Soul Calibur IV Boss-Style Character Creation FAQ By Carlo Santos (Carlo31) 1st Edition - October 21, 2008 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 0 - Edition History/Future Updates 1st Edition - October 21, 2008 - The Angel Line (my non-bonus female boss-style builds) published - Boss Builds By Others published, up to date as of October 20, 2008 Later Editions - The Eagle Knight Line (my non-bonus male boss-style builds) - The Joker Line (my boss-style builds for Algol, Nightmare, Yoshimitsu, Voldo, Lizardman, the sub-bosses, and the Star Wars guest characters) --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 - Introduction If you've challenged the Tower of Lost Souls, then you've seen computer- controlled characters with seemingly absurd skill sets who also are stronger than usual. If you want to use those skill sets, I've got good news and bad news for you. Bad news first - because those skill sets have S-level skills and often impossibly high amounts of Skill Points in certain areas, those aren't re-creatable, so that's a no-can-do. Now for the good news - all of the characters do have boss-style builds and setups that have both incredible skills - including some revved-up big skill combos - and improved stats, that are yours to use! In this FAQ, I'm going to tell you what I define as a boss-style build, give you tips on how you can design your own, and then give you the boss- style builds I've found for each character that I've discovered myself as well as my favorites by other players. I'm not promising that you'll be able to totally rip everything and everyone in your path with these builds, but I've received nothing but positive feedback about these builds, so I know these are some very solid setups! --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2 - Table Of Contents (To search, use CTRL+F or Command+F and search for the heading of the section you're looking for) 0 - Edition History/Future Updates 1 - Introduction 2 - Table Of Contents 3 - Boss-Style Character Creation 101 4 - The Angel Line (My Ladies' Boss Builds) 4-I --- Introduction 4-II -- At A Glance (Table) 4-III - Character By Character 4-IV -- Rankings (Vs. Life Gauge, Vs. Soul Gauge, & Defensive) 4-V --- Recommendations Based On Preferred/Most Needed Skill Type 5 - The Eagle Knight Line (My Men's Boss Builds) - Coming Soon 6 - The Joker Line (My Bonus, Star Wars, & Other Boss Builds) - Coming Soon 7 - Boss Builds By Others 8 - Acknowledgements/Special Thanks/How To Contact Me/Legal Section --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3 - Boss-Style Character Creation 101 Okay, let's get down to business. I imagine the first question you have for me is "I figure a boss-style build is supposed to be real good, but just what is it?" Well, let me start that answer with a question. You remember when you create a custom character, you get asked if you want Maximum Attack, Concentrated Skill Type, etc., which means it seems that it looks like you have to choose between killer stats and great skills? Truth is, you do indeed have to strike a balance between them, but you also don't have to sacrifice one for the other. A boss-style build combines the best of both worlds - here's my criteria for one: - No attributes (Attack/Defense/HP) below 100% - 4 skills (3 for Algol, the sub-bosses, and the Star Wars characters) that are either explicitly A-rank or can be A-rank-worthy if used correctly. Here is the list of skills in those categories in my opinion: Power - Shave Damage A - Auto Unblockable Attack A - Auto Counter A - Nullify Aerial Control - Guard Breaker Impact - Nullify Counter A - Auto Impact A - Impact Heal - Impact Edge - Strong Impact - Master Impact - Soul Repel Boost - Hysterical Strength - Start Dash A - Will Power - Soul Gauge Recovery A - Strengthen Horizontal (for at least Astaroth and Ashlotte) - Strengthen Vertical (for Hilde, Amy, Raphael, and Scheherazade) - Hyper Mode Gauge - Soul Gauge Boost A - Soul Gauge Damage A - HP Drain A - Soul Gauge Rate Up A - HP Recovery A - HP Burst Special - Switch Speed Up (for AMB only) - Auto Grapple Break A - Double-Edged Sword - Nullify Ring Out A - Venom Fang A - Invisible - Charge Cancel - Step Speed Up - Run Speed Up Now that you know what a boss-style build is, I know the next thing you're going to ask me is, "How do I make one?" Well, here are my rules and tips: 1) If you can customize the costume, do it - just a weapon and an accessory don't give you builds that are as potent. Plus, more often than not, it's simply more fun. 2) It's definitely not a bad idea most of the time to start with a legendary weapon and then try to make a boss-style build. Mitsurugi is an exception because his legendary weapon, Oniyukiyasu, has Auto Unblockable Attack B, and Yun-Seong, Lizardman and Tira are also exceptions because their legendaries are Soul Edge forms with Evil Sword Berserk and Slow Feet attached, but chances are, if a character has multiple boss-style sets available, the ones that involve the character's legendary weapon are the most potent because not only do they have the legendary weapon's big stat bonuses backing them up, but with only 3 slots left to fill with your own skills if you use a legendary, you can concentrate your Skill Points with less difficulty and get combinations you couldn't get otherwise. For example, the boss-style Nightmare I'll talk about later has Auto Counter A and also Auto Unblockable A, which is the Soul Edge ultimate broadsword form's native skill - a whopping 270 points worth of Power Skills! 