~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Alexandra sisters:
MORE than just a movelist -
A starter's guide to two-three-six-bee.
By Shun Goku Satsuma (Jez Ang), shimmering_blade@hotmail.com
Version: 0.6something
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

(If you have any applications of moves or think I've missed something out,
feel free to contact me. I'm usually on the Star Ocean, Till the End of Time
boards if you don't want to e-mail me)






Agenda: Punishing lists; specific matchups.
Quotes. Tales of Souls paths. Costumes. 
Moves punishable by X, the witch.
Cass' autos
Unblockables in matchups. Counters and evasion. 
RO game.
9KK NC?
Other char's low lists?
8WR punishing lists, eg 22AA. 
B+G 2A_B break G22
9A 66B tech trap?


Recent additions:
Mitsu and Taki punishing
Contents list now works slightly. 
Explanation of frames.

Copyright information:
I don't own the game. I don't own the characters (I pwn some of them now,
though). I don't claim to own anything Namco owns.
This, however, is written by me. Not all of the information was discovered
by me, but I have not partaken in plagarism to any degree. 

Little note - use Ctrl+F. This guide isn't really laid out too well. If you
think you've found a good move and want to see its applications, just use
the search function. Unfortunately, you'll have to guess whether you end up
in the Cassandra or Sophitia section, but you can take a stab at that by
reading around or looking at the scrollbar. 

In general, you can use Ctrl+F for a move, or ctrl+F for "#-chapter-" with
the dashes and the number.
For the matchup, just search for the contents entry. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Contents:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

-Foreword

-Notation, jargon and other gibberish.
-Other things you may need to know.
  -frames
-Miscellaneous FAQ
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

=Cassandra= <3
1-Introduction
2-Story
3-Overview
4-Staple Moves
5-Other nice moves
6-Other stuff to try
7-Combos
8-Natural combos
9-Safe, unsafe?
10-Throws
11-Strategy
12-Cassie against the AI
13-Cassie against people
14-GI game
15-Cass in a nutshell
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

=Sophitia= <3
16-Story
17-Overview
18-Staple Moves
19-Other nice moves
20-Some moves to try out
21-Combos
22-Natural combos
23-Safe, unsafe?
24-Throws
25-Strategy
26-Sophie against the AI
27-Sophie against people
28-GI game
29-Soph in a nutshell
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

=Both=
30-Sisters side by side
31-Matchup and punishing lists
Versus...
Zasalamel. >:O
Taki. D:
Mitsurugi. x.x

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

-Foreword-
This FAQ isn't really focused on story and ToS paths and such. It's not
just a movelist with high, mid and low, either. I want to give a
description of how you should go about playing the sisters, which to
pick against who, and how to show that they're cute and deadly at the
same time. :P
I write this guide assuming that you, the reader, knows most moves
already, and want to find applications and further details in the
mechanics of the game; or at least, you'll at least check up on what
my rambling about moves is all about.
This guide isn't a movelist. It's a little starter to give you ideas
as to how some moves can be used. The idea isn't really to tell you how
to play - it's to inspire you so you can acquire new tools to formulate 
a battle plan yourself. ^^;;
If you only want to play the AI, and don't really have access to human
competition, you probably want to skip most of this FAQ, as I'm writing
with respect to mixup and mindgames a lot of the time. 
Still, you can read it if you're interested. 

Okay. Why play one of the sisters?
Well, their main advantages are speed, range and damage. If you like the
sound of that, then they're for you. However, their major drawbacks include
a lack of mixup and lows, a mediocre throw game, punishability and step
coverage.
However, that's just a little bump in the road when you're considering the
kind of punishment you can deal to the wary or unwary adversary. And it's
not like they're totally lacking in those departments - they just don't have
anything godly to abuse. ;p

Why Sophie and Cassandra in the same FAQ? Scream at me. Fine. They're
completely different characters in a sense - I know. But it's often the
case that a Sophitia player will also play Cassandra and vice versa. I
use them in response to my opponent - if I need Cassie's tools, I'll pick
her. If not, then it's Sophie.
So yeah, they're in the same FAQ because they're easy to compare ^^;;. 

This FAQ is for a beginner of competitive play - someone who knows how the
game works in general, but wants to develop some strategies. It's mainly
talking about playing humans. Most of the strategy here is pretty basic, but
it should serve as help for you getting to an intermediate level of play.
If you're already at a high level of play, you probably wouldn't be on 
GameFAQs. xP

Little disclaimer. Some of this information might not be completely true.
Partly because stuff has changed between the PAL and NTSC versions (even the
50Hz and 60Hz PAL versions have different frame data to an extent), and
partly because I'm no tournament player. 

Okay. First things first. Not third... xD

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
-Notation-
During the twentieth century, a time for which written records do not
exist to this day, a wise sage created a language for everyone in the 
world to understand. The extent of this sage's genius is not truly
understood, nor is his name known. An unsung hero, whose work is used every
day, lives on in the science that is Soul Calibur.
His creation aids us as players, whoever we may be.

He created...
-The numberpad system-

 7 8 9
 4 5 6
 1 2 3

Look familiar? Yeah, I think so. (If you haven't got it, look at your 
right hand, then go right from that a bout six or seven inches)

This corresponds to the directional inputs from the P1 side (default,
facing right.)
So a 'Hadouken' motion would be 236, and so forth.

A, B, K, G.
No, this isn't the alphabet of a foreign language. It's the alphabet of
the language of Souls and Swords.
By default, A is square, B is triangle, K is circle, G is X.

Inputs are not separated by commas as long as they are in one 'move'. 

You read moves from left to right, of course. Most people get confused
as to whether to read a number and a button as a simultaneous press or
a sequential press. The real answer is that it doesn't matter. 6,G and
6+G (as long as you time the former relatively quickly) are read as the
same thing by the game. 

236B means "Press down, down/towards, (towards and B) or (towards then
B very shortly after)".

A plus sign, +, denotes a simultaneous press of two buttons.
66A+B means "Press towards twice, then press A and B simultaneously" or
"Press towards once, then press towards and A and B simultaneously".

Underscores, _, denote the "or" identifier.
So 66G+A_B means "Press towards twice then (G and A) or (G and B)". Some
like to use brackets to remove confusion:
66(A+G)_B means "blah...press A+G or B" as opposed to the former case,
which would be "66(A+G)_(B+G)".

Square brackets, [ ], refer to a button that can be held.
8[B+K] means "Press up and B and K simultaneously, but hold the B and K".

WS stands for 'while standing'. A strange term, since it really means
"while getting up". WS moves can be performed only when a character is
returning to the neutral state from a crouch.
WS A means "While your character is getting up, press A". 

A colon refers to a just frame input. Basically, this means that you have
to time the button after the colon precisely.
236B:B means "Press down, down/towards, towards and B, then tap B on the
exact moment it requires it".

You'll get the notation for this eventually. These moves won't mean much
to you right now, but they will when I'm done with you, private. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
-Other things you should know-

Frame - a 'frame' refers to one of two things. Many people suspect them
being the same thing, but we're not quite sure whether or not they are
at the moment.
A frame is either:
1) The shortest time interval in Soul Calibur III's game mechanics.
2) 1/60th of a second.
Usually, we take it to mean the former.
Frameology (the study of frames) is an imperfect sciences, in the sense that
it's both hard to test and inconsistent. Frame data even varies between the
PAL and NTSC versions. Range has an effect on frame data - in general, a 
move will be faster at short range, but have a longer recovery; and vice
versa.

-Frames
The study of frames is imperitave if you want to maximise your chances of
winning.
A move has various sets of frame data:
1) Impact speed data 
2) Frame data on hit and block

1) Impact speed data. This is a measure of the speed of a move. The notation
"i#", where # is a number, implies that a move takes # frames to connect
after it has been input. For example, Sophitia's 236B is described as i13.
After inputting the last command of 236B (the B), there are 13 frames
(13*1/60ths of a second, about) before the move actually scores a hit on the
opponent. Smaller numbers are better.

