CAPCOM VS SNK
A GUIDE TO MAI SHIRANUI
EASYE (Ernesto Schweikert)
JANUARY 2001
VERSION 1.1

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COPYRIGHT:
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This FAQ is copyright Ernesto Schweikert, 2001.  Copying of this FAQ is limited
to non-commercial purposes, and let me know if you intend to post this FAQ at
easye@bu.edu. The least you can do is notify me so I know where to send updates
and the extent of my power :)  Seriously, though, you're not paying for having
this on your website!


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TABLE OF CONTENTS:
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Intro
Revision History
Contact Info
Profile of Mai
Legend
Throws
Normal Moves
Special Moves
Super Moves
Strategy
EX Mai
Miscellaneous


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REVISION HISTORY
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1.1 - Mainly fixed some spacing problems arising from Windows to text file
copying.  Pretty exciting stuff, huh?


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INTRO:
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  I'm not that surprised by the lack of Mai guides on the net; not just for
Capcom vs. SNK (henceforth referred to as CvS), but for all other games she's
made an appearance in.  She doesn't seem to be one of the more popular
characters, but I figure I can still help a few people with this guide. 
Coincidentally, the lack of Ibuki guides led me to make a guide for her, and
now I'm starting to realize that I have an obsession with female ninjas. 
Indeed, had she not a couple already, I'd write a guide for Psylocke in MvC 2. 
But I digress...

   Like most female ninjas, Mai has speed and a variety of moves. 
Unfortunately, the latter has been reduced considerably in CvS.  She has gained
better priority, however, and remains a threat if played properly (plus she
retains that certain, hypnotic bounce in her step... must drink milk).  On the
other hand, like most female ninjas, too, Mai is weak and does not take damage
well.  I hope this guide teaches you to maximize her strengths and minimize her
weaknesses.  If you don't know the basics of CvS, I suggest checking out any of
the general game guides available at www.gamefaqs.com.


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CONTACT INFO:
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Any questions/corrections/comments/awesome combos, e-mail me at easye@bu.edu


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PROFILE:
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"You must have been intimidated by my strength, attractiveness, and beauty."

Fighting Style:	Shiranui Ninja Arts
Birth Date:	January 1
Age:		21
Country:	Japan
Blood Type:	B
Height:		165 cm
Weight:		45 kg
Hobbies:	Cooking (she's especially into making Japanese boxed lunches)
Favorite Food:	Stewed foods (USA)
Favorite Food:	Ozouni (a New Year's dish including rice cakes with vegetables)
(Japan)
Mastered Sport:	Japanese badminton
Prized Things:	Ornamental hairpins inherited from her grandmother
Dislikes:	Spiders

Mai is a Ratio 2 character in CvS.


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LEGEND:
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WP   Weak Punch
WK   Weak Kick
SP   Strong Punch
SK   Strong Kick

T    Towards
D    Down
B    Back
U    Up

P    Punch
K    Kick


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THROWS:
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  Throw often because throws in this game hurt.  Both of Mai's throws share
some good damage and priority.  Remember, there's nothing wrong with throwing.

SHIRANUI GOURIN - (up close, B or F and SP): Mai does a handstand flip over the
opponent and then throws them overhead.  Launches farther than the other throw,
so use this throw to place foes in corner.

FUUSHA KUZUSHI - (up close, B or F and SK): Mai uses her feet to choke slam her
foe.  Switches side with opponent, so use to get out of corners.

YUME ZAKURA - (in air and up close, B, U, or F and SP or SK): Mai leaps unto
her opponent, using her weight to create a free fall and her opponent as a
human cushion.  Whenever this move moves comes out, 99% of the time it will be
accidentally.  That's because there's no air blocking in this game, so there's
not much strategy in, reason for, or chance of using air throws.


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NORMAL MOVES:
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When standing, Mai:

WP - strikes directly in front of her with her folded fan.  Has good reach, but
is slow.  You won't be using this too much.  Up close, it comes out a tad
faster, but you still don't want to use it.

WK - kicks high with her back leg.  Like her WK, has good reach, but is slow
and misses crouching opponents.  Unlike the KOF series, this kick is no longer
reliable anti-air.  Up close, Mai performs a weird kick to the shins that comes
out fast and combos.

SP - swings her extended fan downwards.  Slow and lacking in priority, the good
news is that it's highly combo-able and hits crouching opponents.
T + SP - hits at a 60 degree angle with her folded fan.  Mai's best anti-air,
this comes out fast and has good priority.  Rendered useless against crouching
opponents and most standing opponents.  Furthermore, the move will trade hits
with or whiff against opponents who are trying a cross-up or landing right on
top of you.  In these cases, block, roll, or use a jumping WK.

