Plasma Series Power - Marvel vs Capcom 2
Hayato FAQ


By:  Mysterious M

visit my site at

Or message me on ICQ # 21086683 with questions and comments.


Revision History

V.3 -  Added Hayato's story, more character specific strategies, and a few 

V.2 - Added some information about Hayato's kicks, as well as some character 
specific strategies.

V.1 - Uh... Whatever you see here



Hayato is relatively new to the Capcom family of characters.  His first 
appearance was Capcom's first 3D fighting game, Star Gladiators.  The game was 
mediocre at best but it did have some nice ideas.  The game did not launch all 
that well and Hayato was never picked up in a big way, despite being the poster 
boy for said game.  Next, a couple of years later, enter Plasma Sword, the 
sequel to Star Gladiators.  Again, Hayato remains the poster boy of the game and 
it remains to be seen how the game will be accepted by those of Japan / America.

"Storyline: Hayato comes from the future in the year 2348. He is a bounty 
hunter who fought against the Evil Dr. Edward Bilsten (not "Blisten") who 
was leading the "Fourth Empire" to invade the Earth. Why? Because Bilsten 
was humiliated and imprisoned after the Earth Federation discovered that he 
was sacrificing human beings to create Plasma Weapons (like the sword Hayato 
uses). So Bilsten eventually escapes to revenge, and Hayato is one of the 
Plasma Weapon wielders sent to stop him. Hayato is part of the Earth 
Federation Army's project code-named "STAR GLADIATOR."
There is a bit more to Hayato's storyline than I've written here, or that I 
know of myself. I do know he is somehow "related" to both June and Saturn, 
characters from both Star Gladiator games. Also, in the second game("Star 
Gladiator 2: The Nightmare of Bilsten" or "Plasma Sword"), Edward Bilsten 
succeeded in planting an "Evil Factor" into Hayato. As a result, Hayato 
becomes evil under certain circumstances, and literally transforms into 
"Black Hayato" or "B.Hayato" By the way, this is the person, or image you 
see at the end of Hayato's Level 3 super move. No, Hayato is not wearing 
'normal clothes' as you say. He is wearing a different outfit. The official 
name of this super move is "B.Hayato" in MvC2. Pretty interesting, huh?"
(Quoted directly from "Master Warrior", Thanks!)

As for Hayato himself, I was immediately drawn to him for that high "Style-
factor".  He is in NO way similar to any generic shoto characters, which is a 
big plus, and his sword is just too cool!  The little light trail it leaves 
behind, coupled with the sound effects just reminds me so much of a lightsaber!  
= )  
(BTW, as you can tell, I don't know much about his actual story)

+  Hayato's main advantage is his HUGE REACH!  His small size is very, VERY 
misleading because his sword easily has at least twice the reach of Strider's 
+  High priority regular moves make him ideal for fighting marvel fighters.
+  Hayato's got tons of style, he's just so cool in everything he does.
+  He's not a shoto or a shoto clone
+  The only character with Plasma Series combos

-  Hayato has lots of lag after his sword moves.  You may find yourself being 
punished often
-  Hayato's power and speed are only average.  You need to string together 
combos in order to get big damage
-  Hayato's specials / supers leave something to be desired.


1.1 - Abbreviations
1.2 - Movelist
1.3 - Special Movelist
1.4 - Super Movelist
1.5 - Assists
1.6 - Strategies
1.7 - Facing Hayato
1.8 - Combos
1.9 - Cool Animations
2.0 - Thanks
2.1 - Legal Stuff


1.1 - Abbreviations

LP = Weak punch
MP = Medium punch  (Press WP twice)
HP = Hard punch
LK = Weak kick
MK = Medium kick  (Press WK twice)
HK = Hard kick


1.2 - Movelist
Due to the rather odd fighting stance which Capcom gave Hayato, Hayato finds 
himself with lag times both before AND after most of his normal moves.
It can't be stressed enough that Hayato's primary advantage in battle is his 
ludicrous reach and as such, a fine game of poking and countering must be 
applied to make him truly useful.  


