later when your arsenal has expanded a bit more. Also, depending on what control you're using, the sensitivity and required motion may require some tweaking and practice. The more often you play the game, the more precise your movements, and control, will become; eventually, the magical light will just flash on, and you'll be set. It'll just take some time, so hang in there. ================================================================================================= 26.0 JUGGLING ================================================================================================= Let’s face it, Kazuya’s juggles are abysmal. He’s a powerhouse attacker, but aside from that, he’s got very little. Here’s some canned Juggles that deals solid damage: Juggle Starter (Wind Godfist, Twin Piston), d/f+1, d/f+4,4. This combo deals a total of 22 Juggle damage. Not flash, but hey. Juggle starter, Wind Godfist (Wind Godfist) depending on your speed, you should be able to connect with another Wind Godfist. If you can perform the legendary Triple Wind Godfist Juggle, you are beyond my feeble Tekken-fu and should be teaching me instead :D Juggle Starter, 4. This should be your standard, fall-back Juggle. It’s very easy and deals another 30 damage, making it by far the best bang-for-buck investment in Juggle terms. Juggle Starter, d/f+4,4. Uninspired, but solid. This should be your first choice for a Tag Juggle when you bring Kazuya on, as it is highly unlikely to fail. Juggle Starter, f+2. This devastating hit will knock your opponent flying, and is useful if you want them to BACK THE HELL OFF. Other than that, it does as much damage as a (4) Juggle, but is harder to time, so… ================================================================================================= 27.0 FEAR ME ================================================================================================= There are two incredibly important parts of Kazuya’s game: the Mist Step and the While Standing attacks. These will be vital to your success. ================================================================================================= 27.1 Mist Step. Tap “f”. By tapping “f’, Kazuya will take a step forward and then sidestep out. The direction that he sidesteps is based on what Frame you input the “f” command on, so unless you have some magical method of counting frames (keeping in mind that Tekken Tag runs at 60 Frames per Second) you probably aren’t going to be able to predict which way he’s going to go. And if you are that good, this guide probably ain't going to help you much :) The Mist Step, however, counts as the “f,N,d” command out of the Crouch Dash movement from above (f,N,d,d/f). So this means that all you need to complete a Mishima attack is to tap d/f and input your chosen attack button. This shortcut is of extreme importance given Kazuya’s limited arsenal and the speed it allows you to attack with. It allows the less experienced to attack with things like the Hell Sweeps, which can be difficult to execute, and it allows the experienced to string these attacks together. I cannot stress enough how vital this skill is to master. And since it’s just tapping “f”, it’s not greatly difficult to learn. Remember also to mix up your Mist Step attacks to keep your opponent guessing. ================================================================================================= 27.2 Setting up the WS WS (While Standing) moves are, quite frankly, a pain in the arse. But, as well as learning your timings as you come up from ducking, there's an easy way to set up the While Standing moves. These will work for a little while, but repeating them against a good opponent will get you hammered, so do be careful. The first set-up for a WS is d+1. Kazuya will sort of crouch and poke out with his left hand. Anything you follow this up with will be a WS move. So, a d+1,1,2 will net you a Twin Pistons; a d+1,4,4 will get you a Tsunami Kick. This isn't too bad as a mix-up, as you can stay down low for a low spin kick (3) or come up with a high-hitting Twin Pistons with the Tsunami Kicks to keep them guessing. The second way to set up the WS is with a d/b+3. Kazuya will spin down low and deliver an ankle-hitting kick. This is good for surprise factor; anything you can do with a d+1, you can do with a d/b+3. Both of these are cheap, and I'd really recommend you learn how to duck for your WS, but these moves might help you out in a tight spot. One other thing I’ve discovered lately is the power of a While Standing Throw. Almost no-one expects you to Throw after you stand, so it works quite well. You *MUST* release the direction controls after inputting your attack. Otherwise, Kazuya will stay down and there will be no WS attack. ================================================================================================= 27.3 So many options, so little time… Looking at his move list, you’ll discover that Kazuya has three excellent moves available from the While Standing platform. You have the Tsunami Kicks, the Twin Pistons, and, of course, the Demon Gut Punch. Most people will Demon Gut Punch at every opportunity (and will invent opportunities where really none exist). However, this accomplishes very little, as your style will stagnate and become predictable. The Gut Punch is an excellent option when you stand. However, it executes more slowly than your other two options and is very, very predictable (after all, you did pick Kazuya and it is his s ignature move). So you must carefully weigh the advantages of a potential stun against the speed and predictability of the attack. That said, most people will scuttle in fear as soon as Kazuya ducks, so it’s not all bad. Your second option is the Tsunami Kicks. These both hit Mid and are ideal for use on someone whose response to your crouch is to crouch themselves (hey, it happens fairly often where I play as most people use WS launchers). It is also a fairly quick attack that hits for good damage, and so is an excellent compromise. The Twin Pistons, however, is probably your best and safest bet. The Twin Pistons are a Juggle Starting attack that will push an opponent back and away to give you a safety margin even if they do block. The twinned Mid hits also make this good against fellow crouchers, and it will force your opponent onto the defensive even quicker than a Gut Punch. The most experienced players you fight will