Ask a Ninja: Kagemaru General Question Thread

Ask questions here so the forum doesn't get all cluttered.

 

Where did Kage get his scar?

 

It's never been officially stated, but one can safely assume that it happened during his off-screen ninjadventures. I like to think that he dueled Leonardo this one time.

What I find interesting is how it kind of moves. Back in VF2, it was on his cheek. From VF5, it crosses just under his eye, presumably to make it more visible while he's under the mask.

 

I bet it was from something mundane like a bread knife accident. Not everything in a ninjas life has to be ninja related you know.

 

Most immediately damaging doesn't necessarily mean most useful. More options make some other throws more powerful, in a sense.

 

46P+G is Kage's best throw and imo the best throw in the game period. 80+ damage combo minimum and beefed up near wall. Overpowered as hell on open stage/low fence stage.

You don't need to use any of his stances to be effective at all. They add a nice dimension to your game though. Practice jumonji stance from 6p, shippujin stance from your pk punishes and backturned from 4k for starters.

Read my guide

Jin is the only Kage player I really used to watch on YouTube and I'm not sure who else uses Kage nowadays.

 

Yo wassup!

I just started playing fs again. Forgot a lot of stuff.
My question is what strategies doe you guys use?

For example if i do a st p on block my next move is 2 p. After that im in disadvantage.
Now ok i know i should get a little defensive here and guard the next move of my oponent.
If he does 2 p on my block i know is in my favor again. But what i want to know is: besides those little flowchart games, whate are the good options aftere those flowcharts. Not talking about throws and ch 33 p. But the more damaging counterhit/wake up/side crumple setups. (For Kage offcource)

Cause now i almost only play whit mindgames alone. ( Which is risky lol)

Since i dont see a lot of Kage players i think it good to discus about his option for dis/advantage. But not only for example: p+k is a good move. But also when to use this.

Another question about Kage what is his playstyle? Defensive rushdow zoning or a mix between some playstyle?

Ps where those Kage players at???

 

Not 100% sure what you're asking. P+K should mostly be used from the side or back (causes a crumple on counter hit) such as after your shippujin PPP lands, or near a wall (where it causes a wall stagger), or just to blow through sabakis and the like.

Kage can be played however you want, he is flexible.

 

Thanks for the early reply!

I did not mean p+k in particulare.

If you for example win the flowchart game block something -13 (im not good with frames)and go in what you said. SH from lets say a pk punish. That leads into a knock down? If they do a rising attack that you can wiff pinish with SH 6p into a combo. (Thats what I normally do)

That setup with the SH ppp sets you up for an side crumple CH where do you use it because you have to let them stand first.

Besides that one is there an other setup. Like I see with other charachters that score a knockdown an jump (not sure) and land behind and land a CH.

I am sorry for my english its not my main language.

Thanks!

Ps: I have read your guide it helped a lot.

Are there any flowcharts that leads into a certain setups wich let you use moves whit longer execution?

Edit:

Never mind lol I did not read your guide completly.

 

ok, this may sound like a stupid question, but where does kage get his damage from vs a strong defensive player? I'm not talking about throws vs someone who guards a lot, but I mean someone who knows how to defend and attack appropriately.
I'm getting to grips with tis character, but I'm having a hard time forcing someone to open up because they just aren't scared by a good guardbreak or an easy mid launcher.

going to stance after 4p/6p/pk is an option for mixups, but the risk/reward is quite high if they defend properly and punish. spacing and annnoying with 2k+g, p+k, 4k(kk) mixups only takes you so far.

as a kage player, can you give me some moments where you are looking for a certain siuation to pop up that has good rewards for relatively low risk? or is kages game really just annoying the hell out of your opponent.

what can he "abuse"??

i'm looking for more advanced ideas than just basics(im past basics), so really things you look out for or setupsthat are strong and can force the opponent to think twice.

