Haruhi Suzumiya for MUGEN 1.0 by Nep Heart

Designed for 1v1 and Turns Mode. They do not function properly in Simul Mode.

---[About]---

Name: Haruhi Suzumiya
Age: 16
Height: 157 cm
Eye color: Golden brown
Hair color: Dark brown
Classification: Human/student
Skills: Unconscious creation and manipulation of data that composes the very fabric of reality itself
Background: The eccentric and energetic leader of the SOS Brigade who found her beginnings for a turn in lifestyle thanks to that fateful day when she encountered Kyon upon being introduced in North High. Interesting in mysterious and strange phenomena, Haruhi greatly desires to meet aliens, espers time travellers and sliders... only to unknowingly have them with her the whole time.

---[Gameplay]---

- Archetype: Set-Up

_Pros_

* Some of the best okizeme among the cast, benefits from hard knockdowns more than anyone else in particular.
* Very strong pressure, neutral game and long combos/guard strings when SOS Assists are played correctly.
* Many safe options that cause hard knockdown, which are useful for stalling to help her set-up game.

_Cons_

* Lackluster damage output without advanced combos.
* Reliant on SOS Assists and power meter for the majority of her gameplans, making resource management mandatory.
* Requires a lot of set-up to access her best tricks, which may force her to expend resources or take risks to buy the time that she needs.

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_Universal Abilities_

- Juggle Limiter: The juggle system works on a timer, starting at 4 seconds once a juggle begins and subsequential combo hits will extend the timer by fractional amounts. Once a distinctive circle appears on the opponent during combos, the very next attack that hit will always cause untechable knockdown. Supers are immune to this and in fact add an extra second and a half to the timer, so, take advantage of them at every chance you hit a combo limit.

- Hit Push Back: Both the character and their opponent will experience progressively increased push back the higher the combo hit count increases, but only against grounded targets. To a lesser extent, the character will experience progressively increased push back if hitting grounded opponents while guarding.

- Stun Decay: Once a combo or blockstring begins, a timer is set in place that will reduce hitstun and blockstun until the opponent is no longer in hit state. The hitstun and guardstun multipliers are as followed; less than 4 seconds = 100%, 4 seconds = 75%, 8 seconds = 25%, 16 seconds = 10%, 20 and beyond seconds = 0%. This means certain chains, links and juggles that work early on may fail to work later in combos.

- Launcher (F+z): Haruhi's primary means to initiate aerial combos to which she can jump cancel on hit (but not on block) in order to pursue the airborne opponent.

- Attack Jump Cancel: Most normals can be jump canceled on hit or block, although some normal attacks cannot do this (launchers and dash attacks in particular).

- Power Meter: Power cannot be gained from whiffing attacks, it can only be built up from landing attacks or having attacks land on the character as well as completing taunts, a succesful Gold Burst and other means depending on the Series Abilities and other factors the character possesses to earn power. All characters max out with 5 stocks of power in which can be spent on supers, guard cancels and qualities dictated by Series and/or Unique Abilities.

- Chain Combo: All characters have access to chain combos where stronger levels of normals can be cancelled off of weaker normals in progression, command normals being subjected to the same rules. It should be noted that most characters can cancel either standing, crouching or command normals from one another even within the same strength type (backwards z or crouching z can be cancelled off of z), although which can be cancelled from what within the same strength varies from character to character. It should be noted that specials can canceled from out of almost any normal and supers can cancel from out of almost any normal or special.

- Invalid Combo: Any combo continued from a juggle from which the opponent could have recovered, but chose not to do so are considered invalid combos. While they incur no penalty, they run the potential risk of the opponent retaliating before the combo can be extended.

- Dash Bonus: Jumping or attacking while running/dashing will grant a bonus that mitigates damage scaling on the first, up to 25% if the character reaches the peak of their run speed or up to 10% near the end of their dash if they lack of run otherwise. This resets anytime a run or dash is transitioned back into standing idle state.

- Damage Scaling: All attacks possesses their own unique damage reduction modifier during combos and a multi-hit attack in most cases will only apply the modifier on the last hit. All characters' damage reduction during combos will have a 10% minimal threshold for normals and specials or a 25% minimal threshold during level 1 super states or 50% minimal threshold during level 3 super states in which damage cannot go lower once reached. Exceptions exist which ignore damage scaling and even Guts factor.

- Guts: As combos tend to be very damaging, a character gains a small defence boost the lower their current life is until they reach a maximum of 50% additional defence. The math for calculating defence boosts is 0.5*(current life/total life)+0.5, meaning characters with lower total life gain defence boosts quicker than those with higher total life.

