Your Choices
Playing a fighting game can be daunting at first. You see a dozen characters you know nothing about and you're expected to just pick one. Well, I'm here to give you an overview of the different characters and how they play.

Ragna: The Bloodedge
Ragna is a badass swordsman who is the personified form of the Black Beast, a creature from the BlazBlue mythos. His drive, Soul Eater, uses this ability to fuel exceptionally powerful attacks such as Inferno Divider and Dead Spike. Your strategy should revolve around using basic attacks that knock them back and let you use your Drive attacks, which have longer startup peroids. To play Ragna, you have to be very aggressive. His Health is one of the lowest in the entire cast, so letting your opponent knock you back can result in disaster. This is compensated by his Drive once again, as moves such as Dead Spike drain opponents life and add it to yours.

Baics
Ragna's Weak attacks are generally medium to high priority, Almost all of them cancel into themselves, meaning that you start another attack to avoid the first's recovery animation. Because of this, Ragna is able to initiate combos extremely quickly. His kicks aren't as fast, but they do decent damage and also have increased priority, meaning that they can interrupt opponent attacks.
Moves you need to know how to use: (Refer to the table at for how to use these)
6A: This is you most basic combo setup. It makes your upper body invulnerable, launches your opponent into the air, and is jump cancelable, meaning you can jump before the recovery animation. This is your air combo setup. I recommend using Inferno Divider(236c), which is also mapped to SP1 I believe.
5B: Ragna's best poke and combo starter. It has a decent range and a fast startup, so it is a fairly safe move to use. Combos into 5C. 5C: A lunging sword attack, should only be used after 5B since it is negative on block and startup is slower then 5B. It is jump cancelable like 6A.
Inferno Divider is a great basic combo that is very easy to use. Once you hit with the initial attack,
You have a few options. 236c Again results in an uppercut that looks cool as hell, and more importantly, keeps them airborne. From there you can use either 214C or 236C again for an Ax Kick and a horizontal punch respectively.
6C: This is a powerful sword attack, Ragna stabs his sword downwards, then twists and swings it upwards. If you hit a crouching opponent with this, you're going to setup for a devastating combo.
6B: Hits high, meaning that crouching block will not protect against it. It is predictable, but on hit allows for some pretty sweet combos.
5B+C: This is Ragna's foward throw. It is special cancelable, meaning you can interrupt the animation with a special attack at the end.
4B+C: Ragn's back throw, he grabs the opponent and launches them in the air behind him. This is also special cancelable, and can be comboed into by super jumping or a dashing 5D.
Hell's Fang(214A): This is Ragna's WORST special, bad recovery, slow startup, and predicatable movement just asks for an instant or barrier block. However, since it has + frames on a normal block, you can bait the opponent into a throw.
Tsuika (214D after HF): Again, TERRIBLE recovery, only useful as a ground combo ender, don't use on block unless you delay it to bait the opponent.
Specials

Drive: Soul Eater
Ragna's Drive is vital to your combos and surviving the match. Soul Eater moves will drain 30% of the damage from the attack and add it to your life total. Drains 15% life on block, and none on barrier block.
Drive moves are as follows:
2D: A low attack that knocks the opponent down, causes ground bounce in Blood Kain or on a counter hit.
5D: A slash upwards, with potential to launch the opponent, then a slam back down with a possible ground bounce. Dash cancelable
6D: A odd looking move where Ragna hops a bit into the air and slashes over his shoulder. This puts Ragna into a airborne state if you do a j.D after the initial hit.
J.D: Ragna thrusts the edge of his sword skyward.
Combos
jc = jump cancel
sjc = super jump cancel (basically hit down and up quickly to jumo much higher then normal)
hf = hells fang
BEGINNER'S COMBOS
My first Ragna combo:
5B > 5C > 5D > HF > Tsuika
This is Ragna's bread and butter combo, it is a good midscreen ground combo and does decent damage.
6B > 5C > 2C > HF > Tsuika
Great midscreen ground combo, does good damage, and it can be used to catch blockers.
6A > sjc > jC > jD > jc >jC > jD. Inferno Divider > Axe Kick
Ragna's bread and butter air combo, does decent damage, and the 6A is easy to land since it can be used to bait.

INTERMIDIATE COMBOS
6B > 5C > 6C > sjc > jC > jD > jc > jC > jD > Inferno Divider > Axe Kick
Does really good damage, but requires good timing
6B > 5C > 5D > dc > 6A > jC > jD > jC > Inferno Divider > Axe Kick
Does good damage, and Ragna's staple ground combo in terms of damage
Back Throw > dc >5D > dc > 6A > jC > jD> jc >jC > jD > Inferno Divider > Axe Kick
High Damage combo with plenty of potential, requires better timing then the first combo but well worth the damage.
Distortion Drive
Ragna has three Distortion Drives, "Carnage Scissors", "Blood Kain", and "Devoured by Darkness"