2) Frame data on hit and block. These describe recovery. Imagine a time line.
If Cassandra attacks Sophitia with an AA and Sophitia blocks, both characters
experience a brief period of inactivity, where they cannot do anything. After
a short time, both characters can act again.
However, they will not recover into a state in which they can act freely at
the same time (probably :P). Obviously, one character will recover first
(except for the rare cases of symmetrical recovery).
we describe the relative recoveries as ±x frames, accompanied by "on hit" or
"on block", as the relative recoveries are obviously different for the two
scenarios.
If we say "236B is -14 on block", we mean that when 236B is blocked, the 
attacker will be in recovery (unable to do ANYTHING) for 14 frames longer
than the defender. Therefore, any move which takes 14 frames to score a hit
will be deemed 'a free hit'. A move that takes 15 frames to impact will be
blockable - however, there are implications of this negative data.
Let's say a move is -1 on block. While it seems a negligible amount, what if
both characters do a move of the same speed? The blocker of the previous
move will obviously win.
There exist (in limited number) frame traps. These are moves for which the
attacker recovers FASTER than the defender, even if the move is blocked. Let
us say that 4[A] is +1 on block. If a defender blocks 4[A], and both characters
do a move of the same speed immediately after, the attacker will win.

On hit, the attacker is almost always on the vantage point. After a hit, the
attacker recovers faster than the defender. Usually, anyway. 
Let us say that Sophitia's AA is +5 on hit. She scores a hit on Cassandra.
The Sophitia player (since s/he obviously knows frame data) would know that
s/he has an advantage of five frames' head start. Cassandra's fastest move
is i11 - it takes eleven frames to impact. Sophitia, with her +5 advantage,
can use any move up to i16 (due to the head start), and it will still clash
or counter Cassandra's fastest option. 

Knowing frame data lets you decide a number of crucial things:
"If the enemy blocks this move, will they get a free hit?"
"If the enemy blocks this move, is it wise to attack afterwards?"
"If the enemy is hit by this move, how much recovery will they have?"
"If I get a head start of x frames, does this mean (move) has a large
 enough headstart to be uninterruptable?"

For comparison:
Sophitia and Cassandra's A hits at i11, 2A hits at i12.
Sophitia's 236B hits at i13; Cassandra's at i14.
Most other moves are slower than this.

The implications of these speeds are that any move with a recovery of 11 or
more frames relative to the attacker will grant Sophie or Cassie a free AA,
and so on. 

--

Moves can be buffered. I hear the window is somewhere around 50 frames.
Basically, this means you can input a command before it can come out,
and the computer will give you the fastest input. This makes the game
easier.

'tech crouch' describes a move that seems to duck in its animation,
thereby evading some highs. Not that most tech crouch moves only have a
small window of crouching, so don't expect them to automatically pass
right through AAs. 

Although it's rare, a 5 is sometimes seen in a move. When you see a 5,
it just means you have to not do anything. For example, 23658 means you
have to do your down, down/towards, towards, then wait for a fraction of
a section, then press up. 

When you interrupt your opponents attack with your own attack (but not
during their post-attack recovery window), you score a counter hit.
Counter hits give additional damage and often have different properties.
For example, some strings become natural combos on counter, some moves
launch, some stun, some knock down, so on and so forth. The abbreviation
for counter hit is (you've guessed it), CH. 


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

-Miscellaneous FAQ

Coming soon. -_-
It's not going to be a serious section.

Does Cassandra use gel?
Yes - if you look in her high-res illustration, her hair is clearly gelled.

What happened to Sophitia's dress sense?
The same power that infected her kids with madness slowly destroyed her
aesthetic judgement. She's not on the verge of a wardrobe malfunction.

Why is Cassandra's P2 so horrible?
It's mainly because her P1 is so cute <3. But yeah, I'll have to reserach
into this one, and punish whoever was responsible for it.

How do you recolour Cassie and Sophie?
For Cassandra, I generally use a deep red on her P1 and a teal shirt. But
really, pretty much anything works, since it's such a nice outfit.
As for Sophitia, I use her P2, and make it a kind of pinky purple (so it fits
her P2 weapon or The Ancient). But her default P2 costume works well with
her P1 weapon.

Did Greek people really believe in the ancient Greek myths in the 16th
century?
No. Don't ask. 



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
=Cassandra= <3
"Don't die too quickly, okay?"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

1-Introduction-

Come on. You know you like her. Everything from her hair to her overly-
arrogant win quotes.
Since Soul Calibur has generally been a series with relatively balanced
characters, it's usually alright to base your preferences around things
like that. However, aside for her sexy 1P costume, there are *real*
reasons to take up this cute Alexandrian, who's two thousand years behind
on her belief system.

2-Story-

Cassandra's story is seriously silly. She's always existed in the Soul
Calibur universe - Sophitia's stories mention Cassandra, her little
sister, as the only one who believed her crazy tale about Soul Edge.
In fact, it's so pointless, I don't want to type it out. But basically,
she goes out on Sophitia's behalf in SCII, comes back because Sophitia
makes her, then leaves again on Sophitia's behalf, breaks her equipment,
comes back to Sophitia to get them fixed, then leaves again for SCIII.
But she doesn't really do anything.

3-Overview-
Although you can play characters how you want, they often naturally suit
one or two play disciplines. For Cassandra, many would agree that "pit
bull" and "rush down" come to mind. However, due to the nature of many
of her moves, "turtle" and "punisher" are just as applicable. The key to
winning is sometimes to switch between the two, forcing your opponent to
predict your actions incorrectly. Cassandra actually has very few chances
for mixup - you have to create them yourself, as opposed to with some
characters that have a lot of cancels and multiple ending strings in
their actual movelists.
If you are creative and on your toes, though, your opponent will learn to 
fear the beast that is Cassandra. 
Mrow.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
4-Staple moves-
You'll probably find yourself using these moves every round. You don't
have to, but these are the moves that I find particularly useful. They
are listed in no particular order.

A_AA - fast horizontal. High, of course. Damage isn't spectacular, but
that's not the point of an A. On a hit, you get quite a bit of frame
advantage (+5 maybe?), so make sure to follow it up with another move if
it scores a hit. 3K comes to mind. A throw if you're in range, although
you might be outspaced.
Use a single A if you fear getting ducked. AK will catch a ducker if he
doesn't come up in time or punish, too.

B_BB - less fast vertical. But still fast. It has more range, too. On
block, it's pretty bad stuff. So unless you're sure you won't get hit
(range, conditioning, etc), it's probably a bad idea to follow it up. On
hit, you don't get much advantage. So why use it? Well, it's your main thing
to mix up with lows and throws. That's all. And it's
nice and easy to do, obviously. Strangely, the second hit seems to track. 
I'm not complaining. ~.~

236B:B - as fast as a BB. But yields such a reward. And the
range is really quite magnificent. However, on block, you're open to a
lot of stuff. Almost every character gets a free BB. Use it as a
punisher, or to get under highs. However, don't be surprised if you get
clipped by a high. It happens. It's imperitave to learn which moves give
you a free 236B when blocked, and for which moves you can duck the last 
hit in order to punish.
If you miss the just frame input, make sure to give your opponent a bit
of mixup on wake up. 3B or BB with 2K or 1K would do, depending on how
sure you are.
If you get the just frame, a 22B+K or 11B is almost guaranteed. Go for the
former most times - your opponent has to tech left to escape; and I've never
seen the AI do it. 

3K - fastish horizontal mid. Ah, horizontal mids. The bane of everyone's
existence. Unfortunately, this one lacks in range and damage. However,
it's safe (and therefore abuseable), and gives you a bit of advantage on
hit. Go for a throw/mid mixup if you think your opponent succumbs to that
kind of thing.

A+B - for closing in. Use this when you want to pounce in on an
unsuspecting keepaway. It covers a bit of step to one side, but be wary.
On hit, you get a free 3B, so it yields nice damage. Some characters get
a 2A on block, unfortunately.
On the plus side, it has some frames of tech crouch (somehow), and
obviously frames of tech jump (heh) - so use this to avoid and punish 
predicted moves. 

2K - low kick of doom! Okay, it's not brilliant. But it's a 2K! It's no
slower than a BB, so I really can't stress how much you should use this.
It does pretty crappy damage, but the point is that it adds up. And
think about - who's going to block a 2K on reaction? It therefore forces
your opponent to try to predict it, thereby eating some mids in the
process.
It gives frame advantage on hit, though - so if you're up against an
impatient opponent, go for two or three in a row, before going for the
WS B. Or if you're feeling lucky, go for a 236B.
2K is actually unsafe on block. But shh, don't tell anyone. 

