Ronin
Takeda’s Ronin variation mixes swordplay with a bit of trickery. Ronin Takeda can get his Mitsurugi on and uppercut enemies with his sword using the Shirai Ryu Kan special. He can also drop his blade on the ground as a trap and explode it underneath enemies, launching them high into the air, and leaving them vulnerable for a kombo. He can reflect projectiles using the Shirai Ryu Reflect which certainly comes in handy against spammers. Finally, his Piercing Spark attack is a rare combination of power and range, and especially so when it’s enhanced. If you’re not married to a particular play style and want a special for every situation across a variety of different ranges, then Ronin Takeda is for you.
Tornado Strike: Back, Forward, Circle
Fist Flurry: Back, Forward, Triangle
Blade Drop: Down, Back, Square
Piercing Spark: Down, Forward, X
Shirai Ryu Reflect: Down, Back, X
Shirai Ryu Kan: Down, Forward, Square
Shirai Ryu
Scorpion too slow for you but love his spear and teleport moves? Then you might want to take flyer on Takeda’s Shirai Ryu variation. Takeda keeps a lot of his quick specials and attacks such as Fist Flurry, but adds Scorpion like harassment moves. He can pull people in and smack them around with the Spear Ryu and teleport kick with Quick Phase (note you can also delay this attack by holding the X button down). This variation really is as simple as normal Takeda with a dash of Scorpion mixed in, which is probably attractive sounding to many of you.
Kunai: Down, Back, Square
Tornado Strike: Back, Forward, Circle
Fist Flurry: Back, Forward, Triangle
Quick Phase: Down, Back, X
Spear Ryu: Back, Forward, Square
Air Spear: (Air), Down, Back, Square
Lasher
With the Lasher variation, Takeda sacrifices a bit of mobility for powerful medium range whip attacks. Using his whip, Takeda can trip up enemies by going up and under them. He can also swing them around in a whirlwind, doing large damage to anyone that tries to go middle or high on you. Finally, he can also lash them out in both directions dealing damage from a decent range. As long as you won’t miss some of his quick long-range attacks, the Lasher variant adds a good mix of power and range to Takeda’s arsenal.
Kunai: Down, Back, Square
Tornado Strike: Back, Forward, Circle
Whip Strike: Down, Forward, Square
Whip Assault: Back, Forward, Triangle
Whip Trip: Down, Back, Triangle
X-Ray and Finishers
Fatalities:
- (Mid-range) Down, Forward, Down, Back, Triangle
- (Mid-range) Forward, Back, Down, Down
Brutalities:
- R2
X-Ray (L2+R2 with full meter)
Takeda’s X-Ray is a little tougher to land than most. You’ll have to jump in the end and come down over their head. Nail it and you’ll hit your opponent with massive damage and get a very satisfying cocky comment from the trash talk loving Takeda.