------------------------------- How to Play Well as Yoshimitsu. -------------------------------
-a guide for people who like katana-wielding biomechanical space ninjas (and don't we all?)
by Josh Addison (obrilliance@icqmail.com)
version 2.0 (25/9/1999)
Living End. Or, if you prefer, the original version by Soft Cell!>
Contents:
0. What's new? 1. So you wanna be a space ninja... 2. Why I Haven't Bothered With a Movelist. 3. What's His Story? 4. The Good Stuff. 4a. The Good Juggles. 4b. The Other Good Moves. 4c. The New Moves. 5. The Fun Stuff. 6. Stuff of Note. 7. General Tactics. 7a. Chicken Baiting! 7b. Tag Tactics. 8. The End.
0. What's new?
New to version 2.00: - Realised that there's a lot of crap here, and a major overhaul was needed (Hence v2.0) - Moved stuff around, created new sections (notably "Chicken Baiting!" in a new, separate "General Tactics"), changed "Stuff It's Not Worth Bothering With" to "Stuff of Note" - Changed a whole bunch of entries, added a few (one last juggle!) - A bit more TTT specific stuff
New to version 1.03: - Reorganised "Good Moves" section - ordered moves, and split them into juggles and non-juggles - Added yet more juggles
New to version 1.02: - A few more handy juggles and moves in various sections - Added commentary to various moves - A correction or two (can't believe I got the b,B+1 move wrong!) - A teensy bit more reformatting
New to version 1.01: - Added commentary on the moves new to TTT - A couple of corrections, additions, rewording and reformatting elsewhere...
1. So You Wanna Be a Space Ninja...
Well, of course you do - who wouldn't? In my experience, the majority of people, upon first being confronted with a Tekken game, say "ooh, I'll be the guy with the sword!" As well they should. There is, however, a whole lot more to Yoshi than just his nifty lookin' katana (is it a katana? He uses it one-handed, which suggests it might not be. People in the know are welcome to comment...) - he's got some of the handiest juggles, not to mention funniest little touches of anyone in the game. That said, he's also one of the trickiest to do at all well with - it takes a fair bit of practice to really master him, and he must have one of the shortest movelists of anyone. My first ever game of Tekken 3 was played as Yoshimitsu. I lasted three rounds. I gave up on him for a long while after that - once I discovered Lei's drunken boxing stance (yay Jackie Chan! But anyway...), but now that Tekken Tag is out I can be both of them at once. So I do. And you should too. Is anyone still reading? Perhaps I'd better get one with the guide. But first: an explanation...
2. Why I Haven't Bothered With a Movelist.
I haven't bothered putting a movelist in this guide for a couple of reasons. First of all, this guide isn't for beginners, so I'm going to assume you know most (if not all) of his moves. The point of this guide is to tell you which of his moves are the good ones, and how best to use them. I will, of course, say how to perform each of the specific moves and combos I mention, using the standard 1=left punch, 2=right punch, 3=left kick, 4=right kick, 5=tag notation. The second reason is that there's already a whole bunch of them out there - they're not hard to find, so if you haven't got one already, go get one then come back here. And finally, because there are a whole bunch out there, any list I did put in would've been copied directly from someone else's. And that's not nice. Right that's the disclaimer out of the way. On with the guide...
3. What's His Story?
Who cares.
Oh alright, it's something to do with being the leader of a bunch of space ninjas, and he's got something to do with that Dr. Boskonovitch guy from the Playstation games, and - look, he's got a sword and he looks really cool - what more do you need to know??! Honestly, some people...
4. The Good Stuff.
Right, here we go - these are the moves that will let you win easily and consistently with Yoshi. It's possible to play defensively, using his backflip, jumping moves, teleports, and so on, which you may be tempted to do based on the fact that a lot of his moves don't do too much damage. Myself, I prefer to take the offensive. Why? BECAUSE HE HAS SWORD, DAMNIT! Well, no, it's not just the sword - Yoshi has one of the best poking games around. A mixture of offensive and defensive play is probably the best idea. Anyway, the good moves (split into two sub-sections - juggles and normal moves):
4a. The Good Juggles.