2A - fast special low. Like 3K, it's used for covering step. Although it 
has virtually no range, you'll like this move. Abuse it to no end - 
against the AI or a person, it'll save you. It crouches, and is only a 
frame slower than an AA (or at least, it was...). If you score a hit with
a 2A, a nice follow up is a 2K, although they might eventually learn.
It seems to be like, -1~-2 on block, by the way. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
5-Other nice moves-
These are more situational, but I find myself abusing them to Jupiter and
back when the situation requires it.

4[A] - ignoring the five year start up...this is a very nice move. The
damage itself is mediocre, but it leads into so many combos. You'll find
yourself getting addicted to this after a while. Make sure to check the
combos section for the follow ups.
Anyway. It covers step, and gives frame advantage on block. Woah. An AK
is virtually uninterruptable (albeit duckable), and the AI will fall for
this nine out of ten times. Even human players fall for the frame trap
sometimes. Don't forget to use throws and lows on other people, though.
3K and BB should be used to cover different reactions to it.
Strangely, it tech crouches, too. You'll see this happen quite a bit.
4AB4 is the in built followup, but it's not all that great. Can catch duckers
though. It's really fast, so someone who ducks might not be able to get back
up in time, or might even eat the B on Ch. 4AA probably shouldn't be used. xD

66B - a launcher. In the NTSC version, you get a 66A+B, 22B+K from this.
In the PAL version, you don't. But you can try anyway, since it connects
but just isn't guaranteed. It tech crouches. The frame data on block is
pretty negative though, so I wouldn't try anything funny...
The range is nice, though.

236AB - tech crouch from early on, fastish, covers step, nice damage. Guess
what the downside is. Yes, that's right. It's about -a century on block. Use
sparingly. 236A alone is still punishable, but your opponent might not know 
that. It's useful sometimes, but I'd avoid abusing it.

1K - a dodgy low. A lot of people like this move. I don't really, but it
has won me a few matches. The advantage is that it doesn't really look
like a low until you've stepped on your target's toes. It has toe stun
too, so you get free stuff on CH.

3B - launcher. You get a free hit after it, so it's not that bad. It's
bad on block though. Use it on wakeup if anything.

22A_AA and 88A_AA - spinny horizontals. If your opponent doesn't know the
difference, s/he won't be ducking the second hit for free punishing. It
completely thwarts some mashers, due to the inbuilt stepping. But it's
not the best move on block, again.

6B - my eyes! It's fast. Doesn't cover step, and is high, but it's still
fast. Throw it out at range. 

66K - it's like a wannabe 3B. It's faster, though. And if you can do 33
or 99K reliably, then that's a safer version. It recovers slightly
faster, so in the NTSC version (which I don't have...) apparently you can
get the 66A+B thing off it.

236K - frame trap. Wooo. It seems to be +2 or +3 on block, which means your
AA even beats X's. After a blocked 236K, go for an AA, 236B if you're risky,
or a 2B+K. The 2B+K, if it hits on counter, gives you a few free guaranteed
follow ups.
Oh, it also covers step. Some people get confused by a spinning Cassandra and
try to do something, only to be kicked. 

2B+K - causes a crumple stun on counter hit. Nice tech crouching properties.
Safe on block (maybe not against X, but nevermind her). Relatively fast. It's
quite a nice move, considering the rewards. Use it if you anticipate a high,
obviously. Lacking a little in range, but you should be able to judge it.
If someone likes AAs, then make sure s/he eats some of these. :P

33KK - the first hit is low, and the string seems uninterruptable except by
ducking. Some people might get caught out by the delay between the kicks.
NCc. Safe on block (33K is negative frames on hit, and unsafe on block,
though). Use it if you want. Second hit is high. :(

Thanks to Darkwolf for suggesting those two. 

WS A - run of the mill WS. It has nice tech crouch frames though. A tad slow
though. If you hold it, you get free stuff.

WS B - run of the mill WS again. *shrug*

WS K - this is a funny move. If you can afford to leave yourself open for the
start up, this will catch people out. The frame situation is about equal on
block - many people don't know this, and will attempt to retaliate. Use 2A
or 236B to stop them. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
6-Other stuff to try-

3AK - "Y'what? I didn't know tha...". It works on people. Most people,
Cassy players excluded, do not acknowledge the existence of the second
hit. So they'll try to interrupt it, and eat the counter hit. You get 
free hits if they forget to break the stun, too. They'll wisen up even-
tually, though. But it's safe, so who cares. Will destroy idiots. 

6K - it's alright. Causes a double over stun on Ch. I find it a bit slow, but
the mixup on Ch must be worth something. 

7_8_9A - horizontal. Will jump lows and avoid throws. Safe on block, and
if your opponent hesitates, you can sometimes attack even on block.

11B - toe stab of death. It crouches, has nice range, and is a low. It's
worth using every so often. But it doesn't cover step at all, and it's
pretty easy to block on reaction. Use for the coup de grace. Otherwise,
there are probably better options. It's safe though, so if your opponent
doesn't like step (like the friend I just played >:), feel free to throw it
out quite a bit. A throw might be in range after, too. 

9B - jumps lows and throws. Use when you're expecting a low - on a hit,
it grants a bit of advantage, so you might as well use it. 2K, BB, throw.

9G~A_K_B - this is pretty funny at the end of a round, or post-GI. Low/mid
mixup from a jump. Confuses and works. Sometimes.
Update: I was playing a friend who liked to swtich to turtling randomly. This
worked wonders. Mixup between 9GA and 9GB, and you'll get a load of hits in.
The latter can keep you in range for a throw.

22K - low. Enough said. Unfortunately, it's bad on block.

9A+BK - second hit low. Lots of people forget this move exists, so it
might win

8B+K - after a throw, or on wakeup. You can charge it for the quake stun,
which will give you a free combo from the section. But it's generally not
too useful.

9KK - for jumping lows. Some people don't know about the second hit, so it'll
catch them off guard. The second hit seems to TC slightly too.

7K - it tech crouches. Less so than it used to, but it still does. But it's
kinda unsafe, so I don't really like it.

2BB:K - it's unsafe on block, but it tech crouches and is NCc. If you can
react and see the Ch, then use it by all means. I stay away from it though.
It also goes into 8BAA. 

4[K] and 44[K] - these do have uses. Ctrl+f for them, or check the combo
section. They're to do with the backturned VC glitch.
4K is the ass launch though. Use it for novelty value. ^^;;

2365(2)_(8) series - okay, most of the moves off this are hideously
unsafe. But whatever. Sometimes they confuse people into attacking, so
you can experiment and play around with your opponent with it. The step
can avoid some stuff, but don't trust it too much. Use it against 
hesistant people. :P

B+KB_*B_[B] - a strange move. Can hop over lows, and side step some linear
moves. Second hit is punishable on block though, so you might want to stay 
away from abusing it. 

44B+K - completely useless, but use it post-death. :P

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
7-Combos-
Cassandra somehow turned into a combo beast.
Thanks to the SC.com community, by the way. 

4[A], ch 6AAA, 3B, 3K, 236AB.
The last hit of the 236AB is not guaranteed, but hopefully no one will
figure out that you have to air control back right. If that do, then you
use 236B:B instead. I usually fish for this quite a bit. 
Won't work on X on axis (works off axis), since she ducks the 6AAA in her
hit animation. 

4[A], ch 6AAA, 3B, 66A+B, 22B+K.
More damage, but doesn't work on the PAL version.

4[A], 6AAA, 2B+K, 2A_B+G.
Nice damage, although the throw can be broken. 2A+G gives an almost
guaranteed AK. 

4[A], 2B8BAA.
Sometimes 6AAA won't hit (eg. side turned opponent). It seems character
specific, but use this or the next combo when you're scared 6AAA will
be ducked.

4[A], 2B+K, (2A+G, AK)_(2B+G)
Hard to time, but it's not too hard. You'll have to buffer the 2B+K. You
can stick a 6AAA before the 2B+K on some opponents. 
The main application is when you can see that a 6AAA won't
connect properly after the 4[A]. It happens - it seems to be character
specific too, so you might want to experiment a little.
It also seems to not work at point blank.

