With Soulcalibur 6 serving as both a sequel and a reboot to the Soulcalibur series, franchise newcomers and savants once again bear witness to the struggles of acquiring both the fabled Soulcalibur and the feared Soul Edge. With Soulcalibur 6 beginning after Cassandra from Soulcalibur 5 warns her past self about the fate of her family, the new Soulcalibur installment will explore the series’s mythology from a fresh perspective.
In the era of more intense and graphically-awesome fighting games, Soulcalibur 6 has come at the right time to re-explore the game’s approach to weapons-based fighting. And with each character possessing unique Fighting Styles based on their weapons, just which weapons serve players the best purpose in the game’s main Soul Chronicle mode and Libra of Soul events?
10 Xianghua (Chinese Sword)
Courtesy of the Chinese Sword, Xianghua uses martial arts inherited from her mother in order to deliver quick yet flowing strikes that can confuse opponents when done properly. Thanks to how seamless some of her combos seem, Xianghua’s Chinese Sword is easily ideal for players who prefer combos that follow through rather than high-damage, high-risk maneuvers.
Xianghua also boasts a lot of moves that allow her to close the gap between her and her opponent without much effort, allowing her to rush and swipe with ease. Not to mention, her lows, mids, and highs chain well into flexible attacks that let her play around with the opponent’s momentum. Combined with her potent guard-breaking crouch attacks, and feint-forcing attacks, Xianghua can punish opponents extremely often.
9 Cassandra (Short Sword & Small Shield)
Series mainstay Cassandra is popular for her Short Sword & Small Shield, which provide her with the capacity to stay aggressive at close quarters while still being able to defend herself. Unlike Sophitia, Cassandra’s approach to the Short Sword & Small Shield involves fast and hard-hitting stuns, throws, and combos, ensuring opponents who get remotely close to her get severely punished.
Cassandra specializes in dishing a lot of damage from up close, considering this is the best range to land her powerful attacks. She possesses moves that allow her to attack while in the middle of a movement, giving her a way to access her opponents up close even if they try to run away. She also has a lot of knock-up attacks that bring opponents in mid-air for juggles, as well as the guard-breaking Divine Force Stance.
8 Zasalamel (Death Scythe)
Enigmatic Zasalamel adds yet another layer of intrigue for players courtesy of his Death Scythe. Thanks to this ranged weapon, Zasalamel already rules the ranged game thanks to his zoning options, poking opportunities, and rather complex combos that could overwhelm opponents quickly at the hands of a skilled-enough player.
For instance, Zasalamel has a lot of moves that allow him to pull himself towards opponents for fierce short-to-mid range attacks, while at the same getting out of harm’s reach. Not only that, but these close-up moves can be extremely fast, leaving opponents pressured with no way out of his zoning long-ranged moves, his poking mid-ranged attacks, and his stunning close-ranged moves.
7 Ivy (Snake Sword)
Alluring Ivy isn’t just in the game for her looks, however, as her Snake Sword is easily one of the most versatile and deadliest weapons at the hands of a skilled player. Despite its short appearance, its extendable nature allows Ivy to dish out extremely fast pokes and long-distance attacks to gain control of almost any part of the battlefield.
Due to her sheer range, Ivy can deter the enemy from getting any close to her while players think of new strategies to employ against them. Players who manage to find ways past Ivy’s low damage output can slowly poke enemies to oblivion. The key here is to take the time with Ivy and ensure to only combo during the advantage.
6 Sophitia (Short Sword & Small Shield)
Although Sophitia also wields a Short Sword & Small Shield similar to Cassandra, her fighting style couldn’t be any more different. Primarily a defensive fighter, Sophitia relies more on outpacing opponents and dishing out fierce counters, courtesy of her mean side throw. While she’s not high up in the damage charts, her defensive play makes her fairly safe to play yet versatile enough for a counterattack.
Sophitia’s mix-ups truly shine when taken into account her nature as a counter-hitter. Players need to gauge which moves work best with her sidesteps, ducks, and backsteps. That way, players immediately get access to her punishing moves. Moreover, knowing her wall combos allow Sophitia to not let enemies regain momentum when cornered.
5 Talim (Elbow Blades)
Thanks to her Elbow Blades, Talim offers a unique perspective on melee-ranged combat with extremely fast maneuvers and up-close attacks that make it more akin to the punches and kicks of standard fighting games. Combined with her ability to knock-up opponents with a small tornado, Talim’s speed and combo potential easily become her deadliest forte.
Among Talim’s repertoire of extremely fast moves include rushdown attacks (Rapid Espada - Wind Charmer), a combo flurry for pressure (Kali Rush), and a long-ranged air knockdown (Air Blade Thrust). Knowing how to use her wind-based moves properly can almost always guarantee enemy air time, leaving them wide open for juggling.
4 Amy (Rapier)
Despite the straightforward nature of her Rapier, Amy’s usage of the weapon boasts a lot of flexibility. Typical of other blade users, Amy doesn’t have a lot of ranged options, but she can devastate foes in melee combat. Thanks to the nature of her weapon, Amy also specializes in hard-hitting combos and parrying for defense.
It’s imperative for players to stack her Red Rose Perception, as this gives her attacks a more powerful "oomph" throughout the match. With the right timing, a lot of her normal combos are guaranteed hits. With enough Red Rose stacks, Amy can dish out Lethal Hits more often that finish rounds much faster than players anticipate.
3 Raphael (Rapier)
Compared to the slower yet more flexible Amy, Raphael’s usage of the Rapier is much faster and more aggressive. While he still lacks the range due to the nature of his weapon, Raphael compensates through fierce slashing and thrusting attacks, allowing him to dominate mid-range. Not to mention, his throws also have decent range and can be hard to miss, allowing him to knock down opponents and zoom in for the kill.
Due to his aggressive approach with the Rapier, players can take advantage of his thrusts to poke opponents. And since he doesn’t have a lot of damage, it’s advisable for Raphael to play safe and capitalize on his Preparation stance to give him more defensive options. That way, Raphael can simply poke and whip out a combo or two before safely regaining distance.
2 Yoshimitsu (Katana & Wakizashi)
Existing in both the Soulcalibur and Tekken franchises, Yoshimitsu in SC6 wields the Katana & Wakizashi, a pair of dual swords with various purposes that contribute to his flexibility. Similar to other blade users, Yoshimitsu suffers from a lack of ranged attacks. However, his sheer speed and unique combos allow him to compensate for his range limitations. Not to mention, his counters and rather unique movement can disrupt the enemy quickly.
Thanks to his unique moveset, Yoshimitsu can stop an enemy’s momentum and return the favor to them. For instance, he can fly past opponents to interrupt their combo and start his own, while he can also “absorb” attacks and “counter” with the opponents’ own. Combined with his knockdown maneuvers, Yoshimitsu can put a stop to any aggressive play.
1 Cervantes (Longsword & Pistol Sword)
Despite the funny notion of a pistol having the advantage in a game with a lot of swords and blades, such is truly the case of Cervantes with his Longsword & Pistol Sword. Aside from being one of the franchise’s villains, Cervantes’s kit alone makes him an extremely potent character at the hands of the right player. His nature as a rushdown character means he excels in putting pressure on opponents and finishing them off before they can recover.
At its core, Cervantes can easily dominate the mid-range courtesy of how his pistol fires can stall his opponents. He can dish out attacks when opponents are on walls to keep the pressure and juggle them for the offensive. Should enemies try to recover with fierce combos of their own, Cervantes may actually be able to overwhelm weaker attacks with fierce blows to aggressively regain the momentum.
Soulcalibur 6 is currently available on PC, PS4, and Xbox One.