Pain is a close-range zoning powerhouse. With one of the strongest shield jutsu in the game and incredible reach, you will dominate in both offense and defence if used correctly. In order to do this, you need to know Pain's combos and attributes.
[NOTE: You will need to know the basic and advanced mechanics and movements to do some things in this guide. If you do not know them, feel free to ask me.]


This is the small 4-button combo that is done before all 3 other combos; all combos will be the same up until the almighty push. This is a rather powerful startup, since the almighty push can hit opponents behind you, and even your opponents supports to the side of you.

Very fast. Knocks opponents up, though not high enough for you to follow up with anything until they land on the ground. Use this if your opponent is about to substitute, to ensure they take as much damage as they can.

Although this won't be your most used combo, this will be your most important. The full combo causes knockback from a large distance, uses projectiles (Meaning if subbed, you will still be relatively safe), and if you cancel out at the right point, will have a very good knockup which will allow you to land ANYTHING, even an ultimate jutsu.

This will be your main combo. If your opponent manages to block your combo, simply go into this one. It has the longest range, is the longest combo overall, and does a tonne of guard damage. If your opponent doesn't sub this, their guard will break. If their guard somehow doesn't break, just ninja-move cancel towards them and do your tilt, and that should do the trick. This combo causes a hard knockdown.

Again, an attack with very large reach, can be used as a way to punish a dash. Causes you to float, and causes a hard knockdown. If used on an unsuspecting opponent, you can loop the combo indefinitely by simply stopping the combo at the second hit, then starting again. Your opponent can block it as soon as they catch on, though.

Generic kunai. good for poking.

Chakra rods. Before the Full Burst patch, these were the second best shuriken in the game behind the Windmill shuriken due to their immense stun, you could use them at any time and you can hit your opponent with anything afterwards, however after their nerf, they are now among the worst. They have hardly any tracking, little damage, very little guard damage (Unless in awakening), and can't hit downed opponents. Only upside to them are their decent speed, meaning they're only useful for being annoying or interrupting jutsu.

Your tilt is a miracle. It has long range, does a lot of guard damage, has a nice stun, and is so fast you can use it to interrupt someone as they are attacking you with their combos. Since the release of STORM 3, it has the added benefit of its own hitbox for the crab, meaning that if someone tries to rasengan you in the face, there's a chance that your crab will just push you safely out of the way.

Yet another part of Pain's kit with great range. Use this to punish dashes or jutsu with long startups, or even someone hiding behind a guard-type support. As of STORM 3, you are no longer able to grab opponents out of a Team Ultimate Jutsu. Causes a hard knockdown.

The only part of Pain's kit that has a comparitively short range, though it excels elsewhere. It does immediate damage and is very fast, as well as completely covering Pain, rendering him immune to nearly ALL jutsu AND ultimate jutsu, including Team ultimate jutsu. Can be done in midair to extend airtime (Repeatedly, too).

Pain's ultimate jutsu is one of the best in the game, for a few reasons:
1. It's one of two ultimates where the user can move freely immediately after use whilst the jutsu is still travelling, allowing them to either use an item to boost damage, use the ultimate AGAIN, or whatever you want. Some other characters can do this, but only under certain circumstances. The only other character to share this trait is Nagato (who, coincidentally, is also Pain).
2. One of two ultimates that you can actually land whilst in your awakening. Conditions have to be perfect, but it is doable. Only other person who can do this, again, is Nagato, although it's much easier with Nagato as he has an instant awakening.
3. It has insane tracking, and lasts a long time, meaning your opponent has to factor it for longer.

Pain's awakening is a generic awakening. It just boosts his attack and guard damage. Supports are available during your awakening.


Attack Up Pill x 2
Will boost your damage for a few seconds. I'd recommend using these either during an combo to ultimate cancel (which will be covered later on), before awakening, or during Support Overdrive.

Attack Down Tag x 2
Thrown item. Decreases your opponent's damage for a few seconds. Use these when your opponent uses their attack up item to counter it, or when they enter awakening, to minimize the amount of carnage they can create.

Explosive Tag x 2
Thrown item. Explodes on contact with opponent or water, or after a few seconds after landing on the ground. Use these to cause strikeback, or to create distance. Could also be used to finish off a downed opponent with very low health.