4[A], 236B:B, (wakeup 11B/22B+K).
This is for when 6AAA and 2B+K fail you (*cough* X *cough*). It's crappy
damage, but at least it works. 

3B, 3K, 236AB.
Again, last hit isn't guaranteed.

3B, 236B.
Standard. 236B:B works, but it can be air controlled out of.

ch 3B, 66A+B, 22B+K.
Doesn't work on PAL again. Shame...

66K, 66A+B, 22B+K.
Nice combo. Doesn't work on PAL, though.

33B, 66A+B, 22B+K.
Same as above. Slower start up, more damage. I don't use this much. Post-
GI is an option, though. Not in PAL. 

33B, 9A, 6B.
Apparently this works. For PAL users. 

66B, 66A+B, 22B+K.
66B tech crouches, so you might be seeing this one a bit.

66B, 6B, 236B.
I think it's guaranteed. This is for PAL users. 

WS [A], 3B, etc.
Alright, you're never going to get this one off. But might as well have
it here anyway. Nice damage, though.

A+B, 3B.
This is common knowledge. But it's so useful it's unbelieveable. Don't
forget the 3B. Kimarhi never forget 3B. 

ch 2B+K, 236B.
It's guaranteed, at least. You can do a crouch throw instead of the 236B
if you can time it right - although it's obviously breakable.

66B+G, 236B.
Bah. Where'd 3A+B go? Oh well. The advantage of 66B+G is that it has a 
smaller break window than most throws. But a regular B+G does pretty 
much the same damage, now. 

66B+G, 8B+K.
Same damage, similar wakes. You can charge the 8B+K - it's pretty hard to
avoid. Use it sparingly and it'll catch your opponent out.

236B:B, 22B+K/11B.
Not a real combo, but it works most of the time. Can be teched out of, but
your opponent might do it the wrong way. :P

Feel free to experiement. You may find some damaging combo that isn't
guaranteed. But feel free to use it - there's always a chance that your
opponent will, say, forget to break the stun, or air control in the 
wrong direction.

VC combos:
A 'VC' refers to the input G22, which lets you cancel the recovery
animation of some moves. For Cassy, the only VCing you can do is off
throws from the back turned position (or side turned to an extent).
You can be creative with these combos, but they all start with a
throw or crouch throw from BT. To get into BT, use 4[K] or 44[K] -
the latter gives a crumlpe stun on counter hit, and so crouch throws
are a viable option with good timing.

Examples (thanks to the trag of the Soul Calibur community):
CH 44[K], BT 2A+G, VC, 4[A], 6AAA, 3B, 66A+B, 22B+K (or 3K, 236AB for
  PAL users).
CH 44[K], BT 2B+G, VC, otg 3B, etc.
4[K], BT B+G, VC, 4[A] etc.

8-Natural Combos-

AA
BB
AK
BK
6AA
4[A]B
236AB
236B:B

On counter:
6AAA
3AK
88AA
22AA
9KK
66B+KBK_B 
B+KB
B4B
2BB(:K)
2B8BAA
8A+BK


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
9-Safe, unsafe?-
The following of Cassandra's moves can be punished by Sophitia's 236B.
Sophitia's 236B is slightly faster than the average BB, although it has
exceptional range. On block, this is.

236B
236AB
2B8B series
22K, 8A+BK
2K
1K
1A
44B
9G A
B+KB
66B+KBB and K
Running [6]K
44B+K

However, there is justification for many of these moves. 236B is obviously
a move that you would want to keep in your game, even if only for scaring
your opponent. It is unwise to throw it out randomly, though - use it for
punishing.

236AB is a funny one. Sometimes your opponent might forget to punish it,
and if you only do 236A, there's a slim chance that they'll heistate. It
does good damage and seems to cover step, so if you think it'd be a good
addition to your game, use it. (Sparingly)

22K and 8A+Bk, especially the former, will catch opponents off guard
sometimes. The latter is a NCc, so it has a chance of landing.

2K is fully justified. No one is going to punish something like that. No
one even knows that a 2K is punishable on block. A lot of characters have
2Ks which are terrible on block, though - but range issues usually save
you. There's no reason to not use it.

1K is still usable. Most people won't block it unless you whore it to no
end.

1A is one that you should stay away from. Use it on newbies if you must,
though.

The other moves cannot really be justified except in very specific
situations.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The following moves are punishable by Sophitia's 2A. Her 2A is i12,
making it a tad slower than most AAs. It is faster than BB, but it has
pitiful range. It can be performed out of a crouch, so lows/force crouch
moves can be punished by it. 

A+B (range issue)
66B (range issue)
AK
66K
4B+K
4B (sometimes)

A+B isn't ever going to be punished. But it's nice to know that the block
stun is horrible, so you don't try to follow it up too often. Don't ditch
this move - it's too sexy. 

66B can be justified by its range, and the reward. So use it if you want.

I never found 66K to be worth using due to its pitiful range. But it's
not like anyone's going to react that fast.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The following moves can be punished by Sophitia's A. AA is faster than 2A
and 236B, so when range and crouching is not a factor, it applies to the
above moves also.

3B

Please note that this information may not be completely accurate. It's
mostly for comparison. In general, most characters have a move to match
i13 (sophie's 236B) or i12 (2A), so if it's punishable by one of these
moves, don't be surprised if another character punishes you when you do 
it. About half of the characters have an i11 AA (Sophie and Cass do), so
most characters have the ability to punish moves in all lists (except for
with range issues).
Also - frame data has been changed in the PAL version. <___<;;

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
10-Throws-

Against an opponent, throws are invaluable. Especially if they don't tend
to break them.
Cassandra has one command throw and two crouch throws. 66B+G has a smaller
break window than the regular B+G at the expense of damage, and the crouch
throws only connect on a ducking opponent (or a crumpling opponent).
Also, 66B+G cannot be GI'd (except for JI). So post-GI, it may be a good
thing to use if they're not expecting it. 

On hit:
9B
2K
3K
A
4A

There are obviously more, but these ones work nicely. The standard mixup
for a throw is BB. It's a simple 50-50. If you're afraid that they'll
duck and punish, use a 2K (or another low) instead of the throw - or, of
course, a crouch throw.

66B+G grants a free 236B (no JF) or 8B+K (you can risk charging it if you
want).

2A+G supposedly grants a free AK, although an opponent can somehow duck
the initial hit.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
11-Strategy-

A lot of this stuff will be obvious. I don't mean to sound patronising
^^;;
But it's nice to have a reminder of some things that we might take for
granted every now and then.

The key difference between playing the AI and playing a person is
obviously that you can play mindgames on another person; whereas against
the AI, it's just a frame/manipulation competition. Bear this in mind.
You must conciously play differently against a person. Delays, fake outs,
lows, throws, changes in tactic all work against people - don't neglect
them just because they're useless against the AI. 

Lows and throws. Two things you have to remember - you won't learn to use
lows and throws naturally against the AI, so you'll have to make a 
concious effort when playing another person. 

However, half of Cassandra's game is in punishment. Learn which moves
give you a free punisher - AA, 236B and 2A are your main options. Every
time you succesfully block one of those punishable moves, make your
opponent pay. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
12-Cassie against the AI-
Most of you are probably interested in this section. Anyway, here it is.

-Overview-
Cassandra's basic move applications obviously apply regardless of the
opponent, as with almost any character. Fish for combos when necessary,
punish accordingly, stay away from most punishable moves and so forth.
However, obviously, the AI won't fall for mind tricks. Not usually,
anyway. Delayed attacks and frame traps can still work, though.
The general rule for Cassy against the AI is "If 4[A] doesn't work,
try it again.".
4[A] is the destroyer of the AI. 

-Easy to moderate AI-
Okay, you really shouldn't be needing help to beat these guys. But you
may need to find a way to do it quickly. The 4[A] combo is usually your
best bet, here. Depending on the weapon, two salvos of the combo should
deal with any opponent, and its range, step coverage and tech crouch
properties make it very abuseable.
If you want to go for a ring out, circle your opponent appropriately,
and use a 236B:B when you see an opening (after a move, or a punishable
move). 66B, 66A+B will also work.