Standing:  A forward thrust across his chest with his plasma sword.  My main 
poke.  The recovery time is more reminiscent of Strider's moves (i.e. very 
fast), which makes it pretty safe to use this.

Crouching:  Basically a crouching version of the same thing.  Again, another 
excellent poke because the recovery time is so good.  It can still be blocked 
high though...

Jumping:  A strike diagonally downward with the hilt of Hayato's plasma sword.  
The range is good and it comes out instantly.  This is actually my main jump in 
attack because its range is a little shorter and thus, combos easier.  The 
priority is quite good, but nothing compared to his HP.


Standing:  A horizontal swing of the sword.  While the move comes out rather 
quickly, the recover is pretty bad.  You want to always cancel this into 
something else.  Generally if you buffer the launcher after this you'll leave 
enough room to be pretty safe.  An average poke, the range is huge, but bad 

Crouching:  A horizontal swing of the sword, and then pulled back in the same 
direction as it was swung.  Basically the same things can be applied here as to 
the standing version, but the recovery is actually a little better.  Doesn't 
matter much since its combo only.

Jumping:  A horizontal swing of the sword across the body.  It works excellently 
as an air poke and can keep jumpers from ever turning their defense into 
offense.  Use often as air-to-air.  Don't use at all in air-to-ground combos, 
because it is aimed forwards not diagonally.


Standing:  Hayato swings his swords down from above his head right onto the head 
of the opponent.  This move covers a lot of distance and can be used as an anti-
air if your timing is good.  The reach, like all his sword moves, is incredibly 
long and as such can be used to keep an opponent at bay.  It also acts as a good 
ground combo ender because it pushes the opponent far enough that they can't 
capitalize on its horrible recovery.

Crouching:  Hayato places all his effort into an upwards sweep from a ducking 
position to a standing position with his plasma sword.  This constitutes 
Hayato's launcher.  Again, HUGE range and priority, but horrible recovery.  My 
favorite tactic is to tag far ranged whiffs and then air combo to my heart's 
content.  If you use this as an air counter, you have to anticipate about a 
second before pulling it, because there's a half second of startup time on it.

Jumping:  Hayato swings down diagonally with his plasma sword.  Not so great an 
air-to-air but an excellent air-to-ground.  The range is a little longer than 
his WP and it doesn't come out instantly (there's that annoying half second lag 
again) and thus is a little harder to use as a jump in.  While the priority is 
higher, I just don't like it as a jump in because the timing to combo off of it 
is a little strange.  I have seen it used effectively as such however.


Standing:  A kick to the gut.  Not really of any use outside of combos since the 
range is quite paltry compared to his standing LP.

Crouching:  A crouching kick aimed at the opponent's feet.  Again, not much use 
compared to his plasma sword although the move does buffer nicely.

Jumping:  A kick aimed forward and slightly diagonally down.  Not bad as a jump 
in, but I prefer the sword attacks much more.  This is probably his fastest air 
move, so it has certain uses in air-to-air scenarios.


Standing:  An extended kick forwards.  Could be used to poke (if it wasn't a 
medium attack), but why would you bother when its range is so small compared to 
his sword attacks?

Crouching:  Another low kick forward.  Another move that isn't useful outside of 

Jumping:  A sword swipe aimed forward.  The air-to-air properties are quite 
useful, but don't abuse it because the recovery ain't all that hot.  Good for 
chaining strings.


Standing:  A diagonal swing of the plasma sword from his feet to just above his 
head in the direction starting closest to the screen to the back.  This move has 
HUGE range and can be used as such.  Try to nail your opponent with the end of 
the sword, but NEVER any closer than that.  The recovery time is pretty bad so 
you'll probably get nailed if you use it as anything but a poke.  It looks like 
it could be a good counter too, but I've yet to identify a good scenario...