One of the best (if not THE best) things about Yoshi is his wide range of simple, effective, and damaging juggles. Here's what I consider to be the best of them:
Juggle uppercut - df+2 Want to know the secret to winning as Yoshi? It's the proper use of this move. It's fast, easy to do, and it leads in to a huge range of handy dandy juggles. These are my favourites, listed in order of easiness-to-do:
b+1, 1, 3 Nice and easy this - finishing with the simple left kick, this combo is almost ridiculously easy, and is one of the most damaging of any of the juggles here - in only four hits. Unfortunately, the kick hits them too far away for a sword slash or flip-stomp, but you can't have everything. (See the "Savour Boot!" below, though).
OR b+1, 4, 4 Similar to the one above - no left punch though, but that allows you to connect with two right kicks, instead of one left. This does about 1 percent more damage than the df+2, b+1, 1, 3 one above, but is also a tiny bit riskier - be careful not to hit 4 too many times, otherwise you'll end up doing a third right kick, which won't connect, but will give your opponent the second they need to get up.
OR b+1, 1, df+1,1,1,1 If you're a person who likes to take risks, then this is the one for you. IF (and that's kind of a big "if") your opponent does the right thing, this can do around 50% damage. The first hit of the doorknocker combo connects, the second knocks them to the ground, the third misses, and as long as your opponent tries something (getting up, sweeping, tech rolling, a lightning ankle kick, etc.), the last (and most damaging) hit will connect too. On the other hand, if they stay lying down (or roll at the right time) you'll miss, and they'll get a free shot. Any combo which relies on your opponent doing what you want them to is gonna be risky - I think this one's worth the risk, though.
OR b+1, 1, f,f+4, db+1 That's a spinning fist, left punch, then a jumping knee, followed up with a sword slash when they're on the ground. Alternatively, you could go for a flip- stomp (uf+3+4) instead of a slash. Be careful here - if your opponent is on to it, they can roll out of the way of either of these last hits, leaving you open for a counter. By the way, these two moves are handy any time your opponent is on the ground close to you, not just after a juggle.
OR b+1, 1, df+1, 2, db+2 In other words, a spinning backfist, a left punch, elbow to backhand strike, followed with a mid spinning fist. This combo does more damage than any of the ones above, but only if the last hit connects. And it doesn't always - you have to get it just right, and if you miss, you'll come out of it a mite close to your opponent for my liking, so watch it.
OR b+1, db+2,2,2, f+4 Making more use of the mid-level spinning fists, now. For this juggle to work (for the front kick at the end to connect), Yoshi must spin around THREE times - no more. You can do up to five spins before getting dizzy, and even though you'll still connect with most of them you won't do as much damage, won't be able to connect with the kick, and are in more danger of hitting 2 too many times and getting dizzy.
OR df+1, 2, db+2,2,2, f+4 Right - here's a trickier one, but it's worth it for the damage it does. The trick to getting all six hits to connect is to pause for half a second after the initial uppercut before doing the elbow/backfist move. Again, Yoshi must do three spinning fists for this whole thing to work, and give you maximum damage.
OR df+2, b+1,1,1,1,1, 3 Thanks to Vainj for this one - the most damaging Yoshi juggle I know of. Again, be very careful not to do more than five spins, otherwise you'll go dizzy. That IS a second df+2 on the front by the way - you do TWO of them before the spinning backfists.
So that's the good juggles. Oh yeah, there is one other thing you can do with the df+2 uppercut: you can PUT A TENSTRING ON THE END OF IT!!! Try it - df+2, then 121:4:4:4:1111. The first four hits will connect, the fifth usually misses, but the sixth (a low kick) hits them on the ground, and then (assuming they try to get up, which the computer, at least, usually does) they get hit for the remaining four hits - a punch and three unblockable sword strokes! If your opponent is clever, they'll stay on the ground - this means they'll only get hit by the eighth hit (the downward sword stroke). If they're really smart, they'll then sweep you while you're still doing the ninth and tenth hits. Again, be careful. A word about that tenstring. I hate tenstrings - I find them too fiddly to get the timing right. Not with that one of Yoshi's, though - it's good and easy. If you're no good at tenstrings like me, do it like this: the first three hits are easy enough, just do them as fast as you like. Then just keep hitting 4 until Yoshi does his second of three kicks, then switch to bashing 1 until you're done. Easy!
