General Tips & Tricks
=====================
The game Samurai Shodown requires counter attacking your opponent (more so
than any other fighting game). In order to do this, you must have a good
knowledge of your moves as well as your opponents. You should learn to
recognize every characters special moves, their effects and delays, and AB
slashes. You should know their ranges and quickness. These are the keys to
your counter attack. Once you have mastered this, you are well on your way to
becoming a Shogun.
Haohmaru's most useful slash is the standing B slash. You can use to keep
opponents walking up to you back, and even damage them. It will push them
away, and is especially good against a weaponless opponent. You should know
the ranges of your opponent to use this effectively, especially playing VS.
human opponent (eg. Jubei's B slash is faster than Haohmaru. Therefore,
Haohmaru will get hit instead).
The A slash is faster than the B, but takes less damage. It's best against
quick opponents, and can hit them fast enough to stop their moves. The
crouching a is also good to keep opponents away when they get too close.
The stand AB is Haohmaru's most powerful move, able to take a quarter of an
opponents energy. Because of this, it have a very long recovery which makes
him vulnerable if he misses or gets blocked. It should be used when
opponents have missed their special move or AB slash. The crouching AB can
take a healthy chunk of energy away, and keep your opponent at bay. This
move also has a long delay if missed or blocked.
Haohmaru is adept to the air as he is to the ground. With the aerial AB
comboed with the back AB, he is a force to be reckoned with. The aerial CD
and [A|B] slashes are use to get priority in the air.
To counter aerial attacks the sensible move is the KogetsuZan, but there are
limits on its effectiveness on different characters
[see Detail - KogetsuZan]. An alternative to the KogetsuZan is to run under
your opponent and give them an AB slash once they land. It's works well on
high jumping characters, but be cautions on low jumping ones.
Learn to recognize dizzies. Dizziness is harder to see because there's no
stars or chickens revolving around the opponents head. BUT dizziness can
be recognized when an opponent thud to the ground in a heap to dust, instead
to the usual, knock down. Dizziness doesn't come often in SS, but when it
does, it a great time for you and pain for your opponent.
Also, when playing humans, attack all parts of the body and mix stuff up.
Also, surprise attacks like running and buffering stuff in helps, like
running and buffer in a crouch CD kick. When you're usually running,
they'll block back, and not down. Also fake some runs to mix it up. Running
works especially well at the end of rounds when they're stalling.
Tricks
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@Senpuretsuzan-KogetsuZan@
This is probably the oldest one, taken from Street Fighter 2. A variation on
the fireball-dragon punch, this doesn't work all that well because of
Haohmaru's long Senpuretsuzan delay. Try at your own risk. =)
@Senpuretsuzan-B Slash@
The Senpuretsuzan-B slash is used like a trap, could be better than the
Senpuretsuzan-KogetsuZan. The opponent should be far away enough so that he
can't aerial attack you. Throw an A Senpuretsuzan, the opponent will jump
over it, then throw a stand B slash, as he is about to land. This is another
variation based on SF2, fireball, crouch roundhouse.
@Cheap Throw@
Jump over you opponent and as soon as you land. Throw them.
@Galford/Hanzo Strategy@
The disappearing-drop, Fake Wood, or Ninja Twirl, has a very good counter by
Haohmaru. If you can block it, they'll bounce off. If you're far away,
immediately send out a Senpuretsuzan of appropriate speed to trap them.
They'll usually block it and take damage, or jump toward you. If they jump
toward you, you should have recovered from the tornado and because of they're
high jump, you can now KogetsuZan them. Or you can B slash, like the
@Senpuretsuzan-B slash@ trap. These are a couple of nice traps you can get
them into.
If they bounce off close to you, give them a nice standing AB. This works
well in corners where the bounce into the wall and have no where to go.
*****************************************************************************
Detail
======
KogetsuZan
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Haohmaru's KogetsuZan can be deadly, for the opponent or yourself; you have
to know when to use it. The KogetsuZan is an uppercut like move, a la dragon
punch from SF2. Although it's effects are much like the "Tiger Uppercut."
Like the tiger uppercut, the move is very vulnerable and easy to stop. But
also, like the dragon punch, there is a moment of invulnerability when
executing the move. This is when he goes into the motion on the ground, when
you see the red sparks coming from the sword. You can use it to go through
fireballs and attacks. The timing is very hard, as I have only gone
through a fireball once. It can stop opponent's attacks, but is also very
risky.
Also, like the DP, the amount of damage you do with the KogetsuZan depends
on where you hit the opponent. If you hit the opponent low when he's
jumping in, you'll take off the most damage. If you try this, you run the
risk of getting hit by the opponent and trading hits or worse, getting
stopped and hit. If you hit the opponent high in the jump, you'll barely
take off a tick of energy, as if it was blocked.
The KogetsuZan can be used as a ground to ground attack, too, but is much
more risky this way. The KogetsuZan has one of the worst recovery in the
game, even if using A. So if you miss the move and you're opponent is close,
expect a lot of energy to be taken off, because of being hit in the middle of
executing a special move.
The ground attack KogetsuZan can be used as a surprise attack by combining it
with a run. Run up to you opponent and buffer the move, and you'll surprise
the heck out of them. Don't do this when they're blocking, though. You can
also try this if they're running towards you.
KogetsuZan as you get up, a variation of another Street Fighter tactic, DPing
as one gets up. Thing can be buffered in if you get knocked down to the
ground. This can work well on opponents who jumps at you when you're down,
or use traps. This works especially well against Ukyos who like to
run and Sasame Yuki when you're knocked down. You should start early to
avoid trading damage.
Usage: A -- low jumping, less damage
B -- medium height, moderate damage
AB -- high jump, good damage
*note* like Ken's DP, the A KogetsuZan if hit a jumping opponent "low" can
take off more energy than an AB.
Senpuretsuzan
-------------
This move is like a fireball in SF2, but is a small tornado traveling on the
ground, and can be used to cancel all projectile weapon. This move is also
risky to perform because of the long delay and execution time. You should
perform this move when you're far enough away from the opponent so that he
cannot jump in to attack you.
Once you have the opponent far away, you should be able to throw a couple of
them. Very the speed on them so they can't get a jumping pattern down. It
can also be used to stop air attacks, but this is a very silly.
The tornado damages when an opponent get caught, and takes more damage when
the opponent falls back to the ground.
Usage: A -- slow, low height, less damage
B -- medium, medium height, moderate damage
AB -- fast, very high, good damage
*note* Although AB is suppose to take the opponent to the top of the tornado
and drop them to the ground, this is not so with some of the over weight or
BIG characters, eg. Earthquake, Wan Fu, etc..., and therefore causes less
damage.
*****************************************************************************
COMBOS
======
1) Jumping AB, back AB
2) Jumping CD, crouch CD
3) Jumping CD, back AB
4) Jumping AB, back A, crouch A
(good one even if blocked to move you opponent back)
5) Jumping A, crouch A
*****************************************************************************
VS CPU
======
This computer is smart and it will use any cheapo throw or whatever without
qualm. Don't be amazed if the computer performs some moves that may
impossible for you to perform under the same conditions. This is a computer
you are dealing with. Besides being smart, it will also cheat by taking off
energy more if it hits you and less if you hit it on higher difficulty
levels.
If the computer jumps at you, it is very likely going to try to throw you.
Block the initial aerial attack, and then after your opponent lands, hit
crouching A or C rapidly to back them away; this could even draw blood on
them. You will get throw once in a while, but it usually isn't too damaging.
Sometimes, you can counter with the KogetsuZan.
Ripped
Am i just being impatient? It's a great game i just wish i could win more, please help. 