Crouching:  Hayato swipes the ground laterally with his plasma sword.  For a 
sweep move, it has insane reach and as such you can use it to keep your opponent 
off balance quite often.  I wouldn't recommend using it at a close range due to 
its incredible lag time afterward, but as a mid-range sweep its about as good as 
they get.

Jumping:  A sword swipe from the back of the screen to the front, diagonally 
down.  An excellent jump-in since its priority is hard to beat, and the lag time 
isn't all that bad.  Use this to start your ground strings as well.

1.3 - Special Movelist
To be quite honest, I don't find Hayato's special moves all that useful, so this 
section may be a tad short for a while.

Motion: Down, down-forward, forward + Punch
The Shiden reminds me of a variation of Gambit's Cajun Strike.  Basically Hayato 
rushes forward and slashes the opponent multiple times.  Since this is a body 
attack, its uses are quite limited.  This fact is hindered further by the fact 
that the starting time and lag time are both pretty horrid.  The LP version 
gives you 2 strikes, the HP version gives you 3.  This is not a special move you 
want to be pulling out of the blue.  Its main uses are either comboed or as a 
counter (and getting it as a counter is actually quite difficult).  The only 
real upside to the Shiden is that Hayato covers ground rather quickly.  Its 
priority is also rather high if you manage to hit the opponent with the tip of 
the plasma blade.

Motion: Forward, down, down-forward + Punch  (Ground or air)

"HI-SHOZUM"... er, wrong game.  Did you know Capcom had a hand in Toshinden 2?  
Eww... um, anyway, that's basically where this move comes from.  Hayato dashes 
forward a short distance and then performs a spinning uppercut.  As an anti air 
its use is rather limited due to the small dash at the beginning.  If you try 
for anti-air, be sure you can manage the distance he dashes, the time it takes 
the opponent to land, and the distance that the move goes up.  LP will result in 
a tiny dash forward (about a step) and then a short spinning hop (leaves the 
ground about as much as Ryu's LP Shoryuken).  HP will go much farther (about 4-5 
steps) and then a pretty high spinning leap (leaves the ground about as much as 
Ryu's MP Shoryuken from MvsC1).  Note that you can hit the opponent with the 

Plasma Series
Motion:  Hold backwards on the control stick and press...

There's some explaining that needs to be done here.  In Star Gladiators and 
Plasma Sword, the characters work on a combo system known as the "Plasma 
Series".  They basically encompass auto combos, which are initiated with certain 
moves.  Plasma series represent Hayato's best method of racking up big damage, 
but don't abuse them because the lag time on a lot of them is quite horrid.

Sword Pierce
Motion: Down + HK (Air)

Not really a special move in most regards, the Sword pierce is still very 
useful.  Basically, Hayato stops dead in mid-air and comes down with his sword 
end first.  The main usefulness of this move is that it stops you in mid-air and 
gives you an attack.  This moves main use should be for hopping fireballs and 
giving quick retaliation.  Opponents often don't expect it, and it makes them 
more cautious about playing keep away.  Don't let it get blocked though, you 
will usually get nailed...
Personal Story:  Once I was playing against a Ken in the arcade and was passing 
over his fireball.  His instant reaction was to go into a Shinyuuken.  My 
instant reaction to that was to do a Sword Pierce.  He went up, and I went down, 
RIGHT NEXT TO EACHOTHER!  He almost swore out loud when I just barely escaped 
firey death... no real reason to tell this story, I just thought it was cool.

Shirotora Hou
Motion:  Back, forward + 2 Punches

Hayato motions forward with his hand.  This move has two uses.  First, if 
initiated close Hayato performs a throw that chucks your opponent far to the 
other side of the screen.  Second, if an opponent hits you in this animation, he 
parries and gives you a chance to hit back with basically whatever you want 
(sans supers).  I don't actually find this move all that useful because its 
window of counter is really quite small.  Timing it is near impossible, but if 
you can, go ahead and use it.  The few times I've gotten this to work right, 
I've really liked the results... >= )

1.4 - Super Movelist
As with his special moves, Hayato's supers aren't the most useful in the 
world... I'll list them, but they aren't really great advantages.