3) If the weapon has a native ability, try going for a skill that complements it. For example, if Hyper Mode is the native skill, go for Soul Gauge Boost A or Soul Gauge Rate Up A to make sure you get the chance to use it often, and going back to Nightmare, go for abilities that capitalize on that Auto Unblockable A such as Auto Counter A and HP Drain A. 4) Look for these combinations: - Skill combinations - Combinations between skills and stats - Combinations between skills and a character's style - Combinations between skills and your personal play style 5) If you have leftover skill points once you have your four in place, try to tweak your build so that you trim or eliminate them and see if that helps your attributes (Attack/Defense/HP), because more often than not, that will enhance them. 6) You don't always need a health-replenishing ability, but I strongly recommend having one on each of your builds. The fact that my builds have health-replenishing abilities whenever I can fit them in reflects that. 7) Avoid these skill combinations: - Auto Unblockable Attack A + Soul Gauge Damage A (because if you're trying to Soul Crush an opponent, Auto Unblockable A could kick in and target the opponent's Life Gauge instead - swap Auto Unblockable A out for Auto Counter A.) - HP Drain A + Venom Fang A (Venom Fang A saps health on knockdown, but it also means less health for you to steal.) - HP Drain A + Shave Damage A (HP Drain A doesn't work with block damage.) - HP Burst + any Impact Skill (When you use HP Burst, you have to use the opportunity that it offers as a second wind to win the round as fast as possible.) --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4 - The Angel Line (My Ladies' Boss Builds) 4-I - The Angel Line Introduction I discovered my very first boss-style build when I was experimenting with Talim in Character Creation mode trying to see if I could get a build with all A-rank skills along with attribute upgrades. Once I discovered it, I tested it in the Tower Of Lost Souls to see if I had a real winner and found myself amazed at how much stronger she became! Naturally, this made me very curious about the boss-style builds on other characters that became undiscovered, and so I chose to start by finding boss-style buids for other girls. Within a week, I had discovered boss- style builds for Seong Mi-Na, Xianghua, Sophitia, and Amy, and together with Talim, they became the first five characters I posted boss-style builds for here on GameFAQs (I used the message board, and I still do use it!) Within a few days of the intial post, I had struck gold again with Taki and Cassandra, and soon after, I got one for Hilde before fulfilling my first two requests from the message board by finding boss-style builds for Ivy and Setsuka. After I had done builds for most of the other non- females, I came back and got one for Tira to finish it out. I've since then upgraded some of the builds a few times, and what you're seeing here is the latest edition. This line is called the Angel Line because it includes all 11 non-bonus ladies and all of them have the Feathered Wings equipped. Photos of the Angel Line are available at this address: http://s89.photobucket.com/albums/k204/SantosPhillipCarlo/SC4%20Boss-Style %20Builds%20-%20The%20Angel%20Line/?albumview=slideshow 4-II - The Angel Line At A Glance (Tables) Before we start, here are a couple of tables so that you can look over the whole Angel Line quickly. (One quick note - SDA-A is Start Dash A.) Name | ATK% | DEF% | HP% | Skills (in abbreviations) ============================================================== Talim | 116% | 105% | 165% | HPB, SGD-A, SDA-A, VF-A Sophitia | 127% | 101% | 100% | SGB-A, HM, AI-A, IH Seong Mi-Na | 116% | 105% | 160% | SGR-A, HM, HS, HPD-A Amy | 126% | 100% | 150% | SDA-A, SV, HPD-A, HS Xianghua | 116% | 107% | 135% | SDA-A, WP, HPD-A, NRO-A Taki | 126% | 110% | 104% | I, VF-A, SGD-A, IH Cassandra | 134% | 100% | 125% | NAC, AI-A, IH, HM Ivy | 119% | 107% | 145% | HPB, HPD-A, AC-A, NRO-A Tira | 138% | 103% | 115% | AC-A, AI-A, IH, RSU Setsuka | 124% | 112% | 104% | CC, AI-A, IH, VF-A Hilde | 112% | 103% | 130% | AI-A, IH, VF-A, SV ============================================================== Name | Vs. Life | Vs. Soul | Defense ============================================== Talim | A (5th) | A (1st) | A (5th) Amy | A (6th) | B (5th) | A (6th) Seong Mi-Na | A (7th) | A (6th) | A (1st) Sophitia | A (1st) | A (4th) | A (2nd) Xianghua | B (11th) | B (10th) | A (3rd) Taki | A (4th) | A (2nd) | C (11th) Cassandra | A (8th) | B (3rd) | B (8th) Ivy | A (2nd) | B (8th) | A (4th) Tira | A (3rd) | B (6th) | B (10th) Hilde | A (10th) | C (11th) | B (7th) Setsuka | A (9th) | B (10th) | B (9th) ============================================== 4-III - The Angel Line Character By Character Because the Angel Line features a boss-style setup for every non-bonus lady in the game, I'd be crazy if I didn't lay out what each girl brings to the table now so that you can see what I found for your favorite(s). Don't fear - you've got the total scoop, from the weapons, armor, and clothing that they need to the attributes and skills that they get, plus my comments. 