VF5FS Kage Guide

*Disclaimer - Much of this thread is based on my opinion of how to play as Kage, and I am by no means a VF God*

Having seen far fewer Kage players online than I had anticipated, and since the ones I have seen have mostly seemed to be "doing it wrong"; this is a guide intended for anyone who wants to start using Kage but isn't sure how to begin or what moves/strategies to implement to get the most out of this (awesome) character. I will include a few simple combos but for the most part this thread is more aimed at strategy and when you should use your moves rather than MAXIMUM DAMAGE!!

Reasons to pick Kage

Style
Speedy pokes that are safe
Moves of all levels for a good mixup game (high, mid, low)
Safe launchers
Mixups into two powerful stances to keep the opponent confused
Moves with various properties that limit your opponents options
Good throw game
Epic ring outs
Ability to severly and directly punish a predictable opponent if you get a good read on their habits

Reasons not to pick Kage

Requires higher execution than some characters
He doesn't have the best combo damage
He cannot punish as well or easily as some characters
Lacks "all round" moves that combine speed with ability to combo on normal hit
Requires good yomi to achieve big damage
You're a coward
You only like to use females


Here is a breakdown of Kage's moves with a general idea of what to use and when.

Quick pokes

These moves should be your first line of offense at neutral to small advantage situations since they are hard to interrupt and can open up your opponent to bigger and better things. These moves should all be safe if guarded and usually even if evaded.


Standard high jab. This comes out in 11fr and gives you frame advantage even if guarded (+2), so as long as this connects with the opponent you can throw out a fast move like and beat out the dreaded from them. On hit you have enough advantage to try a bigger move. Use this a lot.


Standard low jab (dick punch). This is your go-to move when you want to break up your opponent's attacks. It comes out at 12fr and is (special) low so it will beat any high attack and any move that comes out too slowly. Don't become a scrub and overuse this because with too much disadvantage you're going to eat a big combo. Unlike this move is -5 when guarded so you must hit check this.


This move is the shit. Standard 14fr "elbow" class attack which happens to actually be an elbow. This move has fairly short range compared to some other characters' (Jacky, Akira) so it's best used when you're up close and personal. This move leaves you at -4 on guard so fuzzy guard is possible, however this move also allows transition into Jumonji stance so you can continue your attack even if guarded sometimes for great reward. On normal hit you are at 0 frames which is pretty lame, however this rarely happens. More often than not if this hits it will either be a counter hit or you will catch them crouching. Here you get a nice advantage of either +6(crouch) or +7(counter) so your will stuff any attack from them for a combo. As mentioned you can transition into Jumonji by holding the command or Shippujin by inputting ++. Switching to stance knocks 2fr off your recovery so if guarded you are are -2 instead of -4 and on counter hit you will be at +9 instead of +7 etc. Mixing up what you do from this move is the key to making it successful. Use often.


Another great move. This is high and comes out in 13fr. It is half circular so they have to evade the correct way and has great range for such a fast move. It's also +1/+3/+7 so as long as it connects in some way you have frame advantage. +1 is a strange situation as your elbow isn't fast enough to beat their . You can follow a guarded with your own to beat anything they try. This is useful until you have made them realise the situation, then you can apply your mind games from there. You can also use the string to beat their retaliation. This kick is very delayable even while holding to enter Jumonji but be careful as it is -13 if guarded. is guaranteed on any hit so it makes a good punish for +13 situations. Like you can transition to either stance after so make use of that to keep them guessing. Shippujin is a good option here since you can take advantage of the fact that you're at + frames even if guarded, along with any hesitation from them in fear of the string, to build more "advantage" than you should have. As with most situations with Kage, unpredictability is your ally. Use this move often.


This move is similar to in most ways. Overall it is a worse move and should be used sparingly. However, it does have some unique qualities that are useful. This comes out at 12fr and is -4/-1/+6 which leaves you in a worse position than . The redeeming qualities are that it is half circular so it can sometimes catch an evader, and does 3pts more damage, making it better in certain combos. Use but don't overuse.

//
While I'm really not a fan of strings in general, this is quite nice. is high, high, mid meaning you can often catch them crouching or ing and is safe on guard at -5. This move also recovers Back Turned and Kage has a nice Back Turned game that we'll cover in more detail later. After hits (+3), BT is fast enough to beat any attack and if you scored a counter hit (+7) then both BT+ or BT+ will be fast enough. When guarded you can use the full string sometimes which adds a finishing high kick to deter them from counter attacking at fastest timing, however, this is very unsafe if guarded (-16) so use sparingly. is high,high, high, low where the third hit is half circular and -7 on guard and the last hit is full circular and an ugly -18 on guard. The third hit knocks down, guaranteeing the last kick, however since the first three parts of the string are all high this should be used very rarely just to surprise an opponent who is used to seeing your other moves. is high,high and while can be used in open play it is best used as an 11fr punisher. Here you gain guaranteed damage and +4 with the option to go into Shippujin stance.


This is a high move that comes out in 14fr, leads into backturned and has really good range for such a fast move. Use this move from long range as a safe and fast way to close the distance and go backturned for mixups. If done from far enough away you'll recover too far for their to connect afterwards and you'll even be able to use to go over it as it whiffs. is safe on guard at -4 but only gives an even situation on normal hit. On counter hit you get +5 so BT wins out. It's safe to use this move often.


Similar to this move is high and leads into backturned. This one is slightly slower at 15fr and doesn't have as much reach, however, this one is advantage even if guarded (+1) and with proper spacing will beat out high moves as Kage leans away from them during execution. Spacing is the key to this move as if you hit them at the very edge of it's reach you gain an extra frame making it +2 on guard which means BT will stuff their since it would hit at the same time but deals more damage. The perfect spacing for happens to be starting distance so this can make a nice round opener. As with the previous move, if done from far enough away they wont be able to retaliate with safely so use that to your advantage. On hit this move knocks down and on counter hit you can follow with for an easy combo on most characters. It's safe to use this move often.