Rasetsu Zan
Motion: Down, down-forward, forward + 2 Punches

Hayato reels back for a half second and then rushes forward with an extended 
version of the Shiden.  While this is probably Hayato's most used super, it 
isn't really the most useful.  The startup time is just as bad as his Shiden, 
the damage inflicted is marginal at best (compared to other character's supers) 
and the lag at the end is just enough to allow you to be punished by specials or 
even supers!  Like the Shiden, this is a super that you really only want to 
combo or, if the situation presents itself, counter with.

Motion: Down, down-forward, forward + 2 Kicks

Hayato raises his sword straight above him into the air and then sweeps it 
downwards.  As he does this, a huge pillar of light emerges from the ground and 
then similar pillars move forward in a wave-like pattern.  Think of this as a 
merging of Captain Commando's "Captain Sword" super and Magneto's "Magnetic 
Shockwave super".  The block damage on it is pretty pidley, so I wouldn't waste 
time with spewing it out.  Of course the single best way to ensure the super's 
hit is to combo it, but this is actually quite difficult (you must IMMEDIATELY 
cancel it from the move before), but in other cases...
Your best bet is to anticipate a whiffed jumping move and then counter with the 
shockwave.  In other cases, the old tactic of tripping your opponent (crouching 
HK) and then using the Engetsu will acquire the desired results as well.  It 
should be noted that this super's damage is dependant on where you performed it.  
DO NOT perform the super while corner trapping your opponent... you'll get about 
2 hits.  The most ideal scenario is to perform it at the end of the screen or in 
the center.  Your basic formula is the farther the distance the shockwave has to 
move, the more hits and damage it will produce.  I believe there is a limit to 
this (it doesn't just go right from one end of the screen to the other), but 
I'll have to test this theorem under controlled conditions.  Look for it in 
future updates.

Plasma Field  
Motion: Down, down-back, back + 2 Kicks  (Ground or Air)

Hayato leaps straight up into the air and spreads out his arms and legs in a 
"power up" position (Dragon Ball anyone?).  A circular field of light then 
surrounds him.  If the light hits the enemy, Hayato gains unlimited super bars 
for a short amount of time.  
Well, what can I say?  Honestly, I don't use this super often for 2 main 
reasons.  First, its near impossible to hit an opponent whose worth anything 
with because the window of startup is so long.  Second, having unlimited supers 
with Hayato really isn't a big deal since his supers all leave him so open.  If 
you ever do manage to get this to hit, your best bet is to just spew supers like 
mad.  Try super canceling (I'm not sure if Hayato can even do it) Rasetsu Zan's 
into Engetsu's for maximum damage.  It should be noted that a lot of opponent's 
become panicked when Hayato is in this mode, so try and press an advantage 
through sheer intimidation.
Here's where I contradict myself.  The only really good place to use a Plasma 
Field is during the long combo which I'll have starred below.  Its main use is 
to knock off Hayato's version of the "Raging Demon" without wasting 3 levels...

B.Hayato Super
Motion: LP, HP, back, LK, HK

I saw someone pull this off in the arcade and immediately asked them "WOW, HOW 
DID YOU DO THAT!?"  When I figured out it was just Morrigan's old missile super, 
I was kicking myself.  Hey, I never thought Capcom would give Hayato such a move 
(hmm, then again, they gave Morrigan one... and then took it away, hehehe).  
Well anyway, basically Hayato bends low, charges a super and then rushes forward 
quickly.  If he connects with his opponent, all you see is a mess of sword 
strikes in total darkness.  After about 15 or so hits, the screen reappears and 
Hayato is dressed in NORMAL CLOTHES while striking a pose as the opponent falls 
down.  TOTAL STYLE!  This is Hayato's BEST super, figures since it takes 3 
FREAKIN' BARS!  I'm not completely sure if its blockable or not (I always pull 
it in combos) but I do know you have to input the motion EXTREMELY fast.  Did I 
mention it makes a great counter as well?  = )


1.5 - Assists


Alpha:  Shiden
Beta:  Guren
Gamma:  Shiden

The assist that you choose also determines which super that Psylocke will use 
with his double / triple teams.

