Eddy Wang
Skarlet scientist
SCORPION
NINJUTSU Guide 2.0
Summary:NINJUTSU Guide 2.0
1. Introductory Note.
1.1. Best Normals and Strings (Introductory Note).
1.2. Pokes.
1.2. Normals.
1.4. Favorable Strings.
2. Special Moves.
2.1. Meterless Special Moves.
2.2. Metered Special Moves.
3. Strategies.
3.1. General strategy concept.
3.2. Safe approach play style vs High risk high reward play style.
3.3. Neutral Game (Safer approach).
3.4. Walking/Dashing using d4 as a footsie tool.
3.5. A bit closer poking game with more staggers and frame traps.
3.6. Applying teleport in the neutral game.
3.7. Neutral Game (High risk, High reward approaching play style).
3.8. F2~BF+4/F2 no cancel offense.
3.9. S1 into throw mixup game.
3.10. Suddenly B2/F2 at hard reads to counter suspected movement from the opponent.
3.11. B3/F4/S3 ~Teleport vs B3/F4/S3 ~EX spear, risk vs safety at more resource costs.
4. Anti-Air Challenge.
4.1. When opponents jump in to scorpion depending on the ranges his options are:
5.Notable Techs.
5.1. Whiff punishing and excessive blocking strategies:
5.2. Teleport cancel strategies.
5.3. Throw mixup game.
5.4. Re-stand sneaky 50/50 strategies:
5.5.Anti-Wake up game plan after conditioning opponents that you can break armored wake-ups.
6.Combos.
1.Introductory Note:
Scorpion's ninjutsu variation gains the use of two unique ninjato swords. Those not only give Scorpion a variety of exclusive strings, but some of them have extended range and push back on block as well. The ninjutsu variation also has armor breaking moves, which can be used to destroy wake up attacks that makes the use of meter to escape, with the only moves not being able to break being over 1 hit of armored moves or X-rays, it makes him a force to be reckon with in the neutral game.
1.1.Best Normals and strings
Scorpion has a vast of array of good buttons on his arsenal, they are very short and generally doesn't make him go anywhere when pressed, but still can put some characters into unfavorable situations due his variation specific normals.
1.2. pokes.
D4
Hit level: Low.
Description: Fast startup low profile move, and works as a great trade against characters who are charging in with highs or mids, amazing range, low profiles, and has push back on block or hit, which works in favor to ninjutsu .
D3
Hit level: Low.
Description: A great counter-poking tool that opens for other options after successfully hits, grants some advantage.
D1
Hit level: Mid.
Description: Faster Startup, safe on block, although grants some good advantage on hit, this normal can be a little bit situational.
S1 (Standing 1)
Hit Level: High.
Description: Among of one the most fundamental normals in the tool set working greatly for ninjutsu, advantageous on block (+2) has push back when blocked, staggers when blocked and has a 9 frames startup, its one of the perfects conditioning tools ninjutsu can use to avoid running most of the time.
Punishes anything starting from -10 the draw back its only the range and hitting high since it can be neutral crouched.
Can be used at max range to hit just the tip of the move to get the push back.
S3 (Standing 3)
Hit level: High.
Description: Scorpion's fastest punishing normal, starting at 7 frames, can be used to anti-air on correct distances, can be used to whiff punish on correct ranges, and can be used to whiff punish on correct spacing.
It punishes anything starting from -8 at minimum on a thigh link.
Doesn't have as much as push back standing 1, but its still +2 when blocked and can be neutral crouched.
S4 (Standing 4)
Hit level: High.
Description: A 10 frames normal with lots of push back when blocked leaving scorpion at +2, isn't very advantageous on hit either so most scorpion players use it to link a teleport re-stand, or just to get the push back on block with ninjutsu which afterwards puts them into a favorable position.
As any other normal of scorpion that has push back and is plus, standing 4 hits high as well but still a very good poking tool.
1.3 Normals
B2
Hit level: Mid.
Special Proriety: Disjointed hitbox.
Description: Command Launcher, 17 frames startup, good damage and less scaling.
Variation Changes: Better room for juggles, longer active frames, extended reach due hitbox expansion, highly punishable if blocked, somewhat safe on a specific range.
F2
Hit level: Mid, overhead.
Special Proprieties: Disjointed hitbox, Armor Breaking, first hit is special cancel-able.
Description: Command Launcher: 15 frames startup, good damage and less Scaling, good whiff punishing tool, and a heavily conditioning tool, can be made safe on a specific range, or first hit canceled into ex spear.
