Susanowo

Model Number:GNX-Y901TW Pilot: Mister Bushido (Graham Aker)
Cost: 2500 Hp: 650 Transform: X Form Change: O (Trans-Am)

“The fastest speed, and the mightiest sword”— this was the desire of Mr. Bushido which factored into Susanowo’s design. Equipped with two GN Tau Drives mounted on its side binders, the Susanowo was also one of the chosen few Mobile Suits that could activate Trans-Am.

Ability Summary

First damage number shown is the regular attack, second is with Nyuukon active, third is in Trans-Am, fourth is with Nyuukon and Trans-Am active. 

Ranged Armament Ammo DMG Notes
Main Nyuukon (100) Activate to power up your next attack. Infinite uses.
Charged Main
Beam Chakram 70 (28 ~ 77) A projectile with strong tracking. Does multiple hits with Nyuukon.
Beam Chakram(Split) 17~79(16~89) 4/6CSA: Only Available in Trans-am
Sub Tri-Punisher 1 60, 70, 75, 85 A large sphere that stuns. The projectile size increases with Nyuukon and Trans-Am.
Special Shooting Trans-Am System 100 One use per life. 
Neutral Special Melee Dash Dashes towards the enemy. 
Burst Attack Love’s Single Strike 331(F)/287(E&S) Melee attack Burst Attack.
Melee Input DMG Notes
5B 5BBBBB 216 (248) Fast 5-stage combo
5B(B)~8B 208(232)~225(257) Good damage and proration
5B(BBBB)~BC 188(212)~248(279) Slash-through
8B 8BBB 170(196) Good reach and priority
8B(B)~BC 193(217)~209(233) Same slash-through as the 5B derivative
4/6B

 

4/6BBB 164(187) Fast startup but poor priority
4/6B(B)~8B 166(191)~196(227) Automatically activates Nyuukon on the last hit
4/6B(B)~BC 188(212)~208(234) Same slash-through as the 5B derivative
2B 2BB 200, 250, 300, 350 Seppuku. Damages yourself as well as the enemy
CC8B CC8BB 117(138)
BC 2/8BC 104,109,117,130 Multi-hit spinning helmbreakers
4/6BC 95,109,117,130 Spin slashes while dashing in a curved trajectory
Trans-Am 5B 5BBBBBB 254, 280 Series of slash-throughs followed by an upward drilling attack

Cancel Routes:

A: 2B

CSA: A(?), AB, 5B, 8B, 4/6B, *BC

AB: A, *BC

5B, 5BB~8B (2nd and 3rd stage), 8B(3rd stage), CC8B (2nd stage): A

4/6B, 4/6B~8B (1st to 5th stage): A, 2B

5BC: A, AB, various melee, *BC

Overview

While Susanowo might look like a melee-oriented MS at first glance, it’s actually more suited for shooting battles than direct melee confrontations. Armed with its two very unique projectiles and two different power-ups in Nyuukon and Trans-Am, Susanowo excels at staggering or stunning the enemy with its ranged attacks, setting up the opportunity to land melee combos.

Its movement speed is average in its normal form, but all of its ranged attacks cause it to stand still to fire, and on top of that Susanowo has no freefalls which makes it rank pretty low overall in mobility. However, its Trans-Am mode is like a second Burst, greatly boosting your mobility, as well as powering up both melee and ranged attacks. When powered up in Trans-Am its performance rivals that of 3000 cost MSes.

Succeeding with Susanowo means making the most of your Trans-Am state, as well as managing all of your other resources. 

Ability Details

Ranged Weapons

Main: Nyuukon

Susanowo stands still and strikes a pose, before surrounding itself in a blue aura. This state is referred to as Nyuukon (入魂, which means putting one’s heart and soul into something). You can rainbow step cancel the Nyuukon activation.

While in the Nyuukon state, your CSA, AB, and melee attacks are powered up in various ways. After using a buffed attack the Nyuukon state is canceled, and it can be reactivated again. The Nyuukon state is also timer-based, and if you don’t use an attack before the timer reaches zero then the state is canceled. There is no reload on Nyuukon, meaning you can use it as and when you see fit. 

Charged Main: Beam Chakram

1-second charge time. Susanowo fires a Beam Chakram at the enemy. The projectile is rather slow. Susanowo verniers to fire the projectile, but slides a short distance inheriting previous inertia. This move is often simply referred to as that “Pizza” attack. 

This is your real “Main” attack. The projectile tracks well, and can be useful for forcing enemy movement or in joint attacks with your partner. The damage on this isn’t stellar, but you can constantly pressure the enemy with this and force them to constantly put effort into dodging.

With Nyuukon active this move does almost the same damage, but deals it in multi hits instead. This causes the opponent to be staggered for a slightly longer time, presenting a bigger window of opportunity for punishing. It seems that the Chakrams track better with Nyuukon as well, but there’s no hard scientific proof to support that belief.