SK - spins and delivers a big boot, er, sandal to her opponent's face.  This
move has nothing going for it except reach, but avoid this anyhow.  Up close,
Mai does an Ibuki roundhouse that comes out extremely fast and can be comboed
into but not from.


When crouching, Mai:

WP - defies logic when she strikes her opponent with her "tail" of clothing. 
This move may look goofy, but it's Mai's best poke because it has good reach
and priority.

WK - slides her near foot across the ground.  Faster than crouching WP, it
lacks range but is combo-able.

SP - leans into a spinning elbow that has good priority, damage, speed, and is
highly combo-able.  The only drawback of this move is its poor reach.

SK - simply sweeps her opponent.  This move has good reach and is fast; still,
it suffers from noticeable recovery time.


When jumping, Mai:

WP - strikes below herself with two folded fans (I don't know where the second
fan came from, either).  This move is quite sticky and has best priority when
your foe is under you.  Mai's best move to attempt cross-ups with (though
limited).

WK - sticks out a knee.  Also quite sticky and Mai's best air-to-air.

SP - swings her extended fan downward.  Good speed, some air-to-air
capabilities, but lacks range and priority.

SK - kicks at a slightly downward angle in her traditional SK pose.  Your main
weapon when jumping-in, this kick is fast, carries nice range, and is highly
combo-able.  It suffers somewhat in the priority department, but it has some
slight cross-up abilities.


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SPECIAL MOVES:
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 I list the Japanese name of a move first and then give it an English name
based on its description (not a translation), all followed by the move's
command input.  For convenience's sake, I refer to the move by the homemade
English name for the rest of the guide.

SANKAKU TOBI - Off-the-wall jump (Jump towards a wall, then push UF as soon as
you touch the wall): This move is handy when trying to escape corner traps or
to cross-up your opponent with WP.  Use sparsely.

KACHOU SEN - Butterfly Fan (D, DT, T, P): Mai throws her fan in standard
fireball pattern.  Punch used determines speed of fireball, with strong punch
going faster than weak.  Moderate damage and priority, below-average recovery
time (the recovery animation is worth it, though :)

RYUU ENBU - Flame Twirl (D, DB, B, P): Mai spins around, creating a blast of
flame energy with her fan.  As far as I can tell, the punch you use makes no
difference.  If you're really close, the move hits twice, once with the fan and
again with the flame.
  Capcom toned down this move, increasing its recovery time and reducing the
distance to get a two-hitter.  Nonetheless, this move finishes combos nicely,
and the recovery time only becomes a problem if done alone (i.e., not in a
combo) AND right next to the opponent.

MUSASABI NO MAI (KUUCHUU) - Air Dive (in air, D, DB, B, P): Mai dives towards
her opponent, fan in mouth.  (Unconfirmed: The punch used determines the angle
Mai dives at; strong punch comes down at a slightly wide angle while weak punch
goes down at a slightly sharp angle.)  The dive carries good priority, damage,
and speed, but its start-up is so slow that the move becomes anticipatory. 
Recovery times vary, depending how close you land to your opponent, though
usually not in your favor.  Can be comboed.

MUSASABI NO MAI (CHIJOU) - Wall Dive (Charge D, U, P): The same exact move as
above, with the same exact properties, excepting one difference - she starts on
the ground, quickly leaps towards a wall, and then does her air dive (somewhat
resembles Vega's off-the-wall moves).  The following is a mini-FAQ regarding
the quirks of this move.
	1) Can I choose what wall Mai jumps to?
		Yes, by pressing UB for the wall behind her and UF for the wall facing her
			(simply pressing up results in the wall behind her).  This little quirk adds
			surprise and 	confuse value to the move.
	2) Can I aim the dive itself?
		No, and, unfortunately, this is the move's biggest drawback.  The Wall Dive
			doesn't auto-aim like Vega's moves.  Instead, Mai will usually land in the
spot 		she leapt from, plus or minus her sweep distance.
	3) Why did Mai leap back but not finish with an air dive?
		This happens from time to time, and I'm not sure why this happens.  I have
			noticed, however, that Mai tends to do this more often when she is far from
the 		intended wall and/or your opponent is moving, causing the screen to
scroll, 			effectively 'abolishing the wall' she was jumping to.
	4) Can I combo this version?
		No.