 

Hi all. I want to make Kage my sub (Akira is my main) but I'm having difficulty getting a good flow going with him. I've understood that stance based characters (e.g.: Lei, Lau, Kage etc.) is good to go into stance from moves and never really go into a without a move prior for mixup. I know how to use Lau pretty well and I have good mixup between using Kokei and not using it but with Kage, I dunno, I just struggle to apply any sort of pressure with him. I just sit there guarding a lot. I know the kind of combos he can do of 46P+G like buffered knee, 6_p, K+G, 46K+G, K, K and hoping there is a wall behind them to do another triple kick but in terms of effectiveness in a fight in general, I struggle to apply pressure so what are Kage's main moves for applying pressure? Thanks.

P.S.: I'm willing to share any Akira/Lau tech if anyone wants to know too

 

His 6P is excellent. Learn how to utilise stances after this move, especially Jumonji after it's guarded.
4P and 2K+G are fast and half circular
4P+KP is fast and covers the other direction.
3PP blows up highs and throws

throw or 2_3P in nitaku.
4K+G, delayed throw, or 44K+G to beat fuzzy

punish with PK, 4PK, 1P+K, 3KK, DPoD
whiff punish with 4PK, 2K+G, 3KK, 66P+K. You can use 6K+G if the opponent cant/doesnt tech roll it (try once or twice to check).

when you get a knockdown you can pressure with slower moves like 9K+G or K+G which are +1 on guard + combo on any hit or the 4K string which has a lot of mixup pressure. can also use 6P+K which side turns them.

66P+K opponents who refuse to stand up, especially on wake up. Kage is weakest at beating fuzzy and/or sustained crouch guard, so you have to make sure to try not allow them to exploit that.

from side: 4P+KP is unblockable, 3K gives pp4p on nh/ crumple on ch. P+K gives crumple and is dblhanded.

Near wall he becomes a lot stronger.

near wall -> 3KK gives wall bounce combo, 2K+G gives wall slump combo, P+K gives wall stagger into 2K+G splat attempt and tft gets extra dmg.

very close to wall -> 2K+G gives wall splat on any hit, 4P+KP covers other evade direction, 44K+G gives wall stagger into BT K splat attempt, tft gets extra dmg, 64P+G becomes wall throw.

My Kage guide needs an update but should still be helpful to someone just starting out with him.

 

vs tech roller if you finish a combo with 2p+k,k or 3k+g use (buff)BT 7k it'll give you combo or +4 on guard.
46p+k mixup is good: -finish the string
-throw
-SH stance options

but read Elite's guide you'll find enough stuff to have fun with Kage.

 

great replies guys. so about 4p and 6p. how do you go about using it? my reactions aren't fast enough to confirm a counterhit or block. do you think of a "flowchart" before you execute it, or have you practised the hitconfirms on it?

 

Do you mean hit checking and then deciding to go into stance? Or knowing beforehand you're going to go into stance and then just hit checking as you're doing that?


example:

6P into jumonji
(hit check)

If guarded do Pstring or P+K or K+G or P+K+G

If nh do Pstring or 6P or K+G or 2K

if crouch/counterhit do K+G or 6K or whatever you want except P+K

So you're going into jumonji regardless and then just acting accordingly. As long as you dont go into JU every time you can still threaten with throws so your JU wont be free to evade and you can still use fuzzy etc after your elbow is guarded.

 

Sup dudes? I'm a fan of any ninja fighter, but I have my favorites lmao! Some may not know, but I'm a DOA player (Kasumi main) but I've also been playing VF since VF2. I just joined the community thanks to the swaying of Silent Legend & Blackula. Kage would normally be the character that I would use, but now I wanna go deeper in terms of offline play.

So what type of character is Kage? What's his general gameplan?

 

not sure if my opinion is that of most kage players, but I play him focusing on counterhits, using different ranges to defend and start attacks (lots of dashing, using his attacks that evade attacks like 3pp, 44k+g, 9k+g) and overal trying to make the opponent crazy from doing wierd sh#t.

his damage isn't as high as some of the other characters in this game, but he can really keep the pressure going (advantage, evading moves, but also oki/wakeup situations) and has a solution to everything, this is where his strengths lie. He can be kind of tricky to master, but really rewarding too!

 

Hi, I'm new here so here is my first question. How does Kage play in Ultimate Showdown compared to Final Showdown?

 

Costume game is decreased compared to Final Showdown