Hello and welcome, Welcome to Idol Showdown – Character Ayame Nakiri Basic Moves and Attacks This guide contains gameplay, informations, basic builds, solutions guidelines and a lot more.

Do you want to play the beginner-friendly character? Then this is the guide for you. After 20 hours in the game, with more to come, and being an Ayame main since day one, I’ll try to cover everything I know about her in this guide. Hopefully, it will be useful to people who want to become Ayame mains!

Character Overview

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AYAME NAKIRI is an expert at closing in on opponents from midrange with her small hitbox and average-high damage output. While from far away Ayame does not offer many options due to her lack of projectile and needing “Oni Flip” for distance reduction, when close she becomes an absolute terror at pressing opponents down – with buttons such as 2M/2H buttons for pressure and moves such as “Asura’s Fury (L), which offers fast ground dashes which can easily micro dashed into 5L/2L or grab, as well as mixup options like “Karma and Shiranui”/good okizeme; leaving few room for opponents escape!

But Ayame does have weaknesses. Due to her lack of projectiles, Ayame struggles with characters like Botan, Aki and Sora; all her special moves put her at an unfair advantage when not used correctly or strategically (the exceptions being “Oni Flip”, though opponents can easily break out from it on the block, as well as players having to be wary since opponents could hit during leap and “Asura’s Fury” when using first slash), thus forcing them to plan what moves they need next in order not be hit. Causing players to think strategically before entering combat.

Ayame is an extremely welcoming character that provides beginners with high mobility, great pressure, and moderate-to-high damage output. She makes for a good starting point and should be explored further for those seeking high levels of skill development and damage output.

Notations

Before moving onto the moves of the character, i wanna clarify that i will be using the japanese notation to describe these. If you’re clueless what i’m talking about, i’ll leave this image here so you can understand correctly everything that i’ll be saying next.

This is the Japanese/Numeric annotation system:

Without further ado, let’s begin.

Normal Moves

・5L

Fast, yet short normal that is useful for things like abare however you will rarely use it for abare, trust me. and close-up pressure with the addition of Microdashing and/or 2L. Can be good as a combo starter if close enough and the opponent is not blocking.

[DEALS 25 DAMAGE ON HIT]

・5M

Mid-range poke, good for close pressure and comboing. It may look like it has a long hitbox, yet it doesn’t, while its a good move to keep pressure on after locking the opponent with 5L/2L, it leaves Ayame’s hitbox open to some specific more prolonged normal attacks if the counter-hit is not timed correctly, like Korone’s or Sora’s. So do not attempt to counter-hit with this button much.

[DEALS 60 DAMAGE ON HIT]

・5H

Another Mid-range poke, good to continue combos, awful on block because the opponent can easily mash after blocking it if close enough. However it can be followed up by 2H, which can be later on be followed by a jump backwards, or a jump into j.5H to continue pressure. It causes the opponent to wallbounce if hit on the corner, which opens route to more combos.

[DEALS 85 DAMAGE ON HIT]

・2L

Much like 5L, fast normal to keep pressure on after 5L, Microdashing 5L, 2L chain, etc etc. THIS is the button you will mostly use to abare out of the opponent’s pressure, trust me. Also, it hits low. Nothing much else to be added.

[DEALS 20 DAMAGE ON HIT]

・2M

One of the two long-pokes Ayame has. A good roundstart option against opponents who simply try to walk forward and attack. can be chained into 5M and vice versa, you will use this move a lot to catch the opponent off guard. It has slightly larger hitbox than 5M as well.

[DEALS 55 DAMAGE ON HIT]

・2H

Ah yes. The BUTTON.

2H is the ESSENTIAL move out of her normals and her other long poke. A good Ayame uses this move a LOT be it for comboing, roundstart, etc.

The hitbox is LARGE, and the move hits two times, the first hit drags the opponent close while the second pushes him away, however if landing the second hit only while the opponent is in the air the second slash will hit twice. it also causes the opponent to be launched briefly in the air if hit on ground.