-Hard defensive AI-
Concerning the AI of certain battles (Beloved and Olcadan, for
example), regular abuse of moves, won't cut it.
However, it's not as if the 4[A] series won't work. On the contrary -
this move leaves the frame situation at neutral (or perhaps to your
benefit very slightly), and so you shouldn't be afraid to use it.
The most notable thing about the harder AIs is that it is extremely
defensive. It pretty much only attacks after it has blocked one of your
strikes. This means that you're free to charge up moves which have
better effects on the charged versions.
You can defeat any AI by doing 4[A] into any other move repeatedly. AA,
AK, BB and 236B:B come to mind, since they're all fast. You can throw
in a 2A or 3K if you think that's necessary.
Because the AI is stupid, it will favour attacking after it has blocked
the 4[A]. So, if it blocks the 4[A], make sure to buffer in a quick
move.
If the 4[A] is ducked, then you should block, as punishment will ensue
if you don't.
If the 4[A] scores a hit, then go for the 6AAA combo.

For wakeup, you have a number of options. The obvious one would be a
2K. This works fine, although the AI obviously will use its psychic
powers to block it most times. BB can score hits, but you'll have to
time it properly.
On some battles, a 4[A] works, since the AI will go into defensive
mode on wakeup. This usually works on Beloved's Raphael.
If you want to risk it, 4[B] (for the guard crush) can be used on a
defensive opponent. Follow up with AK or 236B:B.

44bA has worked on Raphael, but I wouldn't really recommend it except
for at the beginning of the round.

It's advisable to not use BB or AA too much - single Bs and As are
fine, though. 3K and 2A are still whorable.

Do not use throws or any non-2K low.

-Hard offensive AI-
This bracket is basically limited to Night Terror. Since he's offensive
and likes to move around a lot, he'll be eating 4[A]s like anything.
Abuse it, make him pay with half of his life bar for each time he uses
one of his slow moves.
B+KB will avoid some moves, since it has an inbuilt sidestep.
A+B at range to close in works quite nicely. Very useful when you can
predict the opponent will use a slow move. Covers step to an extent.
But the main thing is 4[A]. Yes. Abuse to no end.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
13-Cassie against people-
There's a limited amount I can advise you in this department, as human
players are obviously not restricted by the AI's flaws.
Here are some things to think about - you probably do already, but if 
you're losing, think about what you're not doing.

Punishing - this is the main thing. Learn your 236Bs and AAs. 
Mixup
Delays
Lows
Throws
Scare

Versus - Masher
If they're playing a short range character, use A+B and 4[A] to outrange
them. If they're playing a long range character, close in with A+B and
such, then play a safe game. If they're partial to Bs, use 22_88AA. 
Some mashers switch to turtle after losing a round. Don't forget to abuse
lows and throws.

Versus - Turtle
Eek. This is hard. Basically, you have to squeeze in 2Ks and throws
where ever you can. Use 4[A] frame traps if you can, but a good turtle
might be able to duck it. 236~66B+G might work for confusion, but a lot
of turtles are also throw breakers. Hrm.
Make sure you take guaranteed punishers.

Versus - Pitbull
Oh this is a fun match. Unfortunately, most pitbulls shift from turtle
to pitbull constantly, so you'll have to be on your toes. If you're 
playing a true pitbull (read: idiot), throw in a 236B after you've
blocked and you think they're going to attempt another attack. 236B
outranges most things. So yeah...feel free to use it at range. But don't
abuse it too much, or you'll pay. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
14-GI game-
Don't try any of this against the AI.
After a GI, you have a few frames of advantage. 25, perhaps. The exact
value is on the SCII forums, in the SCIII section, but it's irrelevant.
Ignoring the G22 glitch, Cassandra has a moderate post-GI game.
You have your generic AA and 1_2K mixup, of course.
You can use 22B or 8B+K for the guard crush (which is useless) and to
catch those who GI early. 236K might fool some people due to its delay. 
You can also go for the 4[A], which gives you huge damage and will catch
early re-GI'ers and parryers.
For those who never ever re-GI, use 236B:B or 3B. 
Darkwolf reminds me of the suggestion of 236K post-GI. It's a viable strat,
although I don't know if you'll find it useful or not. 
Cassie also has a bunch of auto-GIs:
4A+B (horizontals)
4B+K (verticals)
214 (useless)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
15-Cass in a nutshell-
If you don't wanna read my ramblings, then here are my suggestions
summed up. Use Ctrl+F on the move commands to see what else I've said
about them, or if you just want a description. Also, check the combo
section if you haven't already.

Step coverage:
A (incase AA whiffs)
AA (can be ducked)
AK (to prevent ducking)
3K (range issue)
66A (slow)
4[A] (slow, high - good reward and crouch)
7_8_9A (jumps lows and throws)

Partial step coverage:
6A
A+B
236A

Speed/Punishing (speed order):
AA
2A
BB
236B (long range and good reward - experiment)

Range:
A+B (for closing in. Can cover step)
22B+K
6B/66A+B(can be stepped and ducked)
4[A] (reward, crouch)
66B (reward and crouch)
11B (low)

Throw setups (hit) (note range):
66A
A
9B
2K
4A
A
3K

Tech crouches:
236~
2B
2A
2K
66A
66A+B
4[A]
1A
11B
2B+K
22K
2B
66B

Lows:
2K
1K
1A
22K
G9A
33K
11B

Subsequent hit lows:
4AA (mixup with B, but still crap)
9A+BK
66B+KBK

Auto-GIs:
4A+K, vs horizontal mids and highs. 
4B+K, vs vertical mids and highs.
214, completely useless.

Guard break:
4[B]
22_88[B]

Unblockable:
44bA
8[B+K] (max)




~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
=Sophitia= <3
"Will someone please think of the children?"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


It's her again. She's back! And even better. Although she's a bit of a
wardrobe malfunction now, that's not that much of a reason to not use
her. Anyway, she's still secks. Just in a bad costume. 

16-Story-
Sophitia's story is slightly more significant than Cassandra's. She blew
up Soul Edge about fifty years ago. But now she's just kinda trolling
around Europe claiming to be important. The truth is, she really just
wants attention. Rothion obviously isn't doing a good job. 

17-Overview-
Sophitia's a better punisher now. 236B:4 can be buffered, and it's faster
and has a longer range than Cassandra's. She has relatively large
versatility. She has tools for most ranged, a bit of step coverage, an
arsenal of tech crouches, and quite a few good safe moves. Not to mention
hefty damage.
Since Cassandra lost half of her juggles in the PAL version, my preference
is Sophitia over her. Her 236B grants more damage, also. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
18-Staple moves-
Use and abuse. Kinda.

AA_K - AK is a low. Use it to destroy newbs. xD
(see Cassandra for AA)

BB_K - BK covers step a little. Heh. It's high though, so if they duck,
the second hit will whiff. (see  Cassandra for BB)

236B:4 - whew. Damage. Ouch. At i13, it's faster than her BB. Spectacular
range, and magnificent damage. Knocks down for a wakeup game, and stuns
(breakable) on a shallow hit. Guess what. It's hideously punishable.
Oh well - you still have to use it. Just figure out what you can punish,
and you'll be getting tons of free damage. Oh, it crouches and seems to
auto-GI some highs, too.

236236B:4 - this ducks some mids. It's actually safe too. Takes longer to
do, but it means you can use it randomly (for non punishing purposes).
Covers so much range, also. 

3K_22K - (see Cassandra's 3K)

2K - (see Cassandra)

2A - (see Cassandra)

4B - moderate damage, advantage on hit (go for a throw or something),
relatively long range. It's a nice move as it is, but its real strength
is that it's like, -2 on block (meaning a 2A beats most retaliations) and
that it hits grounded opponents for a 2K/4B mixup.
It forces crouch too, so your opponent will have to retaliate with a WS
or a FC move. A lot of WSes are mids, so the auto-GI, A+B, might be an
option here. ^^;;
I sometimes use it if an opponent's move whiffs, or if I've stepped and want
an easier option than a 236B. 