+
This is a new move and a pretty nice one at that. Another high move (he does have good mids, dont worry) that comes out at 15fr and is very safe if guarded (-2). This move doesn't knock down but gives great advantage on hit (+12) and obscene advantage on counter hit (+17). After a normal hit you can follow with for decent damage and a nice +4 with stance options. On counter hit you have 17fr to work with. If you did + from close enough you can land the full + combo. An easier follow-up is to follow the (+17) with another one (+12) and then the for good damage and +4. + really shines from two situations. Firstly, if the opponent has their back near a wall it reduces the push back and leaves you at +12 and close enough to throw them. The other situation is after Kage's + throw when done from the side. When done from the side this throw puts Kage at the opposite side of the opponent with +15. From here + > + > is guaranteed.

//
Although it's another high move that comes out in 15fr, Kage's standing kick is good for a few reasons. Firstly it's half circular in the opposite direction to most of Kage's fast half circulars which means you can catch their evade if they go the wrong way for a counter hit. Secondly, this move is easy to hit check. On normal hit, the full string of will connect for a combo. On counter hit you can do the same, however, if you were close enough when the first landed you can actually get a better combo such as ++ > SH so this move is better to use at close range than some of his other 15fr highs. The third reason this move is useful is that it allows transition to Shippujin after . As with most entries into Shippujin at close range, try to scare them with the last hit of the string to deter their counterattack and buy you enough time to get into stance safely. Be careful with if guarded as it is unsafe (-15) and the last two strikes are linear so beware evades. As usual, don't get predictable. Another use for is to trick the opponent into freezing up by quickly guard-cancelling it to fake a kick (). If they see Kage moving his leg they may instictively guard which leaves them open to a quick throw attempt. If they happen to evade the kick then they will get put into a "successful evade" state which takes longer to complete than your cancel, so you will have a nice advantage and they will not be able to dash-cancel their evade. This tactic can be applied as the opponent is waking up to trick them into guarding in anticipation of an attack that is not coming.

Slower "pokes"

These moves should be used when you have gained enough advantage to try them or you feel you have outspaced your opponent enough to apply them. Without proper advantage a lot of these moves will be vulnerable to the dreaded or worse, so learning when and when not to use these slower moves is key. They are safe if guarded so as long as you don't get interrupted during execution you can keep the pressure on your opponent.



I am almost reluctant to label this move as a "poke" because it's really a safe launcher. However it is one of Kage's best moves and should be your mid of choice if you sniff the possiblility of a counter hit. As mentioned it is mid level and it comes out at a speedy 15fr. However, since it must be done from a crouch, if done from standing via , it will actually come out at 16fr. This is still good and you should be looking to this move from any +4 or better situation as it will squash from here. You can win matches on the basis of gaining +4 or better and mixing up between or throw alone, and this is a solid foundation on which to build the rest of your game. On guard you are at -6 which is safe but fuzzy guard is not possible. On normal hit you have +3 which isn't great but is enough for you to continue the offensive. On counter hit you get your combo. A basic one to start off with is > > . All in all, this is a great move that provides good damage on counter hit for low risk if guarded. Use often.

+
This is another new move. It's high, low and safe when either hit is guarded. Both hits are half circular in opposite directions so you can sometimes catch an evading opponent. This move can be hit checked and if the first hit connects then the second one is guaranteed to combo. When the first hit is guarded you have a few options. Either you can take the -4 and fuzzy out of it or you can still surprise them with the very delayable second hit. You can also use the threat of the second hit to make them eat your elbow while crouching in anticipation with + > . Mix it up to keep them guessing wrong. After + hits you only have +1 so is a reasonable followup until they stop trying to do their own . If + is crouched under then you should usually stop attacking and prepare to guard their counter attack. This move gets a boost from the side since even if they guard the first hit, they cannot crouch-guard the second hit in time. From the side you are at +4 after + hits. The opponent also remains side-turned so we can add on the 3fr penalty for guarding from this position to effectively give us +7. From here we can safely attempt or + for a side crumple and nice combo.


This is Kage's side kick move. It is a mid level kick that comes out at 16fr, has nice range and is safe if guarded at -6. This should be used when you want to poke from long range and can also be used from close range if you anticipate a backdash for a big stagger. This is also one of your main moves from the opponent's side since from here it causes a big crumple on counter hit. Similar to this move gets a big frame boost if you catch a crouching opponent, jumping from 0 on normal hit to +8 which is the same advantage as a counter hit. This move also has a nice string attached to it in which is mid, high, mid. While the full string is unsafe if guarded at -15 it should mainly be used as a big deterrent for your opponent to counter attack after since starts a combo on counter hit and is delayable. The reason you want to avoid the opponent counterattacking here is so that you can use ++ to sneak into Shippujin stance. Do not get into the habit of doing every time since the opponent can simply after guarding on reaction. Also the whole string is linear so if they evade and you are still doing mindlessly you are leaving yourself open to big damage. Mix things up for best results. You also have the option of which is mid, high and knocks down. This is guaranteed if the first kick hits when done at fastest timing and so can be used as an easy 16f punish on opponents that recover crouching.

+
This is another move that can function as a "side kick". It also has great range, is safe when guarded (-6) and comes out in 16fr. This move works well after a backdash since it allows you to space out short range moves such as the opponent's elbow and immediately rush back in for a mixup. The strength of this move comes from it's possible followups. + is mid, mid, is delayable and allows a combo on counterhit so you can use this to scare the opponent into not retaliating right away after guarding the first hit. This opens the door for +++ into Shippujin for some strong mixups. The first hit is -6/-2/+3 so going into Shippujin with enough advantage is difficult. The key is to make sure they fear the + enough not to attack you. If guarded, + is -10 and the opponent gets a guaranteed throw attempt so make sure to input an escape. As usual, mix things up for best results. This string can also be used to end combos against Shun for an easy 1pt sober in most cases.

