Game Guide - Maneuvering Soul Calibur IV Guide
Last update: 11 May 2016
Maneuvering
To make this guide easier to use, I decided to use the same controlling system as seen in the game (for example in the Move List) - that is to use the same letters to describe the moves. To the point: G is short for Guard, K is for kick; A is for vertical attack; B is for horizontal attack.
Activity | Description in this guide and the game | Xbox 360 | PS3 |
Guard | G | A | X |
Kick | K | B | O |
Horizontal Attack | A | X | Square |
Vertical Attack | B | Y | Triangle |
Critical Finish | LB | LB | L1 |
Alternate throw | B + G | A + Y or LT | X + Triangle or L2 |
Switching between fighters | RB | RB | R1 |
Taunt or using of skill | RT | RT | R2 |
To open Move List menu you need to pause the game (pressing the Start button) and choose "move list" option. There you will find every move available for your character. At every combination you should notice a special mark - attribute (for example H, M, GB, IMP etc.).
Here is the list of the attributes and their meaning:
Symbol | Meaning | Description |
H | High Attack | - |
M | Mid Attack | - |
SM | Special Mid Attack | Can be blocked with standing and crouching guard, but cannot be evaded by jumping. |
SL | Special Low Attack | Can be blocked with standing and crouching guard, or evaded by jumping. |
L | Low Attack | Can be blocked with standing or crouching guard and you can jump over it. It's faster than normal attack. |
T | Throw | - |
U | Unblockable Attack | You should see flames on your weapon during this attack. |
AT | Attack Throw | A blow that turns into a throw. |
SP | Special Movement | - |
GB | Guard Break | Breaks opponent's guard and greatly diminishes his Soul Gauge.
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IMP | Guard Impact | Special type of guard combined with move forward or back. There are two types of Guard Impact: repel and parry. To repel you have to simultaneously press forward button and G (guard) just before an attack. You know you've performed a successful repel if you see green sparkles. Parry (back and G (guard) simultaneously) on the other hand is signaled by blue sparkles - what it means is that for a moment your opponent is vulnerable and can't guard. The strongest type of Guard Impact is called Just Impact - a very precise guard which creates red sparkles. |
ST | Switch to Stance | - |
Its not only about which move you are performing, but also it's HOW you're doing it. Many combinations demand various reaction times: from pressing the butting for a longer time (slow) to immediate reaction (just).
Horizontal Attack Button. |  |
Hold Horizontal Attack Button |  |
Vertical Attack |  |
Hold Vertical Attack Button |  |
Kick Button |  |
Hold Kick Button. |  |
Guard Button. |  |
Hold Guard Button |  |
Directional pad. |  |
Hold Directional Pad. |  |
Slide Input |  |
Neutral Position. |  |
Constant guarding can destroy your armor but also diminishes your Soul Gauge. (on the screen below)
When the gauge is blue there is no danger - the character is guarding and attacking in balance. Green Gauge means your character is guarding a bit too much and red is an alarm that a warrior is very hard-pressed. At this time your character is vulnerable to Soul Crash and his Gauge is blinking red. After the Crash it is possible to finish the fight using Critical Finish - special one hit finisher move, which kills the opponent instantly. To perform it press LB (or L1 in PS3) (need precise timing after the Soul Crash) watch the animation and rejoice. |  |
The rest of the indicators:
Armor power Shows the condition of your armor. |  |
Switch indicator If it reaches 0 you won't be able to switch characters until it recovers. |  |