be more afraid of a Twin Piston attack than a Demon Gut Punch, believe me. ================================================================================================= 28.0 SPECIAL TECHNIQUES ================================================================================================= This is where I will be discussing some of the more advanced or exploitative moves available to Kazuya Mishima. ================================================================================================= 28.1 Chickening. Press F+1+3 or F+2+4 during an Enemy's Counter. If you are prescient enough to read your opponent's mind or fast enough to spot the Counter, you can fight back with the always crowd-pleasing Chicken. Damage offered is low, but if you can Chicken your opponent a few times, they will probably abandon their attempts to Counter you. As I mentioned earlier, if you mix throws in to your standard attack line up, it might help you to hold forwards as you attempt the throw as sometimes your previous attack is countered and you wind up with a free Chicken. ================================================================================================= 28.2 Box Moves. I am not very knowledgeable about computer graphics or programming, so this explanation is in my own words and may be inaccurate. Imagine each character as a stick figure. Over this is laid the polygons and graphics that make up the character model. The stick figure defines the character's movements, and the rest of the model animates them by moving in relation to the stick figure. However, the character's model is not the end of the character themselves. Instead, a "box" extends out past the edges of the animated figure, which allows the computer to determine where the character is, how far they can reach, and so on and so forth. This "box" extends slightly around every character, which is why you get the odd Throw animations where people appear to be reaching inside the other character. However, this "box" has a practical use as well. If you can get to know how far this "box" reaches around Kazuya, and how far it extends beyond your opponent, you may be able to execute attacks at ranges beyond which they expect. This is a difficult technique to learn and apply, but even slight advantages gained by using it can make it a worthwhile effort. In the example of offence, Kazuya's leg "boxes" extend beyond his feet by a fair margin, which I exploit by using his low attacks. His character animation comes nowhere near his opponent, but they are still knocked back, off their feet, or whatever else. In the example of defence, Forrest Law's leg "box" during his Dragon's Tail sweep extends a number of centimetres beyond his foot. If you are unaware of this, you may believe yourself safe because you are further away than his legs would seem to reach, but you may still be in the "box" zone and wind up getting knocked down. I know this seems overly semantic and technical, but it can be an important part of organising your combat techniques. ================================================================================================= 28.3 Supercharger. 1+2+3+4. By mashing all four buttons together, you can Supercharge. This will take a little bit of time, but it is a good psychological tool and has some advantages associated with it. First of all, when Supercharged, all your attacks a Counter-Hits, and you will be able to damage blocking opponents. Secondly, if you Tag whilst Supercharged, your Tag partner will come on Supercharged. This is difficult to get right as all four buttons must be pressed simultaneously, and as we all know, arcade buttons are never in perfect order. ================================================================================================= 28.4 Low Parry. Press d/f as opponent attacks. Kazuya, like everyone else, can make Low Parries against his opponents. This is an important technique to master, particularly against fellow Mishima players. Your opponent will be treated to a stagger stun and you will be awarded the initiative. I find that a Throw works wonders after this. Be careful when you Low Parry; your timing must be precise, or you will be Counter-Hit, which is never pleasant. ================================================================================================= 28.5 Netsu. The "Netsu" (Anger) power up comes into play after a Tag partner has been hit a certain number of times. Unfortunately, Kazuya is cold, hard, and cruel and cares little for the health of his companion-in-arms. It takes a lot of hits before Kazuya gets angry; most likely, he is simply getting antsy about being left out of the fight. You will notice that the Tag partner's life bar begins to flash red; this indicates that they have grown angry and will inflict more damage when they attack. Sometimes, even if you're low on life, it can be worth the gamble to bring on an Angry character than to leave them out of the fight. It’s not all one-sided, though. Few people aside from Jun care about Kazuya. ================================================================================================= 28.6 Hit Points. Not all characters in the game can take the same amounts of punishment. Kazuya Mishima is an absolute tank, with somewhere in the region of 150 Hit Points. Jin Kazama, the Bears, The Devil, and the Jacks also share high Hit Points and can take a major beating. Other characters, such as Heihachi Mishima and Wang Jinrei are old, old men and have about 100 Hit Points. Ling Xiaoyu and Jun Kazama are also quite weak. Most characters fall along the middle of these extremes and have something like 120 or 130 Hit Points. I also hear that human players are given 30 extra Hit Points. Knowing how much of a beating you and your opponent can take at any given time is vital to your planning, as it will help you decide what moves to make and when to use them, and how much of a risk you are willing to take. ================================================================================================= 29.0 PLAYER TYPES ================================================================================================= Generally, there are two types of players you will see: Pit Bulls and Turtles. Highly skilled opponents will switch between these styles of play, but at this level of skill, you will probably have a preferred style of