+
This move has been hurt a lot in Final Showdown in my opinion since it no longer staggers a crouching opponent and doesn't receive the frame boost that etc get. It is still worth using as a poke however. It comes out in 16fr, has decent range and allows transition into Shippujin. It's safe on guard and at -5 you can crouch dash fuzzy which is nice. This move will go under high moves in certain situations such as after having your guarded (+2) you can follow up with + and you will still beat their even though you should be too slow. On normal hit you only get +1 which is not great so you are really using this move to fish for a counter hit which gives you +6. Anything better than +4 that allows Shippujin is always good since SH will destroy any attack for a combo. + also has a canned followup of + which is delayable in the same way as some of the other strings we've covered. However, this one is pretty bad and should be used very sparingly outside of combos since it is -19 on guard and recovers back turned. It doesn't take a genius to figure out how bad this situation is so be careful. In combos however this is a decent ender if you're not sure what else you could land or against heavyweights etc. It knocks down and leaves you backturned which is a very powerful option for Kage that we will cover later. You can also hold the +: command to enter backturned Jumonji stance if desired.

+
This move is great. A mid level, half circular kick that comes out in 16fr, has good range, knocks down on any hit and is safe if guarded (-8). The thing that really makes this move great is when properly spaced. If you connect on the very edge of its hitbox (very slightly farther than starting distance), you can actually backdash out of their attempted throw after you are guarded. This is very precise though so be mindful of that and you may prefer not to risk it and use a more traditional form of defence. This move is your best friend during those times when you are at range trying to play footsies with the opponent and makes a great whiff punisher. Make sure to mix this up and be mindful of which character you are fighting against since if they evade the correct way you will be left open to punishment.

+
The bullshit destroyer. This move doesn't look special at all on paper. It's mid, decent range, comes out at a fairly slow 17fr and doesn't knock down. However, it has a small amount of pushback and is only -4 on guard meaning fuzzy is possible and provides a nice advantage of +4 on normal hit and +8 on counter hit. What really sets this move apart is the fact that it is a double-handed attack and therefore allows you to crush annoying sabakis, inashis and reversals without having to take a stupid risk such as using +. This is very important for Kage since the vast majority of his best moves are single-handed, high or mid level moves and as such are vulnerable to this kind of tactic, especially Aoi's annoying ying-yang stance. + is also great against Shun as it sobers 1pt for little risk.


This is similar to in the sense that it doesn't feel right to include as a "poke" since it gives you a nice combo on counter hit. This is a 17fr knee so you should use this when you have +5 or better to make sure you can crush for a combo. This move borders on unsafe at -9 on guard and has no followup attack to deter the opponent. When guarded you must defend accordingly. A special case to note is against Wolf who actually has a 9 frame throw (+). This is guaranteed and so his options become stronger as you are forced to break this direction, giving him the opportunity to sneak in an F5 etc. On normal hit only gives +1 so you are really looking to score a counter hit. Here you get a more damaging combo than from so it is worth using if you have enough advantage to try it. Overall, is the better move in my opinion but this one leads to more damage and in general, knee class attacks are less vulnerable to sabakis and other shenanigans than punches are, so you can use that to your advantage against certain characters.


This is a tricky move that you can use to annoy an opponent who isn't good at guessing between hit levels. is 19fr, mid and half circular. It is -5/0/+4 and recovers Back Turned. You can also hold the command to enter Back Turned Jumonji stance which changes the frames to -3/+3/+7 and is probably the best way Kage has to enter this position to try to land his powerful BT JU+ move. Like many of Kage's other strings you can use the threat of the followup hits to deter an immediate counterattack. is mid, special low and also recovers backturned at -6/+2/+4. This second hit will actually duck under some mids such as a mid rising kick for added annoyance for your opponent. is mid, special low, mid. This last hit should only be used sparingly as it is a terrible -20 when guarded. It knocks down on hit and should mainly be used to allow things like > BT to connect. This is another string with a lot of options and mind games so try not to become predictable and see what you can come up with.

+
We are getting into the slower end of Kage's moveslist now. This one is mid level and comes out at 20fr. It has fairly good range and the + input can be delayed to allow Kage to forward dash a bit first. It is safe on guard at -6 and what makes this move useful is that it is one of the few moves Kage has that will combo on normal hit on a crouching opponent while not being ridiculously slow or ridiculously punishable if guarded. As such you should make sure you use this from time to time to force the opponent to stand up and is a good move to hit them with at the end of a tech roll. A basic combo that works on any hit is + > > . This move is also Kage's fastest move that causes a bound in combos so it can be used for big damage there. Against Shun, this also sobers 1pt which is useful since it is a good move anyway. Annoyingly, this only knocks down Taka on counter hit, leaving you at +4 on normal hit.

+
This is another new move for Kage and a very nice one indeed. Kage is one of a few characters with a mid-level move that turns the opponent sideways on hit. This comes out at 21 frames so it isn't the fastest, however, it has fairly nice range, is half circular and safe if guarded at -6. On hit you get +5 and on counter hit you get +8, but more importantly the opponent recovers sideways which gives them the 3fr penalty on guarding and allows your or + to cause a side crumple if they try to attack their way out of this situation. Side turning your opponent is very powerful in Final Showdown and you should make use of this move to force them into this situation.

Low attacks

In order to mix things up to prevent the opponent from being able to standing guard all the time, you will want to use these moves sparingly for a sneak attack and some damage. Low moves in general are unsafe and Kage's are no exception so try not to get caught using these too often.


This is Kage's quickest stand-alone low move at 16fr and it's primary use is to finish an opponent who is very low on health. This is because it is very risky at -15 when guarded and has terrible frames even on hit (-6) and counter hit (0) which do not justify its use in most situations. However, when it will finish an opponent its speed makes it too hard to block on reaction and as long you are not predictable (ie dont try it every single round) it is a nice tool.


This one comes out at 19fr and is half circular. It also knocks down on any hit so it doesn't leave you in a bad situation if used in the middle of a round. This all comes at a price though since this move is a disgusting -31 if guarded, leaving you open to almost every move in the game. Use sparingly.