F3
Hit level: Mid.
Description: This command normal has more startups than s3 but also has more range than s3, however is very punishable once blocked, its use is solely for whiff punishing mostly, and hit confirming into ex spear for safety.
B3
Hit level: Low.
Description: Scorpion low starter, 11 frames startup, can be special canceled into safe specials for safety, -11 if blocked.
B4
Hit level: Low, low.
Special Proprieties: Second hit is a disjointed hitbox, Armor breaks, special cancel-able, extended range.
Description: Double low hitting move with good knockdown advantage, breaks armor faster than F2, first hit can be canceled into specials, and its only -4 when blocked, and can double hit up close.
F4
Hit level: Overhead.
Description: Scorpion real overhead starter, though is a bit slow, can be blocked on reaction, its a combo starter, its safe when blocked, and can be canceled into specials, there are many ways to apply its use, but further more about ninjutsu types of game plan below.
NJ1 or 2 (NJP) Neutral Jump Punch
Hit level: Overhead on the way down, mid on the way up.
Special Propriety: Disjointed hitbox.
Description: In ninjutsu the overhead has more range due the swords, its also favorable against trades.
1.4. Favorable Strings.
2,1,4
Hit levels: High, mid, mid.
Description: Although standing 2 is a 9 frames startup normal, the move alone is pretty minus, however 2,1 is +2 when blocked, and it staggers, there is a gap from the second to last hit , and 214 itself launches opponent which allows for a teleport followup.
The string is a great resource in Scorpion's fillers and it does very respectable damage.
2, 1, 2
Hit levels: High, mid, overhead.
Description: Ninjutsu ender is specific, grants a hard knockdown out of hit, -4 when blocked.
B3, 2, F+2
Hit levels: Low, mid, overhead.
Description: Ninjutsu ender is specific, it grants push back on block, and a hard knockdown on hit. Can't be special canceled with specials from second hit towards, punishable if blocked.
1,2,3
Hit levels: High, mid, mid.
Description: This is Scorpion's gravedigger string, it has been redesigned, its safe on block, but has very short range, currently no a good use out of it after the buff.
B+1, 2, 1
Hit levels: mid, mid mid.
Description: Ninjutsu has ender specific, a two sword slices that sends opponent's full screen on hit, special cancel-able on first two hits, adds push back when blocked.
1,1,4
Hit levels: High, mid, mid
Description: Short range combo starter, but hits pretty well against people running, s3 is much faster now, but 1,1,4 allows to hit confirm. 1,1 itself is +1 on block which also helps to stagger.
F4,2
Hit levels: Overhead, mid.
Special propriety: Exclusive ender in Ninjutsu
Description: Being the only variation to have a follow-up dial string its -7 on block with added push back, helps ninjutsu make safer decisions while using the overhead.
2. Special moves:
Scorpion doesn't have a vast array of specials in ninjutsu variation, all of his special moves are the common ones, but since they're more designed to maintain space, or control it, it goes well in combination with the variation.
2.1. Meterless Special Moves
Teleport: Down, Back + 3 (hold down to cancel the attack or hold forward to fly away from the opponent).
Hit levels: Mid.
Move type: Evade, Positioning, Combo filler.
Description: Scorpion's teleport is a fast evading tool that works mostly as a counter reaction against fired projectiles, or to position himself on screen to punish long recovering attacks, since is a mobility tool canceling the teleport makes use of the whole stamina meter. It can also be done in air, and is an excellent combo filler.
Spear: Back, Forward + 1.
Hit levels: High.
Move type: Capture.
Description: Scorpion's spear, travels full screen, it pulls opponent's closer on hit and grants a free combo even from jump in, however the recovery on whiff is very long and has a very long recovery on block as well, characters will full screen punishable attacks might be able to punish that, so this move is used as a combo filler most of the time.
There is an intentional design, that will put scorpion stuck in the animation until his spear reaches a wall, its according to the distance, so pay attention to that detail in order to not drop combos when you're converting from your fillers in particular parts of a stage.
Take down: Back, Forward + 4.
Hit levels: Low.
Move type: Hard Knockdown.
Description: Causes a hard knockdown on hit, it low profiles scorpion on startup, but is highly punishable on block or whiff, you can no longer catch people by surprise and score this move twice since it has been altered from soft to hard knockdown.
2.2. Enhanced Special moves
Flame-Port: Down, Back+3+Block. (Hold down to cancel the attack or forward to teleport away).
Hit Levels: Mid, Mid.
Move type: Evading, Positioning, Countering, combo filler.