Carnage Scissors (63216D or Half circle back, then fowards) uses 50 heat from the gauge, and is a very fast slashing attack that covers half the screen. He then releases two spikes of dark energy that cross each other and blow the recipient into the wall. Does a total of around 3100 damage total. Though on block it is interruptable, you can cancel the move by holding the drive button.
Blood Kain is activated by pressing SP3 or 214214D (2 back quarter circles). This move activates Blood Kain Mode, which lets you deal significantly more damage at the tradeoff of a constantly reducing health bar (3000 in total). Though to make up for this Ragna's health drain is increases to 80%. All of Ragna's drive attacks get much larger hitboxes, and it also has a notable amount of startup invincibility. This makes it ideal for setting up powerful combos. It also grants access to his third Distortion Drive, Devoured by Darkness.
Devoured by Darkness is activated by pressind SP3 or 214214D (2 back quarter circles) while in Blood Kain. If it lands does 5000 damage, and adds the damage to your own healthAstral Heat
Astral Heat is BlazBlue's equivalent to MK's Fatalaties. They require the following conditions:
1: Mut be final Round. If best of 2, must be tie-breaker.
2: Must have full Heat Gauge.
3: Enemy must be below 20% life.
Ragna's is called "Black Onslaught" and it's actually pretty easy to use, and is one of the easiest to hit with, Just ensure you're within normal C slash distance.
The combination for 2141236C or SP4(Just use SP4) Can be interupted. Also, it's comepletely AWESOME
NOTE: At the beginning, only V-13, Ragna, and Rachel have their Astral Heat's unlocked. To unlock more, complete the arcade mode with that character. If you finish the arcade mode with any of the three I just listed, you still unlock their Unlimited Form, which I'll explain later.

Jin Kisaragi is an extremely strong all rounder. While Ragna lacks zoning options and is primarily a rushdown character, Jin controls the battlefield through the manipulation of ice. His drive, Frost Bite, extends his combos by freezing his opponents for a limited amount of time. As the Major of the 4th Sqaudron of the Libarium, and the Hero of Ikaruga, Jin has a lot of bark and bite. Unlike his brother and rival Ragna, Jin has higher health and many options to approach the situation however he wants.










Basics

5A: Jin's poke, good to use to get into combo setups, you'll be using this whenever you see a gap in guard or to put some pressure on an opponent.

6A: Jin's overhead, slower then Ragna's, but less predictible. Though unlike Ragna's, you can not combo into unless you Rapid Cancel. Nonetheless, it is a good pressure tool when your opponent is getting block happy.
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5B: All you need to know is that it has a vacuum effect, so if your opponent is in a corner, you can do a crossup to break that guard. This is Jin's usual combo beginner.

5C: One of jin's best zoning tools, is a good anti air, and it's range make it a good ground poke for when your 2A is out of range. Is jump cancelable.

2B: Jin's streches his arm low, very fast and hits low, so extremely good for cocky blockers who don't see it coming.

3C: Jin does a slow sweep kick outwards, also hits low. While it has aslow startup, it has a lot of combo potential.

j.B: Screw j.C, the huge hitbox, fast startup make it Jin's greatest air to air, or air to ground. Comboable into j.C, and safe on block. Use this to close space between you and your opponent.

Drive
Jin's drive as mentioned earlier is called Frost Bite, which he uses in a variety of ways to control space and ice.


5D: Slow startup, comparable to Ragna's Soul Eater, a giant wolf head of ice is created which sticks outwards. Is dash cancelable. Good for ending block strings or catching dashing opponents off guard.

6D: Jin creates a wall of ice in front of him. Super slow startup, so don't bother to use outside of combos or in blockstrings.

2D: Jin drives his sword into the ground, and a pillar of ice rises about 2 or so feet away. Great zoning tool, as it has a large hitbox capable of hitting air foes. It's startup is slow, but on block gives you + frames.

j.D: A snowflake surrounds Jin which on contact freezes the opponent, becareful using this attack since the startup is a bit slow and on block your vulnerable. Otherwise has good crossup qualities, and a good combo extender.

Specials
Hishouken (214A/B/C)

Distortions


Hiyokou Getsumei (632146D)
Jin shoots an arrow up diagonally, which if an opponent is struck by without blocking, is freezed instantly and recieves a huge amount of damage. This has higher priority then ALL moves (even fast A moves), so it can be used as a reversal.


Ice Wave (632146C)
Incredibly fast moving wave of ice that causes MASSIVE stun on hit, not as damaging as Ice Arrow, but does allow you to punish enemies from a distance. This can be blocked if the opponent is not preoccupied, use it only when you are sure they won't be able to block it in time

Astral

Eternal Ice Dungeon (2 Full Circles D)
Can ONLY be comboed off of a grab, very hard to do but possible. Jin stabs his sword into the ground creating an ice dungeon, after 5 seconds it breaks and the inhabitant is instantly killed. Opponent must be touching the ground to be hit by move. My word of advice, don't touch this move unless you know when and were to use it.

Strategies

Many Jin players first mistake is to rush in on the opponent, Jin is NOT a rushdown character. Against many of the cast, that mistake is often a fatal one. Here are a couple gimmicks that illustrate Jin's potential:

Tips
*Always do 'B' Ice Blade (214), or TK 'C' Air Ice Blade when at a distance.
*Because of Rehyo's invincibility frames, take advantage of it by buffering the move when you see your opponent taking the offensive and rushing you, or while in the middle of a blockstring.
*Whenever you are offensively jumping, super jump, since it goes out of range of most attacks
*Instablock (by taping back a second before the attack actually hits) slow or telegraphed attacks, this will allow you to easily counter or even DP links
*DON'T CHARGE IN! Wait until either you've managed to land a counter hit or freeze your opponent to follow up on a chain, Jin is all around, not particularly strong in one category, rush down characters will destroy Jin if you don't play it smart and take adavantage of your tools.
*Don't wait for 50 heat to do a Distortion, if you have 25 Heat and have the opprutinity for a nice setup or drag your opponent in the corner, use it

Combos

Beginner Combos:

5A > 5B > 5C > 2C > 3C> Ice Car 'B'
Good basic combo, does decent damage, but can only be used at close range overwise certain moves whiff