combat. ================================================================================================= 29.1 The Pit Bull. Pit bulls are easily identified by their character selection. Picking a Mishima is usually a declaration you will fight from the offensive, as Mishimas have little in the way of defensive techniques. Picking two Mishimas is a pretty sure sign you are a Pit Bull. Pit Bulls are players who will attack, attack, attack all day long and halfway through the night if given the chance. They will come in with powerhouse attack sequences and mix up strings to keep you guessing. Pit bulls will rarely, if ever, throw because their standard moves are more effective in their fighting style. The key to winning as a Pit Bull is to keep up the attack. No matter what, never stop or falter; force your opponent onto the back foot and keep them there. If you can force them into a reaction-only mindset, you've won already. Keep 'em guessing. The way to beat Pit Bulls is to learn their favourite attack sequences and block, parry, or counter them. The average Pit Bull won't have a huge number of attacks in their repertoire, but what they do use will be highly effective. Pit Bulls tend to have short reins, so if you can frustrate them with throws, counters, blocking, parries or whatever else, they will start to loose it and will rush in without thinking. Additionally, defensive techniques are alien to Pit Bulls, so if you can force them onto the back foot (granted, not an easy task) they will fall to pieces then as well. ================================================================================================= 29.2 The Turtle. Turtles are thoughtful, meticulous players who fight from the defensive. Picking characters who are able to Counter, who are tough, or "Safety" characters like Lamek or Jun usually shows a Turtle at work. Despite the name, Turtles are anything but slow in combat; however, instead of attacking outright, Turtles will sit back and fight the way they want to. Opponents who mess up will be severely punished with massive counter-hits, and they will Throw the unwary into oblivion. The way to win as a Turtle is to learn your opponent's techniques and just smack them out of whatever they are doing. Punish any failed attacks with Shining Fists, Demon's Paws, Counters, or Throws, and control the battle by forcing your opponent to come to you. The way to beat Turtles is to turn their own technique against them. Start mixing in throws, counters, and anything else. Force them to come to you. ================================================================================================= 30.0 PLAYER SKILL LEVELS ================================================================================================= 30.1 Masher. The button-basher is the first stage in the evolution of every Tekken player. They don't really know what's happening, but figure that as long as you're pressing a button, you're ahead. As mashers progress, they will learn some attack strings and will try to use them more often than simply mashing. Many people deride Mashers, but this is stupid for two reasons: firstly, everyone will have been a Masher at some stage; you can only get better. Secondly, some characters, such as Jin, Ling, and Hwoarang can be very dangerous in the hands of a Masher; they have so many moves that any random combination of buttons and directions can result in a special move, and since *THEY* don't know what they are doing, you won't be able to predict it, either. Most Mashers will be happy to hear any advice you have for them, so if you can help them out, do it. The better the competition gets, the better you will get. Also, keep an eye on Mashers who use the characters you fight with, since their unorthodox fighting style may give you some ides of your own. ================================================================================================= 30.2 Beginner. Hopefully, this is where you will be after reading this guide. Beginners will be good with their primary character, and not that hot with their other one. Beginners will probably know every move their character has, but may not use them because they have trouble getting the motions right or are afraid of getting punished for it. Beginners will have a solid basic style, but won't get too fancy in case they get confused or stuff up. Beginners will know a few Juggles and be able to deal significant damage to unwary opponents. ================================================================================================= 30.3 Intermediate. I consider myself to be an intermediate player. I can perform any of Kazuya’s moves except the f,N,d,D/F ones whenever I like (shonky buttons and control sticks notwithstanding), and Counter, counter-hit, poke, and Juggle often. Intermediate players are very good with their primary characters, and are at Beginner level with their Tag partner. Most players at arcades will be of at least this level. I can win better than half of my games, but I know there are gaps in my style. I don't throw often enough, and am working on mastering the f,N,d,D/F moves and Tag juggles. I also need to work on learning how to fight better with Jin Kazama to become more dangerous. ================================================================================================= 30.4 Advanced. At this level, your opponents are truly dangerous. They will be able to Crouch Dash, are equally skilled with both their characters and can fight well with another half-dozen or so characters if they get predictable. They will Tag Juggle, Chicken, and Throw you like there's no tomorrow. They will still have a few flaws in their style, but these will be hard to pick and harder to exploit. Advanced players are good to watch to see what to try out next. ================================================================================================= 30.5 Elite. Elite players are the top of the Tekken tree. They will know every move for every character, make use of Frame data, and on the whole have no discernible weakness. A fight between two players of this level will just come down to luck. Elite players are absolute gurus and know pretty much everything there is to know. If you ever do see an Elite player, try to con them into teaching you some tricks. ================================================================================================= 31.0 THE OTHERS ================================================================================================= Sadly, Kazuya is not the only character in the game, so you'll have to learn to fight with (and against) some 30-odd other people as well (Grah!). This section will detail their usefulness as a Tag partner for Kazuya, as well as how people tend to fight with them and what the computer likes to do. ================================================================================================= 31.1 A Word To The Wise. The easiest way to get ahead is to select another Mishima fighter as Kazuya’s partner, be it his son, Jin, or father, Heihachi. However, if you do not use the variety offered by your partner and instead play both like Kazuya, you will become far too predictable. ================================================================================================= 31.2 Alex/Roger. These carnival freaks are all but useless, which is why no-one in their right mind would pick them. Still, their small stature, speed, and ability to hide their attacks with their natural movement means they can whip out a few surprises, especially with their spinning Tail Trip. They mix a few Mishima moves with some of the King's moves, so be prepared for anything. I have never seen a human play Alex or Roger. The computer likes to throw and uses a lot of sneaky low attacks, so be prepared. ================================================================================================= 31.3 Baek Doo San (Lamek). Quite probably the most annoying character in the game, Lamek's major claim to fame is the fact that he makes a lot of noise. Every attack, he grunts. Tap the direction buttons, he grunts. I mute the TV whenever I have to fight Lamek. Anyway, Lamek is a dangerous character, because he has a variety of high and low attack mix ups and is an infinite string attacker. Most Lamek players are pit bulls who will kill you by putting pressure on you. You can't block everything. Lamek is easier to learn than Hwoarang, his student, and can be a good bridging character if you want to learn to fight with Bob as many of their moves and fighting techniques are similar. Human players will constantly spam with infinite attack strings and force you to guess whether to block high or low. Fortunately, they don't tend to throw much as Lamek winds up on his back as well, which is a small mercy. The computer, too, will spam away and keep you guessing, but it will throw frequently, which is actually in your favour. ================================================================================================= 31.4 Bryan Fury. Like Kazuya, Bryan is a powerhouse attacker and has a number of painful Juggles. Again, Kazuya, Bryan Fury has few moves, and so tends to become a bit predictable. Still, his excellent While Standing moves and the ever-popular Chains of Misery throw he has make him an excellent partner for Kazuya. Well, Rashan has moved on to Bryan Fury, apparently having decided that Bruce Irvine just wasn't quite cheap enough. The Cheese Knees were back in force, along with high/low mix-ups, throws, and moves which allowed him to duck beneath my punches and reply. Fortunately, as yet, Rashan can't do Chains of Misery and has yet to learn any major Juggles... Anyway, after having been taken 5-0 by Rashan, all I can suggest is that you really, really watch your opponent carefully. Try to pick the attacks ahead, as it seems Bruce doesn't have many alternate attack sequences. Bryan has a number of powerful, painful Mid Hits, so don't Duck without good reason. You have been warned. *Shudder*. Unfortunately, Bryan’s Juggling ability is just slightly less lame than Kazuya’s. So if you’re an insane Pit Bull, go right ahead ? Otherwise, this may not be such a great team. The computer doesn't throw a lot, instead relying on powerful counter-hits and the Vulcan Cannon punches. The computer will spam with Bryan's Mach Breaker punch, so be careful at middle distances. ================================================================================================= 31.5 Bruce Irvine. Arg. Those accursed Cheese Knees...Bruce fights in Kickboxing style, which means that he hits hard. Fortunately, Bruce has few low-hitting moves and can be predicted with a bit of practice. Bruce deals an incredible amount of raw damage, and it only gets worse on Counter-Hits. Human players will attempt to get you in the air for the Cheese Knees Juggle of doom. Don't let it happen. The computer tends to fight Bruce like Bryan. ================================================================================================= 31.6 Devil/ Angel. The Devil is Kazuya Mishima's darker alter ego; the Angel is a force out to save Kazuya's soul. In either case, both are essentially Mishima "shells"; they share the bulk of Kazuya's moves and will be easy to learn to fight with. Also, they have the most insane Juggle Starter in the game, Devil Twister, and the ever-popular Eye Lasers. It should also be noted that the Devil doesn't care much even for Kazuya and won't get angry if he is beaten down on; the Angel, however, will. Additionally, the Angel is slightly smaller than the Devil and her Eye Lasers shoot correspondingly lower, so she will be able to hit the smaller characters, such as Roger/Alex, Ling Xiaoyu, and Wang Jinrei. Finally, the Angel is just a palette swap, so if your opponent picked her first, you will be lumped with the Devil. Most human opponents who use the Devil do so just for the Lasers. Learn to duck beneath the standing Laser, and if they take to the air, run behind them and Chicken Butcher them. A good opponent, however, will make the Devil a true menace; learn to block the low Hell Sweeps and make sure you never get hit by the Devil Twister, which is the harbinger of a long, exceedingly painful juggle. The computer tends to stick to Demon Slayers and Shining Fists, but it throws a bit as well. It occasionally uses the Eye Lasers, but for some reason it does Air Inferno, which is used to shoot down flying targets and always misses. Stay on the move against the Devil. A further, final note is that Kazuya will morph into the Devil. This is OK if you’re playing for fun or up against the computer (or any other truly abysmal competition), but against most human player, the lengthy Tag animation will see you eating Unblockable attacks every single time you Tag in or out. If you’re playing at home, you