4-A - Talim - "The Firestorm Angel" Weapon: Soul Edge & Soul Calibur (elbow blade forms) Attributes: 116% Attack, 105% Defense, 165% HP Skills: HP Burst (native to weapon), Soul Gauge Damage A, Start Dash A, Venom Fang A Skill Values & Costs: 40 Power, 80 Boost, 220 Gauge, and 100 Special Points worth of skills for 40 Power, 80 Boost, 90 Gauge, and 100 Special Points Armor & Clothing: Head Dress, Feathered Wings, Tiger Lily Pauldrons, Atalanta's Stockings, Voodoo Breastplate, Ashigaru Gauntlets, Tiger Lily Fauld, Laced Stockings, Huayin Shoes Comments: Arguably not just the best build in the line, but the best build I've made period! Her skill combination makes her capable of winning both by jumping ahead and by outlasting opponents, and she can also get after both Life and Soul Gauges. One of the three characters I beat the top floor of the Tower Of Lost Souls with and also the one who finished Algol off there. 4-B - Sophitia - "Athena's Angel" Weapon: Soul Edge (sword and shield form) Attributes: 127% Attack, 101% Defense, 100% HP Skills: Soul Gauge Boost A (native to weapon), Hyper Mode, Auto Impact A, Impact Heal Skill Points & Costs: 30 Power, 170 Impact, 120 Boost, and 130 Gauge Points worth of skills for 30 Power, 170 Impact, 70 Boost, and 30 Gauge Points Armor & Equipment: Cat Ears, Feathered Wings, Goddess Spaulders, Full Leggings, Velvet Jacket, Goddess Gauntlets, Pleated Skirt, Huayin Socks, Huayin Shoes Armor & Equipment: Cat Ears, Feathered Wings, Tiger Lily Pauldrons, Full Leggings, Velvet Jacket, Goddess Gauntlets, Belle Skirt, Huayin Socks, Huayin Shoes Comments: Don't let the mostly normal-looking stats fool you - this build is absolutely sick and also now the first build that I can think of who can compete with Talim for Angel Line and overall supremacy among builds I've made. With the Soul Gauge Boost A + Hyper Mode combo, her Soul Gauge becomes a super/power-up bar that's practically stuck on max, especially if you keep up pressure well and guard well so that Auto Impact A can help refill that Soul Gauge. According to my tests, she can boost up to 5-6 times per round (!), and the Auto Impact A-Impact Heal combo also allows her to defend very well. She hits hard even when not boosting, and when she is - which, keep in mind, can happen absurdly often - her power starts going through the roof and she gains the ability to attack opposing Soul Gauges very well. 4-C - Seong Mi-na - "The Burning Spirit Angel" Weapon: Soul Calibur (halberd form) Attributes: 116% Attack, 100% Defense, 160% HP Skills: Soul Gauge Recovery A (native to weapon), Hyper Mode, Hysterical Strength, HP Drain A Skill Values & Costs: 30 Power, 170 Boost, and 160 Gauge Points worth of skills for 30 Power, 120 Boost, and 120 Gauge Points Comments: An excellent boosting build. Her super-bar Soul Gauge doesn't start maxed, but it refills very quickly, allowing her to boost often. A 17% Attack boost and a 60% HP boost means that HP Drain A becomes even more potent, meaning opponents either have to go for a Soul Crush - which Soul Gauge Recovery A and Hysterical Strength help prevent - or a Ring Out, which can be avoided if you're just aware enough. 4-D - Amy - "The Whirlwind Rapier Angel" Weapon: Soul Edge (rapier form) Attributes: 126% Attack, 100% Defense, 150% HP Skills: Start Dash A (native to weapon), Strengthen Vertical, HP Drain A, Hysterical Strength Skill Values & Costs: 190 Boost and 120 Gauge Points worth of skills for 110 Boost and 120 Gauge Points Armor & Clothing: Head Dress, Feathered Wings, Tiger Lily Pauldrons, Bordered Suit, Gorgon Cuirass, Gorgon Gauntlets, Belle Skirt, Huayin Socks, Huayin Shoes Comments: With this setup, Amy hits so hard, you need to see it to believe it. It's another build that focuses on exploiting boosts, being ring-aware, and forcing opponents into an uphill battle to try and knock her out. When she's in danger of being Soul Crushed, some of her moves can take off thirds or even halves of an opposing Life Gauge and give her a lot of that health back. 4-E - Xianghua - "The Inspired Angel" Weapon: Soul Calibur (longsword form) Attributes: 116% Attack, 107% Defense, 135% HP Skills: Start Dash A (native to weapon), Will Power, HP Drain A, Nullify Ring Out A Skill Points & Costs: 170 Boost, 120 Gauge, and 100 Special Points worth of skills for 90 Boost, 120 Gauge, and 100 Special Points Armor & Clothing: Head Dress, Feathered Wings, Tiger Lily Pauldrons, Bordered Suit, Frilled Drape, Princess Gloves, Belle Skirt, Bandages, Huayin Shoes Comments: Yet another terrific boosting build, as Start Dash A is always a good skill and HP Drain A makes her Will Power boost even more potent by allowing her to get to higher ground once the boost is triggered, while Nullify Ring Out A assures that opponents can't always take the easy way out. I've gotten a review saying she's helped in online Spec. Ranked. 