Juggling sweep - D,df+3 If you ever find yourself ducking (and I'm sure you will at some stage), this is a good move to come back with. It's a little slower than I'd like, but you do actually move forwards into your opponent as you do it, so it's possible to catch people out by crouching a short distance away from them and then pulling this one out. It juggles, too - I tend to follow it up with a ducking punch, then a rising right kick (a rising left kick won't connect). At that point they're on the ground, you're on you're feet - you do the maths! Or "math", if you're American... See also the Samurai Slash in a later section.
4b. The Other Good Moves.
That's the juggles out of the way, but Yoshi has more than just juggles. Here are what I consider to be his best other moves and short combos (in more or less descending order of goodness) with tactics specific to them:
Fubuki (that jumping knee thing) - f,f+4 Good and fast, knocks them down, and because you jump forwards into your opponent, you don't have to be right next to them to do it. I use this a lot. As should you. Remember that Yoshi doesn't have a running slide kick - he does this move if you hit 4 while running.
Saviour boot! - df+4 I saw this kick given this name in someone else's movelist, and the name seems appropriate - it's very fast, it has good range, and it's easy to do, which makes it good for getting you out of tight spots (if you're low on energy, and your opponent has managed to get closer to you than you'd otherwise prefer, for example). The other good thing about this move is it's relatively quick recovery time. This means that, for example, if you end a short juggle with this kick instead of a normal 3, your opponent will still land too far away for a normal slash or a flipstomp too connect, but you may have time to pull off a QCF+1, or a f,f+3, 1, and hit them on the ground with that instead.
Kick to sword strike - f,f+3, 1 This is my favourite move to do when my opponent has their back turned after a f+2, or df+1,2, but you can still use this move to their face, and it's very handy in this situation, too. The kick is a bit slow, so you may find yourself on the receiving end of a counterhit, but if they just block it (which they often do), they'll have a hard time doing anything about the unblockable sword hit to follow. Joy. It can also be used as a juggle after df+2. Or try df+2, f,f+3, 4 instead.
Double somersault sword slice - QCF+1 The most useful of the unblockables (the others tend to be more "Fun" than "Good") - you can do it from a distance and hit your opponent with it as you land, you can do it up close and hit them as you go over their head - in fact, if you get the distance just right you can hit them several times as you go over! Only things to watch for: if your opponent has good timing they can hit you out of the air, it can be sidestepped once you're airborne, and if they duck it, you'll end up landing with your back to them - not a good look.
Elbow strike to sword slash - f,f+2 O.K., the most important thing about this move is that is HAS TO BE A COUNTER! If it's blocked, or even if it hits but not as a counter you'll find yourself standing right next to your opponent and very vulnerable. If you do manage to get it right, though, they'll end up on the ground, and you'll end up a fair distance away from them, out of harm's way. If it is blocked, or hits, but not as a counter, do something! Straight away. I'd recommend simply punching - if you're lucky, they'll go for something a counter that's not as fast as your punch. If you're really lucky, they'll go for the throw that the punch you're doing counters, giving you a little distance. Don't forget that if you do the super charge (1+2+3+4), all of your moves are counterhits for the next couple of seconds, AND if you hit them while they're running, that counts as a counterhit too. With that in mind, here's a really nasty thing to do to a stupid computer opponent: Get them with this once, then backflip (B,uf) away. They'll get up, see you're far away from them, and run at you. Guess what you do? That's right, get them with it again, putting them on the ground again and you far away again, so they'll get up again, run at you again...you get the idea. I can't imagine this would ever work against a human opponent, but damn it's fun!
Sword slash - db+1 As I mentioned in the juggle section, this move is good any time your opponent is on the ground and close to you. People tend to think that Yoshi's sword is only good for the fact that hits made with it are unblockable, but it also has the advantage of good range, and this is one of the moves that best shows it - you don't have to be right on top of your opponent like you do with Heihachi or Nina/Anna's stomps or Paul's ground punch, so there's little chance of getting hit by, say, a lightning ankle kick.
Rising Kickup to Cross Chop - b,b+3+4 when on the ground Did you know that only Yoshimitsu, Paul and Kunimitsu can do this? It's my preferred method of getting up - especially since if your opponent blocks you they reel back, meaning you can hit them with a rising punch that knocks them off their feet. I'd recommend the combo 1(keep hitting it as you come out of the roll to knock them over),df+2,df+4 in this situation. Thanks to the wonders of the Saviour Boot, you may be able to get them on the ground as well - see above.