2B > 5B > 5C > 2C > 3C > Ice Car 'C'
Another basic combo, a modified version of the first combo

5A/2A > 5B > 5C > 3C > Blizzard 'A'
More of a 'mixing things up combo'

5D > Dash 5B > 5C > 2C > 3C > Ice Car 'C'
A bit harder then the others, but does good damage

Intermidiate Combos:

5A/2A > 5B > 5C > 2C > 3C > 2B > 5C > sjc> j.B > j.C > jc > j.B > j.C
Decent damage for the complexity, but looks real fancy :3

5B > 5C > 6C > Dash > 5C > sjc > j.B > j.C > jc > j.B > j.C > j.D > Delay > Ice Car 'C'
Only can be done on crouching opponets, but does really good damage

Rehyo > 5C > sjc > j.B > j.C > jc > j.B > j.C > j.D > Delay > Ice Car 'C'
Only usable on counter hit as well, but a powerful combo usable anywhere.

Advanced Combos:

5B > 5C > 6C > 6D > 6C > 5C > sjc > j.B > j.C > jc > j.B > j.C > Ice Car 'D' > 6C > Rehyo
25% Heat combo, can only be done in corner and crouching. Massive damage (half health or more), and easy setup make a Jin who masters this god tier.

6A > RC > Dash 5B > 5C > 6C > 2D > Dash 6B > 5C > 6C > Dash > 5C > sjc > j.B. > j.C > jc > j.B > j.C > j.D
50% heat combo, well worth it considering the damage. Only avalible on crouch.

j.B > j.C > 5C > jc > j.B > j.C > j.D > Dash 5C > j.B > j.C > 5B (only first kick) > 3C > 2B > 5B
Does huge damage, and is actually pretty simple. Only can be done on counter hit

Pro Combos:
5B > 5C > j.B > j.C > 5B > 5C > Ice Car 'C' > RC (before knockdown) > j.B > 5C > j.B > j.C > j.D > Dash 5C > j.B
Massive damage, but really hard to pull off.

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A former Sector Seven scientist who ventured into the timeline intersection known as the Boundary with the intention of studying it. From there he returned as the black monster blob known as Arakune with a literal hunger for knowledge. Unfortunately for the rest of the world, this hunger is best sated by devouring intelligent lifeforms alive. His bizarre appearance is matched with one of the most nonstandard playstyles this game has to offer.

On a side note, Arakune is voiced by Spike Spencer of all people, better known as Shinji Ikari from Neon Genesis Evangelion.

Overview

Arakune can seen as an inversion of a stance character. Rather than changing his own "stance" in order to gain a different/more powerful moveset, Arakune instead puts the opponent into a different stance in order to fully access his own moveset by cursing them with his drive. Once he has cursed the enemy he can begin summoning a variety of projectile-like bugs (also referred to as bees) which can, among other things, extend his combos, set up traps, and apply pressure.

These powers do not come without drawbacks, however, for Arakune is heavily reliant on cursing the opponent to do any major damage. His ability to pressure outside of curse mode is also severly impaired to the point of risking being pressured himself if he attempts it without some form of support. And once Arakune gets pressured he has little options against it except his bugs (which he may not have access to) and his back teleport (which forces him to give up ground and will not help him the corner).

Pre-curse, you will be stalling until you enter curse mode. When you do, you want to throw everything you got at the enemy until they crack from the pressure.

Notable normals (Both modes)

5A: Arakune´s standing jab is mainly notable for its range. This is the attack you will usually be going for when you want to start your pressure. It also serves as his main poke and as a tool for interrupting slower attacks. Gatlings into itself three times.

5A > 6B: Pressing 6B when 5A hits makes Arakune form a horned face around his "midsection" which he uses to knock away the opponent from him. Has no pre-curse follow-ups except in the corner. Main uses at mid-screen is to knock away rushdown characters and forcing a reset back to neutral, or forcing the enemy into the corner. During curse this move becomes very important for combos with large corner carry.

6A: The first of Arakune´s two overheads, and the one you will be using during pressure both in pre-curse and during curse. It has a vacuum effect, which can be utilized to continue pressuring the enemy. If it hits you can combo into curse with 5D.

2C: Arakune´s slide, which sends the enemy spinning back through the air. Often used as a punish tool. Also a powerful starter during curse.

j.5C: Sends an airborne opponent hurtling to the ground. Causes a ground bounce on a grounded counter-hit as well. Both can combo into j.5D or j.4D (depending on whenether you crossed them up or not) on airborne opponents to go into curse mode. Also useful during mix-ups since it can function as an instant overhead and as a cross up.

j.6A/j.6B/j.6C: Arakune thrusts forward to either skewer the enemy or traverse the air quickly. Combo starter/filler or air dash. The A version travels the shortest distance while the C version travels the farthest.

Notable normals (Pre-curse)

5B: Has slightly longer range than 5A and hits three times. Combos into curse with 5D, but which hit you need to cancel out of is dependent on how close Arakune is to the opponent when using this move.




j.5B: Arakune grabs the "hem" of himself and flashes a set of spikes which hit multiple times. Used as an air-to-ground hit-confirm, as a pressure tool, and as air combo filler. Heavy proration makes this a poor move for curse combos, however.

Notable normals (Curse)

6B: A standing low. Slow, but good when used during curse mix-ups. Use sparingly for best chance of catching the enemy off guard.