4-F - Taki - "The Angel Of Death/The Assassin Angel" Weapon: Kris Naga Attributes: 126% Attack, 110% Defense, 104% HP Skills: Invisible (native to weapon), Venom Fang A, Soul Gauge Damage A, Impact Heal Skill Points & Costs: 40 Power, 50 Impact, 120 Gauge, and 230 Special Points worth of skills for 40 Power, 50 Impact, 120 Gauge, and 100 Special Points Armor & Clothing: Cat Ears, Feathered Wings, Tiger Lily Pauldrons, Bordered Suit, Breastplate, Belle Gloves, Belle Skirt, Bandages, Huayin Shoes Comments: Impact Heal bolsters her defense, but her forte is using her speed, increased Attack, and Invisible to win rounds quickly - which she can do with assaults on either the Life Gauge (with help from Venom Fang A), or the Soul Gauge (with Soul Gauge Damage A). Her B out of Possession becomes unbelievably powerful, as it either takes off a good chunk of Soul Gauge if it's blocked or does big damage and poisons if it hits. 4-G - Cassandra - "Hermes' Angel" Attributes: 134% Attack, 100% Defense, 125% HP Skills: Nullify Aerial Control (native to weapon), Auto Impact A, Impact Heal, Hyper Mode Skill Points & Costs: 100 Power, 170 Impact, 70 Boost, and 30 Gauge Points worth of skills for 170 Impact, 70 Boost, and 30 Gauge Points Armor & Equipment: Cat Ears, Feathered Wings, Tiger Lily Pauldrons, Full Leggings, Clergy Clothes, Goddess Gauntlets, Pleated Skirt, Night Butterfly Socks, Huayin Shoes Armor & Equipment: Head Dress, Feathered Wings, Tiger Lily Pauldrons, Full Leggings, Clergy Clothes, Lily Armlets, Belle Skirt, Huayin Socks, Huayin Shoes Comments: Cassie's got some nasty stun and stun juggle combos in no small part thanks to Shield Buster, and Nullify Aerial Control allows you to take full advantage as long as you can master the Just Input needed for Shield Buster. Auto Impact A not only combos with Impact Heal to give her very good health recovery, but also with Hyper Mode, allowing her to boost more often. 4-H - Ivy - "The Adamant Angel" Weapon: Soul Calibur (snake sword form) Attributes: 119% Attack, 107% Defense, 145% HP Skills: HP Burst (native to weapon), HP Drain A, Auto Counter A, Nullify Ring Out A Skill Values & Costs: 130 Power, 250 Gauge, and 100 Special Points worth of skills for 130 Power, 120 Gauge, and 100 Special Points Armor & Clothing: Head Dress, Right Eye Monocle, Feathered Wings, Tiger Lily Pauldrons, Bordered Suit, Voodoo Breastplate, Cloth Armlets, Atalanta's Skirt, Laced Stockings, Menghu Boots Comments: I gave Ivy a shot off a request from Wandermeyer on the SC4 360 version's GameFAQs message board and was glad I could pull off another strong one. She was the first Angel to sport a Power Skill - and a big one at that in Auto Counter A, which not only deals increased damage, but regularly enables her nastiest combos! HP Drain A, which combos nicely with Auto Counter A, protects HP Burst, and Nullify Ring Out A locks down a potential avenue of escape for opponents. 4-I - Tira - "The Black Cat Angel" Weapon: Ixion Attributes: 138% Attack, 101% Defense, 100% HP Skills: Auto Counter A, Auto Impact A, Impact Heal, Run Speed Up Skill Values & Costs: 130 Power, 720 Impact, 30 Gauge, and 70 Special Points worth of skills at no discount Armor & Equipment: Cat Ears, Feathered Wings, Voodoo Pauldrons, Kunoichi Tights, Voodoo Breastplate, Goddess Gauntlets, Pleated Skirt, Night Butterfly Socks, Menghu Boots Comments: A fab package of power, defense, and speed, as she runs quicker, gets arguably one of her two best offensive abilities in Auto Counter A (which works very nicely with her 38% Attack boost), and the always-nasty Auto Impact A + Impact Heal combo. Made after a suggestion from Unknown_Gamer11 on the message board that Auto Counter A might be the best Power ability for Tira. 4-J - Setsuka - "The Cobra Angel" Weapon: Soul Calibur (umbrella-concealed Iai Blade form) Attributes: 124% Attack, 112% Defense, 104% HP Skills: Charge Cancel (native to weapon), Auto Impact A, Impact Heal, Venom Fang A Skill Points and Costs: 40 Power, 170 Impact, 30 Gauge, and 250 Special Points worth of skills for 40 Power, 170 Impact, 30 Gauge, and 100 Special Points Armor & Equipment: Cat Ears, Feathered Wings, Voodoo Breastplate, Voodoo Pauldrons, Goddess Gauntlets, Bordered Suit, Pleated Skirt, Night Butterfly Socks, Huayin Shoes Comments: I imagine Guilty Gear fans will salivate a little at this, as Charge Cancel essentially turns her Soul Gauge into a Tension Gauge and gives her the power to do Roman Cancels provided she has enough Soul Gauge to spare. Even more importantly, it really complements her style, and Venom Fang A combos with it to give her quite a bit of added punch thanks to her array of knockdown moves. Auto Impact A gives her more chances to score knockdowns, helps refill her Soul Gauge even more for Charge Cancel and also combos with Impact Heal to give her a solid health-replenisher. 