Alpha:  Rasetsu Zan
Beta:  Engetsu
Gamma:  Engetsu


1.6 - Strategies

General Strategy
To put it bluntly, Hayato is a pure offense character.  He has elements of both 
a dialer and a pixie in him, but his main strength is his mad poking power.  
Let's run down the elements that make him this way shall we?
1.) Hayato has really, REALLY long reach.  Now you could say "Hey, Venom has 
long reach, howcome you never mention anything about him?", but let's look at 
the big picture.  The reason Hayato has long reach is due to a weapon.  A weapon 
is an extension to the body.  The body is the only part of the character which 
can be hit.  Understand now?  Since Hayato's range comes from an extension, it 
means that its priority is much higher than any body attacks.
2.) Hayato is no Strider.  Far too often have I found individuals trying to 
utilize him as if he were some sort of Strider clone.  The truth, however, could 
not be farther.  Strider is a button masher.  Basically, you get close, pound 
the buttons and whatever you get is what you get.  Generally you don't have to 
be worried about how you end the combo because Strider's recovery time is so 
quick.  Hayato on the other hand is a very precise combo character.  You must 
know exactly which combo you are performing and the timing of how to perform it.  
Due to Hayato's lag after most moves, you must be sure to end in such a way that 
you won't be punished at the end.  Hayato is not a button masher, repeat, not a 
button masher.  Mastery of his Plasma series is the basis to his game.
3.) Hayato is devoid of really good defensive moves.  It seems as though this 
guy was built for offense.  All his special moves seem to propel him forwards in 
some way.  His normal moves are of no real use either since they have such long 
lag afterward (meaning you'll get whipped on defense).  Hayato must be played 
mid-range or closer to be effective.  Constant pressuring is a necessity and 
once this is understood, playing Hayato suddenly becomes so much clearer.

As I stated earlier, this is really Hayato's main weakness.  His defensive game 
needs heaps and heaps of anticipation to work well, and more often than not even 
that isn't good enough.  His launcher (the basic air counter for all characters) 
is slow both on startup and recovery.  His normal moves just can't keep the 
opponent at bay for very long (they can dash in between the lag times) and 
specials and supers usually just get stuffed right back into his face.  Again, 
your best bet is to anticipate a jump in, launch the opponent into an air combo 
and take an offensive position from there.  A well timed "Plasma Field" can work 
well, followed by a plethora of supers to put pressure on your opponent and 
again, moving you into an offensive position.  If all else fails, switch to Jin 
(you DID pick Jin as a helper right?)  = )

Mid Range
Hayato can just do SO MUCH at mid range.  His normal moves were MADE for poking.  
First, his LP and MP are essential at this range because they have tons of range 
and are generally quick enough to avoid retaliation at this sort of distance 
(always aim to hit opponents by the end of the sword, never the middle or the 
hilt).  His Plasma Series combos are VASTLY useful and should definitely be 
included in overall strategies.  Don't really be expecting to use his other 
special moves very much because they all get him a little too close.  One thing 
that many individuals don't realize is the sheer range of Hayato's launcher.  
Due to this, you can actually launch people from mid-range!  This means that 
you've got a misleading combo potential which must be exploited to its full 
potential.  Try countering missed dragon punch moves with a launcher and then 
moving into a big combo.  This is one of Hayato's most tried and true tactics.