The spinning moves - B+1,1,1... DB+3,3,3... DB+2,2,2... Ah, the spinning moves. Handy if used right, but be careful. Don't, for example, use the high spinning backfists unless you're close enough for the FIRST hit to connect. Otherwise you're asking for it. If you are close enough, they're good and fast, and remember you can swap to the spinning sweeps in mid combo for added variety. I have little use for the mid spinning backfists (except in juggle combos) - of the three, I find I use the spinning sweeps the most often. Remember to follow them up with a front kick (f+4), and remember that if you do more than five hits you'll get dizzy and fall over (that's five hits in total, so two backhands then four sweeps will put you down).
Shark Attack, Shark Dive, Roo Kick - f,f+3+4, 1+2, 3+4 If all three hits connect that's your opponent as good as finished - it does huge damage (full damage in some cases - instant K.O.!) and ends with them flying in the air just waiting for a juggle. That said, this doesn't often happen. Like the Fubuki and elbow strike to sword slash, this is good because you jump at your opponent from a distance, although it's not as fast, making it easier to block and counter. What usually happens when they see you coming, though, is that they'll sidestep, which means you'll just go sailing past them and end up far enough away that you don't need to worry about the danger of immediate counters. So that's O.K. One thing I've noticed with this move: it doesn't seem to work too well on Eddy (damn his eyes). Because he moves from side to side the way he does, sometimes the first hit will connect, but he'll move to the side automatically, and you'll sail past him on the second. I've had this happen once or twice with Lei, too, although it usually doesn't. I don't know of anyone else that this is a problem for (Law's the only one I can think of who jumps around a bit, and it works fine on him).
Yoshi Jumpkick - uf+4 This is a funny one - a jumpkick that hits M, not L. A useful one to throw in from time to time (you can do it as a juggle after df+2 if you want).
Rainbow Throw - d,db,b+1+2 Yoshi's most damaging standard throw (his throw from behind does more, but that doesn't count), and it's not too hard to do either. Can be handy.
4c. The New Moves.
Since this is meant to be a FAQ for TTT, it'd probably be a good idea to have a look at the moves that have been added since T3 by themselves.
Flea Headbutt - u+1+2, 1+2 This one probably belongs in the Fun Stuff section with the other flea moves, but I kind of like it all the same. You need to let your opponent get quite close to you for it to work, but it's speed and the fact that you end up in a standing position quite quickly after it make it fairly useful.
Hiltstrike Uppercut - SS+1 and Dodging Uppercut - SS+2 I suppose I should admit to a certain prejudice away from side-stepping moves - I find that if you actually have to side-step to do a move it just gets too unwieldy. Not always, but often. On the other hand, if you happen to be side- stepping at the time, the ability to do a move in the middle of it can be quite handy. With that in mind, here's what I think of these new side-stepping moves: The first thing to say is that both of these moves knock your opponent higher in the air than the normal df+2 uppercut, so you can't use the juggles I mentioned earlier. I'll have to experiment a lot more to see if there's any good ones out there - for now I find a simple kick's the best follow-up to them. The dodging uppercut's actually quite good - follow it up with a saviour boot for best effect. The hiltstrike uppercut only knocks them in the air on a counterhit, so it's a lot less reliable. Follow it with a left kick if you still feel the need to use it.
Whirlwind Kick - SS+4 Again, I don't like side-stepping moves, but as far as they go, this one's not bad. It's pretty fast, and has the bonus of stunning your opponent on a counterhit. A good one to throw in from time to time (remember: variety).
Sword uppercut - d+1+2 O.K., I'd be prepared to admit that this move just seems useless because it's new to TTT, and I'm not used to it yet. If anyone thinks this is the case, please e-mail me to say why. As far as I can see, though, it's too tricky to use effectively (your opponent needs to be quite close, and it needs to be a counterhit to do much good anyway).
Saw-blade shield - db+1+2 This one's mentioned below - my original comment was "it's a bit faster than the offensive saw-blade, but does no damage - why not just use the saw-blade?" Well, because it's NOTICEABLY faster than the offensive saw-blade, and can be handy for getting yourself out of a sticky situation by shoving your opponent back a bit. That's why. Don't be afraid to use it if they get too close.