- Taunt (s): Your typical taunt. Obviously unsafe as Haruhi can't actually do anything throughout its entire duration, but it's always fun to mock the opponent and allowing it to complete gains her an additional 500 power.

- Guard Cancel Attack (FF+x)/(FF+y)/(FF+z)(while guarding)[costs 1000 power]: Haruhi breaks out of guardstun with a forward somersault kick that knocks the opponent away, resetting combatants into neutral game. Has invincibility throughout most of the attack and can cancel into a super on hit. Can only GCA while grounded.

- Guard Cancel Dash (BB+x)/(BB+y)/(BB+z)(while guarding)[costs 1000 power]: Haruhi breaks out of guard to dash a distance forward, passing through opponents with plenty of invulnerability to allow her to escape pressure zones. Can GCD on the ground or mid-air.

- Teching (x+y)(x+z)(y+z): Haruhi can make a quick recovery by inputting the command right before hitting the ground while falling after a hit, allowing her to act quicker without the worry of the longer process of getting up normally. Doing so while falling after a hit allows Haruhi to regain control in mid-air before ever hitting the ground. Holding left or right on the ground will allow teching in those directions while mid-air teching also offers up and down recovery by holding those directions.

- Wall Tech (U+F if facing away from wall/U+B if facing wall): Similar to normal teching, except Haruhi must be touching a corner/edge of the screen to perform a wall jump while falling from knockback to allow control and get out from potentially being trapped at a corner.

- Burst (a+b)(b+c)(a+c): A character can break free from hitstun and reset combatants to neutral game against virtually any normal and special attacks. Bursting can also be done while in control, although not during the middle of attacking. However, there is a 60 second recharge between each use of this technique, although being in hitstun or blockstun doubles the recharge speed, and it does not reset between rounds. If the character is at 1/3 their total life or less, Burst recharging rate increases by an additional 50%. If Burst is used just right before the opponent lands a hit, the character will be rewarded with maxed out power. If Burst hits the target in any state, the Burst gauge will be filled by 1/3rd.

- Ground Grab (b or B+b): A standard grab with decent reach, but Haruhi is free to act out of the end of either forward or backward grabs to follow-up. Haruhi's ground grabs can be broken out of if the opponent presses a,b,or c along with holding backward on the exact moment her grab connects.

- Aerial Grab (b or B+b in mid-air): Haruhi's aerial grab. Unlike the ground version, this is used more as an aerial punish or aerial combo finisher (not usable in blockstrings however) since she cannot act out of it until she touches the ground. Cannot be broken out of.

- Mid-Air Jump (U in mid-air): Haruhi can jump once in mid-air before touching the ground. Can cancel aerial light, medium or heavy attacks on hit/guard with a mid-air jump to extend air combos, make a retreat or mix-up her pressure game. Cannot mid-air jump after a Super Jump or air dash.

- Super Jump (D,U)(D,U+F)(D,U+B): Haruhi makes one big leap that can reach the top of the screen. She can drift back and forth by holding forward or backward respectively while in Super Jump state, although air dashing will exit out of the state.

- Air Dash (FF, BB or DD in mid-air): Haruhi "dashes" in mid-air forward or backward in an arc a good distance before falling. She can't guard until the end of an air dash. She retains momentum at the end of her air dash or if she cancels it with an attack or another air dash. Can air dash horizontally once before touching the ground. Haruhi can cancel any non-command mid-air normal into a horizontal air dash on hit.

- Fast Fall (DD in mid-air): Haruhi increases her falling speed that allows her to touch the ground faster than normal. Can air dash and attack during fast falls, but can't mid-air jump in most cases otherwise.

- Spell Bonus: The equivalent to a "First Attack Bonus." If Haruhi is the first to land a direct hit during a round, she will gain 1000 power as a reward.

- Counter Hit: Interrupting an opponent during their attack starting frames will grant a 10% damage bonus, mitigate damage scaling by 10% and reward 250 power. In addition, if any standing or aerial heavy normals counter hit, they will cause an enhanced hitstate.

- Guard Crush: A red guard meter at the lower part of the screen indicates the opponent's guard, which will deplete if they take any hits while guarding. More hitstun equates to greater guard damage and the opponent's guard will break if the meter is completely depleted, leaving them open briefly for potential follow-ups. The opponent's guard meter regenerates as long as they're not blocking or not in hitstun.