Special Propriety: Gains armor only on wake-up.
Description: As regular teleport, Flame port can also be done in air, it can be canceled at the cost of stamina, and has armor when executed as wake-up attack, different from regular teleport who can be most of an evading tool ex teleport is a counter move, generally to punish full screen recovery attacks.
Dual Spear: Back, Forward+1+Block.
Hit Levels: High.
Move type: Capture. Re-stand.
Special Propriety: Can be Meter burned on hit for more unbreakable damage.
Description: Enhanced Spear comes out 3 frames more faster than regular spear, and travels faster too, when you meter burn a bar on hit, it turns into Hellish spear which is an unbreakable move, but costs too much meter, ex Spear is also -5 on block, so you can use it at some ranges to specifically make it more safe than already is.
Hellish spear: Press block after Dual spear connects. (cost an extra bar of meter).
Hit level: Unblockable.
Move type: Re-stand.
Special propriety: Independent re-stand, its not linked to regular or ex spear.
Description: As said before, Hellish spear can be used before or after a regular spear re-stand, it counts as a independent move allowing Scorpion to use his spear for a reset twice in the same combo at the cost of more resources (meter).
Takeout: Back, Forward+4+Block.
Hit Levels: Low.
Move type: Take down.
Special propriety: Has armor by default, or as wake-up.
Description: Scorpion's Takeout move is his main anti-pressure move, he can wake-up with it, or interrupt tight pressure due the armor, it grants a hard knockdown on hit.
3. Strategies.
3.1 general Strategy concept
Ninjutsu Scorpion is a character with somewhat decent walk speed, its not the slowest or the fastest either. His best fighting position is mid range, where he can make use of his B2 and F2 much better.
The further he is away from the opponent, the more reliable his anti airs become, and are very efficient to do on reaction.
3.2 Safe approach play style vs High risk high reward play style.
There is two forms of playing ninjutsu through the course of mid screen, you want to either, bait your opponent into mistakes, and carefully pick your moment to apply counters as they whiff or try to catch you on desired ranges.
Or you can place your bets into a more overhead low mixups options either on staggers, neutral or 50-50 situations.
Although both are very conditioning heavy, one is more riskier and the other is more safer, but takes lots of more time since it allows you to feel your opponent first, the ideal is having a balance of the two, and have a general idea of what your approach is, so you can place your opponent into your hands as you establish a space they should fear.
3.3. Neutral Game (safer approach playstyle).
Since he dominates mid screen you want to stay at ranges most of the time, using pokes when inside the opponent's range to give you a room to punish their mistakes, its a very simple concept, you don't need to run in order to scare them, just walking in adds a heavy threat of F2 and B2, so your opponent can either, back up into the corner, use an advancing string if you're inside his range, jump, or poke first to avoid being poked. This generates a game of you going in for rewards and your opponent trying to find the best moment to sync their defense option against your offense, while ninjutsu only has to react to it.
3.4. Walking/Dashing in using D4 as a footsie tool.
Ninjutsu's Pokes leads to staggers and some mental pressure, opponents who are eating too much D4, are forced to jump inside/outside your range, or block low which forces them to stand still resulting to get frame trapped.
It puts them into a unfavorable position, because max ranged D4s adds enough space do whiff punish with F2, B2, S3 punish run ins or advancing strings, or even a more insulting option, force them to block after their poke whiffs just to slowly walk in inside their range for a throw.
Earning more than just a throw or poke also means earning more range to get in.
3.5. A bit closer poking game with more staggers and frame traps.
When your opponent finds out that you can grab him if he releases a button at the wrong time, or get hit by D4 a lot or getting launched, they can either start taking more radical approaches, like using advancing strings, jumping in, the more risks they take, the more punishable they are, once you get more room to get in, you can now apply pressure with standing 1 which is +2 and adds a good push back on block as well. Different from D4 which is minus a blocked S1 being plus with push back allows scorpion to frame trap better even if he is not that plus, he can still make some favorable decisions against other characters when they're put into the same situation.
Be wary that some opponents can still D4 their way out of the frame trap, but you doing a D4 after they block S1, its an option that can throw their timing off transforming this poke into a true frame trap.
Since the threat of range becomes real in this variation, Scorpion can dare to whiff punish almost anything on screen, into a knockdown or reset, and then play the wake-up or mix-up game from there. The opponent is forced to respect the air control this variation provides, and has to respect armor attack as well, by default ninjutsu is made to cut opponent's air and armor strengths just by selecting it, which automatically forces characters to play neutral and approach Scorpion from the floor carefully.