6C > C > 2C: An attack series which serves as Arakune´s main normal damage source during curse. The first attack is Arakune´s second overhead which moves him off the ground during start-up, causing throws and lows to whiff, and it will float the opponent on hit. The second attack is unblockable in the air, while the third attack has a deceptively large hitbox which slams the enemy down into the ground.

j.2A/2B/2C: A set of U-arcing dive attacks that floats enemies on hit. Arakune´s second main combo staple during curse. A version dives forward, B version dives mostly straight down (slightly backward, while C version dives backward. When the dive hits the ground Arakune will sink into it and reappear at the same spot. You can alter the pop-up spot by holding back or forward, which will make Arakune appear in a spot besides the neutral one, determined by the direction pressed. You can also cut off the sink-and-pop-up entirely by performing a technique called dive canceling, which is discussed later on.

Specials

j.236D - Zero Vector: Randomly creates one of three different clouds. Type A is a round homing cloud, type B is a circular cloud that hovers around Arakune like an aura, and type C is a cloud which hovers above the enemy, preventing them from using certain anti-air attacks. All clouds curses on hit. Useful as a zoning tool. Has a long recovery which means you should be careful with throwing it out in neutral.

j./214A/B/C - If p, then q: Arakune´s fakeout teleports. Can be used to trick the opponent into commiting a mistake but it requires a good read on Arakune´s part. Also used to cut the recovery short on longer moves like 5D.

A PQ: Arakune makes a forward jump before warping to the ground directly below his teleport point.

B PQ: Arakune neutral jumps and then teleports a slight bit forward.

C PQ: A fake forward dash. After teleporting forwards he immediately warps back to the starting point.

j.A PQ: Arakune double jumps forward before warping to the ground slightly in front of his teleport point.

j.B PQ: Arakune double jumps straight up before teleporting straight down.

j.C PQ: Arakune performs a forward air dash before warping back to the ground slightly in front of the dash´s starting point. This is the least useful PQ version since a normal air dash creates a brief white ring around the character, whereas this move has no such effect, making it fairly easy to read.

j.66/44 (near edge of screen) - Wall teleport: By air dashing towards the screen´s edge while close to it, Arakune will warp to the opposite side of it. Very frustrating for the opponent to deal with if you manage to slip out of the corner with it, but keep in mind that it has no invincibility to speak of. Any attempt to escape corner scenarios can be punished heavily.

236B - Equals 0: Turns Arakune near invisible. Ends when Arakune hits, blocks, or is hit or blocked. Useful for psychological pressure during curse, and to cut the recovery of slower attacks like 5D.

j.236C - y. two-dash: Curse combo filler, little else. It has a minimum height restriction, which should be kept in mind since it is most effective when done relatively close to the ground. Has some pretty decent corner carry too.

Distortion Drives and Astral Heat

236236C - f inverse: Arakune´s best Distortion Drive and anti-air (including on wake-up). His only real reversal, also used as a combo ender during curse, and combo staple after a ground throw. Can move to either side while active. All parts of the distortion floats and vacuums in the opponent towards the laser beam.

j.214214D - f of g: Air distortion with limited applicability. Has a minimum height restriction and slow start-up. Arakune opens a pit on the ground in front of him which releases scores of bugs if the enemy is in that area. Unblockable and curses on hit, but works only on grounded foes. Can be used to whiff punish some of the slower moves in the game.

34123646D - n to infinity: Fairly impractical astral. Arakune morphs into a sphere with an eye and moves off-screen. He will then perform one out of three movement patterns at random: Moving straight forward at ground level and then pausing a while at the opposite end of the screen before moving before moving back, moving in an arc and bouncing off the ground from one end of the screen to the other and back, and teleporting to the upper left, right, and middle edges of the screen (in that order) from where he falls down before warping to the next point. The randomness of this astral is its major drawback, and you are usually better off saving your meter for f inverse and rapid cancels. Guard breaks on block, and barrier crushes on barrier block.

Drive: Crimson

Arakune uses his drive normals to curse the opponent and through doing so, turns himself from a passive keep-away creeper into a monstrous pressure master. All drive normals will curse on hit (only one is required), meaning it is important to understand how to pressure/combo the enemy afterwards, since otherwise your pressure game will lack teeth.

When cursed, the opponent has watch out for the much dreaded bugs that Arakune can begin summoning. However, Arakune has to ensure that he does not overextend himself while the the opponent is cursed since curse will end as soon as he is hit. Tailor your curse-specific setups to be somewhat safe against mashing reversals and bursts.

All bugs drain the curse gauge (which already automatically depletes), meaning that if you have made heavy use of bug pressure you will need to re-curse the enemy when starting a combo (there are several methods to do this, see below).

5D: Transforms Arakune into a gasbag and makes him belch a purple cloud which crumples on hit. Can be comboed into with relative ease and also functions as so-so okizeme. Jump-cancellable on hit and block, which is very useful during combos and pressure respectively. This move is active for quite a while which means you avoid whiffing this move because you are going to be open to a full punish if you do so. As such, avoid throwing it out randomly in neutral.

6D: An slow projectile attack where Arakune makes a radio signal which calls in a bell-shaped bug to the front of him. The bell bug must be blocked high, but falls very slowly. Arakune is wide open to counter-attack during the summoning animation, so use this at a distance from the enemy during neutral, or as part of a curse mix-up. Can be used to create an unblockable setup during curse.