+
This is probably Kage's best low move and in my opinion is one of the best low moves in the game. It comes out at 22fr and has nice range. It is advantage on normal hit at +2 and recovers backturned. On counter hit you can follow with a combo such as +(counter) > (turn around) > + among other things. If guarded this move leaves you backturned, crouching and at -12 so when factoring in the 6fr penalty to turn around and guard it leaves you open to any mid level move of 18fr or faster (not good). You are also vulnerable to characters with low throws from this position and from backturned they cannot be escaped so like most low moves be careful not to overuse this.


This one of Kage's only full circular moves but is quite slow at 29fr. It knocks down on any hit but is very unsafe at -21 when guarded. However, this move comes with a nice trick in that you can cancel it by pressing to make Kage stop and recover backturned. From here you can attempt to catch them guarding low by using BT+ or any mid level move, or even double-bluff by cancelling and then still using a low move such as BT. It is best to apply this mixup from range or while the opponent is rising from a knockdown to help eat up the startup frames of and prevent you taking a big counter hit.

(from running)
This is a great move from very long range on unsuspecting opponents. The move itself executes in 18fr, however you must be running first so the startup will actually be a little slower. You can input it as to get it to come out asap and you should use this from very long range to surprise the opponent before they can guard low. On any hit you can follow with a combo such as (running) > +. Be careful though since it is easy to spot if they are looking for it and they may actually try to bait you into using it since is easy to evade and is -21 when guarded for easy punishment.

Ninja Magic

These are the moves that will help you leave the opponent scratching his head or throwing his joystick into the TV as they seem to break the rules of the game in your favour. Most of these moves have a long startup execution so they require careful use but usually come with a good reward for proper application.

+
This move is actually fairly straightforward in that it doesn't dodge anything or have any strange properties. What it does is hit at mid level, combo on any hit and leaves you at advantage even when guarded (+1) so it allows you to maintain your offensive. It has nice range and is best used here where faster, short range moves cannot reach you since it comes out at 22fr. You can combo with + or if you feel comfortable with it's execution you can use + for more damage.


This move is probably the one that attracts the most hate from anyone who doesn't use Kage, and for good reason. executes at 23fr, is safe on guard at -9 and recovers crouching, meaning you can delay standing up slightly to remain under a throw attempt and still block an elbow. On hit or counter hit you must add to get a combo, thus, hit checking is important for this move. It has long reach, is half circular in the opposite direction to + and (here is the good part) it automatically goes underneath all high moves! This makes it great at avoiding followup hits from a string after you make the first move whiff with a backdash, as a lot of second hits are high moves (Jacky , Kage , Lau etc) A simple application of this is after your is guarded you can backdash and do to try to catch them attacking you. is safe on guard also at -7 but you should still be sure to hit check since they can duck underneath the second hit and punish you. A simple combo from this move is > > . Annoyingly only knocks down Taka on counter hit. On normal hit is still possible but only leaves you at +5 or +9 if the second hit counter hits him for some reason.

 

+
This is a high, half circular that comes out in 24fr. What makes this kick special is that it turns into a hit-throw even if the opponent guards the kick. You can use this to beat fuzzy guard as they will rise in time to get caught guarding high. If you mess up the hit-throw timing the frames are -5/-1/+4 which isn't the end of the world but isn't great either so try to get the timing down.

+
What is to highs, this move is to lows. It leaves the ground almost instantly, allowing you to jump over and crush a low move for a nice combo. It has very good range, and is even +1 when guarded. However, this move is very slow at 30fr and is linear. This means it can be dealt with on reaction by a good opponent who is looking for it. As such, do not overuse this move however tempting it seems. Instead, use it from close range to stuff or whenever you suspect a low move is coming (some Lion players really like their low sweeps for instance). If you guess wrong and the opponent does something as simple as it leads to an easy combo for them since you will be knocked out of the air. This move really comes into it's own as an okizeme tool (opponent's wake up), since it has the ability to jump over low rising kick and can even crush mid rising kick with proper timing by making your hit/active frames clash with the hit/active frames of their rising kick.

+
This is a new move and while it isn't the greatest is does have one interesting use. It comes out slowly at 30fr which is pretty lame, but it is safe (-5) when guarded and knocks down on any hit. This move has the inherent ability to back away from a move and come back in at the last minute. One application for this is after your is guarded you can do + and it will avoid a short range elbow from the opponent and hit them in their recovery. This effectively beats both elbow and throw in these types of situations but leaves you open to a bigger move with longer reach so it is not to be overused and it may be safer just to use the more traditional strategy of manually backdashing and using a different attack such as + afterwards.

+(chargeable)
This move is gimmicky and with a minimum of 38fr execution should definitely not be overused. It does have some positives though. Firstly, it is safe if guarded at -4 and when fully charged gives a stagger on guard. This move also has quite a lot of range and can go underneath high moves. It recovers Back Turned and combos on any hit. + > BT is a basic combo. This move can also be guard cancelled during charge by pushing again while keeping held down. Doing this can sometimes surprise a guarding opponent and allow you to throw them or allow you to guard a move they were planning to interrupt you with, sometimes allowing you a guaranteed punish.

++
This is a strange and often misunderstood move. This comes out at 22fr and has very long range. What makes this move strange is that it is actually a low move even though it appears to be mid level. This makes it hard to react in time to guard it for the opponent. It also knocks down on any hit. So what's the catch? Well the catch is, this move has horrible, horrible recovery. If the opponent guards this move, you are left floundering around at -71. Yes, -71. This is enough time for them to go take the dog for a walk, make a sandwich and still come back in time to launch you with whatever move they please. The fun doesn't stop here however because even on hit or counter hit they still have enough time to recover from the fall and get up in time to punish you with or something similar. So when do we use this move? It has two good uses. Firstly, it is a great way to finish a round as long as they are not expecting it. And secondly, it is safe to use when the opponent has their back to the wall since the wall splat will buy you enough time to recover before they can. Needless to say, do not get predictable with this move.

++
This isn't really a "move" as such. Instead, Kage cartwheels away from the opponent at speed, making this a good way to get out of range of certain moves quickly. From here you can either hold the command to enter Jumonji or press ++ to enter Shippujin. The latter is more useful since it has much better options from distance.