Roo Kick, Indian Style O.K., this is handier - you can now go into a roo kick from a flip-stomp (uf+3+4, 3+4) or a left kick (3, df+3+4). Still not that fond of it, though. You can also go to indian style from flea stance or from lying on the ground (face towards, feet up), and apparently you can do it straight after the elbow strike to sword slash, which would be handy if you're low on energy (although if you're low on energy you should be trying to tag out, not go for a risky move like that). I haven't tried this yet.
5. The Fun Stuff.
Well those moves (combined with the right tactics - get to them later) will see you winning fights easily with Yoshi, here's how to win fights with style! All of the moves in this section are risky, and will more than likely see you taking one in the head for your troubles. I take no responsibility for people getting a kicking while trying these moves. Still, one of the best things about playing as Yoshi is that he has a whole bunch of moves that appear to be there solely to make you look goofy and/or cool, and make your opponent look really stupid if they actually work! Such as...
Sword run-through - b,B+1 The classic - insanely damaging, unblockable, so slow you'll have time to tie your shoes before it hits. Only works against very stupid opponents, and those who underestimate its range (which is better than you'd think), but when it does... With a little luck, you can do well with this move - do it straight after you've knocked your opponent to the ground far enough away that they can't get up with a kick and hit you, and hope that the don't roll towards you with a sweep. In all honestly, I tend to end up connecting with this more commonly by accident than design. Of course, I never admit that at the time...
Saw-blade - b,B+1,N,1 This move almost has some practical value as a fake-out - try and convince someone you're going to run them through, then whip this one out as they try to run in and punish you for your foolishness! It is hard to sidestep (or at least, harder than it looks) - against an opponent who doesn't know Yoshi too well it can be fun to do this, then laugh as they try to step around you and whack you, only to discover that from the side you don't see what a wide area it covers! Also looks mighty cool, as does it's cousin, the saw-blade shield (db+1+2), which is faster, but does no damage, just pushes your opponent away - and where's the fun in that? Remember you can cancel it with b,b. Just in case.
Flea - u+1+2 (then f,f OR u/uf/ub OR 1+2) Now this just looks silly. Laugh at Yoshi. Laugh as he leaps comically in the air. Snigger as he dashes forwards like a bunny rabbit. Chuckle as he headbutts you. Funny thing is, these moves can actually be quite effective if used properly, especially the jump. The flea stance itself is only really useful against people who attack low a lot. Eddy and Tiger are the only ones that spring to mind (although against someone who likes Paul's sweep/elbow combo a bit too much it could work). You'd think it would be good against Hell Sweeps from Heihachi and the like, but I find I have trouble doing it quickly enough - are my reactions just not good enough, or is it not possible? You tell me. The best comedy moments come from the Playstation version of Tekken 3 if you fight against Gon (or Doctor B., for that matter). Just go into flea stance and watch him kill himself by bashing against your sword again and again!
Helicopter trick - uf+1+2 Soar into the skies. Come down with an unblockable blow to the forehead. Again, quite risky, but worth it if it works. I tend to use it as a relatively safe way of putting some distance between myself and my opponent. Note that if you do it close to your opponent and hold B, Yoshi will spin around in mid air and land behind them, but facing towards their back. Cue evil laugh...
Suicide - d+1+4 Right, well, what can I say? If you're getting a kicking and want to take the honourable way out, or if you want to intimidate your opponent by showing them what a hard space ninja you are, go ahead. It's your funeral. So to speak. Much more fun is the suicide spin (d+1+4, B+1,1,1,1,1,1) - kill yourself, look goofy and maybe inflict a little damage on your opponent (but not much). Or the jump-in suicide (f,F+1+4) - take them with you! Unless they smack you in the back of the head first. Spoilsports.
Life Suck - f,f+1+2, 1+4 OR SS+1+2, 1+4 As far as "impossible to get right, but by golly, when it works it makes everything worthwhile" moves go, this one is king. Lift your opponent up BY THE FACE, suck the very life from their body, AND transfer it to yourself - could it get any better? Well, it could if the move were a little easier to do - you have to be facing backwards, coming out of a shark dive or meditation stance (see below), and when you do it you actually take half a step backwards, so your opponent has to be walking right into you for it to have effect. And did you know if you hold F+1+4, you actually transfer some of your own life to your opponent! Again, only handy for intimidation purposes, or dying an altruistic death. But fun all the same.