2D: Semi-decent zoning tool which is restricted mainly by its slow start-up time. Turns Arakune into a cannon which fires a muddy egg in a falling arc. After the egg has hit the ground a larvae will pop up after a short moment. Both the egg and the larvae will curse on hit, but they will not combo into each other without a properly spaced counter-hit or using curse bugs. The falling projectile arc makes it relatively easy to jump over, however, and since 2D is a bit on slow side it is quite possible to do so on reaction. Use with care.

j.5D/6D/4D/3D: Arakune immediately stops in mid-air and begins falling down while summoning a bug that pops up from the ground. Holding neutral will make the bug appear right in front of Arakune, holding back will make it pop up behind him, holding down-forward will make it appear at the distance of a forward dash, while holding forward will cause it to show up at the point of two forward dashes ahead.

Crimson: Insect swarm

The curse bugs are what forms the meat of Arakune´s gameplay and gameplan. In effect, they allow him link his normals together ways that are impossible during pre-curse, they extend blockstrings, and they can punish reversals while Arakune himself is blocking them. They can even turn mistakes (or fake-outs) like a whiffed throw into a trap!

All bugs are summoned by negative edging, i.e. releasing a button. Holding left or right while releasing will alter the bug´s movement. This is unaffected by vertical inputs, so for example, if you release the A button while holding at 1 (down-back) it will register as 4 (back). Once summoned the bug will drain some of the curse gauge and is then put on cooldown before you can summon it again.

Bug spawn points are determined by screen position. You need to be aware of this when Arakune approaches the corner, since many bug setups and combos change.

{A} - A bug: A critter with way too many rows of teeth jumps out from the screen Arakune faces towards and falls down in an arc. For the most part this bug will serve as either a block string extender or combo filler on floating opponents. Holding left or right will alter the trajectory of the arc. Summoning this while holding neutral will make the bug pass over grounded enemies, use {6A} to get around this. Consumes very little curse gauge and can be resummoned almost instantly after it has left the screen.

{B} - B bug: An arrow-like bug with a Joker-like smile darts down from the top of the screen at an angle. Launches grounded opponents while spinning them. A key combo staple and pressure bug. Holding left or right will change the bug´s entry point. Consumes only slightly more curse gauge than the A bug. Has similar cooldown timing as well.

{C} - C bug: A tartar that pops out of the ground in front of Arakune and hits the enemy in the back (do note that it is not a cross-up attack like Nirvana´s when attacking from behind). Crumples on grounded hit. Holding left or right will change the bug´s entry point. The second key combo staple move which sets up many devastating loops. Pulls the opponent towards Arakune on hit and block, but since it consumes a notable portion of the curse gauge you should only use it sparsely during pressure. Has some cooldown, but due to the bug´s properties this is not that big an issue in practice.

{D} - D bug: The least consistent of the bugs, this spiny wasp flies in a narrow U-curve from the top of the screen while hitting a huge amount of times during its active period. Unfortunately, the bug also has a tendency to push the enemy out of its range, which makes it tricky to combo with. Holding left or right will change the bug´s entry point. While on the way down you will want to avoid hitting the opponent with it, but if you can get them stuck on it when it is on the way up, you can net yourself a good deal of damage. Comboing into it in such a fashion often requires very specific timing which character dependent, however. Avoid using it otherwise unless you are going for a re-curse (where the summon is more incidental than anything). Consumes quite a bit of curse gauge and has significant cooldown, which in case of the latter is often a good thing.

The 6C, dive, and wheel loops

At midscreen you have two major combo paths (which conveniently link into each other should you so wish) to begin putting on the hurt.

The 6C loop: 6C > C > 2C → B bug → 6A bug → Repeat

This is the bread and butter of Arakune´s curse combos and works on grounded opponents as well as floating ones. Summon the B bug about the same time 2C hits and then quickly summon the 6A bug after you released the B button. Make sure to hit-confirm into 6C as much as you can. The 6C series is very unsafe on block, and you really do not want lose curse.

Typical hit-confirms for this are:

CB bugs → 6C loop

5B > 5D > A PQ → CB bugs → 6C loop

6A > 5D > Equals 0 → CB bugs → 6C loop

If you attempt a 6C loop late in combo you will need to stick in an A bug between the first attacks in the series. Simply press 6A slightly after you have pressed 6C to prevent the enemy from teching.

Does not work in the corner because of the A bug whiffing, but since there are other options there you can focus on those instead.

The dive loop: j.6A/B/C > jc → j.2A > j.2B > j.2C → CB bugs → Repeat

This only works on floating enemies. The A bug after the jump cancel is the bug that you summon when you do j.2A. In order to get all the three dives to hit you may need to jump cancel forward or neutrally, depending on spacing, character and which bird you used (and occasionally you may need to back jump cancel). Hold the the C button when pressing j.2C and release it when the enemy is close to the ground (and then immediately summon the B bug).

The dive loop will keep the opponent floating in roughly the same area from you started it, so if you want to keep them at midscreen you can hold forward or backward when Arakune sinks into the ground to pop up on the other side of them and continue from there on.

Most starters for the 6C loop will work for this too as long as the enemy is airborne when you start the dive loop.

Fairly unstable in the corner.

The wheel loop: j.6A/B > y-two dash → CB bugs → Repeat

Much like the dive loop, this only works on floating enemies. This series does very little damage in comparison to the two other ones, but has the benefits of larger corner carry and being stable in the corner. Because of y-two dash´s height restriction, it may be neccesary to add a few j.As before cancelling into the bird of choice to make the enemy gain some altitude. The C button must be held down after performing j.236C and the B bug must released at the same time as the C bug.

A standard hit-confirm for this would be 5A > 6B.

It's actually not very practical as a loop, but it can very effectively link into the two other ones.