DPoD

+ is going to get it's own section since it doesn't really fit anywhere else. This move sticks out like a sore thumb in Kage's movelist since it is fast at 15fr, mid and capable of good damage on normal hit. It is also one of the most unsafe moves in the game when guarded at -22(+), -32(+) or -23(+) However, since it is so unique in his moveslist, it also covers a big hole. This is Kage's punisher of choice whenever frame advantage allows (+15). Without it, he lacks a good launcher to punish sweeps and big moves in general. This is also his most difficult move to execute as each hit requires "just frame" timing. Meaning you input the next hit on the same frame the previous one made contact. In Final Showdown it is possible to use the same timing between all the inputs by spacing them all at 16fr between each. This is the same as 225bpm on a metronome and I highly recommend practicing this method to get the timing down (credit to noodalls).

Jumping moves

The main use for these two moves is from okizeme since they provide a true mixup between mid and low and both are safe on guard. Using them from oki allows you to eat up the wasted frames from jumping while the opponent is recovering from the fall.

(while descending) is a forward roll kick that hits mid, is -5 when guarded and causes a stagger on any hit. Follow this up with against an opponent who cannot struggle in time to guard. Against an opponent who can struggle this, you can attempt a faster move or simply apply nitaku. Another use for this move is after a backwards jump you can use it to roll back towards the opponent to catch them dashing towards you or punish a whiffed rising kick etc.

(while descending) is a low attack that is -4 when guarded, +4 on normal hit and +8 on counter hit. The main use for this is to keep them from always guarding high and since it is safe you can afford to try it often.

Another option is to perform an "empty jump", meaning just land without doing an attack. From here you might be able to catch them unawares with + for big damage.


All the rest

These moves have been left out for a reason. They just aren't very good. Usually because they are needlessly risky. Some of these also seem to be the moves that new players want to use most. If these have a good use it will be limited and I will discuss it here. I'll try to start with the most useful.


+
Great in combos, bad outside combos. Don't try to use this on it's own. Can be put on the end of almost all Kage's combos and is usually the best way to finish them, especially near a wall since it causes a wall splat for additional possible followups such as another +.


This is another move that is really only useful in a combo. It's a knockdown on any hit, but doesn't start a combo and is -15 when guarded. There is little point in using this over . The one good use for this move is to make use of its whopping 7 active frames to "meaty" a rising kick. More active frames means a bigger window for you to time it correctly and crush their kick for a counter hit and another knock down.


This move isn't terrible. At the right distance it can avoid an attack and hit the opponent at the same time, this works around starting distance so this can make a decent round opener. It comes out at 16fr and knocks down on any hit. It leaves Kage at -13 when guarded but he flips away and the distance may save you from some counter attacks. All in all, not a great move but not the worst.

+
As much as you may hate getting hit by Jacky players that spam their version of this move, it still isn't a good idea to go throwing this around, especially since ours is just a worse version. It comes out in 15fr, does less damage and doesn't provide the same pushback effect that Jacky has. It leaves Kage at -38 when guarded which is definitely not good. This move should only be used as an anti-sabaki in situations where + is too slow due to it's 17fr execution. + can also be used as the final hit in a wall combo but will often allow the opponent to wake up in time to punish you, so even then it's not great unless it will finish them off.

or/
This is high,high,high,mid and unlike Lau, Kage has no low option to mix this up with. This means you either stop at which is -8 on both guard and hit or try the full string which can only end mid and is -16/-15 on guard. Kage has better options from his strings, use those instead.

+
Another "in combos only" move. This one comes out in 23fr and hits mid. It can go under highs in certain situations and recovers Back Turned with Back Turned Jumonji as an option. None of this really warrants it's use outside of combos since it is -19 and Back Turned when guarded and doesn't lead to a combo when it hits. It does have very good range and can catch back dashes where other moves wouldn't but this is risky. One use for this move is after Shun knocks you down with his annoying headbutt move that lets him drink afterwards. Against opponents that like to follow this with his kick that makes him fall over, you can let it whiff and then use + to hit him during recovery. Meh. This makes for your best wall combo ender in a lot of situations since it scrapes and recovers faster than +.

+
This is slow at 25fr, linear and is -27 when guarded. The main reason people seem to like to use this move is in a crappy "mixup" with ++ from long range. However, neither of these moves are very rewarding on hit, and both are badly punishable when guarded. This move doesn't even have the low-hitting trickery going for it and you should avoid using this move most of the time. It has the ability to beat backdashes from most ranges, so if you are intent on using it then that's your best shot.


/ and all followups
This is Kage's rolling "stance" and while you have a few different options from it for a true mixup, the risk outweighs the reward for the most part and they are all moves you can do from standing anyway with the exception of the low sweep. The best use for this move is to use the backwards roll itself to roll away from certain side turned situations such as after your + throw is escaped.

+
Possibly the worst move in the entire game. This is so bad it hurts. Kage somersaults into the air at the speed of smell and gently rolls down onto the "unsuspecting" opponent. This hits mid and can be guarded, leaving you at -25 or -27 depending on spacing. Do not use this move. If you insist on trying it, your best chance is against a rising kick, but be warned that it is so slow you practically have to start doing it before they input their rising kick at all. The best use for this move is to follow the opponent out of the ring after you throw them over a wall.

Stances and Back Turned

Now we'll go over Kage's powerful stances in detail along with a reminder of some moves that lead into them.

Back turned/Back turned Jumonji/Back turned Shippujin

Kage has some of the best options from Back Turned of all the characters in the game. The basic idea is to use his mixups between mid and low from here to hit an opponent who guesses incorrectly. Here is how we will commonly enter Back Turned along with the situations we'll be in after a normal/counter hit. (moves that lead to a combo that takes us out of Back Turned are not listed).