11A - long range low. You can kinda use this for punishing too. It has
a few frames of tech crouch, so that's a nice reason to use it. On hit,
you have something ridiculous like +6, so a throw attempt might be in
order. On block, it's nice and safe, too. 
It hits grounded situationally, also. 

66A+G - it's an A break now. It has a tiny break window, and does 55
damage. Not bad.

66B - the range on this thing is insane. Unfortunately, it doesn't really
track at all. Use it for people who foolishly charge in at a range. See
follow ups in the combos section, too.

66B+KAB - for damage. On CH, this gives a 137 (of 240) damage combo. It
has a few frames of tech crouch too. Subsequent hits can be delayed - but
the last hit is punishable, so only activate it if the first two score a
CH.

66A and 3A - two mid horizontal tech crouches at long range. They're slow
and punishable by a lot of AAs, but it's a risk you may need to take. 
66A does more damage, but 3A looks harder to step. It's also easier to do in
a sense. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
19-Other nice moves-
You'll probably end up abusing a lot of these. But there are reason for not
going all out on them.

4[A] - (see Cassandra). See the combo section, too. Heh. A great move to whore
out. Really, do check out what this move is about. In a nutshell, frame trap,
combos, tech crouch, step coverage, but slow and a high. 

WS B+K - launcher from crouch. Relatively fast, and also crouches for
almost the whole animation. You get like, 90 damage from this silly thing
too.

44B - same as above, but punishable, and doesn't give as high a launch.

3B - a quick launcher. Potential damage is pretty good considering its
speed. It's a wakeup tool for when you're feeling too risky to use the
plain old 4B. It is punishable on block, although you'll only want to be
using it from range anyway. 

WS A+B_[A+B] - unblockable if held. USe it after a succesful 2A or 2K 
(most people will stop to block after taking a 2K). Mix them up. You get
a free 4B too, if either hits. Can't be ducked, blocked or jumped. Stepping
it isn't easy either. It has pitiful range, but if they're backing away,
you release it early.

4K - it's a low. You get a free 236B on CH, too. 

6AB - the second hit catches people out. Mix it up - do the first hit
only for a bit, then throw out the second, which gives a stun on CH. It's
breakable, but you get a free mixup attempt. I use it after the stun from A+B
and 4[A] sometimes.
Here are a few ideas for post-stun mixups. Throw; 11A, throw (for the good
side throw <3); 66B combo, 66B+KAB combo, 2K_BB mixup. Remember that since
your opponent has to mash 46464 to break the stun, there's a good chance that
(s)he won't be in a position to completely efficiently react to mixup.

A+B - auto-GI that does all mids. There were...quite a few mids in this
game, last time I checked. If you counter a B, you get 85 (93 CH) damage,
if you counter an A, you get about 50 and a free mixup (leading to over
100 potential damage) and if you counter a B, you get about 60 and a 
wake up game.
Oh, the follow up to the vs B counter is AK. 

1K_[K] - low that covers a bit of step. It doesn't look like a low to an
unsuspecting opponent, also. So that's a plus. It's punishable, but few will
be able to react to it anyway. You get free stuff on CH (or the held
version normal hit) too. 

9B - exactly what it says on the box. (see Cassandra)

9K series - you can use it to hop lows. The K follow up is guaranteed on hit
although if blocked, you'll probably pay for it. The other follow ups can
catch those who don't know Sophie (ie, silly people :P). 

9G~A_B_K - run of the mill low/mid mixup. Use this a lot if you can get away
with it. (See Cassandra)

11A[A] - the second hit is an unblockable mid horizontal. You can release
it early also. It got slowed down in the PAL version, though. Still, use</pre><pre id="faqspan-2">
it sparingly, and your average opponent will be caught out. Your average
serious player will punish you, though. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
20-Some moves to try out-

A+K_A+KK - strange moves. Post-GI, maybe. A+K gives you about +1~2 on block.
A lot of people don't know this, so if you're in a tense turtling situation,
try A+K, then AA. Should be uninterruptable. 

1AA - horribly punishable, but may catch people out in tense situations.

236AA - covers step, but is punishable. The second hit is low, so silly
people may be caught out. Experienced players will jump the second,
though. It seems to give you a fair amount of time to prepare wake up
options though. Avoid abusing it - but the tech crouch starts very early,
so it has its uses. Rather risky though. 

23652_8 - (see Cassandra)

4[A]AA:A - it's not a combo, but it's quite a sight to behold if you can
get the whole thing.

66K - a quick launcher. Seems faster than 3B, although it can be punished.
It should give a 66A+B combo on most characters.

33_99K - same as above, but safer! :O
Funny thing this move. -11 unless you're playing at 50hz, in which case it's
only -10. xD

B+K series - (see Cassandra). It's not that great though. 

2BB:4 - I find it pretty useless, but some people like it for the damage.
Same as Cassandra's, basically. Also goes into 8BAK. Tech crouch is basically
the only thing I see good about it.
Both NCc, by the way.

3A+B - it covers step, and does nice damage. Unfortunately, it's avoidable
to one side. You can get a 4B on hit sometimes, if your opponent doesn't get
up fast. 

44bA - you get a lot of damage off this little thing now. And it has a frame
or two of crouch. Use it on an idiot post-GI.

6K - I love this move. It looks so cute. xP

BT B+K - do it post-death, after a 66B (by running under them). Haha. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
21-Combos-

Sophitia's still the combo monster she was in SCII.

4[A], 2B8BAK.
Standard. Easy to do. Hits for quite a bit of damage, and you're in range
for a little wake up game, too.

4[A], 6AB.
Use this sparingly if your opponent is known for breaking stuns. CH 6AB does
not guarantee anything, but it means you get a free mixup. It works on the
AI, of course. After 6AB, consider throw; 11A~throw (you get the siren throw
<3); 66B+K series; 66B combo; 1[K]. After mashing 64646, an opponent probably
won't be alert enough to block lows or break throws reliably. 

66B, 66A+B, 66B.
I abuse this quite a bit. Nice damage (~100), but 66B is horribly linear.
Subject to range issues, also. In the PAL version, the last 66B is easy to
tech out. I hear it's also possible in the NTSC version. The AI won't do it,
and hopefully your friend won't discover it for a few rounds, though...

66B, A+K, 236B.
Similar damage, but better wakeups. Also, it can't be avoided if you do it
right. Seems to leave you in BT if it's AC'd strangely. Hmm. VC throw? :P
Whatever - it leaves you in a good wake up position anyway. 
Won't always hit if the 66B connects off-axis. 

WS B+K, 66A+B, 66B.
Such punishment from crouch. Ouch. WS B+K has great tech crouch properties.

44_11_77B, 66A+B, 66B.
I can't get this working in the PAL version, but apparently it exists.

66_33_99K, 66A+B, 66B.
66K's punishable. 33_99K is too, although less so. It's a good combo, but
I find limited uses for them. 

3B, 3K, 236B.
I like this one. It looks elegant for some reason. Anyway, if you ever need
something to end a launch combo, just use the 3K, 236B. Also works off 44B. 
I don't actually know if it's guaranteed, but it seems to be if you delay it
all a little. 

Ch 66B+KAB, G, 66A+B, 66B.
Wow. Nice damage. Tech crouch, and safe if you don't do the last hit. Only
complete the string if you see the Ch, of course. Get the timing on the 
66A+B down - it's strange, because it's almost like an off the ground combo.
Works from the straight off 33_99B launcher too. 

Ch 66B+KAB, G, 4[A], 236B.
It seems guaranteed. The previous one isn't actually guaranteed, heh. Do it
if the 66B of the last one tends to get avoided. 

22A, 1K.
I use this a fair amount. Standard combo.

Ch 1K, 66B.
This probably won't be happening much in a real battle, but it's a good 
damage addition to 1K. 

1[K], 66B.
1[K] is slow, but it catches people out occasionally.

9G~A, 4B.
<3
Don't actually know if it's guaranteed though. 

Ch 4K, 236B:4.
Standard combo. I don't use it much, though. 

44bA, 66A+b, 66B.
The damage is good, but it has limited uses. Post-GI is an option, but it
probably won't work on anyone who has a clue.