A lot of stuff can be combined after this normal, 22L/M/H, 236L/M/H, even 236S, the Superstar Attack, hell you can even do Demon Cutter Loops with it (5M>5H>2H>22L>5H>22L>2H>22M). It also allows Ayame to do actual air combos (5M>5H>2H>22L>5H>2H>j.5M>j.214L/M/H), the jump can be ONLY done after the second hit lands and it must be timed correctly. On block however you’re forced to either jump away from the opponent or find another way like canceling it into 214L/M (w/ a little risk ofc), the move is minus and the opponent can easily punish you after it.

It can be used as an anti-air, however it is not very recommended as you gotta time it exactly right for the second hit to land, as well as it extends Ayame’s hurtbox for other air moves to hit her.

[DEALS 45 DAMAGE ON FIRST HIT, 54 ON SECOND / 86 WITH BOTH HITS LANDING]

・3H

#AYAMESWEEP

It’s eh.

The hitbox is extremely small, it hard knockdowns the opponent ofc, but there’s nothing much that can be done after it more than setting up meaty pressure with 5L/2L or okizeme. If timed well, it guarantees 22S to hit, which opens up for mixup possibilities.

[DEALS 70 DAMAGE ON HIT]

・j.5L

Fast air normal with mid-close range hitbox. it’s not a good move outside of air poking. j.5M outshines this move.

[DEALS 30 DAMAGE ON HIT]

・j.5M

It also fast (kinda) air normal that covers much more air range than j.5L. It hits twice and it allows to use j.214L/M/H as a combo ender, which allows you to stay close by the opponent before they get back on their feet which is useful for meaty and oki setups.

[DEALS 45 DAMAGE ON FIRST HIT, 54 ON SECOND / 86 WITH BOTH HITS LANDING]

・j.5H

Air normal that covers mainly vertical range more than horizontal. It can be used mostly for oki setups, or for resets after stuff like 2H loops. It’s hitbox is quite large, which can hit average-to-tall characters like Botan or Coco quite easily.

[DEALS 90 DAMAGE ON HIT]

・L+M

Simple command grab.

In this game, command grabs are fast. Combine that with Ayame’s fast movement and sticky pressure, and you got yourself a way to get some mixups and quick damage by dashing up and grabbing up close.

[DEALS 160 DAMAGE ON HIT]

・M+H

An slow, overhead attack that uses j.5L sprite.

…But let’s be honest.

Overheads are awful in this game.

You cannot even combo anything after this.

Use it only when the opponent is in magic pixel of hp…

or just… dont use it at all?????????

[DEALS 60 DAMAGE ON HIT]

Special Moves

・236L/M/H

“Asura’s Fury”

A sword slashing move that differences are little between the three versions.

・236L

The L version of it is quicker to pull, however, its range is significantly short on the second hit, which can lead to hard whiffs if not close enough to the opponent.

・236M

The M version is just a little tad slower, yet it makes it up by giving it way more range than the L version, it can be used as a combo ender, or with the use of a superchat cancel, an combo extender of which you can use 22L after landing the three hits.

It also deals slightly more damage than the L version.

・236H

“Rakshasa’s Wrath”

The H version, commonly referred to as “EX”, of this move combines both quickness and range from its L and M counterparts with an extra hit before using Kanabo. What sets this version apart from others is that there is also an added mixup option; depending on which direction the last hit was held (ie 8 or 2) it can either end in an overhead strike or low strike which generally serve as combo-enders.

But the Overhead can also cause its opponent to land heavily, providing an opportunity for Superchat to cancel out and continue their combo.

A small protip?

DO NOT use it after 2H.

Otherwise, the third hit will whiff and you’re gonna be open for punishment.

[L: DEALS 40 DAMAGE ON FIRST HIT, 35 ON SECOND, 55 ON LAST / 122 W/ ALL HITS]

[M: DEALS 45 DAMAGE ON FIRST HIT, 45 ON SECOND, 60 ON LAST / 140 W/ ALL HITS]

[H: DEALS 236 DAMAGE W/ ALL HITS (NORMAL PATH) / 258 (LOW/OVERHEAD PATH)]

・22L/M/H

“Demon Cutter”

A large, up slash attack. which of course, have their own three versions.