3.6. Applying teleport in the neutral game.
The teleport in this variation is more of tool for escaping, Since B2 and F2 controls a lot of the screen, when the opponent manages to pass the range where those two moves are no longer a threat (generally by a quick charge in into jump or knockdown), is where you can clutch with a teleport and escape in the opposite side and regain space to play neutral again.
You can also conditioning your opponent to respect teleport, forcing them that charging forwards is their only way in, by tele-cancel against whiffing attacks in order to get in time for a throw.When they realize you can tele-cancel into a throw, they might start crouching to whiff punish the throw, or mash a poke, this is then where you should start tele-cancel into D4 or tele-cancel into ex teleport to punish desperate attempts to counter the evasive teleport, be aware that this last tactic is not safe and can come with a cost, so use teleport sparingly and more as reacting tool rather than having out without the opponent using a long recovery frame impossible to whiff punish with B2 or F2.
3.7 Neutral Game (high risk/high reward approaching play style)
This one concerns more the use of options to open up the opponent right away rather than waiting/Baiting for a mistake to appear and react to it, its either they get open up by a mixup, or they launch themselves into a Scorpion's attack.
3.8. F2~BF+4/F2 no cancel, type of offense.
The simplest way to apply this approach is by hitting F2~BF4 and F2 has a mixup game in the neutral, either your opponent takes a damage that stacks if he gets hit by it often by not blocking low, or they risk blocking low for a bigger reward, giving equally scorpion a chance of a bigger reward if they block low and Scorpion doesn't cancel F2.
3.9. S1 into throw mixup game.
I consider staggering opponents with S1 and then go for a throw a part of this department as well, since they can hard read it to neutral crouch the throw. The good thing is, both options work well with each other and you can alternate in between to get a better offense game.
3.10. Suddenly B2/F2 at hard reads to counter suspected movement from the opponent.
Sometimes opponents panic over some situations that can't wait to react as soon as it happens or when everything looks quiet enough, there is always a side that will pick a moment to do something, as a Scorpion player if this is your way to approach you want to pick this moment to prevent them to gain over advantage, so throwing in a max ranged B2, or a F2 in some cases can be very rewarding, specially when your matching reads its on perfect sync with your opponent decision making momentum.
3.11. B3/F4/S3 ~Teleport vs B3/F4/S3 ~EX spear, risk vs safety at more resource costs.
3 options which each own use and very selective moments to use them, the option to choose canceling these moves with teleport instead of ex spear is considering a high risk high reward because if you succeed you're rewarded with another re-stand with far less resources which allows for another 50-50 mix-up.
On the contrary of canceling with ex spear, which only grands you a restand if you MB with hellish spear so when you restand with a regular spear is counted again as a individual move but this restand costs a lot more resources and does less damage, since flame spear adds damage protection to the overall combo, but its safer (-5) when your mixup attempt gets blocked.
4. Anti-Airing challenge.
Although ninjutsu is a variation which characters are forced to approach more from the ground, his AA options aren't that easy to use if you can't recognize or practice against the opponents patterns, different from hellfire that has flame aura even up close, ninjutsu aims more to reset to neutral so he can be in control again, this is heavily required due mid-screen also happening to be his best range to anti-air with a risk of nearly no trade with F2 or B2 on some cases.
4.1. When opponents jump in to scorpion depending on the ranges his options are:
1. B2 (when the opponent is half distance away in trajectory to collide with the sword disjointed hitbox includes NJPs attempts on scorpion)
2. S3 (when they past the distance to collide with the sword hitbox, but still far away to be run under)
3. Back dash (To regain neutral range where ninjutsus stays mostly at control)
4. NJP (Same range where is possible to back dash, beats mostly earlier air activation normals)
5. Run under into s1 aa combo, beats late air activation normals planned to hit a crouching scorpion)
6. Crouch to whiff (against earlier activation normals, in order to trip guard punish them on the land)
7.Jump 3 (6 frames air to air anti-air normal, good at mostly any range but triggers damage protection)
8.S3 against up-close cross-ups
9. Teleport trip guard punish (same situation later or early activation of air normals or up close cross-ups)
10. Uppercut (work greatly in many up closes situations such as crss-ups, it can even grant a juggle afterwards).
Those aren't easy to set off, and some practice is required to know exactly when to apply each, considering the most difficult area to dominate with the variation, a Ninjutsu player that dominates this field as much as he dominates the ground, his destined to have a very well rounded strong and defensive Scorpion.
5.Notable Techs.