can select Angel as your Tag partner and get around this. If you’re at an Arcade and select Angel, your choice will automatically be altered to Devil and you’ll still be screwed. Mind you, the animation looks pretty damn impressive and combined with your 1337 Kazuya skillz should send your opponent scurrying in fear. ================================================================================================= 31.7 Eddie Gordo/Tiger Jackson. Heh. Capoeira. Anyway, Eddie and Tiger are just the same character and nothing changes between them at all, so don't worry if they pick Tiger. Eddie has a bunch of alternate stances and is quite spectacular to watch. His Capoeira style means he is constantly doing the Ginga movement, so he is in a constant sidestep. Linear attacks tend to miss a lot, and Eddie players tend to duck a lot as well. Eddie is moderately tough, spams well, and does a fair bit of damage because of his speed. I have only ever fought one Eddie player (Ashley again), and I was surprised by the punishing Juggle damage and unpredictability the human element brings to Eddie. Ashley swept low a lot, threw frequently, and set up some damaging Juggles. However, the fact that he depended on the Ginga and ducking for protection rather than blocking meant that I could catch him with multidimensional attacks and mid-hitting attacks. The computer tends to spam random moves, but enjoys ducking and using alternate stances. I find Eddie to be a difficult character to fight, primarily because the Ginga disguises a lot of his attacks. Since I see him so infrequently, I also lack practice against him, and I suspect that it is the same for most other players as well. ================================================================================================= 31.8 Forrest Law. AKA: Bruce Lee. Forrest is a swiftly-moving, mean-juggling powerhouse attacker. Forrest's style is characterised by long, painful juggle series and annoying "Woy-yah!" noises. Humans who use Forrest will tend to Parry a lot of the time, and will look for every opportunity to Juggle you. Forrest is a *VERY* fast attacker, so don't get suckered in when fighting him. Forrest also has a lot of sneaky attacks, such as Poison Arrow and Dragon's Tail, which you must be on the lookout for during combat. The computer also tends to parry a lot, and is one of the few characters that will actually Juggle under AI control. Stay out of Law's reach, and make sure you don't get put into the air. ================================================================================================= 31.9 Ganryu. Hmm. Looks like E. Honda has escaped from Street Fighter for a cameo appearance. Anyway, Ganryu players tend to be E. Honda fans and will come at you with palm slaps and charging moves, so be prepared for the inevitable flurries and knock backs. Also beware of the move in which Ganryu hops around slapping downwards, as this move hits low and has to be blocked that way despite the fact that it appears to be hitting mid or even high. And I thought Paul Phoenix was cheap. Man...Anthony has taken to Ganryu. So many Unblockables, so many charges. *Shudder*. The big guy is fast, and I have no answers. Anyone? The computer fights Ganryu like the Jacks, but places more emphasis on low hits in case it can catch you out. ================================================================================================= 31.10 Heihachi Mishima. Heihachi must die. RARG! KAZUYA SMASH! Another old, old man. Heihachi, too, shares the Phoenix Smasher, along with some nasty stuns and the ability to Hell Sweep low *THREE* times, then open into a Tsunami Kick or Juggle Starter, causing massive amounts of damage. Since you already fight with Kazuya, Heihachi will be fairly easy to learn, but be aware that he has few hit points and is quite slow. Again, don't fall into the trap of fighting the same with Kazuya and Heihachi. Humans who use Heihachi tend to pair him with Jin and only bring him out for Tag Juggles. Heihachi's attacks tend to be quite linear, so sidestep a lot and you should avoid the worst of it. Just make sure you are never caught by one of his Hell Sweeps, as the results are very painful. The computer tends to fight Heihachi like the Devil and will rely on single, powerhouse moves rather than mid-length attack strings and Juggles. However, since you have selected Kazuya, Heihachi will probably be his sub-boss, so expect to see his 10-Hit Combos fairly often. ================================================================================================= 31.11 Hwoarang (Bob). Definitely one of the better Jugglers in the game, and equipped with nasty poking moves as well, Hwoarang is a true threat. All of Hwoarang's moves are quite painful to get hit by, and he has the ability to mix things up by switching between high and low attacks quite well. Hwoarang is an excellent Tag partner for Kazuya, as he's not too hard to learn. Human players generally come in two flavours; Mashers and Skilled. Don't waste your time trying to fight fair against a Masher; just whip out the Mishima Cheese Wheel and Shining Fists to put them in their place. Generally, Mashers will be scared already because you picked a Mishima, so if you can take advantage of that, they'll go down easily. Skilled players are a lot rarer than the Mashers who use Hwoarang, so be careful if you see they are not spamming moves and appear to have some direction to their attacks. Skilled players will make use of long attack sequences from Hwoarang's Flamingo or alternate stances, and will sidestep and throw a lot. Basically, sidestep as much as you can (but be careful- Hwoarang's moves track better than any other character's) and be prepared to block frequently. The computer doesn't tend to mix things up much, and almost never Juggles. However, it throws frequently, so be ready to break them. ================================================================================================= 13.12 Jin Kazama. Jin Kazama is arguably the most dangerous fighter in Tekken Tag. Anyone choosing him will probably be a past master of Jin’s long and excessively painful Juggles, so be prepared for a world of hurt. /Shameless plug./ Those wanting to know how Jin works in further detail can check out my other Guide, “A Beginner’s Guide to Jin Kazama”, available wherever you just got this. /Shameless plug ends./ The computer tends to