Indian Style - d+3+4 Another funny lookin' stance where Yoshi just sits there expectantly looking up at his opponent. This one has the advantage of rejuvenating your energy though, which makes it a bit handier than the flea. And it leads into...
Teleports - d+3+4, then b OR f OR 2 OR 4~3 Zip! Pow! Teleport around like the little space ninja that you are. Coming out of a teleport into spinning backfists or a roo kick can be a plus, too. If you really want to use this often, remember that you'll teleport behind your opponent if you're close to them ("less than three character lengths away", according to a guide I read), but if you're far away, you'll stay in one spot, but come out facing away from them. Not a good look. The teleport dodge (B+3+4,3+4,3+4...) looks kind of cool also, but takes your energy down, and makes you dizzy if you do it too much.
Smoking sword slash - db+1,DB (x7) While the normal sword slash is a handy little move, you can turn it into this hilarious manoeuvre. Chase your opponent like the bad guy from a bad eighties slasher flick! Should you actually (by some miracle) connect after seven steps (when your blade flashes), I'm told it's instant death for the opponent. Never seen it happen, though.
Bad Breath - b+1+2,any button Originally, I had this in the "don't bother with it section" (back when I had a "don't bother with it" section). I found it to be pretty useless, and not even that funny-lookin'. However, it is actually useful against someone like Law, who does a lot of high punches. Against a high punch this move is quite handy, as you can lean back out of your harm's way as the punches fail to connect, and then breathe your icky purple breath on them as soon as they're done. Class. Also, it's unblockable (always a plus), and hits mid. If you've got more energy than your opponent, then go into the stance, forcing them come to you, then be ready to give them a taste of space ninja halitosis!
Doorknocker combo - df+1,1,1,1 This isn't the best of combos, but it's about the most vicious one of Yoshi's. If you get an opponent who thinks he's Charles Bronson, take the butt of your sword and smash his nose in! (One for the Reservoir Dogs fans there).
Clonimitsu! - Throw from right side Throws from the side can be tricky to pull off, but when they look this groovy they're worth it!
Cartwheel throw - Throw from left side Ditto.
6. Stuff of Note.
This section used to be called "Stuff It's Not Worth Bothering With". Ah, the arrogance of youth... What I should have realised, of course, that there are no bad moves, just moves that you don't know how to use yet. Some are harder to use than others, sure, but they shouldn't be written off straight away. Which I did in some cases. Bad Josh. This section now consists of moves that maybe aren't that good, or special, but deserve mention (if only so I can say "I think this move is crap - prove me wrong!").
Elbow strike to backhand - df+1, 2 I used to think this move was one of the best, but then I realised that I've been playing against people who were just too damn slow. The backhand is really a bit slow to connect after the elbow - it can be blocked fairly easily. The backhand by itself (f+2) is a good idea after blocking an attack - then you've got a good chance of hitting. As I said before, I like to follow up with f,f+3, 1 - although a good old 3 will do.
Roo Kick - 4~3 I'm told I was a little hard on the roo kick, and, to be fair, IF you connect with it, your opponent is in big trouble. I like to follow it with a sword reversal, and then a saviour boot (or just a simple 4). To get the reversal to connect, take a step or two back while you're opponent's in the air (don't worry, you'll have time - they'll be in the air for quite a while). To get the kick to connect, you'll need to do the reversal quite early - they should land on it just before you come out of it. Still have trouble actually hitting people with it, though - it IS very slow, although now you can do it off a flipstomp, or a left kick, which makes life easier. There's a movie at tekken.net that shows Tragic (who I gather is about the best there is) doing a roo kick, then a double somersault, and connecting with it!! I'd sell my soul to know how to work that, I just can't do it no matter how I try.
Samurai Slash - D, bd,b+1 This move is cool, but not that cool, and handy, but not that handy. However, if you're ducking in front of someone, give it a go - it's unblockable and it juggles low! I prefer the juggling sweep myself, but this one does the trick if you get it right, and it can't be blocked.