Arakune and air dashing

Air dashing usually moves a character in a straight line, but not Arakune´s. Arakune moves instead in a slight upwards arc which also affects the movements of his j.A, j.B, and j.C.

When holding back during an air dash and doing any of the three attacks mentioned above, Arakune will exit his dash status and begin to fall to the ground. This is a very important pressure tool and it can be followed up with ground normals immediately on landing. j.B in particular is very good for this purpose. The notation for this is j.4A, j.4B, and j.4C.

Apart from normals you can also use barrier blocking (j.4AB as a method to break your air dash. This has the added benefit of blocking DPs and reversals, granting Arakune some baiting potential.

A note on instant air dashing: Arakune requires slightly different timing to perform one in difference to most of cast. When jumping forward (or backward) you will need to delay the second directional input for a moment before tapping it, otherwise it will not come out.

Dive cancelling

After hittting the opponent with a dive (or making them block it), Arakune will pass through them, hit the ground, and enter the move´s recovery state. Dive cancelling allows you to skip the recovery and immediately perform another attack when you hit the ground, but it requires some fairly tight execution to perform, since you are doing two cancels almost simultaneously.

First, input a dive command when you are almost touching the ground (for example, if you have used j.2B > j.2C you will need to use j.2A). If you do this correctly, a low ground attack will come out (in the above example, 2A would come out). Secondly, when inputting the dive attack, input another attack directly after that (5D for our example). This will cause Arakune to cancel his dive recovery into that ground attack, when done correctly.

Has several uses that you can experiment with (combos, pressure, mix-ups, etc.).

Combos

Note that "CB bugs" means that the C bug will hit before the B bug. ">" indicates a cancel while "→" indicates a link. Some combos may omit bug notation if they are not relevant for the combo.

IAD j.4B > 5B (1) > 5D

Lets you practice instant air dashing with Arakune. Works both as a combo and a blockstring. Follow-ups to this are possible, but remember that any version of j.B prorates quite a bit in combos.

Forward Throw > f inverse > 5D

Requires 50 Heat. SImple throw combo that adds curse.

AA 5C > jc → j.6A/B/C > jc > j.A > j.B (1-2) > j.C > j.D

Anti-air combo that adds curse. Due to 5C´s unreliability you may want to omit it and just go air-to-air instead.

5B (1) > 5D > A PQ → CB bugs → [6C > C > 2C → B bug → 6A bug] x2 → j.A > j.C > j.D

This is a standard midscreen BnB with two 6C loops and a recurse ender. Does not work in the corner.

6A > 5D > Equals 0 → CB bugs → 6C > C > 2C → B bug → 6A bug → j.6A > jc, A bug → j.2A > j.2B > j.2C → CB bugs → j.6A/B > jc → j.A > j.C > j.D

A variation of the above with an overhead starter, a 6C loop, a dive loop, and recurse ender. Does not work very well in the corner either. Feel free to mix and match with the one above.

2A > 5B (1) > 5D > A PQ → C bug → 5A > 6B > jc → 6B bug → j.6B > y. two-dash → CB bugs → 6C > C > 2C → 6D bug → f inverse → 5D

Requires 50 Heat. Another BnB variation, this time with a low hit-confirm, a wheel loop, a 6C series that ends with a D bug, and a distortion finisher with recurse ender. Works in the corner. 6D bug must released around the same time as 6C hits (character specific timing required). 5D at the end must be jump cancelled as the opponent can immediately after being hit.

6C > C > 2C > RC > 5C > jc → j.A > j.C > j.D

Requires 50 Heat. There is a tendency among fresh Arakune players to sometimes use raw 6C in precurse, which is very risky and can potentially make you lose. We can still turn that into something postive (if very, very Hail Mary-esque), though! Adds curse and does quite a bit of damage on its own.

f of g → j.6A > y. two-dash → CB bugs → 6C > C > 2C → 6D bug

Requires 50 Heat. A fairly straightforward combo that you should keep on hand in the rare event that you happen to land Arakune´s air distortion. 6D bug must be summoned around the time 6C hits (character specific timing required).

TBW - Looking for volunteers!

TBW - Looking for volunteers!

The nodachi-wielding Hakumen is one of the Six Heroes, the legendary band that once stood against the Black Beast during the First War of Magic. Recently recovered by Sector Seven from the edge of the Boundary, he has materialized in Kagutsuchi - the setting of Calamity Trigger.

Overview

Hakumen is BlazBlue´s premier defensive tank, preferring patient players that like to wait for an opening in the opponent´s offense before seizing the initiative to charge in. The main reason for this is Hakumen´s unique eight-gauged meter (each individual gauge is referred to as a magatama) which depletes when he uses any special attacks; as such it follows that he can not frivolously throw out his specials that make up a substantial part of his combos, as they all cost meter. Compensating for this, however, is the fact Hakumen´s meter regenerates on its own, which in combination with regular meter gain will grant access to rapid cancels and his distortion drives more often than usual in comparison to the rest of the cast.

All this means that a lot of matches will involve a greater proportion of poke-counterpoke games than usual to sustain the meter game. This is an area that Hakumen is good at, if not particulary great. His poking damage is relatively high, but his pokes generally being a bit on the slow side offsets that. What makes him stand out from the rest of the cast is his drive, which grants him the ability to counter-attack opponents who lands a hit on him. As such, he also is able to blow up frame traps and exploit gaps in the enemy´s blockstrings to turn the tides.