Ninjutsu Scorpion can use hits both playstyles combined to create situations where these techs can be used effectively.
5.1. Whiff punishing and excessive blocking strategies:
Use any push back to set a range where either F2, B2 or F3 will whiff punish someone too concerned about scorpion walking forward.
People that crouch blocks a lot while you walk in and are letting you hit S1 on their guard are more likely to get opened up by a raw F4.
People fuzzy guarding every time they block a stagger poke are more likely to get thrown a lot.
Impatient players will try to reach you at the blink of any range they think their normal can reach, this lets them open wide for whiff punishing.
5.2. Teleport cancel strategies.
214~tp~away cancel puts scorpion fullscreen for the opponent, pretty useful if you want regain space after a combo with guaranteed chip
214~tp cancel, put scorpion at -4 close to the opponent, even if there is a gap between 1 and 4, not every armor attack can reach scorpion in time to counter it, instead, they're vulnerable to it.
Everytime you're from -5 to +2, you can tp cancel to avoid retaliation, and either cancel away or behind them for a easy punish dependable of how bad they wanted to hit you.
5.3. Throw mix-up game.
You can throw your opponent after a S1 stagger
You can walk in from full screen just to get a throw, its incredibly trolly and frustrates the opponent, its also a very good challenge, and opens up for more mix-up options.
You can throw opponents after they whiff their fastest normals.
5.4. Restand sneaky 50/50 strategies:
J1 into F4 or Jump 1 into delayed B3
J1 has less hit advantage than J2, and also auto-faces much easier, however, it doesn't connect F4 on hit, this leaves scorpion into a favorable position to sneak a B3 undetected after a early press of J1, or a delayed option of the same attack to hit on 2 different timings if they try to fuzzy guard to block low, overhead.
While the overhead option can't be delayed its slow enough to deceive and beat fuzzy guard of those who try to block low, overhead, low too fast, or just overhead, low after getting hit by J1 on a cross-up.
The reward is great but the combo itself which comes after a spear restand its dependable of your decision to either risk a ex tp or a ex spear or just do a full combo into re-stand.
5.5.Anti-Wake-up game plan after conditioning opponents that you can break armored wakeups.
Opponent's who often fights Ninjutsu will respect the knockdown advantage if you can time your meaties well with F2 or B4, so they will blocking low as they stand without wake-up attacks, which opens for a another throw.
You can also trick them into think you're going for a throw and bait a poke to punish with F2, which in exchange force them to wake-up blocking rather than trying to press buttons.
Wake-up back dash doesn't removes the threat of F2 and they're mostly like to get it by it.
So likely every time scorpion gets an throw, you're likely to get another throw, and another, and another since they're conditioned that you can stuff their wake-up with F2 or B4 so walking forward as they get up puts into a 50-50 situation where you can either F2, throw, or bait a button pressing and whiff punish with F2
Ninjutsu variation, is highly recommendable to cover your weakness against characters you feel have a strong range game or strong air game or better yet, have strong armor tools, almost any character should fear scorpion armor breaking abilities because it can hit them before they hit scorpion.
Below are some tip-dibs to help you capitalize ninjutsu's damage on nearly every situation with some route situations that you should be aware.
6.Combos
B2, B2, B2, Jk~tp, 21~spear, J2, F4~tp, B121 (guaranteed block string w/ push back, you can also apply staggers)
214~tp, b2, 21~spear, J2, F4~tp, B121 or 4 (push back)
F2, B2, B2, Jk~tp, 21~spear, J2,21~tp... (apply any mixup here )
B2, NJP, B2, B2, Jk~tp, 21~spear (j1.., can conceal oh/low mixups)21~tp
NJP, B2, J1, J3~tp, 21~spear, J2, F4~tp...
Combos using 1 bar
214~tp, 214~ex tp, 21~spear, J2, F4~TP
B3~ex spear~MB, J2, 214~tp, B2, 21~spear, J2, F4~tp, b121
Extending damage using 1 bar, around the 39% house
214~TP, B2, 214~ex tp, 21~spear, J2, F4~tp 40%
214~TP, 214~ex TP, run~21~spear, Ji2~212 (Hard Knockdown)
B3~ex TP, NJP, JK~TP, 21~spear, Ji2, B121 (Fullscreen Knockdown)
B2, JK~TP, 21~spear, Ji2, B12~ex TP, run~212 (Hard Knockdown)
B2, JK~TP, 21~spear, NJP, JK~ex TP, run~212 (Hard Knockdown)
Hope it helps.
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