Samurai Shodown VI - Andrew
Moves and Strategy for New Character in SNK's SS6 Fighting Game
Samurai Shodown VI, featuring every character in the series and an adjustable "spirit select" system, has finally come to North America as part of the Samurai Shodown Anthology collection for PlayStation 2, Nintendo Wii, and PSP. SS6 also introduces four new characters, including the new American representative Andrew.
Andrew's Story in SS6
Andrew may be the President of the United States, but that doesn’t keep him from fighting samurai, demons, and little girls. He fights with a bayonet-tipped rifle, and it does not get more patriotic than his White House front yard stage with "Stars and Stripes Forever" playing in the background.
Andrew is based off of seventh U.S. president Andrew Jackson. While the real-life Jackson fought in several duels, the game character seems more level-headed than “Old Hickory.” Andrew's goal of worldwide freedom with America on top wasn't on the minds of early presidents either.
SS6 Andrew : Basic Character Strategy
The President might have brought a gun to a sword fight, but his fighting style is based on no-frills fundamentals. His rifle has a good combination of reach and attack speed, making him suited for mid-range poking. His standing M. Cut is the best example of this, while his jumping H. Cut strikes very deep.
Anyone who has played Ryu from Street Fighter has a good idea of Andrew’s special moves. At the same time, Andrew spices up the projectile-uppercut-dashing attack formula by combining his specials to create more-damaging attacks. While samurai Haohmaru has always been the "Ryu" of the Samurai Shodown series, Andrew can be a better fit for defense-orientated players.
SS6 Andrew : Special Moves
Note: Special moves are preformed by rotating the control stick or d-pad from one point to another followed by a button. These commands assume the character is facing left.
Eagle Arrow (Down to Forward + Any Cut attack)
Andrew swings his rifle, unleashing an energy arrow. The button used determines the projectile’s speed, and since characters in SS6 can duck or dodge projectiles with a press of a button mixing the Eagle Arrow’s speed is important.
Eagle Break (Down to Back + Any Cut attack)
Andrew advances while swinging his rifle horizontally. L. Cut is stationary while H. Cut will travel clear across the stage, and all three versions will knock the opponent down.
Eagle Cross
If Andrew uses Eagle Break immediately after Eagle Arrow, the projectile transforms into a large eagle that hits multiple times, has priority over other projectiles and is safe on block. However, the projectile has to still be on the field for the eagle to appear, and since the regular Eagle Break is unsafe, Andrew needs some distance for it to work.
Because of the way Eagle Cross works, Andrew can combo from his close M. Cut into Eagle Arrow and then into Eagle Break for a reliable combo.
Rising Star (Forward, Down, Down Forward + Any Cut attack)
A basic rising uppercut attack that leaves Andrew open if he doesn’t connect. Pressing forward and any cut attack will tack on an additional hit.
Smart Bomb (Back, Down, Down Back + Any Cut attack)
Andrew jumps towards the opponent and strikes with the butt of his rifle for a knock down. It functions as an overhead, though it's easier to use forward M. Cut or jump H. Cut for those situations. Smart Bomb can be difficult to connect with, but it has fast recovery.
Grand Cannon (Forward to Down to Back, Forward + Strong Cut)
Blue Eye (Down to Back + Kick)
Grand Cannon is a close-range attack where Andrew knocks the opponent in the air with the butt of his rifle. He then actually uses the rifle for its intended purpose, shooting his opponent in the air with any Cut attack. The opponent will remained juggled in the air, so wait until the bottom of the opponent’s sprite aligns with the rifle to continue the attack. The angle Andrew shoots depends on the Cut pressed, so choose the one that feels the most comfortable.
During Grand Cannon, a medal counter appears over Andrew’s head, with one medal disappearing after each successful hit. Andrew can only fire three shots at first, but he can increase that number to 20 shots using the Blue Eye attack, where Andrew quickly swats at the opponent.
A fully charged Grand Cannon can take out over half the opponent's life. However, because the medal count resets after every round it's unlikely that it would happen in a real match. Also, if Andrew is close enough to use Grand Cannon, he's probably better off using the close M. Cut - Eagle Arrow - Eagle Break combo instead.
SS6 Andrew : Super Moves
Gold Charge (Down to Forward + M. Cut and S. Cut in VI spirit, Down to Back, Down Back, Forward + M. Cut and S. Cut in II spirit)
Andrew rushes the opponent and then does his uppercut. It is fast and can be comboed into, but it's basically a desperation move.
Statue of Liberty (Down to Forward + L. and M. Cut in all spirits except I spirit)
Andrew shoots a powerful bullet from his rifle. The projectile is extremely fast, making it combo-able with some normals and good for punishing mistakes.
Next: Sugoroku
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