Soulcalibur VI/Talim/Introduction

Introduction

Talim excels up close with fast, string-based attacks, solid guard pressure, and explosive damage on Counter-hits and whiff punishes. She's also very evasive, letting her steal turns by ducking highs or jumping lows, (sometimes even jumping mids), during some of her attacks.

Talim is able to use any one of her Wind Stances (Wind Sault, Wind Charmer, & Wind Fury) after certain attacks, giving more options for mixups, (especially in Soul Charge), and ways to dodge punishment. She can spend some meter to go into stances during RE as well, giving her arguably the best defensive tool in the game. Her strongest trait is her okizeme, as her best combos leave opponents in range for guaranteed stance or backturned mixups.

In a recent patch, she also received the Wind Bearer mechanic that upgrades three of her main moves by making them safer to use and also heal her.

Strengths

Weaknesses

Excels at confusing the opponent with delayable strings and stances. Strong mix-up game. Many fast attacks with high counter hit damage on a few of them. Many tech crouching and tech jumping attacks including her CE. Strongest RE cancel in the game. CE has a cancel that allows her to unleash it as an option in neutral for a free mixup and is safe on block. Powerful okizeme that can vortex into itself. High damage whiff punishment including her Panay Hurricane move from Wind Fury stance.

Stubby pokes, many characters can space her without having to be very far away. Easy to telegraph her movements which can spell big trouble for Talim. Punishable on block for many main moves. Hard to approach safely without relying on highs. Below average sideways and backwards movement Only aGI, idle Wind Fury, designed to protect her rather than punish the opponent.

Unique Mechanic

Talim has a few unique mechanics such as her unique CE, RE cancel, and Wind Bearer mode. Her CE is a three hit string that either activates the main animation on the first hit or third hit if the first was whiffed, blocked, or connected to an airborne opponent. When the latter happens Talim can cancel the third hit into any of her main three stances; Wind Charmer, Wind Sault, and Wind Fury. She can convert the cancel into ring out conversions from upon landing the attack on an airborne opponent or mix-ups on block. Her CE is also a horizontal mid with tech jumping properties which sets it apart from standard CE's at the cost of being a few frames slower on startup and doing lower than average damage.

While other characters can cancel their RE, Talim is able to cancel into any of her three main stances which is more unique than the cancels that are just attacks. However, hers is the only one that costs meter to use. She can even use it after getting parried by a GI and avoid the lethal hit punish of the enemy's A+B which would be guaranteed otherwise.

Wind Bearer can be activated a few different ways such as cancelling WNF A, WNF B+K.A, using movement during an RE clash, finishing CE animation, a successful parry from idle Wind Fury, idling in Wind Fury for a set period of time, or simply being in soul charge. It upgrades the following moves: 22A, 66A. and 66B. 22A becomes safer to use and the stance transitions are more evasive in more situations. 66A gets improved range and is also safer on block. 66B replaces its high property with special mid, allowing her a safe approach option that cannot whiff on a crouching opponent but still being blockable standing or crouching. All three moves also heal her a tiny amount when used. While not in soul charge, she loses Wind Bearer any time she becomes grounded and does not carry into the next round.

Full strategy guide coming soon.