Hayato's main offense tactic is, once again, his plasma series.  Once again, I 
cannot stress enough that this is what makes Hayato special (everyone has 
SOMETHING) and thus it must be used extensively to make yourself unpredictable.  
First, to get in close, try a dropping stab (down + HK) on a jump in to come 
right down on an opponent after they've thrown a fireball, then move into a 
combo.  Alternately you can use your jump in LP or HP, both of which are a tad 
safer but also more predictable.  When in close, mix up your plasma series 
combos to keep the opponent guessing.  Alternately end them with supers once and 
a while (of course when you hit, but sometimes even when you don't) to mess up 
an opponent's timing.  Hayato isn't exactly the most unpredictable character in 
the game, but he is VERY good at pressuring.  Keeping your opponent trapped in 
the corner often isn't very hard if you know what you're doing.  My basic tactic 
is to get in close over a jumped fireball, plasma series into an air combo then 
retreat to mid-range and start again from there.  Of course you have to mix up 
your game more than this.  Sweeping your opponent from time to time can aid 
vastly in keeping them mixed up.  Remember, follow your sweeps with Engetsus!

Misc. Strategies

The Plasma Series
The Plasma series is what makes Hayato such a blast to play.  These are 
basically a collection of auto-combo type moves which come out fairly quickly 
and have far less lag than his normal ground combos.  Mixing up your plasma 
combos is essential because once an opponent gets accustomed to seeing the way 
one ends over and over, it isn't hard to counter them.  Certain Plasma Series 
combos have less recovery than others, so be sure to try and be as tricky as 
possible.  Try to avoid just spewing them out whenever, it's much more effective 
to plan your attack strategy.  Remember, their recovery time is good, not GREAT.

Dealing with Hayato's lag
Over and over I have mentioned that Hayato's biggest weakness is his lag.  Does 
this mean he is slow?  By all means the answer is no.  Hayato is in no way slow.  
Lag is the amount of time it takes a character to recover after performing moves 
(this includes normals, specials and supers).  In general, Hayato has lag on 
just about EVERYTHING.  Don't get me wrong, this isn't necessarily that bad of a 
dis-advantage.  One characteristic of the human mind is that it assumes a lot.  
If you keep whipping out short lag moves (such as LP / LK) then your opponent 
will expect them.  This way, when you throw out those long delay moves then your 
opponent will generally be sleeping.  Another good thing to remember is that 
Hayato's reach is far longer than most other characters.  With this in mind, 
play mainly a mid-range game.  This is the safest way to play (but not the most 
stylish) because it means that even when blocked, your opponent is often too far 
away to retaliate with anything bigger than a fireball (often times this is even 
too slow).  The final point to remember is try not to whiff any of Hayato's 
moves.  Use your LP and occasionally the MP as your main pokes.  When these 
connect, then go into a huge string.  Don't just be whipping off moves like no 
tomorrow, or else there will be no tomorrow for your poor outmatched Hayato...

I'm not going to write a huge long thing about damage, but basically Hayato 
takes a trifle more damage from the opponent's attacks than most other 
characters.  This is around the area of 5% or so (its not a BIG problem, but one 

Character specific
No I'm not going to list a character strategy for every single opponent in the 
game (that's 56 YOU FOOL!) but I will write strategies here for fighting the 
hardest / most common opponents.

Ryu / Ken / Gouki
The inevitable shotos always pop up eventually, and there are a few ways of 
dealing with them.  First of all, take advantage of Hayato's insane reach to LP 
opponent's right out of their fireballs.  The shotos have an incredible ability 
to counter your supers (uh, beams right after a missed Engetsu really hurt) so 
don't really be counting on them too much to aid you in battle.  Try to keep 
them mid range and off balance, then stick in a plasma string or two.  Block 
often because they'll meet almost every jump in with a dragon punch.  On the 
other hand, if they whiff a dragon punch, give them serious punishment with a 
plasma combo into an air chain.  Don't let the shotos get too close, because 
they're priority at close range is higher than Hayato's.