HISSATSU SHINOBI BACHI - Elbow Lunge (B, DB, D, DT, T, K): Mai cartwheels into
a lunging elbow hop that spans the entire screen.  The cartwheel hits once (if
done close enough) as well as the elbow itself.  Obviously, the range on this
move rocks, as do its damage, start-up, and speed.  On the other hand, priority
is so-so, and the recovery time invites your foe to a free super.  Thusly, use
this move in only two situations: in combos and to punish mistakes from afar.


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SUPER MOVES:
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  I list super moves in the same manner as special moves.  The description
given is for the level 1 super.  A new paragraph follows for any changes in the
level 2 and 3 versions.

BENI SUZAKU - Super Air Dive (in air, D, DB, B, D, DB, B, P):  An Air Dive with
flames engulfing Mai's body.  The same exact properties as a normal air dive -
fast, damaging, speedy, but slow on start-up and unfavorable recovery times. 
Can be comboed and hits up to 3 times, but cannot be aimed.  A word of caution:
though Mai's entire body is ablaze during the move, her hit frames remain
around her head.  So don't expect opponents jumping on top of you to get hit by
the uppermost flames.
No changes in the level 2 or 3 versions except for more hits.

CHOU HISSATSU SHINOBI BACHI - Super Elbow Lunge (D, DB, B, DB, D, DT, T, K):  A
fiery Elbow Lunge that hits up to 7 or 8 times.  Same properties as the normal
Elbow Lunge except it hits more and does more damage.  A lot more damage.  I'd
say this is one of the most damaging level 1 supers in the game.  However,
Capcom took out the invincibility frames from this super, so its only use is
now in combos.
Level 2 - No change except for more hits.  It doesn't do much more damage than
level 1, so stick to either level 1 or 3 of this move.
Level 3 - Mai flips into the air and performs an Elbow Lunge that spawns a
spectacular conflagration around her body.  The move hits about 11 times and
reaches almost full screen.  The initial flip is invincible and may hit once,
perhaps even setting up for the rest of the hits (can anyone confirm this?). 
The elbow thrust itself is quick and highly damaging, and the recovery time is
small but noticeable.  Hands down Mai's best super.  I don't know of any combos
with this super, so if you have one, drop a line.


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COMBOS
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Moves in parentheses are optional or can be used as an alternative.  Combos
with the Super Elbow Lunge exclude the level 3 version.

You can link up to 3 crouching WKs or crouching WPs.

(Cross-up with WP), (crouching) close WK, (Super) Elbow Lunge

(Jump in SP or SK), (crouching) SP, any ground special or super move

When your opponent is airborne:
Any jumping normal move, (Super) Air Dive - Although you can technically
connect the (Super) Air Dive from any jumping normal move, you have a better
chance of connecting if you use WP or SK.


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STRATEGY
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  Mai should be played like every other female ninja - offensively.  However,
she neither has the usual priority nor confuse moves needed to excel
offensively.  Mai doesn't even rule footsie games.  Still, the picture is not
as bleak as it may sound.  Mai is swift, has some simple but damaging combos as
well as moves that have almost full screen range.  The best way to play Mai is
to use her speed to pressure opponents.

  Offensively, this is quite simple.  Intimidate your opponent by letting them
know you can punish them for their mistakes, even from across the whole screen.
 This does not necessarily entail a hit-and-run style, but Mai is certainly
effective at it.  Another method of pressuring your opponent is to constantly
crowd them.  You can try a variety of moves at your opponent's wake-up, such as
a Wall Dive from the opposite wall or several WKs linked into WP (watch for the
super).  The safest move is timing a Butterfly Fan to hit at the exact moment
your foe gets up, so he can't roll or jump out of the way.  Takes some practice
but worth the effort.  Other than wake-up, Mai has good poking abilities but
not the best.  You should avoid footsie games and instead use Mai's speed to
reestablish the pace of the match.  (In the Dreamcast version, turning on the
running feature improves Mai's offense significantly.  The forward dash hop is
pretty much useless, but the backward dash is quite useful.)

  Defensively, the speed concept equals the old adage "the best defense is a
good offense."  Remember, the best block is not to block at all.  Mai's speed
helps you avoid moves entirely, plus there's the roll.