Sword Reversal - b+1+4 Right, I've had a complete change of mind with this one - it's way cool. I'd been trying to use it like other reversals, and found it just too hard to get the timing right - against a high or mid kick, you need to get the timing perfect, and even then you'll often take the hit anyway, even if they do get hit too. However! What it's really good for is when you're opponent is right on top of you - against shoulder charges, or moves that involve charging or jumping right into you. I haven't had the opportunity to try it against Lei's headbutt, but I'd imagine it'd be pretty good against that. Ironically, it works well against Yoshi's own flipstomp. I tend to use it in juggles though - df+2, f,f, b+1+4, df+4. For the last kick to hit you need to do the f,f and the b+1+4 as fast as humanly possible. It doesn't do quite as much damage as some of those I've mentioned, but it looks right purty - I do it as a show-off juggle more than anything.
Flipstomp combo - uf+3+4,b+2,4,db+1 I'm sorry, the flipstomp can be quite useful, and the first three hits of the combo are good against a downed opponent - the backflip is actually an unblockable attack in this combo (I don't know if it is normally, I only use it to put some distance in between my opponent and myself) - but try to continue into the last hit, and you're asking for very hard punch to the head.
Meditation Stance - SS+1+2 Stay in it too long and you start to lose energy, the only moves you can do from it (Life Suck Throw and Rejuvenation) are too slow to be of any practical use (although the life suck throw is cool, but its much better done from a Shark Dive instead), it's just no good. If you can prove me wrong about this one, I'd be surprised to say the least.
7. General Tactics.
So, those are a bunch of moves, with how to use them individually, but you'll be wanting some sort of overall strategy to put them all together... O.K., first thing: variety is the key to victory - no matter how good any of these moves are, if you use them too often or too consistently, your opponent will quickly learn how to beat them. In my opinion, Yoshimitsu's biggest weakness is his comparatively small repertoire (ooh, there's a fancy word!), so mix it up as much as you can. Don't be predictable.
I've found that Yoshi's opponents generally develop through three stages: Stage One: Someone who knows little to nothing about Yoshi, and is likely to fall for moves an opponent at a higher stage wouldn't, such as the second hits of the 3,4 or df+1,2 combos. Stage Two: Someone who knows enough to see what's coming, but not enough to know what to do about it. This person will fall for the f,f+3,1 combo without fail (provided you use it right, of course), and will often just stand there and watch as you pull off a double somersault straight on their head. Stage Three: Someone who not only knows what's coming, but what to do about it. This is not the sort of person you should just bash away at - they'll know to sidestep (what a concept!) the double somersault, and whack you with a fast punch before you can do the second hit of the f,f+3, 1 combo. It shouldn't take too long to work out what stage your opponent is - see "Chicken Baiting!" - if they take the bait: stage two, if they don't: stage three, if they actually get hit by the bait: stage one. The good thing about Yoshi is that, because he isn't as widely used as other characters, you tend to encounter more people as stage one, and people tend to stay at the lower stages for longer.
Against stage one opponents: Do your worst! Whip out all of the "Fun" moves - chances are, they won't see 'em coming, and by the time they do, it'll be too late. Go for the 3,4 combo, the df+1, 2 combo, go for df+2 at every conceivable occasion - the Tekken world is your oyster.
Against stage two opponents: Chicken bait! Against any character with reversals this'll work a treat. Make good use of the double somersault and f,f+3, 1 combo - they'll see it coming, but won't know what to do about it. If you need to, create some room for yourself, with the backflip, saw-blade shield or helicopter trick. Don't take too many chances - these people aren't stupid, they're just lacking in experience - which is what they're gaining by playing you. Before you know it they'll be stage three, and then...
Against stage three opponents: Now you'll have to work for it. You're now at the level where most Paul, Jin, and anyone-else-who-gets-used-all-the-time-so-that- everbody-knows-what-to-expect-of-them players live. Variety, variety, variety. Try not to use the same move in the same situation twice (unless the situation is that they've messed up, and you can hit them without them being able to do anything about it!). Play your strengths: you're fast, nimble, and have a move for every occasion (although sometimes only one). DON'T just charge in with a df+2, wait for them to make a mistake and do it. Be careful with the double somersault. And so on.