_Series Abilities_

- Reflection Guard (hold a)[costs at least 250 power]: A specialized type of guarding that provides brief invulnerability while negating both guardstun and chip damage with the added benefit of reducing chip damage as well as pushing the opponent a distance away while negating pushback on the player. Drains 250 power on the first use until user is no longer blocking. Fails against throws or if meter is below 250 power. Can be done while in control or during guardstun.

- Blast (D+a): The main bonus mechanic that is divided by two types; Combo Blast and Power Blast. Combo Blasts can be activated while in the middle of performing combos with normals and specials, which gives a 1000 power bonus and has more vertical knockback as well as 25% increased damage, movement speed is increased by 25%, and restores up to 3 seconds to the juggle timer and mitigates damage scaling by 5%. Power Blast will give 1000 power normally or 2000 power on counter hit as well as restore life based on recoverable health on hit or slightly more than half recoverable health on block/whiff, increase defense by 10%, gives gradual amounts of power passively, increased Guard Crush damage and has a more horizontal knockback. Both versions of Blast lasts for 20 seconds and the recharge period is based on current life x 3 at the time Blast begins (i.e.: 1000 life means 3000 frames or 50 seconds). If a character is at 30% life or less, then the recharge time will not go lower than that value accordingly. Therefore, characters with lower life values tend to have less recharge time.

_Unqiue Abilities_

- SOS Assist: Haruhi's gimmick in which she can call forth members of the SOS Brigade into the battlefield itself to attack her opponent. Each assist is completely unique in just about every aspect which grants them different function, giving them their own roles so to speak. Haruhi can call upon all four assists at once, although each type of assist can only be called one at a time.

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|Button Layout|

a = Series Ability
b = grab/x+y+z shortcut
c = Unqiue Ability
x = light attack 
y  = medium attack
z  = heavy attack
s = start

F = forward
B = back
D = down
U = up

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[G] = Ground only
[A] = Air only
[GA] = Ground and air okay

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_Command Normals_

- F+z (launcher)

- B+z

- D+y (mid-air)

- D+z (mid-air)(ground bounce)(aerial cancellable)

- y (while dashing)(OTG)

- z (while dashing)(causes skidding)

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_Specials_

- SOS Rave (D,F,x)(D,F,y)(D,F,z)[G]: A dashing rekka attack in which the "x" version starts with a tackle that can penetrate non-hyper projectiles, the "y" version starts with a sliding kicking that can OTG along with hitting low and the "z" version starts with a forward somersault kick that hits high. The sequence of these attacks can be canceled into the next by pressing "y" after the "x" version and pressing "x" after the y version. The "x" version causes a ground bounce.

- SOS Swing (D,B,x)(D,B,y)(D,B,z)[G]: Haruhi swings a baseball bat. The "x" version causes crumple on grounded opponents, wall bounce on aerial opponents and can reflect non-hyper projectiles. The "y" version functions as a counter against regular melee attacks or will initiate attack after a certain amount of time that leads into an unblockable swing that causes wall bounce on hit. The "z" version has Haruhi bat a baseball projectile whose trajectory can be determined by holding F, U, or D.

- Cho-Yusha Thunder (D,B,x)(D,B,y)[A]: Haruhi unleashes a shockwave from her lance in which the "x" version shoots the projectile downward, traveling along the floor once it reaches down, while the "y" version unleashes a projectile straight ahead that causes knockdown. The lance on both versions has a hitbox.

- Cho-Yusha Stike (D,B,z)[A]: Haruhi charges forward with her lance before coming down with a diving strike.

- SOS Drop (D,B,x)(D,B,y)(D,B,z)[A]: Haruhi performs a drop kick in which the "x" version has the least distance and damage while the "z" version has the most distance and damage.

- SOS Rise (F,D,F,x)(F,D,F,y)(F,D,F,z)[G]: Haruhi's DP attack. The "x" version has the least invulnerability frames, but is the most relatively safe of the three and can initiate juggle follow-ups. The "y" version has the greatest height, is aerial unblockable and has the mos invulnerability, making it the best anti-air. The "z" version crosses a considerable ground distance and offers full invulerability until Haruhi rises, making it the best grounded distance punish.

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_Assists_

- Yuki Call [costs 500 power during attacks][GA]: Yuki descends with a quick strike at the opponent's position. Cannot be used again until 4 seconds have passed after last use. Haruhi cannot call Mikuru while getting hit, blocking or during supers.