fight all three Mishimas similarly, but be prepared to see some signature Kazama moves such as the White Heron. ================================================================================================= 31.13 Julia and Michelle Chang. Grr. My most hated opponents, the Changs. The Changs have a number of high/low mix up attacks, the accursed G-Clef Cannon, and the ability to spin around and get behind or beside you for some easy throws. Julia Chang is the newer of the pair and has a slightly more effective fighting style; she is also in Tekken 4, so if you want a Chang as your partner, I would recommend her. Human opponents tend to spin, G-Clef Cannon, and Juggle a lot. Fortunately, the Changs have a limited move list and can become quite predictable; you *MUST* learn how to block the high, low, high Juggle Starter sequences they constantly spam. The computer fights like the humans I have seen, so practicing against it will help a lot. ================================================================================================= 31.14 Jun Kazama. Jin's mother, and Kazuya’s wife, Jun (yeah, these Namco people are real creative with names :P) shares many of Jin's attacks, and so is easy enough to learn. Jun’s signature is long, long spam strings with lots of little chipping moves rather than anything that actually causes serious pain.. Jun also has a nasty, low-hitting slap attack, which she will then Counter from if you were trying to do anything. The only major problems with Jun are that she has few Juggle Starters, Juggles poorly, and has low hit points to boot. Human players will spam endlessly with infinite attack strings, so be prepared to block a lot. Although she attacks forever, she has fewer moves than people like Lee or Lamek do and after a while, you should be able to predict her attacks well enough to block or counter effectively. The computer will spam all day, so smack it down early to avoid pain. ================================================================================================= 31.15 King/Armour King. Chain throw, Chain throw, Chain throw. Anyone who picks either of these character is probably going to be dependant on the Throw Chains for victory. *STAY OUT OF THROW RANGE*. Against this pair, ducking or lying down to avoid their Throws won't work, because they can grab you from there as well! Lame. Also, their low-kick attack series can't be Low Parried unless you have the Command Parry, which Kazuya doesn't- so don't even waste your time trying. They can mix up the low kicks with a spinning backfist or clothesline, and the better players will mix that in as well. The Kings can also counter kicks, so do be careful with that. The best advice I can give you is to read a King/Armour King guide to learn how to break their Throw chains. If you can't tell what throws they are using, just start hitting 1,2,1+2,1,2,1+2 over and over until the chain ends, because hitting anything is better than hitting nothing as you will have at least a 33% chance of breaking the chain that way. Humans *WILL* chain throw. The computer likes to us the low-kick series and throws frequently, but thankfully won't Chain Throw too much, unless you hit King in stages 6 or 7. Anything you learn fighting King or Armour King will help you fight the other. ================================================================================================= 31.16 Kunimitsu. Yoshimitsu's mortal enemy, Kunimitsu fights a lot like he does. Although it's tempting to think of Kunimitsu as a Yoshimitsu palette swap, Kunimitsu has a number of moves that are all her own and will leave the unwary in a world of hurt. Human players use her Teleporting and Fake-Teleporting attacks a lot to avoid damage and make powerful follow-up attacks, so don't over-commit yourself against Kunimitsu as her speed and damage will quickly wear you down. The computer will play Kunimitsu almost exactly the same was as Yoshimitsu. ================================================================================================= 31.17 Lee Chaolan. That silver-haired moron brother of yours. Lee Chaolan is one of the most ridiculously fast characters in the game. His Silver Whip is faster than anything you've ever seen, and Lee has long, long attack strings to keep you under pressure. Add to that his Hitman stance and ability to defy gravity, and Lee can rapidly become a major headache. Lee shares a lot of moves with other characters, most notably Forrest Law, Paul Phoenix, and Baek Doo San, so be careful as a wily opponent will mix it up. I have only ever fought one Lee player, but he used Lee's fast spamming attacks to put me on the back foot, then finished me off with the Mist Wolf sneak throw. Basically, Lee will appear to feint a kick, then drive his hell into your gut and kick you in the head as he spins up. Gah. The computer tends to fight Lee exactly like Forrest Law. ================================================================================================= 31.19 Lei Wulong. AKA: Jackie Chan. Lei Wulong has a billion alternate stances, including the Karate Kid's Crane stance. He also enjoys sleeping on the job and will spend a lot of time on the floor. Lei Wulong's individual attacks trend to be quite slow, but don't be fooled as he can rapidly switch to another stance, and the longer he attacks, the faster he gets. Also, Lei tends to mix his attacks between high and low hits quite effectively, so keep an eye out. Rashan has dropped Forrest Law and now uses Lei. Aside from the insanity of the Drunken Master Headbutt and those accursed spinning backfists and backflips, throws and sidesteps were all the rage. I found the fight to be quite annoying, as although I could pick the attacks coming from a mile away, there was nothing I could do about them. I would recommend mid-hitting attacks and quick-to-recover moves against Lei, as he *WILL* make you pay for any errors. The computer doesn't tend to make much use of Lei's alternate stances; it tends to lie down a lot, though, and likes to use the lying-down kicks. These are quite painful as the animation suggests he is kicking low, but they are actually hitting Mid; block them normally. ================================================================================================= 31.20 Ling Xiaoyu. Ling is a swiftly-moving pain in the neck. Complete with annoyingly fast pokes, alternate stances, sidestepping