(N/A – relies on opponent not anticipating the cancel)
(0/+4)
(0/+5)
SH+ (+2/+4)
(+2/+4)
(to stance) (+3/+7)
(+4/+7)
+ (+2/down)
+ (down/down)
+ (down/down)

From Back Turned you have a number of options. Your fastest move is BT which comes out in 10fr. However this is high and so it loses to by default. You can use this to interrupt slower moves if your BT entry move was guarded sometimes.

Your fastest non-high move is BT which is 14fr and low. This is safe when guarded at -4 and half circular. This only provides +1 on hit and +4 on counter hit so it should be used to turn around safely at +2 or +3.

At +4 onwards we can go for bigger and better things since BT comes out at 16fr and hits low. This move combos on any hit but is -18 on guard so dont get predictable. An easy combo is BT > +.

At +5 We have true nitaku with BT and Kage's new BT+. This is a 17fr mid combo starter that works on any hit. If guarded this leaves you at -15 so if you use the right move you get a combo and if you use the wrong move you will be punishable. A basic combo is BT+ > forward dash > .

At +6 We can now mix things up by using the safer BT+ as our mid level move. This comes out at 18fr and has a canned BT+ follow up which causes a knockdown on any hit for a combo. BT+ functions almost identically to + with frames of -6/-3/+4 and the options of the canned follow-up or BT+++ transition into Shippujin stance. BT+ is unsafe at -15 if guarded and will not combo even if the first part connects but can still be used to deter a counter attack from the opponent.

+7 is worth mentioning since it is what into Jumonji stance gives you on counter hit. From here you can enter back turned Jumonji stance and force a mix-up between BT JU, which is 15fr and similar to BT, and the powerful BT JU+ which is 17fr, mid, safe on guard (-4) and starts a combo on any hit. You also have access to BT JU which comes out at 23fr and is a low, full circular sweep that knocks down on any hit.

Another setup from counter hit is to go into back turned Shippujin stance. This gives you +5 and you can use this advantage to input to turn around safely and force the opponent to deal with your Shippujin mixups and/or punish any attempted attack. You can also use the +5 to stay in Back Turned Shippujin and attack from there with the same options as regular Back Turned.

The other moves that are noteworthy from Kage's Back Turned are BT+ which is a 21fr catch throw and BT which is a 26fr, mid, cartwheel kick.

BT+ can be used to beat opponents who evade. It can also be cancelled during startup with BT+ which becomes a mid level punch that staggers on guard, hit and counter hit. This takes a while to execute at 42fr so should not be attempted too often.

BT is a great move. It's main use is after a move that leaves you Back Turned with the opponent on the ground. BT must be buffered. This means you must input it during the recovery of a previous move such as +. From here if the opponent chooses to tech roll you can force them to recover and guard BT or eat a combo if they try to attack, crouch or evade. Even if they guard, you have +4 and remain Back Turned so this is a very good move to pressure them in okizeme. You can get around the mandatory buffer stipulation by performing a Back Turned crouch dash towards the fallen opponent after your + knocks down and then buffering your BT into the recovery of the crouch dash. This way, you can attempt to use BT with different timings even if they don't tech roll since it has the ability to crush both forms of rising kick.

The last Back Turned move we'll discuss is BT++. This move causes Kage to somersault backwards over the opponent and will cause a stagger against a high guard or on any hit. If you miss you can be open to their attack as you land so be mindful of the spacing when using this move.You are also vulnerable at the start of the attack so try to use this from mid range or when you don't expect them to attack you quickly enough. You can also use this against mid rising kicks with proper spacing and timing.

Jumonji

Jumonji is a powerful stance which can allow you to turn a position where you should be defending into a combo for you if you guess correctly by using a sabaki, reversal or evasive move. It can also allow you to severely punish an opponent who attacks out of turn for large damage. As with a lot of Kage's options, it becomes more powerful with unpredictability. By mixing up when you do and don't go into stance you can keep your opponent from knowing when it's safe for them to attack you at all.

Here are the common ways we will be entering Jumonji stance and the frames on guard/hit/counter.

(-2/+2/+8crouchingopponent/+9)
(+1/+3/+7)

JU (+3/+6/+9)

From the big advantages such as on a crouching opponent or or JU on a counter hit you can use JU to crush all attacks by your opponent for a combo. On normal hit you have +7 to work with and on guard you are safe at -5. This is a very low risk/high reward scenario for you. Against opponents who like to evade you have a couple of options such as JU which is a full circular low sweep, or you can delay JU+ for a big combo. You can also mix things up by not always going into stance from and threatening with your throws after it hits.

When your entry into Jumonji is guarded or normal hits it's time to get sneaky. From here we can use JU+ to sabaki all of the opponents high and mid punches and elbows and high kicks. A successful sabaki leads to a combo such as JU+(sabaki) > (refloat) > + > . This covers a lot of things but still leaves us open to low attacks. That is where JU+ comes in to play. This move hops over all low moves and combos on any hit for great damage. A basic combo is JU+ > + > > .
Both JU+ and JU+ are safe if guarded so your opponent will want to hit you during their execution with a move neither one can beat. If they choose a move that is too slow you can simply beat it with JU which is very fast at 12fr and gives good advantage even if guarded. You can use JU to transition into Shippujin, stop and throw, or finish the string with JU which is high,mid,mid and causes a knockdown. JU causes a stagger on a crouching opponent which guarantees the last hit, or you can use the window to go into Shippujin and pressure them with more mixups. The second hit is safe (-6) on guard and the whole string is safe when guarded (-8) but is linear so be sure to mix things up with weapons that beat evade.

Another powerful option from disadvantage in Jumonji is JU++ which now reverses all mid and high kicks and knees. This leads to a devastating combo such as JU++ > forward dash > JU+ > + > > . Use this to keep your opponent from trying to hit you with a move that JU+ cannot sabaki.

Another noteworthy move from Jumonji is JU which is 16fr and mid. It is an elbow that allows fuzzy if guarded -4 and gives you +1 on normal hit and +6 on counter. It also staggers a crouching opponent so it makes for a nice poke after things like JU normal hits (+6) where you don't quite have enough advantage to attempt a bigger move from stance.