A+B against K:
236B
6AB (B not guaranteed, but gives you wakeup)
2K

A+B against A:
66B combo (hard to do)
66B+KA (the last B isn't guaranteed)
4K combo.
6AB~mixup (see 6AB)
2B series

VC combos - coming in the distant future. Only 22A on block sets up BT. Like,
yeah...right. ><;;

22-Natural combos-

AA
BB
BK
236AA
66B+KA
4[A]B
9KK

On counter

AK
KK
6AB
4[A]AA,A
2B8BAK
2BB:4
B+KB:4
66B+KAB

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
23-Safe, unsafe?-

The following moves can be punished by Sophie's 236B. That's i13, which is a
tad faster than most BBs. If in range, these moves will be punished by a lot
of AAs. On block, this is. 

236B
236A
1A
4K
WL A
66B+KAB
33B
3B
FC2K
7K
2BB
9KA
9KAB
9KK
3A+B
11B
B+KB

236B is justified - but try to use it for punishing only/mostly. If you want
a safe version, go for 236236B. It's slower, but at least it's safer. Still
just as linear though. Oh, it does more damage. <3

236A...hm, this is a tough case. It can cover step, and the second A can
catch people out. But I'd stay away from it. There's better, even if it does
tech crouch very reliably.

1A is pants. Use 11A instead.

4K is a low, so you can use it if you want. It gives good stuff on CH too.
And no one's going to react fast enough to punish it anyway.

WL A is good. Well, it's a good mixup tool. I use it, and I usually get away
with it even on block.

66B+KAB is something you'll want to keep in your game - mainly against people
who aren't too good at the game, but you can fish for CH if you know how to
even against relatively experienced players.
Obviously, you don't let the last B come out unless you're going for a mind
game or you've seen the Ch confirmation. 

33B is a bit of a waste, even if it does tech crouch. I prefer 66B. But there
are times when you just *know* 33B is gonna hit post-step, so feel free. 

I hardly ever use 3B. 33K is better to me - but 3B can be used on wake up.
Your opponent will have to react quickly if it's to be punished, too.

Fc2K...who's going to punish that...

3A+B covers step, and there's a fair amount of pushback. Tech crouches too.
Use if you want.

11B has its uses. It gives a 66A+B in the NTSC version too. Pushback and
speed mean it's not going to be punished all the time too. 


The following moves can be punished by Sophie's 2A. That's i12 - so if in
range, fast AAs will punish.

66K
44B
WS A+B
44K
1AA
4AB
236K
66B+KA
3A
66A
1K
2K
8B+K

They all have their uses. Just use them if you feel they're useful. They
won't be punished much, except by experienced players/Sophie players. 

33K can be punished by AA sometimes. At 60Hz, 44B is punishable by 236B.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
24-Throws-

Sophie's throw game is alright. It's not spectacular, but throws are throws.
They're always useful. Just remember to use them, since you'll forget to if
you keep playing the advanced AI.
Strangely, her back throw does little over 30, and so does her throw from
opponent's left. However, her other one (the on where she goes for the kiss
<3) does over 70. So try to go for that one if you can. xD

She has one command throw - 66A+G, which is now an A break. It has a small
break window (this is noticeable if you try it out in practise).

Her B+G can be left alone for ~46 damage and wakeup, or you can attempt a 
2(A_B) for the 20 damage follow up. They can break the second part, obviously.
One thing though - if they do manage to break the second part, input [G]22,
then you'll recover instantly. Use this to get a free 66B combo. XD

A+G has the option of putting your opponent to ground (30 damage) or leaving
them standing for around +2 frame advantage (40 damage). I prefer the latter.
Hold 2 as soon as A+G connects to ground the opponent. After A+G, mash out
an AA. Your opponent will soon learn that s/he can't interrupt, and will 
duck.  From there, mixup AA with BB/3K. If you can, by some miracle, get
them into a fully turtling state post A+G, go for the 11A or rethrow.  

Here are some suggested setups on hit:
9B
2K
3K
A
4A
11A
9K
4B

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
25-Strategy-
Sophie and Cass are pretty straightforward to play. They're basically
punishers. But here are some things to start on.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
26-Sophie against the AI-
And you thought Cassie was good. Whew! 4[A] still works wonders. 

-Overview-
Combos are the main source of damage here. This means 66B+K and 66B. WS B
and 33K work too. Basically, it's just spamming your combo starters. Check
the combo section if you haven't already. 

-Easy to moderate AI-
Just whore out the 66B+K series, then follow the combo up with a 66B on wake
up. 4B if they whiff a move. 

-Hard defensive AI-
Okay, Sophie just owns the defensive AI for free. There are two ways you can
do this. Combo based - 66B+KAB; delay the last B for a fraction of a second
and the AI will almost always fall for it. The other way you can do it is to
do 4B to stick the opponent in crouch, wait a few frames, then hit A+B for
the auto-GI. It's not very reliable, but it's guaranteed damage if it hits.
The 4[A] frame trap is still effective. If you haven't read about the 4[A]
thing...4[A] puts you at an advantage whether it connects or if it's blocked.
The computer won't know this, and will try to attack after it blocks 4[A].
So, just whore out 4[A], and on a hit, do a combo (6AB or 2B series), and on
block, do an AA, BB or 3K. 

-Hard offensive AI-
Keep your distance and use 66B. That's seriously all there is to it. xD

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
27-Sophie against people-
Again, Sophie (like Cass) has little opportunity for inbuilt mixup. You have
to make the mixup yourself, using random poking. Sophie has good lows, so
don't be afraid to abuse them (11A). Remember to throw, also - 66A+G has a 
tiny break window.
Sophie's 236B is faster than Cassie's, so remember to learn what gives you a
free 236B.
Abuse 2A and 3K to kill step. If someone's step happy at long range, keep them
in place with a 3A/66A.
Oh, on a 2A hit, chuck in a WS A+B_[A+B]. On a hit, you get the 66B for a bit
of damage. Most people won't backstep fast enough on the UB, so it's a guessing
game. 
Don't be afraid to use non-guaranteed stuns/combos, since people won't
always figure out how to escape.

Versus - Masher
Okay, Sophie owns completely idiotic mashers for free. Stay away and use 66B
and 11A. 236236B works too.

Versus - Turtle
In my opinion, Sophie has a better game against a turtle than Cassandra does.
They both have a command throw, but I feel Sophie's has a smaller break
window. 11A_(A[A]) and 4K are good for catching people out. WS [A+B] can
work also. 

Versus - Pitbull
236B is now bufferable. It's unlikely that a pitbull will persist in that
strategy if you keep throwing out 236Bs. Sophie's tech crouch game is also
very strong, so a lot of highs will be dodged, even if you're not trying to
go under them. Make sure to use A+B.

28-GI game-
Sophie's GI game isn't really any better than Cassandra's. You have 44bA with
its combo follow up, but no one's going to fall for that twice. 4[A] is
what you probably want to be going for.
A+K_K might work on twitchers.
There's obviously the B~G and A~G stuff. 
Oh, she has three auto-GIs.
236 (highs) is useless.
A+B (mids) is amazing. Learn the follow ups and use it whenever you predict
a mid from your opponent. Which will be quite often. :P
4K (lows) has some uses, and it has a free 236B:4 on follow up. Use it for
subsequent hit lows.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
29-Sophie in a nutshell-

Step coverage:
A
AA_K
2A
3K
BK
3A
66A
4[A]
8A

Partial step coverage:
11A
3A+B
44A
66B and 4B to an extent

Auto-GIs:
236, vs high
A+B, vs mid
4K, vs low

Speed and punishing:
AA
2A
236B
(BB if you're unsure)

Range:
66B
11A
236236B
66A, 3A
4[A]

Throw setups:
9B
2K
3K
A
4A
11A
9K
4B

Tech crouches:
236 series
2B
2A
2K
66B?
11_44_77B
33B
4[A]
33_66_99A
3A
1A
11A
WS B+K
WS A+B

Lows:
2K
1A
11A
4K
1K_[K]
9GA

Subsequent hit lows:
236AA
4AA
AK

Guard Breaks:
22[B]

Unblockables:
44bA
WS [A+B]


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
30-Sisters side by side-

My personal preference is Sophitia. While Cassandra is cuter, Sophitia has
a few things over her. Here are some of the main things to consider:

Sophie                                      Cassie
WS B+K - damage and crouch                  No counterpart
236236B - safe and long range, low crouch.  No counterpart
4B - -0~2 on block. Force crouch. Wakes.    No counterpart
33K - damage followups.                     66K - virtually useless.
66B - longer range, more damage             66B - inferior, but crouches
33B - unsafe. Good damage and crouch.       33B - good damage in NTSC. 
11A - low, horizontal, range.               11B - linear. Crouches well. 
WS [A+B] - crouch, unblockable, stun.       WS A_[A]- too slow to be of use.
236B - i13, 40, 60, 70 damage. More range.  236B - i14, 40, 50, 60 damage. 
236AA - second hit low, though not safe.    236AB - unsafe.
No counter part                             A+B - good range and damage
No counter part                             22B+K - good range and damage. 