and pirouetting moves, Ling will quickly put you on the back foot if you give her an inch. Fortunately, Ling does negligible damage, doesn't juggle that well, and has low hit points, so if you get the drop on her, it'll all be over bar the screaming. I have only ever fought two Ling players, and both had dramatically different style. A friend of mine, Ashley, used her Phoenix stance to attack low and her Rain Dance steps and Mistrust moves to get around me. None of my linear attacks worked, as he kept ducking, so I eventually brought him down by using the Mishima Flip Kicks and Mishima Cheese Wheel to snap him out of the alternate stances and force him to fight my way. The second Ling player I fought was a very skilled young lady; she poked continuously, threw a lot, and made use of Ling's alternate stances to gain additional range for juggling and normal attacks. At this stage of my gaming, I still used Hwoarang and The Devil, so my response was to Eye Laser her into oblivion. Quite frankly, she was much more skilled than me, and I would be at a loss to beat her with Jin and Kazuya now. If you meet an opponent like this, just block until you get some breathing space, as although Ling is quite fast, her attack sequences tend to be short. I'd never seen Ling Juggle before this, and it left an impression, even if her hits weren't all that painful. The computer doesn't seem to stick to any fixed pattern when fighting with Ling, so your guess is a good as mine. ================================================================================================= 31.21 Mokujin/Tetsujin/Unknown. These characters select any other character's move list at random and mimic their style. They cannot imitate the Ogres or The Devil, at least, so you don't have to worry about Eye Lasers or Fire Breath. However, it can take a while to pick which character they are imitating, so you can be fatally surprised at times. I wouldn't recommend you pick any of these characters as Kazuya's Tag partner as to be effective with them you must have mastered nearly every character in the game and be able to pick who Mokujin/Tetsujin/Unknown is imitating. The only thing you have in your favour is that Unknown always starts out imitating Jun Kazama. Human players who select these characters are probably masters of the game. They will know almost every character and move inside out, and have picked this character to make things slightly more interesting. Of course, it could also be that they are an amateur who doesn't know that these characters imitate others instead of having their own move lists, and if this is the case, have a field day! In all cases, these characters will fight like whoever they are imitating, so it's important to pick it early and be prepared. Some characters are easy to spot (the Mitsus, Heihachi Mishima, the Bears), but others are tougher to spot and could get you in trouble. ================================================================================================= 31.22 Nina and Anna, the Williams Sisters. Alleged fighting style: Assassination techniques based on Bone martial arts and Aikido. Actual fighting style: Bitch slapping, hair-pulling, and eye-gouging. Make no mistake, these two are exceedingly dangerous opponents; they have fast poking strings, the ability to Counter, nasty Okizeme moves, and Throw Chains! Nina Williams appears to be slightly faster and has more options in her Throw Chains, but does less damage than her sister. Anna Williams is slightly slower, but does more damage than her sister and has easier Okizeme attacks. I have never fought a human opponent who used one of the Williams, but when I play them, I counter a lot, poke my opponents, and occasionally delve into the throw chains, which are surprisingly easy. With Nina I also use her Divine Cannon Juggle Starter a lot; with Anna, I tend to put a lot of effort into knocking my opponent down so that I can stomp on them. If you pick a Williams as Kazuya's partner, I would recommend Nina as she is also in Tekken 4 and changes very little. The computer tends to make long attacks with the Williams and next to never uses their throw chains. Be careful of their ability to Counter, though, as the computer seems to enjoy doing it. ================================================================================================= 31.23 Ogre/True Ogre. These two fight a similar style, so aside from the True Ogre's ability to breathe fire, little changes. The Ogres are composite characters, and have the Mishima punches and Baek's kicks. The shared moves they have make them easy to pick up, but their kicking game will ensure that you fight in styles different enough not to become predictable, which is good. I find the True Ogre is the more dangerous of the two, as wings, fur, and horns occupy most of his character model, and with his colouration, they serve to conceal a lot of his attack movement. Additionally, the True Ogre has tail trips and long, long arms, so be careful when you fight him. As with the Devil, most human players will just breathe fire at you all day long; be careful of the standing version, which attacks through several dimensions and has to be ducked under or constantly sidestepped. If they take to the air, run behind them and Chicken Butcher them. Skilled opponents will make use of Infinity Kicks, low attacks, and throws, which makes things very dangerous. Also watch out for the Snake Venom punch/throw attack; it will catch you out a lot at first, so you will have to learn to deal with it. The computer will mainly use Mishima punches, Infinity Kicks, and Throws and so is not that hard to deal with as long as you can fight Mishimas and Lamek. ================================================================================================= 31.24 Panda/Kuma. Fighting bears. Fair enough. Like Ganryu and the Jacks, these characters are big, tough, slow, and deal massive amounts of damage. They have some nasty Juggle moves as well. The Bears fight like the Jacks. I have never seen a human player who uses the Bears. The computer likes to sit around in the Hunting Bear stance a lot, so use low and mid-hitting attacks to teach it a lesson. Stay away from their throws, which are painful and appear to have painful, guaranteed follow-up attacks. ================================================================================================= 31.25 Paul