4-K - Hilde - "The Royal Lancer Angel" Weapon: Eisonowaki and Kandachi Skills: Auto Impact A, Impact Heal, Venom Fang A, Strengthen Vertical Attributes: 112% Attack, 103% Defense, 130% HP Skill Values & Costs: 40 Power, 170 Impact, 60 Boost, 30 Gauge, and 100 Special Points worth of skills at no discount Armor & Clothing: Cat Ears, Feathered Wings, Voodoo Pauldrons, Bordered Suit, White Shirt, Goddess Gauntlets, Pleated Skirt, Night Butterfly Socks, Huayin Shoes Comments: A very distinct makeover from my first big build for her, with two skill combos featuring largely. First, Strengthen Vertical + Venom Fang A makes for a very unique but potent combination, because even though her sword attacks lose direct power, it doesn't matter if the sword hit happens to be a knockdown, while her big lance moves get even stronger! Auto Impact A + Impact Heal is always potent, and Auto Impact A also makes Venom Fang A potentially even deadlier by momentarily giving her more chances to knock down and poison opponents. 4-IV - The Angel Line Rankings (Vs. Life Gauge, Vs. Soul Gauge, & Defensive) But let's say you don't really need to work with a single character - you just want a solid build or two. No worries - to help you decide, I've personally ranked all 11 Angel Line members in 3 areas: ability against an opposing Life Gauge, ability against an opposing Soul Gauge, and defensive ability. Keep in mind that if a build is low in the rankings, it's not necessarily because it's bad in that department - there's just a bunch in the line who are better in that area. Ability Vs. Opposing Life Gauge (for those who like solid power) 1st - Sophitia - Excellent w/127% ATK and SGB-A + HM. 2nd - Ivy - Excellent w/119% ATK, AC-A, and those crazy combos. 3rd - Tira - Excellent w/138% ATK and AC-A. 4th - Taki - Excellent w/126% ATK, VF-A, and I. 5th - Talim - Excellent w/116% ATK and VF-A. 6th - Amy - Excellent w/126% ATK, SDA-A, SV, and HS. 7th - Seong Mi-Na - Excellent w/117% ATK and SGR-A + HM. 8th - Cassandra - Excellent w/134% ATK and NAC. 9th - Setsuka - Excellent w/124% ATK and VF-A. 10th - Hilde - Excellent w/112% ATK, VF-A, and SV. 11th - Xianghua - Very good w/116% Attack, SDA-A, and WP. Ability Vs. Opposing Soul Gauge (for those who like versatility) 1st - Talim - Excellent, as SGD-A complements her big Guard Break arsenal. 2nd - Taki - Excellent, as SGD-A makes her Possession haymakers deadly. 3rd - Sophitia - Excellent w/AI-A and often-boosted powerful haymakers. 4th - Seong Mi-Na - Excellent w/boosted Guard Breaks and haymakers. 5th - Cassandra - Excellent w/AI-A and boosted haymakers. 6th - Amy - Very good w/limited haymakers but highly boosted attacks. 7th - Tira - Very good w/138% ATK and a good Guard Break/haymaker arsenal. 8th - Ivy - Very good with 116% ATK and punishing Sword haymakers. 9th - Setsuka - Very good w/124% ATK and some fast haymakers. 10th - Xianghua - Very good with some good haymakers and a fast GB. 11th - Hilde - Good w/112% ATK, AI-A and some good lance haymakers. Defensive Ability (for those who want tried-and-true tough characters) 1st - Seong Mi-Na - Excellent w/160% HP, SGR-A + HM + HPD-A, HS, big range. 2nd - Sophitia - Excellent w/101% DEF, AI-A + IH, and SGB-A + HM. 3rd - Xianghua - Excellent w/107% DEF, 135% HP, SDA-A + HPD-A + WP + NRO-A. 4th - Ivy - Excellent w/107% DEF, 145% HP, HPB + HPD-A, and big max range. 5th - Talim - Excellent w/105% DEF, 165% HP and HPB. 6th - Amy - Very good w/150% HP, SDA-A, HS, and HPD-A + SV. 7th - Hilde - Very good w/103% DEF, 130% HP, AI-A + IH, and good range. 8th - Cassandra - Very good w/125% HP, AI-A + IH, and HM. 9th - Setsuka - Very good w/112% DEF, 104% HP, CC, and AI-A + IH. 10th - Tira - Very good w/103% DEF and AI-A + IH. 11th - Taki - Good w/110% DEF, 104% HP, and IH, even if it's manual. 4-V - The Angel Line Recommendations Based On Preferred/Most Needed Skill Type Still don't know which one you might like to use? No sweat - I've still got you. Let's say you like working with a certain skill type a lot or you really feel the need to use a certain skill type more often. In that case, here are some recommendations for those looking for skills of a certain type: - Power (dealing increased damage with increased frequency) My recommendation here depends on how you like to do your damage. If you like juggles and stun juggles, I'd recommend Cassandra, while if you like to bring the pain with combos requiring counter hits, I'd recommend either Tira if you like being up close or Ivy if you want to be able to work at each range (if you don't prefer either Tira or Ivy, I recommend Ivy because her Auto Counter A combos with HP Drain A.) - Impact (reducing damage and making things happen with Guard Impacts) If you just want do be able to pull Guard Impacts more often, then I suggest either Sophitia, Cassandra, Tira, Setsuka, or Hilde, who are all armed with the Auto Impact A + Impact Heal combo. If you're very confident in your manual Guard Impacting, then Taki's also up for consideration. Note that if you're a skilled at manual Guard Impacts, then you can swap out Auto Impact A with Impact Edge or maybe