Hulk actually falls pretty easy to a good Hayato player.  Make sure you block 
any big strings he tries (trust me, they hurt).  After a missed Gamma charge 
(they usually end with this) then you want to chain a LP -> MP -> launcher and 
then an air combo.  You can usually dissipate his super armor from a safe 
distance before having to get into a close combo.  With Hulk, generally stay on 
constant offense and he'll fall easily.

Psylocke becomes a problem with Hayato simply because she has so many means of 
making you whiff your moves.  Generally use your fast acting crouching LP 
against her since it often fools players into thinking that its an easy counter.  
Air combo her when possible as Hayato's range allows you to hit her when she 
tries to escape with her retreating HK.

Cable's a real pain the backside not just for Hayato, but for EVERYONE!  Those 
damn beams chip you to near death, and then he pulls out his BIG beam to chip it 
the rest of the way.  While I'm not the best at fighting Cable (except with my 
beloved Jin, his Tornado Kick is just too good!) I have developed a couple of 
strategies for putting the X-man on ice.  First of all, try to super jump often.  
Cable players often become confused and disoriented which causes them to stop 
beaming you from every which way.  Since his beam has pretty bad lag, good 
players tend not to use it unless you're just standing there.  When they do miss 
a Viper Beam, nail them with a long string.  Remember that Cable's anti-air 
defense is actually quite weak.  His only anti air move is a pain to time right, 
so capitalize on this folly.  If you have the kind of player that likes to fight 
face to face, use the superior priority of your standing or crouching LP to 
whiff anything the big guy throws at you (his moves are actually rather slow).  
Its generally not a good idea to whiff supers (but great to counter a close 
range blocked Viper Beam) because you'll find yourself eating a super yourself.  
One of my favorite tactics is to stick in a B.Hayato Super when the opponent 
misses a NORMAL Viper Beam (this takes a lot of practice to do, but if you get 
it, the look on your opponent's crushed face is just too good.).

Sadly this isn't a fight that you will probably encounter very often, but it 
probably is a tough one nonetheless.  You will learn to hate the Saotome Cyclone 
and the crouching HK into Saotome Dynamite.  You'll see the latter every time 
you whiff anything (due to Hayato's long lag).  Your basic pattern should be to 
fight him at mid-range, but even then you might not be very successful.  Your 
best bet is to try and get Jin to whiff his long lag moves (they are numerous) 
and then counter with Plasma Strings into air combos.  Don't be jumping in too 
often because his Saotome Cyclone is a superior air defense (Even if you super 
jump).  You'll find that the Saotome Dynamite will be able to pacify most of 
your standing sword attacks, so don't try to combo him out of the blue.  Your 
best bet is a game of attack, defense and then countering.  If you have to use 
supers, I suggest the Plasma Field and then B. Hayato Super, everything else Jin 
can counter nicely (seeing the Blodia Punch after a missed Engetsu is heart 


1.7 - Facing Hayato

To tell you the truth, I haven't really played against a lot of good Hayato 
players.  From what I know when I play him, and from the few arcade veterans I 
have seen, here is my list of Do's and Don'ts.

- Try your hardest to get in close to Hayato.  His moves come out a little 
slower than most other characters so keeping him pinned is one of the best 
strategies to use against him.
- Capitalize on his slow recovery.  If you manage to block a missed HP or HK, go 
for an air combo.
- Switch characters often when fighting him.  Hayato's damage is actually quite 
poor and the only way he can inflict anything worth mentioning is through is 
long strings.  If you get nailed by a Plasma Combo, by all means, switch out at 
the next opportunity and rejuvenate your health.