Lastly Kage has a mixup from his Jumonji dash (JU). You can use this to close the distance if you end up in Jumonji at range and force the opponent to guard against either your low hit throw move (++) or your mid level kick string () However both of these are linear.

++ will work on normal or counter hit but not guard. If the kick is guarded you are left at -19 so be careful. This executes at 27fr so some opponents will be able to watch for it and guard on reaction.

is a mid,mid,mid string which allows you to stop and mix things up after either of the first two hits. If the first kick lands then the rest is guaranteed and can be hit checked. If the full string is guarded then you are at -27 so the last hit should only be used when guaranteed or as a deterrent. After the second kick you also have the option of the guard break somersault ++ or a sideways roll out of danger or++.


Shippujin

Whilst Jumonji excels at turning disadvantage into advantage, Shippujin has almost no defensive qualities at all. Instead it provides a powerful mixup game between attack levels with fast moves and combo starters that are safe. While in Shippujin, Kage no longer has to choose between speed, power and safety in his attacks and can combine all three. Because the options are so powerful once you are in stance, there are very few ways to guarantee stance entry with enough advantage to avoid being interrupted by a fast, low move. The main ways to successfully get into stance are either from range by manually going into stance such as while baiting a rising kick (++), tricking the opponent into fearing another move to give you enough time for stance entry (+++) or hitting a move that gives good advantage and allows stance entry (++). Another way is to forfeit some damage in a combo by ending it with +++ etc and having the opponent tech roll into dealing with your stance. This shouldn't be attempted too often since you are losing damage from the combo and they can decide not to recover from the fall and threaten you with rising kicks.

Once in stance successfully, Kage is an offensive machine. He is unable to guard or evade but can jump backwards with or dash forwards with . The stance can also cause high moves and even sometimes to miss Kage due to the way he stands.

Here is a breakdown of the moves from Shippujin

SH/SH
SH is your fastest move at 11fr and is high. It is -2 on guard, +3 on hit and +6 on counter hit. It also leaves Kage in Shippujin and it's primary use it to interrupt slower attacks from an opponent who tries to interrupt your more powerful moves. SH is high, mid and SH is high, low, so this provides a nice mixup although the low kick is -18 if guarded so don't overuse. SH is half circular and will knock down on any hit. SH is -4 on guard and gives +1 on normal hit and +4 on counter. It also causes a stagger on a crouching opponent. SH is high, mid, mid. The last hit is half circular, safe on guard (-8) and gives +5 on normal hit and +8 on counter. More importantly it turns the opponent sideways to allow for more potential damage.

SH
This move is the backbone of the stance. It is mid, safe on guard at -6, comes out in 16fr and starts a combo on any hit. It is especially powerful after ++ where it will crush any attack from the opponent. Once the opponent respects this move it will open them up for other mixups. If they don't respect it then just keep taking your free combos and wins. A basic combo is SH > (refloat) > .

SH
This is a double low kick string that can be hit confirmed when the first kick hits. Both kicks are half circular and the second kick knocks down on any hit. SH comes out in 22fr and recovers back turned. It is unsafe if guarded at -11 and -3 on both normal and counter hit but you can use the second hit or the threat of the second hit to prevent a counter attack.

SH
This is another safe, mid, combo starter. This one comes out in 19fr and is -8 on guard. However, this one has more reach than SH, leads to a bigger combo and is half circular. You can use this move to punish a whiffed move (such as a rising kick after your + throw) or catch an opponent crouching or evading the wrong way. A basic combo is SH > > + > .

SH
This kick comes out at 20fr and has pretty good range. It is only -3 on guard and causes a stagger on any hit, from which you can force nitaku on the opponent or use to launch an opponent who is bad at struggling. Useful against opponents with punch reversals/sabakis since a lot of the moves from Shippujin fall into this category.

SH+
This a slow move at 28fr which punishes standing guard. On hit or counter hit it gives a knockdown with but with no combo followup. On guard however, you get +17 so the full + combo is possible along with easier followups of or + > .

SH+
This is a high, full circular kick which is safe if guarded at -6, gives +2 on normal hit, +4 on counter hit and recovers Back Turned. It also has a canned follow-up of SH+ which is a mid, full circular that knocks down on any hit. This one is -13 if guarded however so use sparingly to prevent a counter-attack. Use SH+ to prevent opponents from evading to Kage's back since all his half circulars from Shippujin are vulnerable in this direction. After it hits you can apply the usual Back Turned strategies, and this move also gives perfect distance for BT++<img src="http://virtuafighter.com/forums/images/graemlins/default/g.gif" alt="G" title="G" height="13" width=

 

Kage can also perform the string and variants from his Shippujin the same way as he can from Jumonji and the same mixups apply.

Throws

Kage has a good throw game and arguably the single best throw of all in +. Here I will go over them in detail.

+
This is your standard 40pts of damage, neutral throw. This will most likely not be escaped and so makes for solid damage when you really need it such as towards the end of a round where it deals enough to kill them anyway. This throw leaves the opponent face-up, head-towards which makes their mid rising attack a linear move which can be evaded or crushed more easily with etc. Both rising kicks from this position have bad range so you can bait them and punish them after they whiff.

+
This is Kage's best throw on the direction at 60pts. It switches sides with the opponent and so can be useful for ring position when your back is near an edge or a wall. Since most people will be escaping against you by default, this is a good option to try. This throw also sobers Shun by 2pts.

+
This is Kage's best throw and probably the best throw in the whole game. It deals 45pts if the opponent hits the ground but can be tech rolled to reduce that damage to 0. What makes this throw so good is that it throws the opponent high enough for you so land a big (80+pts) combo as they fall. It also has the ability to throw the opponent over half fences and allows you to perform a combo that will carry them far enough to ring out from starting distance on an open or low fenced stage, as well as allowing you to carry them to a high fence for more damage. Since this is by far Kage's most dangerous throw, you will often need to use the other throw directions to force the opponent to stop breaking this one, or simply throw them when they weren't expecting a throw at all. Here are a few combos that work on everyone but Taka. (on Taka just do + or )

+ > > > + > buffer forward dash > + (best damage)
+ > > > + > (good damage, easier)
+ > + > > + > (very easy)
+ > + > > > + > + (Shun sobering and best ring out distance. Credit to Dennis and Drift)

+. No real reason to use this aside from its easier command. Turns into a wall throw for 70pts when your back is against the wall and switches position with the opponent which is great.