even Master Impact if you can work it in. - Boost (swinging fights with terrific bursts) There are quite a few good boosters here, but I'd recommend either Sophitia if you love manual boosting or Xianghua if you play your best at the start and at the end. - Gauge (controlling both your own and opponents' Life and Soul Gauges) You have quite a few good choices here, but I would recommend either Ivy - who has HP Burst, HP Drain A, and also enough power to dent a Soul Gauge consistently, especially in Sword Stance - or Talim, who has HP Burst and Soul Gauge Damage A. - Special (getting especially unconventional abilities) Either Taki or Setsuka, as they both gain a lot of punch due to Venom Fang A and also have a big Special Skill each that combos with it (Invisible for Taki, Charge Cancel for Setsuka.) --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 7 - Boss Builds By Others When I started posting my builds, to tell the truth, I thought I was on to things that no one else was on to, but boy, was I wrong! Some had already made boss-style builds, and now I and a few players bounce ideas off each other on the GameFAQs message boards. Many builds from others have now been posted on the topic I started, and I've included the ones that I feel pack some real punch. I certainly learned a thing or two when I saw them, meaning I couldn't have made some of the improvements I made without seeing what they brought to the table. 7-A - Sophitia by andjosh12 - "The Angel Of The Underworld, Version II" Weapon: Soul Edge (sword and shield form) Attributes: 137% Attack, 114% Defense, 125% HP Skills: Soul Gauge Boost A (native to weapon), HP Drain A, Auto Impact A, Start Dash A Skill Values & Costs: 120 Impact, 130 Boost, and 220 Gauge Points worth of skills for 120 Impact, 80 Boost, and 120 Gauge Points Armor & Clothing: Cat Ears, Oval Glasses, Feathered Wings, Tiger Lily Pauldrons, Full Leggings, Prayer Robe, Gorgon Gauntlets, Belle Skirt, Shinobi Tabi, Polar Boots Comments: When I posted my first boss-style build for Sophitia, andjosh12 had already made a build for Sophie with the same skill set, only with improved stats. A very good build - with this setup, she can survive anything but Ring Outs and also deal a lot of damage while she's at it. 7-B - Cassandra by Arthalin - "The Angel Of Panic, Version II" Weapon: Dark Blade Attributes: 130% Attack, 122% Defense, 115% HP Skills: Auto Impact A, Impact Heal, Soul Gauge Damage A, Nullify Ring Out A Skill Values & Costs: 170 Impact, 120 Gauge, and 100 Special Points worth of skills at no discount Armor & Clothing: Cat Ears, Feathered Wings, Tiger Pauldrons, Bong-Seon Underwear, Menghu Cuirass, Goddess Gauntlets, Tiger Lily Fauld, Shinobi Tabi, Goddess Greaves Comments: An improved version of my first boss-style setup for Cassandra, this one is a terrific Soul Crusher thanks to Auto Impact A and and Soul Gauge Damage A. The Auto Impact A + Impact Heal combo is also present, and Nullify Ring Out A often prevents opponents from taking the easy way out. 7-C - Algol by Alex - "The Unstoppable Force" Weapon: Soul Edge & Soul Calibur (ultimate embedded forms) Accessory: Life Gem Sun Attributes: 119% Attack, 117% Defense, 195% HP Skills: Hyper Mode (native to weapon), Start Dash A, Soul Gauge Damage A, Hysterical Strength Skill Points & Costs: 30 Power, 200 Boost, and 90 Gauge Points worth of skills for 130 Boost and 90 Gauge Points Comments: This was the first boss-style build for a sub-boss or boss character that I saw. A Russian friend named Alex, who like me likes to chill at the Talley Student Center Games Room at NC State, made this after starting to play Algol a lot, and he came up with what I thought at first was impossible: a boss-style build for an actual boss or sub-boss character - and one for Algol at that! Start Dash A and Soul Gauge Damage A give him even more power against Life and Soul Gauges, and Hyper Mode and Hysterical Strength form a potent combo that makes the stat boosts, especially the almost doubled HP, even more prominent. 7-D - Amy by darkwingxx - "The Deadly Rapier Dancer" Weapon: Soul Edge (rapier form) Attributes: 140% Attack, 107% Defense, 135% HP Skills: Start Dash A (native to weapon), Auto Impact A, Impact Heal, Venom Fang A Skill Values & Costs: 40 Power, 170 Impact, 80 Boost, 30 Gauge, and 100 Special Points worth of skills for 40 Power, 170 Impact, 30 Gauge, and 100 Special Points Armor & Clothing: Cat Ears, Feathered Wings, Voodoo Pauldrons, Kunoichi Tights, Short Shirt, Goddess Gauntlets, Goddess Fauld, Night Butterfly Socks, Voodoo Greaves Comments: Extremely impressive. Incredibly powerful against an opposing Life Gauge thanks to the 40% Attack boost, Start Dash A, and Venom Fang A, which I consider to be the best damage-dealing ability for Amy, and 107% Defense, 135% HP, Start Dash A, and Auto Impact A + Impact Heal mean that she's not a half-bad defender, either. 