In general, whenever possible go for the df+2 uppercut, then follow it up with the juggle of your choice. Obviously, if you want to do a whole lot of damage in one go, go for the tenstring (remembering that there is some element of risk there). Even computer opponents will eventually start backing away when you try this too much, though - human opponents who know Yoshi (stage two or three) will start backing away or blocking straight away!, so use a bit of variety - be sneaky. I said I like to play offensive as Yoshi, but not in the same way as you might with Paul or Jin - he's not a heavy hitter like them, but he is fast with a good poking game. "Evasive" would probably better describe how to play as Yoshi - he has rushing-in moves like the Fubuki, elbow strike to sword slash, and front kick to sword slash and shark attack, so you don't need to be close enough to them for them to hit you instantly to have a go at them. His backflip is a great way of getting clear, and his saw-blade shield is a good way of creating a little room between you and your opponent, so you are able to use these moves. If you're against someone who likes to just sit there, waiting for you to try something so that they can block and counter it, remember: YOSHI HAS UNBLOCKABLES - a whole lot of them. Use them. Other than that, if they get too close go for the saviour kick, a few 1 or d+1 pokes, or Fubuki - it really is one of Yoshi's best moves. If they're far away try a shark attack combo, or double somersault.
7a. Chicken Baiting!
This isn't a huge point, but I put it as a separate section, basically because I wanted to have one called "Chicken Baiting"! By this I mean doing easily reversible moves (of which Yoshi has a bunch), and being ready with a chicken when you get reversed. This works very well for the second stage of opponent I mentioned above. Stage three opponents will know better than to reverse them though, they'll just block (or duck) and smack you out of it. Bevare, as Bela Lugosi used to say... Here are the best moves to use for chicken baiting:
High kick, fast mid kick - 3,4 This one works well as a normal move against stupid (stage one) opponents too, because the second kick is so fast - if they don't know it's coming, they'll probably block the first and try to give you a counter, only to get a mid kick to the face!
Fast mid kicks - 4,4,4 These are particularly good, because, being all right-side moves, you know that it's going to be f+2+4 to chicken.
That Tenstring From Before - 121:4:4:4:1111 Stage three opponents will duck the first kick and punch you. Stage twos, however, almost always go for the reversal, so be ready on that chicken. Stage ones, of course, don't know what the hell's going on, and if they haven't done something before the second kick, they're in for three unblockable, and hugely damaging sword strokes!
7b. The Tag Stuff
Some TTT specific tactics now - how and when to tag out, and so on. Since Yoshi actually has moves that replenish his energy (indian style, life suck throw, rejuvenation from meditation stance), it's not quite as necessary to tag out as often as you might do with other players, but it's still a good idea (if for no other reason than to keep up the variety). That said, I find myself tagging out rather than relying on energy replenishing moves - better to recover energy while you're out of the fight completely, than sitting on the ground or something, where you're still vulnerable to attack.
I don't know of any tag throws for Yoshi apart from the standard 2+5 - you'd think there would be one for him and Kunimitsu, but I haven't heard of one. Ditto tag combos. As you'd expect, you can tag out after any of his high juggle moves - even the standard df+2 uppercut (another reason why it's just so useful!), with the roo kick providing about the safest way to tag out of the lot. Assuming you can actually connect with it, that is (yes, I'm still bitching about that one).
The evasive style of play that suits Yoshi well extends to tagging in and out also, so do it as often as possible - not too much though - nothing's easier than waiting for someone to tag in after their partner goes out, and whacking them as soon as they're in. So don't do it. When tagging in, make use of Yoshi's moves that involve dashing towards the opponent - especially the Fubuki. This shortens the amount of time spent running onto the screen, making you less vulnerable to the sort of thing I just mentioned. You may know that anyone can tag in with a flying cross-chop by doing f,f,N,1+2 as you tag in - this works pretty well. A simple left kick can work well also.
As far as choice of partners goes, what you probably want is someone with some powerful moves that you can bring in to save Yoshi's ass and end a fight quickly if you get into trouble. Heihachi, Law or Paul would compliment him well, I suppose, but as I said before, I often use Lei, simply because he's my other favourite and I'm best with him. Of course, if you're good enough with Yoshi, you can use him as your main partner, and have him save your other partner's ass when necessary. OR you could team him with Kunimitsu, for some two-bladed, double ninja action! I like the combination of these two - Kuni's even more evasive than Yoshi - you can adopt a "guerrilla warfare" style of play - tag in (safely, of course), make a fast hit, (safely) tag out again, repeat. And that's all I have to say about TTT. Which hasn't been all that much, really. Comments or suggestions?