+ Really crappy throw that shares the direction with two other (better) throws. Not even good as a wall throw since + will lead to a 100+pt combo on a high fence or a ring out and instant win on a half fence. No reason to use unless you're dashing in and need to grab too quickly to do anything else. The wall throw variants are very stylish, so they're a nice way to win a round if they will deal enough damage anyway.

+ This one deals no damage by itself but puts you behind the opponent with +12. This is enough advantage for + to be guaranteed but is still less damage than +. The main uses for this throw are when your back is to the wall since you can followup with + for a big wall combo (credit Myke) or from the side where it allows more damage than standard side throw.


How to punish

(Opponent standing)
+10 - Throw attempt
+11 -
+12 -
+13 -
+14 -
+15 - (buffered)+ or
+16 - + or
+20 - + or +

(Opponent crouching)
+10 – N/A
+11 – N/A
+12 -
+13 -
+14 -
+15 - (buffered)+ or (buffered)+
+16 - + or +
+20 - + or +

 

It will take time to read the whole stuffs
Btw, 4PK is allowed to hold P during the transition.

 

Very nice Kage how-to. Covers nearly everything a starting Kage needs.

A couple of minor edits: the K in PP4PK is high, not mid. The 46P+G combos are mislabeled as 6P+G. In the "All the rest" section, the directional inputs are missing for 46K+GK!K.

You have covered almost every move in Kage's movelist. Just a couple left out:

6K+G: The cartwheel. 21f linear mid, 2 hits. The first hit slams and can be tech-rolled, the second gives advantage on hit (+5 nh / +7 ch) if the first hit missed. Punishable on guard (-16). This is a move to be used very sparingly. Imo, its best use is as a whiff punisher from about side-kick distance. Just because it -can- be tech-rolled doesn't mean it will be. When it isn't, it gives a very nice combo: 6K+G, P, K+G, 46K+GK!K (or KPK). The jab can be used as a test for the combo. If it lands, the opponent didn't tech so finish the combo. If it whiffs, stop and apply oki pressure (KG / elbow games are all you'll likely have time to set up.)

Wall-facing moves (6P+K and 6P+K+G): Because Kage has such a great back-turned repertoire, these can be used to catch opponents off guard expecting his usual nonsense (See almost any replay featuring Jinkage.) I haven't really used them much yet, so I'll let someone else explain their benefits.

 

Yea 6K+G at a distance works more often then not even though its one of the moves that should NEVER be spammed. I always seem to catch people by suprise when I delay it after a 44P+K+G and its almost always the second hit that lands.


This guide is solid, Solid, SOLID!

 

I use the 6(4)P+K+G alot more since the other depends way more on the opponents distance from you and the wall and the situation hardly arises for me.

Ill add more variations to my Wall Move thread such as replacing the first hit-combo with a shoryuken.

 

Yeah I was getting tired towards the end and just wanted to get it up lol. Theres a few things I forgot to include such as using jumonji stance's auto punch reversal against stuff like Lei's arrow punch etc and a few other things. I'll get someone to edit it later since I can't do it myself.

I also want to add wall strats and some of my general setups/flowcharts so I'll get on that soon as well

 

Wow. this was a pleasant surprise especially for someone who is starting out with Kage and covers practically all his moves.

I appreciate how you gave your own opinion on moves and the situations best to use/not use them.

 

Elite,

are you sure that SH 2KK is checkable? I have hard time to do this...

 

Went to dojo to check if they changed it on FS and it's definitely more strict now. There's a very small window so you kinda have to anticipate if it will hit rather than trying to do it on reaction.

 

Thank you Koenraku. I had been neglecting Kage for a while because I wanted to learn how to play other characters. The other day you destroyed me and my Kage and made me realize why I was drawn to Kage in the beginning of VF series and I have to exceed with him. Kage ranked me up to Assassin and since then I had been using Jacky untill Avenger. This guide really helps me with new ideas for combos and outline all of Kage's moves. I am looking forward to our rematch!

 

I'm glad to hear you wanna go back to Kage cause I was sad when I saw you using Jacky. We need more ninjas!

Whenever I played you I always felt like you had skills but were using the wrong moves at the wrong times and a lot of riskier stuff. We definitely have different styles.

I'm always up for a fight. Ditch that blonde-haired loser and lets show everyone who the real SS tier is

 

Hell yeah!

 

Very well written guide. Nice1 to see that kage is not forgotten. Elite my main is also Kage, keep it up good stuff. Heh i play new vf 4 about 3 days but played Vanilla alot so when i will learn all new stuff i wanna play u dude

p.s. happy to see that new vf is popular again

 

Great guide, thanks for the write up! Should help a ton as I learn FS

 

Ha! No doubt.

 

Kage is fun, but his normal standing launcher department seems really lacking. Is there any other moves except or + you can throw out to fish for launchers? I know FC is a good CH launcher, but I'm looking for standard ones. We'll also assume that the other guy breaks throws 100%, so no TFT.

By the way, what do we call his new TFT, +, by abbrevation? Just NTFT for new ten foot toss?

 

66 is a neutral Mid Launcher.
is also a neutral mid launcher with less comboability but +1 on block.

 

Reasons not to pick Kage
He cannot punish as well or easily as some characters
Lacks "all round" moves that combine speed with ability to combo on normal hit

Elite's first post summed up your point very well. Kage has poor launchers outside of CH and can't punish very well compared to other characters. You have to fish for CH or setup stance shenanigans that will leave you punished for guessing wrong. And nobody breaks throws 100 percent. QCB P+G and 6,4 P+G are free if they were 100%. TFT isn't impossible to get either as you can sneak in a throw once you scare them into guarding.