7-E - Amy by sportzfreak7 - "The Venom Tornado" Weapon: Soul Edge (rapier form) Attributes: 159% Attack, 114% Defense, 155% HP Skills: Start Dash A (native to weapon), Venom Fang A, Shave Damage A, Hysterical Strength Skill Values & Costs: 140 Power, 130 Boost, 40 Gauge, and 100 Special Points worth of skills for 140 Power, 50 Boost, 40 Gauge, and 100 Special Points Armor & Clothing: Voodoo Crown, War Cloak, Voodoo Pauldrons, Kunoichi Tights, Voodoo Breastplate, Voodoo Armlets, Gorgon Fauld, Shinobi Tabi, Tiger Lily Greaves Comments: Sportzfreak has posted an impressive online win streak and beaten the Tower of Lost Souls with this Amy build, and it's not hard to see why. On top of Venom Fang A, the really souped-up stats make for an incredibly potent Start Dash A + Shave Damage A + Hysterical Strength combo, meaning she does big damage even while her attacks are being blocked. 7-F - Angol Fear by Unknown_Gamer11 - "Indefatigable Thunder" Weapon: Lucifer Spear Black V Accessory: Repel Gem Plover Attributes: 124% Attack, 124% Defense, 130% HP Skills: Soul Gauge Recovery A (native to weapon), Soul Gauge Damage A, Auto Impact A Skill Points & Costs: 120 Impact, 40 Boost, and 140 Gauge Points worth of skills for 120 Impact and 90 Gauge Points Comments: Very well-rounded. 124% Attack and Angol Fear's natural strength boost means that she can get after a Life Gauge, Soul Gauge Damage A allows her to really get after a Soul Gauge, and Soul Gauge Recovery A and Auto Impact A, along with 124% Defense and 130% HP, help her survive anything but Ring Outs. 7-G - Yoshimitsu by sportzfreak7 - "The Immortal Assassin Manji" Weapon: Soul Calibur (dual katana form) Attributes: 141% Attack, 126% Defense, 200% HP Skills: Invisible (native to weapon), Will Power, Venom Fang A, Auto Impact A Skill Values & Costs: 40 Power, 120 Impact, 90 Boost, and 230 Special Points worth of skills for 40 Power, 120 Impact, 90 Boost, and 100 Special Points Armor & Clothing: Phoenix Kabuto, Juok Chaplet, Lusca Spaulders, Leviathan Gauntlets, Warrior Trousers, Death's Boots, Mechanical Hands Yang Comments: Invisible + Venom Fang A is an extremely nasty combo, Auto Impact A allows for increased knockdowns for poisoning as well as increased cloaking, and Will Power is a nasty surprise for anyone who thinks they've finally got him down when his double Life Gauge is almost spent. Throw in 141% Attack and 126% Defense, and it's an unquestionable terror for opponents. 7-H - Ashlotte by Unknown_Gamer11 - "The Weapon: Krnielk Earth Accessory: Life Gem Jade Attributes: 124% Attack, 110% Defense, 140% HP Skills: Auto Counter A (native to weapon), Start Dash A, Will Power, Auto Unblockable Attack A Skill Points & Costs: 270 Power and 170 Boost Points worth of skills for 140 Power and 170 Boost Points Comments: While she has less range than Astaroth, Ashlotte is incredibly even stronger, and that makes this skillset even scarier. With this build, she can frequently do unblockables that are often critical hits with little or no charge, and she also gets a 24% Attack boost plus boosts at the start of the round and when she's in trouble! All said, a real sick build (in a good way, of course!) 7-I - Yoda by Unknown_Gamer11 - "The Might Of The Jedi" Weapon: Lightsaber Usk Accessory: Repel Gem Iron Shell Attributes: 134% Attack, 116% Defense, 110% HP Skills: Impact Edge, Impact Heal, Run Speed Up, Hysterical Strength Skill Points & Costs: 130 Impact, 50 Boost, and 70 Special Points worth of skills at no discount Comments: With this, his Force Parries become very deadly, as he can recover health, and then deal damage both with the Impact and with the follow-up attack. Run Speed Up makes him even harder to hit, and Hysterical Strength is there in case he gets in a pinch with his Soul Gauge. 134% Attack also lends some added oomph to those Force Cancel combos. 7-J - Voldo by Unknown_Gamer11 Weapon: Soul Edge (dual katar form) Attributes: 130% Attack, 127% Defense, 125% HP Skills: Will Power (native to weapon), Venom Fang A, Soul Gauge Damage A, Start Dash A Skill Points & Costs: 40 Power, 170 Boost, 90 Gauge, and 100 Special Points worth of skills for 40 Power, 80 Boost, 90 Gauge, and 100 Special Points Armor & Equipment: Imprisoned Face, Thief's Mask, Dueler's Necklace, Usurper's Spaulders, Usurper's Suit, Dueler's Jacket, Ryukyu Gauntlets, Guimian Yecha, Shinobi Tabi, Paladin's Greaves Comments: Voldo hits surprisingly hard, especially if you know what moves to use, and of course, not too many know how to defend against him, which makes the 130% Attack and Venom Fang A that much more important. Soul Gauge Damage A works well with him because he has good haymakers and a good quick Guard Break in Blind Dive. Start Dash A is always a good skill to have, and 127% Defense also allows him to make more use of Will Power when he's in trouble. Definitely a terrific build. 7-K - Kamikirimusi by Unknown_Gamer11 Weapon: Denryu Bakuha Pine Accessory: Spirit Gem Nonuple Heads Attributes: 127% Attack, 149% Defense, 100% HP Skills: Auto Unblockable Attack A (native to weapon), HP Drain A, Hyper Mode Skill Points & Costs: 170 Power, 70 Boost, and 120 Gauge Points worth of skills for 30 Power, 70 Boost, and 120 Gauge Points Comments: When it came time for me to try and find a boss-style build for Kamikirimusi, this is exactly what I came up with, meaning I couldn't better this. Of course, that means it definitely gets my approval, because it allows for boosted unblockables with little or no charge that both do a lot of damage and recover a lot of health, which makes the 149% Defense that much more imposing. 