That isn't nearly a list of differences. But they're the main things I make
my decision between them on.

Most of my decision actually comes from the fact that her 236B is i13. Most
of my game is based on punishing, heh.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

31-Matchup and punishing lists-
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Soul Calibur is based equally on your opponent as it is on you. You have to
know your opponent more so than in a Street Fighter or KoF. The main reason
is because SC is a heavily mixup based game.
So there's limited I can advise you - since not only does a match depend on
your opponent's character, but obviously more so on your opponent him/her
self. 
It is just as hard to play Soul Calibur against a character who you know 
nothing about as it is to play Soul Calibur *with* a character you know
nothing about. Such is the nature of Soul Calibur. It's very newb-friendly
at the mid level. 
What I can tell you, though, is how to avoid common moves, or which moves to
punish or counter. 

If you're having trouble against a certain character, take down the punishing
list and identify the punishable moves. If your opponent (I'm talking about
people, here) tends to abuse an unsafe move, make him/her pay dearly.

Little note. All 236B:B (Cass) punishes work for 236B:4 too (Sophie), as
Sophie's 236B is faster. 236B:B punishes should also work with BB, depending
on range. 
2A and AA are in the same catagory - use AA unless you're forced into crouch.
2A and AA are faster than 236Bs, so they can punish the same moves. However,
range plays a part. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Versus - Zasalamel. >:O
Misconceptions/revelations:
Zas doesn't rape Cassandra or Sophitia for free.
He's not bare safe.
66B isn't that godly. 

Okay. If your opponent is careless, he'll be eating a lot of free punishment.
You hope this will happen. If not, then you have a little problem. You'll
probably have to go for lows. This is a problem, since Zas is both fast and
ranged. 2Ks and throws will help break down a defensive Zas as expected, but
they can only take you so far.
One other thing...66BK gives the defender advantage on hit and block. XD
Don't fall for the 66BB. The second hit is low. Block it appropriately. If
you can't differentiate well enough, always block low for the second hit.
I suggest spending a bit of time in practise to identify his lows. 
If you're Cass, don't forget to use a bit of A+B if you want to close in.
A lot of Zas' staple moves are mids (you don't say... xD), so if you're
Sophie, abuse that A+B!. XD

Punishing list:
236B:B -
1A
1AA (duck second)
4A
44A
1BB
66BB
66BK
WS B
2K
2B+K
2B+KA
4B+K
6B+KB
4A+K
22BB
11K

236B:4 (the above, and) -
4AB
1B
66A+B
6B+K
2AA

2A/AA (the above, and) -
3A
3AB
9A
44B
bK
9GB
66K
6A+B
66B+K
6A+K
33B
22B

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Versus - Taki. D:
Misconceptions/revelations:
Her magic low things can be jumped.
A lot of her stuff is unsafe.
She's really ugly.

It's a hard fight. 66B at range helps, although it can be rolled around.
If your opponent goes really offensive, throw in the random 236B post block.
As for the 4A+B_[A+B]_[A+B] max...you'll have to crouch guard then 9B. It's
hard, but hopefully you'll guess right most of the time. As for 6A+B, stay
down if it's on wake up and eat the damage ( :( ), or if you want to risk it,
get up into a 9B. Learn the difference between 4A+B and 6A+B. 4A+B starts
off blue, and can be released early. 6A+B starts off fiery, and so you *know*
the timing of the impact - if you're standing, you know never to block (ie,
attempt a jump move) if Taki starts charging a ground punch that starts off
fiery. 
Some Takis like to step a lot, or use PO steps. 3K deals with that.
Learn the punishes, as per usual. Oh - remember that a Taki in posession
can't block.
Taki's WS AAA, 22KA, and WR2 KA all give Sophie an A+B. Although they don't
have to do the last hit. BBB gives you one also.
If you have godly reactions, AA6B, ABB, BA6K, 3KK, 3KKK, and WR BBB all give
you the free A+B auto-GI. 
Taki's 22_88AA should also give you a 4K (Sophie). 

Punishing list:
236B:B -
3AK
4A
BAA
BA6K
1A
3B
4B
4KK
9K
9KK
FC A+K
33A
22AA
11A
Stalker KA
Wind Roll B
PO 7K
PO 9KA

236B:4 (the above, and) - 
AAB
AA6B
4A
6A
44A
66B
1K
66K
FC 2K
2A+B
22K
Stalker A
Stalker B
Wind Roll 2 K

2A, AA (the above, and) -
ABB
66A
WSAAA
BBB
6K
FC 1A+B
33B (range issue)
22B

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Versus - Mitsurugi. x.x
Misconceptions/revelations:
Lots of his stuff is safe.
His slower chains can be interrupted by AA.
He has a very fast AA.
He lost his pyjamas.

Err. This one isn't fun. Of course, it all depends on what kind of a Mitsu
you're up against. Most of his common moves are safe - so don't fall for the
animations, since they all look unsafe. If you're unsure, go with the 2A/AA.
A lot of Mitsu's play quite defensively, so throw out lows when you can. Use
long range tools to try and catch your opponent off guard (Cassie, 22B+K and
A+B; Sophie, 66B).
There's little in particular you need to know. Just be on your toes, and
find out what his lows look like. You can punish most of his lows, by the
way.
His 2KB can actually be interrupted (block the 2K) with a 2A or 236B if you
can react that fast. I don't think Cassie's 236B will work though. 
If he does FC 1BB, you can jam in an AA to stop him. Or a 236B if you're
confident. 
You can interrupt 11BAB with an AA, although 2A is better in case he shifts
to mist to do that BBB thing. 
A note on stance transitions - some of Mitsu's moves change stance. While he
cannot block in a stance (not immediately, anyway), he can duck and attack
back. So some of these punishes only work if they go into a stance and do a 
slow move/try to block. 
If you're Sophitia, his 6AA can be auto-Gi'd with A+B.
A little note about Mitsu. His damage potential is insane. I suggest turtling
to an extent. His 22_88B now leads to a 50% combo. Be wary. His wake up game
is horrible too. Getting up into a parry (1G) is an option here. 

236B:B -
1A
4[A] (stance)
66BB
bA
1K
2K
2KB 
FC 2K
44[B] (stance)
FC 1A+B
4A+K
6A+K
33BB
22[A] (stance)
11A
Rel B
Mst BK
214[B]

236B:4 (the above, and) -
Rel [A] (duck second or input fast to TC)
Rel K
Mst 4B
Mst 6B
Mst K

AA/2A (the above, and) -
6AA
B[B] (stance)
4B
6B2
6B4
44BB_*B
44[B] (stance)
FC 1B
4KB (range)
kB
A+B
B+K
22B+K

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Versus - Siegfried. :x

Misconceptions/revelations:
He can't really do much to punish you.
There are two side stances now.
Cassandra wants him. 

-Coming soon


To be continued. ^^;;




----------------------------
Thanks to everyone on the Soul Calibur II forums for sharing their
discoveries. This includes Mick, Shinjin, Pifactor, Ehow, Painful Fate,
Trag, XCTU, Coke, Jin, 0, and many more - blame the memory and not the
heart. I wouldn't have become one tenth the Cassie player I am were it not 
for them.
www.soulcalibur.com/forums/index.php
GO!
Also, thankies to Ed (I forgot his name on GameFAQs...it's like
EdTheDead or something) for being my ginnuea pig in past years.
And of course...thanks to Namco for another relatively enjoyable 
instalment to this series. The Legend Will Never Die.