With that said, Hakumen has his share of weaknesses as well. First and foremost, he is slow, lacks the ability to run on the ground, and his jump is sluggish and floaty. His toolset is ill-suited to fighting zoning of most kinds, due to the aforementioned mobility issue as well as requiring meter to properly forward dash. Furthermore, his midscreen combo damage is generally forgettable unless you landed a throw or burned a good deal of meter, the latter of which he can not be frivolous with. Finally, his mix-up potential is heavily gimped without meter.

Delay-cancelling

Unlike the rest of the cast, Hakumen does not cancel a normal into another normal by pressing a button when the first one connects. Instead the player has to wait a slight moment after the hit before pressing the next button. This is referred to as a "delayed cancel", a sort of half-state between cancelling and linking. The one exception to this rule is 6A -> 6B, which is a regular cancel.

This does not apply to specials or distortion drives; they are cancelled into as normal.

Notable normals

66: Informally known as the Hop. On paper, this is Hakumen´s ground dash, but it is fairly slow and not that useful for forward movement. However, it does have one very interesting feature: It moves Hakumen off the ground for a short moment. This becomes very useful when you have the appropriate amount of meter, as you are able to cancel the dash into airborne specials, opening up many possibilities for you.

2A: Far reaching jab which can be delay-cancelled into itself. This allows for easy hit-confirms, making this one of Hakumen´s most reliable starters.

5B: A fast high kick with decent reach. Good for poking during footsies as well as being a solid starter. Can also be delay-cancelled into 2A.

6B: Unlike the following games in the series, this is not an overhead. However, it does have its uses since the enemy will be slammed to the floor when hit by this move, which can start a combo when you have the meter for it.

5C: Hakumen´s best starter normal and a half-decent anti-air slash. Can lead into fairly solid mid-screen damage (by Hakumen´s standards, at any rate) with the appropriate amount of meter. Has a projectile guard point, which enables Hakumen to cancel out one-hit projectiles.

2C: If you reverse the swing direction of 5C you get this, which is Hakumen´s best anti-air normal. It is also jump-cancelable and can be followed up without spending (too much) meter. Also has a projectile guard point, like all of Hakumen´s C normals.


6C: A large lunging slash which can be charged for extra damage. Does a pretty significant number on the opponent´s lifebar even when uncharged. Yields massive frame advantage on counterhit, to where you can even link into a 5C after it. Can, however, not be cancelled into specials, only distortion drives. One projectile guard point.

j.B: Hakumen best jump-in. Can be delay-cancelled into from j.A.

j.2C: A slash with several odds and ends. It stops Hakumen´s movement in the air on hit and block during a forward jump and moves him backwards on neutral jumps/backjumps. Has fairly long hitstun which enables him to air dash into a follow-up afterwards. Its projectile guard point combined with its hitbox makes this a useful, if slow, anti-projectile move.

Drive: Zanshin

Hakumen´s drive grants him the ability to counter incoming attacks and retaliate with a move of his own. Counters are mainly used to stop some of the slower attacks in the game, as a psychic "DP", as an anti-frame trap tool, and to reverse the momentum of the match in general. They shine the most when you have magatamas stocked.

In order for an attack to be counterable it must be a strike, and it must blockable. Hakumen also need to be in range for his counter attack to connect. All drive counters (except 5D) are active on the first frame, i. e. immediately. The downside of that is that they have very short active periods. All counters renders the enemy unable to burst until the next attack if they connect, granting Hakumen the option for unburstable distortion combos.

5D: Catches standing attacks, jump-ins, and overheads. While not immediately active, it has a longer active period than the other counters which gives it some use when attempting to counter on a read. If the counter is triggered, Hakumen will grab the enemy and slam them down on the other side of him. The counterattack will whiff on opponents which are right above you, though.

2D: Catches standing and crouching attacks. When activated, Hakumen will hook his foot into the opponent and smash them to the ground behind him, much like 5D. Has similar follow-ups as well.

6D: Catches the same types of moves that 5D works against. Performs a palm thrust that pushes the enemy back while spinning them upon activation. Does no damage, but can be followed up with relative ease. The counterattack will whiff on opponents which are right above you, same as 5D.

j.D: Catches the same attacks that 5D works against. Can be performed very close to the ground, which makes many low attacks whiff if used this way. Also stops Hakumen´s aerial movement, giving him some ability to make anti-air attempts whiff. Sends the opponent rocketing upwards when triggered. Little to no follow-up potential without rapid cancels and even then they are so limited that burning the meter is usually not worth it.

Specials

236A - Gurren/Crimson: Hakumen thrusts forward and rams the opponent with his sword´s pommel. Wallbounces airborne enemies which lets you continue the combo. Should only really be used in combos or as a whiff punisher when 6C will not reach. Costs 1 magatama.

623A - Kishuu/Demonic Leg: This is Hakumen proper forward dash which also lets him low profile attacks as well as dodge projectiles. Can be cancelled into Enma for a variety of purposes. Costs 1 magatama.

623A > A - Enma/Hades: An uppercut that launches opponents and can be jump-cancelled should you wish to follow it up. Since it can be air blocked you should be thinking of this less as an anti-air, and more of a ground-to-air poke if you are using this against jumps in neutral. Costs 1 magatama in addition to Kishuu.

214B - Renka/Lotus: The bread-and-butter of Hakumen´s combos. Begins with a standing low kick that floats the enemy, followed by a sobat kick which sends them flying. Both hits can be cancelled into another special. Costs 2 magatama.