・22L

The L version of Demon Cutter is basically an combo extender and probably the only thing that could be considered as an “anti-air” for Ayame. It launches the opponent flying upwards, which allows Ayame to follow up with moves like 5H, 2H, 22L again, or even 22M to end the combo.

This move is another essential part of Ayame’s combo kit, as you will need to use it almost everytime to combo stuff. however it leaves Ayame extremely unsafe if blocked or whiffed unless you use a superchat cancel 214L to get back into pressure or to evade the opponents counterattack and be allowed to block.

[DEALS 75 DAMAGE ON HIT]

・22M

The M version of Demon Cutter is used mostly as a combo ender, as the second hit leaves Ayame airborne without any chance to follow up.

[DEALS 143 DAMAGE WITH BOTH HITS]

・22H

“Shin Demon Cutter”

The H version, or the “EX” version is not only a GREAT combo extender with above average damage, but also the only reversal Ayame has in her entire moveset. Which as well, can lead to some OUTRAGEOUS, surprising damage with Demon Cutter Loops. (Example: 22H>2H>22L>2H>22M [392 DMG] /or/ 22H>2H>22L>5H>22L>2H>22M [421 DMG])

[DEALS 184 DAMAGE WITH ALL HITS]

・214L/M/H

“Oni Flip”

Ayame proceeds to do a frontflip to boost herself up to the opponent.

・214L

The L version of Oni Flip is a free get-out-of-jail card if you end up using a special move in rather a bad position. Like for example, lets say you did 22L but the opponent blocked it. Like stated before, 22L leaves Ayame open for punishment.

If quickly used a super chat cancel into this move, you can avoid getting punished by the opponent, not only that but you will also keep close for any potential pressure. Keep in mind that the opponent can mash out of the hit if Oni Flip is blocked. It is better to just begin defending if they do so.

[DEALS 75 DAMAGE ON HIT]

・214M

The M version of Oni Flip is slower, it’s almost the same thing as the L version, however, it reaches more far. Its rather a good tool to get closer to the opponent, however the player must have in mind that it does not make Ayame invincible, meaning that she can be interrupted out of the leap.

In the corner, it also can be used as a Combo Extender after landing 5H (which again, it wall bounces).

[DEALS 75 DAMAGE ON HIT]

・214H

“Shin Oni Flip”

The H version, or “EX” version of this move isn’t too special and doesn’t do much.

It basically reaches EVEN FURTHER than the M version, almost being a literal fullscreen leap.

If the opponent is caught off guard by this, which… it kind of hardly happens, you can follow up into a full combo without any issues. Also for some reason this move deals less damage than the L/M version…?

[DEALS 65 DAMAGE ON HIT]

・j.214L/M/H

“Heavenly Oni Flip”

The air version of Oni Flip has only two uses. Either to quickly sideswap after Karma and Shiranui’s (22S) time bomb is inflicted or as a combo ender. Nothing more than these two motives.

[DEALS 75 DAMAGE ON HIT]

・22S

“Karma and Shiranui”

An unblockable, wisp projectile that wanders in random directions.

This move is used exclusively for mixup purposes. while it deals no damage on hit, it applies a “time bomb” to the opponent, causing them to take damage eventually. However if they keep blocking, they can nullify the hit.

Using this move during an opponent’s blockstring isn’t a bad idea, it will guarantee to hit close enough and if quick, you can jump and side swap preferably with Air Oni Flip so that they dont block the correct direction before the time bomb explodes.

If the time bomb hits, the opponent will meet up with a short stun, leaving them open for Ayame’s attacks. Needless to say that if the opponent gets hit by it, and however they begin starting being more offensive towards you, the time bomb will make them instantly stop and force them open for a punish.

[DEALS 75 DAMAGE ON TIME BOMB HIT]

Super Star Attack

・236S

“I’m the Real One!”

Ayame proceeds to summon multiple clones of herself. Though they begin to brawl with eachother, catching the opponent between the infighting and causing an average amount of damage.

This move’s purpose is nothing more than just an combo ender, The hitbox of it makes it good that it will land after landing a 2H for example. Not only that, but it deals a good amount of chip damage if you wish to finish an extremely low hp opponent off.

[DEALS 269 DAMAGE IF CAUGHT/HIT]

 

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