Soul Calibur II - The Fighter's Edge

Master the basics and then learn the tricks of the trade with platform specific characters Heihachi, Spawn and Link.

For many, Soul Calibur II will be their first exposure to the tale of souls and swords, eternally retold. While it's quite easy to grasp, there are some key points of which to be aware.

Movement and Distance
The most important gameplay element you'll first notice is the eight-way run. Moving on a 3D plane is not that new to fighting games, but few titles integrate it into competitive play as well as Soul Calibur II. Moving around not only gets you out of the way of certain attacks, but also takes advantage of defensive blind spots. Maneuvering around (refereed to as eight-way movement in SCII) also helps avoid walls that players can get slammed into or ledges that spell instant death. All your fancy footwork won't mean much if you dance too closely to the foe, so be mindful of the opponent's reach and any moves that allow that gap to close faster than you can react.


Just barely out of striking range

Cervantes demonstraight eight-way movement

Watch out for that ledge!


Offense
Here are the top three things to be mindful of when starting to get serious about winning.

Running Attack

With all the eight-way movement, it's easy to incorporate the running attack into your arsenal. The most effective is the sliding kick, achieved by tapping K while running. Unless your enemy is trained to mostly block low, a sliding kick has a high probability of connecting. It's best to save it for opportune instances, such as when your opponent is next to a ledge.
Unblockables

These moves are easy to spot because there's a charge time delay and the resulting blow explodes with devastating flames. Each character has a few with different striking distances, so try to find one that covers a lot of ground, but is a relatively safe distance from your opponent. A good time to use such a move is when a foe has just been knocked down and hasn't recovered yet.
Combo Starter

Each character has some attack that lifts an opponent into the air for a combo. The move is almost always tap (db, B), but a few have additional ones, like Link's Rocket Stab, tap (u,B). Experiment to create your own favored air juggles, but keep in mind that they won't always land the same way.


Defense
As the saying goes, a good defense is a good offense, so prepare to react to your opponent accordingly!

Air Recover

Landing on the floor after getting hit hurts and leaves you vulnerable to a myriad of ground attacks. To recover in the air, tap G at almost any point after you're knocked into the sky. Be aware that this can backfire and cause you to get juggled even more, so time your recovery well.
Wall Recover

Getting knocked into a wall is big, big trouble because it keeps you close to the player who's juggling you senseless. A tap of the G button once again lets you recover to either side of the wall and puts you back in action.
Air Shift

Without a doubt, the most important defensive move to use and abuse is the Air Shift. Normally, your character is helpless once knocked into the air, but Soul Calibur II allows you to shift your weight in the air to avoid getting caught up in combos. To do this, press in the direction you'd like to head.


Console-Exclusive Characters
It's great that you can play Soul Calibur II no matter what platform you own but not so great since you must have all three consoles to play as the following characters. Check out the follow combo and moves guides to get the most out of your character.

Fighter's Edge | Heihachi , Heihachi #2 | Spawn , Spawn #2 | Link , Link #2

Moves Legend

A = Horizontal Attack
B = Vertical Attack
K = Kick
G = Guard
f = Foward
b = Backward
u = Up
d = Down
( ) = Execute commands in parenthesis simultaneously

Note: this legend pertains to all consoles.

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