Phoenix. PAUL PHOENIX MUST ALSO DIE. If only that stupid bear had done its job the first time… Hands-down the lamest character in the game, Paul Phoenix comes complete with high/low mix-ups, the ability to Counter, and the most painful attack in the game, Phoenix Smasher. In many ways, Paul is a natural partner for Kazuya, as he too has a lot of powerful attacks. Paul Phoenix is also a fairly tough character and has high Hit Points. Human players will punish you mercilessly with the Phoenix Smasher. If you ever stuff a move up around a Paul player, expect to see about half your life bar disappear. Paul players also like to use his high/low mix up attacks after the downward Karate Chop, after which they can follow with a trip and elbow, or slam a mid-hitting Phoenix Smasher through to keep you on your toes. Fortunately, Paul Phoenix has relatively poor juggling ability, so he can't take advantage of putting you in the air. The computer doesn't mix up its attacks as much as a human will, so its predictability will be its downfall. Again, watch for the counter-hitting Phoenix Smasher. ================================================================================================= 31.26 Prototype Jack, Jack-2, Gunjack. These massive robots are ridiculously tough and deal major damage, but by way of compensation are glacially slow. You should be able to pick their attacks coming from a mile away and avoid them; however, the sheer power of the Jacks means that if you do get hit, you will know all about it. The Jacks also have some funky abilities, such as flying or performing the Cossack Dance, which are worth points with the crowd. Human players who use the Jacks are very rare, but they tend to use the Jack as the secondary character and only bring him on if their primary character has been hammered or during Tag Juggles, which is where the Jacks become quite dangerous. The computer likes to perform the Vulcan Cannon punches, do the Cossack Dance, and throw a lot. It also sometimes takes to the air; make sure you run behind the Jack so you can perform a Rear Throw after it lands. Prototype Jack is reputedly the best anti-Mishima character in the game, so if your opponent picks him in response to your selection of Kazuya, you could be in for a rough ride. ================================================================================================= 31.27 Wang Jinrei. Wang is an old, old man and takes damage like it. He s very weak in terms of hit-points, but many of his counters cannot be Chickened and he has a move similar to Phoenix Smasher. Human players who use Wang tend to run a lot, so it's easy to score counter-hits against them. As with Paul, though, make sure you avoid the Jinrei Smasher, as it will leave you in a world of hurt. The computer tends to fight Wang the same way as the Changs. ================================================================================================= 31.28 Yoshimitsu. A futuristic, Ninjitsu cyborg Robin Hood, Yoshimitsu has a number of easy and effective Unblockable attacks thanks to his Ninja-To, so be careful when he starts waving it around. Yoshimitsu is a solid character; tough, fast, and with easy-to-learn and damaging Juggles and powerhouse standard attacks, Yoshimitsu is an effective Tag partner for Kazuya. Human players tend to use a lot of Unblockable attacks, so be careful to stay out of sword reach. Yoshimitsu players tend to use his spin moves, then switch into a throw to avoid the nausea at the end of the spin, so be careful there as well. Beware if Yoshimitsu sits down or starts to use his sword as a pogo stick, because he has a number or cheap and effective moves from them. The computer spins so much it makes itself sick, so just sit back and take advantage of it. ================================================================================================= 32.0 WHAT'S NEXT? ================================================================================================= I plan to update this guide whenever I get enough material to make it worth it. In the event that I make it to Advanced levels, I will write an Intermediate Guide To Kazuya Mishima that will build on this work and give you some insights into playing Kazuya at higher levels. ================================================================================================= 33.0 CONTACTING ME ================================================================================================= If you have any questions, comments, or material to add to this guide, I would like to hear it. I have established an e-mail account, nightward@tekken.cc, where you can reach me concerning this Guide. I look forward to hearing from you. ================================================================================================= 34.0 CREDITS ================================================================================================= Writing this guide would have been impossible without the material from Kioni Kappahala's Jin Guide for Tekken 4, IluvMomo’s Kazuya Guide, and Devil_Jin’s Kazuya Guide. Kioni's guide had the control diagrams I used at the start of his guide; the other two guides have heavily influenced my own fighting style. Thanks also go out to the Tekken crowd from the Hub at Griffith, especially Dan for all the mercy rounds, Keiran for introducing me to the game and being an excellent punching bag, Rashan for being such a cheap, cheap Bruce player, Ashley for showing me how Ling and Eddie work, and to Ryan, Kevin and Ivan for raising the bar and showing how it's done. I must also mention my sparring partner, Anthony Durl. I have recently had some success at converting him to the use of Heihachi Mishima (even if he does now use the dreaded “Team Retirement Home” of Wang Jinrei and Heihachi Mishima). It will not be long, I fear, before the student surpasses the master :( Many thanks also to Catfish, Chainsofmisery, Freeman-Sama, Honkey#1, Insomnotek, Night, Rocket7, and Yukifumi, Kakarott SSJ III who took the time to add strategies, proof-read my guide and correct the glaring errors. And for going easy on the n008. And this time, special thanks go out to my friends: Wilderbeast, Twinkmaster J, Brendan, Anthony, William, and Justin. Times have been tough lately and it helps to have someone to laugh with. And hit. Repeatedly ;) I'd also like to thank you for bothering to read this. I hope it helped.