- Try to win a poking game with him.  Even with character's like Strider or Hulk 
(for God sakes he has Super armor!), they'll lose everytime to Hayato's superior 
- Be running away from Hayato.  If you play someone who knows all of Hayato's 
long strings, you may think it best to play a keep away game from him.  Hayato 
does have the means necessary to deal with this and as such, you will probably 
get nailed.
- Become panicked after you see a huge combo done by Hayato.  Remember, that 
little red bar is there to be refilled.  If you find Hayato is constantly 
pressuring you, switch out with a double team (even if you have to let it be 
blocked).  Losing 2 super bars is much better than losing an entire health bar. 
- Let yourself be suckered into thinking Hayato cannot hit you at mid range.  
Often times players miscalculate because they think of him as Strider.  His 
range is FARTHER than Strider's and should be treated as such.


1.8 - Combos
It is essential to learn Hayato's Plasma series to perform his most damaging 
combos.  Practice often, once you get them down, the huge combos below are 
actually quite easy to do.
The great thing about Hayato's combos are that they aren't the same repeated 
move over and over again (Ahem, cough cough, Strider, Cable, Ryu, Cammy... too 
many to name...).  They are all varied, which makes them more difficult to pull, 
but also more stylish and skillful.

Dash in LP -> LK -> MP -> Crouching HP (launcher) -> Jump LP -> LK -> MP -> MK -
> Guren
- His basic magic series combo.  There are numerous variations on this, but this 
is the most stylish version.

Dash in LP -> HP -> HP Shiden -> Rasetsu Zan
- Simple but effective.  You must cancel the FIRST hit of the Shiden for the 
combo to work properly

Dash in LP -> LK -> MP -> crouching HK -> Engetsu
- Some people don't like OTGs, but let me remind you this can be rolled out of.

(Plasma String) B + LP, LP, LP, HP, LP -> Crouching HP -> jump HP -> LK -> LP  
Guren -> Plasma field -> (wait to land) -> crouching HP -> B.Hayato Super
- Alright, this is the END ALL combo!  After seeing this combo on 
I just had to try it for myself.  So, on my friend's Dreamcast, we booted up 
practice mode and concentrated on it for a straight 10 min... by then we got it 
down.  The hardest part is judging when to do the crouching HP after you land, 
and then canceling the "Hayato Sword Pierce" afterward (you have to input that 
command really fast.  Thanks to Johnny Foodmaster for outlining the exact chain.

Down-back LP -> LK -> HK -> Shiden -> Raesetsu Zan or Engetsu
- Your all purpose counter combo (thanks to Master-Warrior).  The damage done is 
quite good, but you can only counter missed ground combos with it (duh).  It 
works quite well and serves as creating a safe window for yourself to tag out.


1.9 - Cool animations

Opening Animations
1.) Hayato is dressed in normal day clothes, he then is engulfed in a blaze of 
fire and suddenly appears in his Star Gladiators costume complete with Plasma 
2.) Hayato rides in on a futuristic looking motorcycle.  He then jumps off as 
the motorcycle drives away off the screen (What a waste of a motorcycle!)

Standing Animation -  Hayato stands sideways holding his plasma sword far behind 
him.  While this is a very cool looking fighting stance, it is not practical at 

Ending animations
1.) June (from Star Gladiator) appears and the two of them pose
2.) Saturn (from Star Gladiator) appears and the two of them pose (I luv 
Saturn's teeth, so cool).
3.) Hayato changes back to normal clothes and poses.


2.0 - Thanks

Morrigan - For telling me to actually use Hayato (I probably wouldn't have if 
she didn't tell me to).  Afterward, for giving me a punching bag (namely her 
Psylocke) to practice my Hayato on.

Red Sheep - Actually, I didn't really use my Hayato too much on you.  It's just 
really for giving me a plethora of good rounds.

Johnny Foodmaster - Your Hayato FAQ helped me immensely with that combo section 
as well as some of the move names.

Master-Warrior:  For HUGE tips concerning play and Hayato's storyline.


2.1 - Legal Stuff

do have a copyright thing here in Canada...  No we don't all live in igloos... =