Chakra rods x 1
Increases your guard damage. Devastating if used before awakening. Also good to use during support overdrive, as it's not uncommon to break your opponent's guard with your Team ultimate.

Below are a list of the things you will need to know in order to use Pain effectively. Most of these apply to most characters.

1. Basic controls
Because duh.

2. Ninja-move/jump cancels
The act of breaking out of your combos with ninja-moves or jumps, and following them up with another action. A lot of Pain's combos will leave you open for counter attack if you do not cancel.

3. Dash cancels
Dashing in the middle of your combo to extend it. Required for any sort of pressure.

4. Guardjumping
The act of guarding whilst jumping sideways (NOT NINJA MOVING, JUST JUMPING). This keeps you mobile as well as defended.

5. How to tilt
It's not as easy as it sounds, whilst at the same time, incredibly simple. It's not actually a tilt, it's more of a flick (Or a tap if you use keyboard, but why would you do that?), followed by inputting the attack button/key.

6. Supports and how they work
Knowing the three support types, what your supports do, and how to make them do it, is vital.

Once you can do all of these consistently, you should have a great foundation to learn upon. If you can't figure out how to do any of these, let me know.

In a game like STORM, there are no "true counters" to any character, because you can play all characters in different ways, allowing them to counter each other. With that said, however, there are still certain mechanics that work well with - and against - Pain.

Things that don't go well with Pain

• Fixed Ultimate jutsu (Ultimate jutsu that instantly appear at your opponent's location, such as Sasuke's Kirin) will go through Almighty push, meaning that you are forced to use a substitution.
  
• Characters with a fast attack speed will make it very hard to initiate a combo, as they will hit you before you hit them, even if you dash them.
  
• If you and/or your opponent is near the map boundaries at most angles, your ultimate jutsu and some combos will simply not land.
  
• You may have trouble dealing with Ranged characters such as Deidara, as you have no long-range options.

Things that work well with Pain

• Your jutsu is fast enough to be used to counter most Rush Ultimate jutsu (Ultimate jutsus that cause the user to move forward, such as Naruto's Nine-tailed Rasengan) and Projectile Ultimate Jutsu (Ultimate jutsu that launches a projectile at the opponent, such as Sage Naruto's RasenShuriken).
  
• Supports that can be used in mid-air such as Itachi can cover you after an aerial Almighty Push.
  
• Your attacks will typically ignore your opponent's guard type supports or Puppet Guard.
  
• A Balance type with Windmill shuriken, such as Tobi or Naruto, will allow you to chain most attacks together.
  
• Due to how short Pain's combos are, you will be subbed quickly. Therefore, Jump cancels, Ninja Move cancels, and Dash cancels, work very will with Pain.

Below are a list of all the effective combos I have found. A video will be added soon demonstrating all of them. These inputs are for XBOX 360 controllers, default controls.


1. Neutral to aerial
B B B B B > AA > B B B

2. Neutral to ultimate
B B B B B > A Towards opponent > YYB

4. Basic to Team Ultimate
B B B B > A Towards opponent > YYYB

5. Neutral to jutsu
B B B B B > AA > YB

6. Basic infinite
B B B B > YX + Balance support: Cover fire (Requires Windmill shuriken) > Repeat

7. Tilt to ultimate
Tilt > A YX + Balance support: Cover fire (Requires Windmill shuriken) > YYB

8. Cover fire to ultimate
A + YX + Balance support: Cover fire (Requires Windmill shuriken) > YYB

9. Extended combo #1
B B B B > (Hold down)B B > A Towards opponent > Tilt > YX + Balance support: Cover fire (Requires Windmill shuriken) > Explosive Tag Item > Attack Support: Strikeback > AA > B B B

10. Extended combo #2
B B B B > (Hold down)B B > A Towards opponent > Tilt > YX + Balance support: Cover fire (Requires Windmill shuriken) > Explosive Tag Item > Attack Support: Strikeback > YX + Balance support: Cover fire (Requires Windmill Shuriken) > AA > YB

A few of my videos in which I use Pain. Good for those that learn through seeing it done. And yes, I'm aware I'm not the best player ever. If you have recorded a good match with Pain and want to help me by putting it in the guide, feel free to message me. Full credit will of course be given.

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