  Ah, the roll.  Let me just give a few basics on the roll, because many times
winning a match means knowing how to roll effectively.  (SNK veterans may want
to skip this part.)  The roll provides you with a means to escape moves and
thus not eat block damage.  The entire roll, however, is not invincible.  The
very beginning and the very end of the roll leave you vulnerable, primarily so
you can't roll on wake-up and can't abuse the move to kingdom come,
respectively.  Moreover, the entire roll is susceptible to throws, including
command ones.  The best way to deal with constant rollers, then, is to throw
them (timing is important).  An easier but riskier tactic is repeated crouching
WKs.  Watch out, though.  A common strategy to negate the end vulnerability of
the roll is to use at the end of the roll a move with invincibility frames and
usually high priority, such as a dragon punch or Zangief's grab super.  In
these cases, I suggest hopping back or jumping off the wall if in you're in a
corner.  Don't roll yourself as a response to your foe's roll because they will
recover first and apply the above tactics to punish you.  Mai's roll is about
average length and speed.  Use it primarily as a defensive measure because she
lacks moves with invincibility frames and high priority to use rolling
offensively.

  So what about Groove selection?  Hopefully you've guessed Capcom Groove fits
Mai the best because it encourages you to be offensive.  SNK mode may make you
rely too much on supers, and, frankly, supers in general have lost much
priority and invincibility in this game, including Mai's.  Additionally, know
that as you increase your super meter, you do more damage, up to 1.5x with a
full super bar.  (In SNK Groove, you don't get any damage boost unless your
meter's maxed out.)  So if your opponent is powering up in SNK mode, throw some
Butterfly Fans or go on the offensive.  Once they're powered up, retreat
slightly until the super meter wears out.  Repeat.

  I won't get into character-specific strategies, but if you're having
difficulty beating a particular opponent, feel free to drop me a line.


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EX MAI
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In EX mode, Mai:

-Retains all normal moves and throws.

-Loses the special move Elbow Lunge and gains the special move:
KAGEROU NO MAI - Flame Pillar (Charge D, U, K): Mai meditates while a tall
column of fire envelops her body.  WK hits once, comes out faster, and
extinguishes rapidly, while SK hits thrice, comes out slower, and lasts longer.
 In both cases, the fire dies as soon as the opponent gets hit.  The initial
explosion of the move carries almost as much priority as a dragon punch and
(unconfirmed) may give Mai an invincibility frame.  The rest of the move can be
treated much like Blanka's electricity - bad range, unable to absorb
projectiles, vulnerable to low attacks, and low priority against ground attacks
but high priority against air attacks.

-Loses the super move Super Air Dive and gains the super move:
MIZUTORI NO MAI - Triple Butterfly Fan (D, DF, F, D, DF, F, P): Mai lets loose
three Butterfly Fans.  The fans share the same priority, speed, and damage as
normal SP Butterfly Fans (the last fan seems to do more damage, but I'm
unsure).  I also think the strength of the punch used has no effect on the
super, but I could be wrong.  Nice recovery time; the only counter is your foe
anticipating the move and jumping in.  This move also has two quirks.  Firstly,
a tiny delay exists between the release of each fan except the first,
occasionally allowing the opponent to recover before the 2nd/3rd fan hits.  On
the bright side, most characters won't be able to roll through the super unless
they have a long roll, like Rugal.  Secondly, doing this move extremely up
close sometimes results in the first fan whiffing the opponent (I _think_ it's
due to Mai's arm passing through the opponent and thus releasing the fan behind
their back).  If anybody can confirm any of my suspicions on this move, drop me
a line please.
Level 2 - same super except the fans are now aflame.
Level 3 - Fans are ablaze and hit more (about 5 or 6 times).  The damage done
by levels 2 and 3 of this super don't justify the meter expended (unless you
need considerable damage quickly).

-Loses any part of a combo that involves the normal Elbow Lunge and gains:

crouching WK (WP), WK Flame Pillar

(Combo into a) Crouching SP, Triple Butterfly Fan

-Can afford to be more defensive with the Flame Pillar in her arsenal.  The
move has great priority and deters your opponent's use of rolling.  Don't play
like a charge character, though. Mai should still be played offensively because
turtling does not suit her well.  You can come to rely extensively on the Flame
Pillar, and, given long enough, most people will find a counter.  EX Mai can
work well with SNK Groove, if just to enjoy the fun of doing countless Triple
Butterfly Fan supers when your life's flashing.  However, Capcom Groove still
suits Mai better.


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MISCELLANEOUS
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Taunt (Start Button): Mai teasingly waves her fan at the opponent while saying
something in Japanese.

Colors:
WP: Fruit Juicy Red
WK: Luscious Lavender
SP: Sky High Blue
SK: Effervescent Aqua

  That's about it.  If you have any questions/ corrections/ comments/ awesome
combos, e-mail me at easye@bu.edu.  I'd especially appreciate confirmations on
any uncertainties I mention, such as the max number of hits of a give move, for
example.  (I don't own a Dreamcast, so I can't test any of my suspicions ad
nauseum.)