7-L - The Apprentice (Starkiller) by Unknown_Gamer11 Weapon: Lightsaber Usk Accessory: Life Gem Sun Attributes: 110% Attack, 114% Defense, 190% HP Skills: HP Recovery A, Hyper Mode, Start Dash A Skill Points & Costs: 30 Power, 150 Boost, and 100 Gauge Points worth of skills at no discount Comments: The first build where I really approve of HP Recovery A. With Start Dash A and Hyper Mode added, that means that you have to rely on haymakers, throws, and 2-hit combos to knock down that 190% HP with 114% Defense, which is definitely no easy task given how fast the Apprentice can be. 7-M - Scheherazade by Unknown_Gamer11 - "1001 Nightmares" Weapon: Alf Layla Wa Layla Khamsa Accessory: Repel Gem Iron Shell Attributes: 143% Attack, 109% Defense, 130% HP Skills: Impact Edge (native to weapon), Auto Impact A, Nullify Ring Out A Skill Values & Costs: 200 Impact and 100 Special Points worth of skills for 120 Impact and 100 Special Points Comments: With a 43% Attack boost and Auto Impact A + Impact Edge, she can deal big damage even when she's blocking, which is always something to be feared. Nullify Ring Out A just about closes off a potential avenue of escape, and 109% Defense and 130% HP mean she can take some punishment and still keep coming. 7-N - Tira by Unknown_Gamer11 - "The Angel Of Fury" Weapon: Bifrost Attributes: 124% Attack, 112% Defense, 115% HP Skills: Auto Impact A, Will Power, HP Recovery A, Venom Fang A Skill Values & Costs: 40 Power, 120 Impact, 90 Boost, 100 Gauge, and 100 Special Points worth of skills at no discount Armor & Clothing: Cat Ears, Feathered Wings, Pince-Nez, Tiger Lily Pauldrons, Kunoichi Tights, Wonder Jacket, Gorgon Gauntlets, Slacks, Night Butterfly Socks, Honor Boots Comments: Unknown_Gamer11 took a page out of my book - not that I mind at all - when she made this build for Tira, which takes advantage of an interesting combo using HP Recovery A and Will Power. Once Will Power is triggered, opponents need to use throws, 2-hitters, or haymakers to finish the job or risk seeing her get to higher ground with the boost in effect. Auto Impact A gives HP Recovery a chance to work its magic a little more, and it also combos well with Venom Fang A to give her more knockdown opportunities. When you add in the solid stat boosts, this is another great package. 7-O - Talim by twiggywales - "Inexorable Poison" Weapon: Soul Edge & Soul Calibur (elbow blade forms) Attributes: 130% Attack, 134% Defense, 140% HP Skills: HP Burst (native to weapon), Venom Fang A, HP Drain A, Start Dash A Skill Values & Costs: 40 Power, 80 Boost, 250 Gauge, and 100 Special Points worth of skills for 40 Power, 80 Boost, 120 Gauge, and 100 Special Points Armor & Clothing: Classified Comments: Venom Fang A + HP Drain A is one of those combos that I frown on, but the big stat boosts, the inclusion of Start Dash A and her best offensive ability in Venom Fang A, and HP Drain A protecting HP Burst make this a build so powerful that its recipe remains classified! --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 8 - Acknowledgements/Special Thanks/How To Contact Me/Legal Section SOULCALIBUR®IV & © 1995-2008 NAMCO BANDAI Games Inc. LucasArts, the LucasArts logo, and the STAR WARS characters, names and all related indicia are trademarks of © Lucasfilm Ltd. © 2008 Lucasfilm Entertainment Company Ltd. or Lucasfilm Ltd. ® or TM as indicated. All rights reserved. This FAQ is copyrighted by Carlo Santos (Carlo31) 2008. This FAQ is only allowed on GameFAQs.com, GameSpot.com, and IGN.com. If you would like to reprint it on your site, just let me know and be sure to credit me. You can contact me at pcsantos@ncsu.edu, but the fastest way for you to get in touch with me (and therefore the way I'd prefer for you to hit me up) is on the Xbox 360 version's message boards. Look for the topic entitled "Boss-Style Skill Sets". That's the topic you can post on to review my FAQ and builds that I and others have posted and also put your own builds up for consideration. I'll take a look at them and let you know what I think (some others might as well), and if I really like them, I'll add them to this FAQ! Hope this helps, and also hope to hear from you soon! Special Thanks To... -GameFAQs/GameSpot for hosting this FAQ -Namco Bandai for helping make Soul Calibur -Project Soul for helping make Soul Calibur -LucasArts/LucasFilm for allowing the Star Wars characters' appearance -NC State University's Talley Student Center Games Room for being my "lab" -Alex for helping me with the Honors/Achievements so that I had everything at my disposal and for his Algol build -Unknown_Gamer11, darkwingxx, sportzfreak7, twiggywales, andjosh12, and Arthalin, the other GameFAQs boss-style build researchers besides myself -Our gracious reviewers -You the reader! ---------------------------------------------------------------------------