41236C - Zantetsu/Steel Slash: Hakumen takes a step forward and performs a large downward slash (which must be blocked high), followed by a ducking side cut (which must be blocked low) that knocks down. Hakumen´s only ground overhead. Will do large amounts of damage on a raw hit. Both hits can be cancelled into another special. Costs 3 magatama.

j.214B - Hotaru/Firefly: An upwards kick which distinguishes itself as Hakumen´s best anti-air in his arsenal. Is air unblockable and has high vertical reach. Can be performed very close off the ground by tiger kneeing the input. Horizontal range is a bit lacking, but it can be worked around by cancelling the Hop into Hotaru. Costs 2 magatama.

j.214C - Tsubaki/Camelia: Smashes the opponent to the ground with a large downward cut. Servicable as an air combo ender. Can also function as an overhead starter when cancelled from a Hop. Costs 3 magatama.

Distortion Drives and Astral Heat

632146C - Kokūjin: Shippu/Judgement: Squall: A somewhat slow distortion which consists of two parts: A heavy falling sword blow and a projectile wave. Make sure to hit with the sword if possible when using this, since the wave does pitiful damage for the meter you are spending. If the sword hits, the projectile wave is avoided. Useful as a combo ender at close to mid range. At long range Shippu becomes easy to avoid which, together with its lack of speed and it being easily interruptable, makes it a poor anti-zoning tool. Costs 4 magatama.

236236D - Kokūjin: Yukikaze/Judgement: Snowstorm: The infamous counter distortion which is fully capable of turning a match on its head. Catches high, mid, and jump attacks (not lows though). When triggered Hakumen will perform a unblockable dash-through sword strike that plucks off a third or so of the enemy´s healthbar. The unblockablilty makes this move a decent anti-zoning tool. The enemy is unable to burst after the hit, just like the normal counters. Costs 4 magatama.

214214B - Kokūjin Ōgi: Mugen/Retribution: Infinity: Available once your meter gauge is full. When performed it will cause the gauge to deplete until it is empty, while giving you unlimited magatama access during the period it depletes. Both Shippu and Yukikaze receive damage boosts while Mugen mode is active. "Costs" 8 magatama.

720D - Kokūjin Ōgi: Akumetsu/Retribution: Perish Evil: Hakumen´s Astral Heat is all in all a very good move, its only two drawbacks being its fiddly input command and that it does not function against projectiles. However, the input issue can be side-stepped by the fact that Akumetsu is mapped to SP4. Counters all other forms of attacks, including unblockable ones, and also throws as well. Once activated, Akumetsu will kill the enemy no matter where they stand. Costs 8 magatama.

Sample combos

Note that ">" indicates a regular cancel, "→" indicates a link, and ">" indicates a delayed cancel.

5B > Renka (2), Damage: 1852, Magatama cost: 2

Standard midscreen BnB. 5B can be exchanged for other starters such as 2A > 2A (for a simple hit-confirm), 2B > 2A (for a low hit-confirm), or 5C (for optimization). Can also be tweaked into 5B > 2A.

5B > Renka (2) > Gurren → 6C, Damage: 3055, Magatama cost: 3

In order to connect with Gurren after you have sent them flying with Renka you have to delay the cancel a bit after the sobat kick has connected. On some characters you have to forego the second Renka hit as Gurren will otherwise whiff. A cost-effective way of juicing up your midscreen damage. All other variations mentioned above work as well for this. 6C can not be charged.

CH 5C > Zantetsu, Damage: 3087, Magatama cost: 3

The only way to combo into Zantetsu without floating the enemy or Rapid cancels.

6A > 6B > Gurren → 6C, Damage: 1917-1954, Magatama cost: 1

Can be used for close range whiff punishing, amongst other things. 6C can be charged but you must always manually release it for it to combo. Holding C down until Hakumen automatically slashes will cause the combo to drop. Keep in mind that 6A > 6B is a regular cancel, as opposed to a delayed one.

Forward Throw > Gurren → 6C, Damage: 3068-3196, Magatama cost: 1

Good damage for a very small cost. Like the above, 6C can be charged but you must always manually release it for it to combo.

5D → Shippu, Damage: 4164, Magatama cost: 4

Unburstable distortion combo. You can also perform this with 2D. 6D will leave the opponent too far away for the sword swing to hit, unfortunately.

AA 2C > jc → Hotaru, Damage: 1726, Magatama cost: 2

A decent anti-air combo if you are aiming to force a reset back to neutral. The enemy can air dash towards you if they air tech though. Exchange Hotaru for j.2C should you wish to save meter and/or knock the opponent further away.

AA 2C > jc → j.A > j.B > jc → j.A > j.B, Damage: 1734, Magatama cost: 0

After 2C you may need to super jump cancel depending on enemy altitude. You can use this combo when you want to build some meter. However, since the enemy can air tech afterwards and begin pressuring you in the skies, you should be prepared to either use air normals, Tsubaki, Hotaru or...

Air Throw → j.C → 5C > Zantetsu → 3C, Damage: 4120, Magatama cost: 3

A quite powerful throw combo whose only drawback is that the enemy can almost instantly tech recover.

5B > Renka → 5C > Renka → 3C, Damage: 4072, Magatama cost: 4

Corner combo, a bit too meter hungry to be a BnB though. 5B can be substituted for any of the midscreen startes outlined in the beginning of the section.

CH Charged 6C → 5C > Renka → 5C > Renka → 5C > Zantetsu → 3C, Damage: 7878, Magatama cost: 7

Charged 6C may be unlikely to hit a block-happy opponent, but the massive damage this corner combo yields can make the risk seem acceptable sometimes.

Writers

TheSprinkle42 - Creator, Ragna
Gure - Jin
Freaklund - Arakune, Hakumen

Sources

Dustloop Archives

Blazblue Wiki