- Mikuru Call [costs 500 power during attacks][GA]: Mikuru walks into position to unleash a large beam from her eye. Cannot be used again until 4 seconds have passed after last use. Haruhi cannot call Mikuru while getting hit, blocking or during supers.

- Kyon Call[GA]: Haruhi calls on Kyon, however, it requires multiple calls before he actually can arrive. If Haruhi is hit prior to Kyon's arrival, it will take longer for him to make his appearance. Once Kyon is on-screen, he will start out with 1000 life and periodically attack the opponent with an overhead chair swing that has hyper armor on start-up. Kyon will be KO'd if his life is depleted to 0 and leave the battlefield. Haruhi cannot call Kyon while attacking, blocking or getting hit.

- Itsuki Call [costs 1000 power][GA]: Haruhi calls in Itsuki to follow her around, remaining on stand-by until Haruhi gives an order. Itsuki cannot be called again if he's already on-screen. Cannot be used while attacking, blocking or getting hit.

- Esper Clash (D)[requires Itsuki to be active][GA]: Itsuki tackles the opponent at the current position at high speed, capable of OTGing. Cannot be used during blocking or getting hit. Cannot be used while getting hit, blocking or when using  Itsuki must be within a short distance in Haruhi's proximity to order this move.

- Esper Blaster (D,D,x)(D,D,y)(D,D,z)(requires Itsuki to be active)[GA]: Haruhi commands Itsuki to unleash several spheres of psychic energy that can OTG. All versions are the same. Cannot be used during blocking or getting hit. Cannot be used while getting hit, blocking or when using supers.

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_Supers_

- Cho-Yusha Ougi (D,F,x+y)(D,F,y+z)(D,F,x+z)[costs 1000 power][G]: Haruhi speeds ahead with a suped up lance strike that is highly resistant to damage scaling.

- Cho-Yusha Storm (D,F,x+y)(D,F,y+z)(D,F,x+z)[costs 1000 power][A]: Basically a multi-hit, suped up version of Cho-Yusha Thunder version "x," except the the projectile will turn once after hitting a corner to remain a threat.

- SOS Variety (D,B,x+y)(D,B,y+z)(D,B,x+z)[costs 1000 power][G]: Haruhi's unblockable command grab in which she cross the distance at considerable speed, but otherwise cannot be combo'd into and only hits grounded opponents.

- SOS Upsurge (F,D,F,x+y)(F,D,F,y+z)(F,D,F,x+z)[costs 1000 power][G]: An explosive and fiery upper cut that sends Haruhi sky high fully invulnerable before the peak with a massive hitbox that is aerial unblockable at Haruhi's area that is also capable of OTGing.

- SOS Live (D,B,x+y+z)[costs 3000 power][G]: Haruhi, with a little bit of Yuki's magic trick assistance, will summon the SOS Brigade logo to capture the opponent anywhere on the screen that is blockable. If the opponent fails to block, they will be subjected to a fantastic concert staged by Haruhi Suzumiya herself! While the damage is on the low side for a Lv3, it completely disregards damage scaling otherwise.

---[Credits]---

- Choiyer for converting Haruhi Suzumiya from which I've used most of her sprites, sounds and gameplay concept as a basis.

- YU-TOHARU for the additional sprites and sounds for Haruhi.

- otz-kai for the guard spark and super spark sprites.

- Ex-Cahm for designing the new Burst icons.

- Twilight Frontier, French Bread, SNK, Capcom, Arc System Works, Nintendo and SEGA for the remaining sounds and sprites.

- Phantom.of.the.Server for the variable height and corner push codes as well as his MFG advice thread as a whole.

- Warusaki3/Phantom.of.the.Server for the Cheap KO code.

- RicePigeon for the damage scaling, crossup detection, throw escape and invalid combo codes.

- Vans for the counter hit and custom command buffering codes.

- Caddie for the liedown vulnerability code.

- Jesuszilla for the defense up code.

- Thentavius for the mid-air jump buffering code.

- Ink for his helper ID detection code.

- Alchemist of Atlas, Thentavius and MugenWatcher for feedback during closed testing.

- The people at MUGEN Fighters Guild and MUGEN Free For All for feedback during opened testing and the many coding tips that they offer.

- The Haruhi Suzumiya franchise for creating one of my favorite series.

- Elecbyte for giving us MUGEN.

- You for downloading and playing my fifth ever MUGEN creation.

---[Contact Me]---

 If you wish to communicate with me, particularly on my character, please reach me by these means for as I am the most active through those mediums.

Twitter: Neppu_Heart