With Trans-Am active, Susanowo can use three possible versions of the Beam Chakram. Both versions deal multi hits (even more than with Nyuukon), and have improved damage proration. 

All 3 variations of the Beam Chakram are excellent in Trans-Am, to the point where you can just use these attacks and feel like you’re playing a wholesome and useful neutral shooting game. However Trans-Am is a time-based power up, so it is in your best interest to go for bigger damage options.

5CSA: Fires a single Beam Chakram, much like the regular version. It might seem pointless to use this when comparing it to the other versions, but this is useful in the close range, especially when taking into consideration that it’s possible for enemies to slip past your double Beam Chakrams due to the wide gap between shots.

2/8CSA: Fires two consecutive Beam Chakrams. Compared to 4/6CSA this is easier to hit on fleeing enemies. Again, this has no gap for enemies to slip past through like 4/6CSA does, so it’s better in the close range for self defense. When used together with AB you can break through super armor.

4/6CSA: Susanowo fires two Beam Chakrams horizontally at the same time. They follow a similar trajectory as Destiny’s boomerangs, curving outwards. This makes it very easy to catch sideway-moving enemies in the close range. In the mid-range, they also track very well. This is the main version you want to use during Trans-Am. 

Sub: Tri-Punisher

6-second reload. Susanowo stands still to fire a large sphere that stuns on hit. Much like its CSA, this is a very important move for Susanowo. This move has poor tracking and is slow-moving, but in exchange it has very fast startup and a huge hitbox that gets even bigger when powered up. It gets progressively larger with Nyuukon, Trans-Am, and Nyuukon with Trans-Am. At its largest size it is large enough to completely envelop any MS in the game, and also stuns for a longer duration that makes following up easy. Note that if you cancel into this move it does less damage, from 36 to 51.

This is a very powerful move for self defense, and is also excellent for eating up physical projectiles coming your way. At a close enough range you can also use this for catching landings. The reload on this is fast, so feel free to use it often. 

Special Shooting: Trans-Am

Unlike other 00 units that activate Trans-Am when they Burst, Susanowo’s Trans-Am is a separate power up that can be activated once per deployment. The power up lasts 20 seconds. The following are the effects of Trans-Am:

  • Improved mobility
  • Visual effect of afterimages (aesthetic)
  • CSA and AB improved
  • 5B, 8B, 4/6B, and CC8B will now perform the Trans-Am melee attack

You can activate Trans-Am at the same time as your Burst to get a double power up which will surely make you the most dangerous contender on the battlefield, at least for a short duration. 

Because of Susanowo’s average performance for the rest of the match, it could be said that winning or losing is decided by how well you can utilize this power up. This means not only doing as much damage as possible, but also figuring out the best time to activate it. It is advised that you have at least 300HP remaining when you activate Trans-Am. Of course this excludes Overcost scenarios.

5BC: Dash

Susanowo dashes straight at the enemy. The dash speed and distance are rather good, but Susanowo stands still for a second before dashing which may prove fatal. This is not considered an attack so you can maintain Nyuukon while dashing. This dash costs about 40% of your boost to fully perform, and you can cancel into your range or melee attacks at any time.   

Melee Set

5B: 5-stage combo

Combo attack using Shiranui and Unryu, Susanowo’s GN Blades. Forced PoV change on the last hit. This has a lot of derivatives available, and the high damage output makes it one of your go-to melee moves.

This has fast startup but poor priority, losing out to most melee MSes. However you can always start your combo with CSA or AB and then combo into this.

5B~8B Derivative: Souten Combo

Combines the Shiranui and Unryu to form a double-bladed lance named “Souten”. Long combo time, but high damage. Useful as a combo part.

5B, 8B, or 4/6B~BC Derivative: Slash-through Chain

Stuns the enemy, before performing 5 consecutive slash-throughs. Ends with an explosion. Very long combo. The damage you deal is disproportionate to the long combo time- you can get by without using this move.

8B: Stab Combo

A 3-stage stab combo. Poor damage proration on the 2nd stage onwards. Fast startup and high priority, but you have AB and 4/6BC for interception so you don’t really need to use this. 

4/6B: Slash Combo

Fast startup and quick, with the last hit putting the enemy in an untechable down state. The wraparound is pretty good, but the priority on this move is poor overall, making it unsuitable for rainbow step wars or direct clashes. 

4/6B~8B: GN Claw & Cross Slash

Bounces the enemy on hit and activates Nyukon. Useful for buffing up your next follow-up attack if you end the combo with this derivative. You can also link this into the 2B Seppuku but the damage is not great. However this is still a good derivative to pull out if you are in Overheat.

2B: Seppuku

Without moving a single step forward, Susanowo turns its back to the enemy and stabs Shiranui and Unryu into its gut, dealing big damage to itself. If any enemy is behind Susanowo when it stabs itself, that enemy takes the same amount of damage. 

With Nyukon and Trans-Am active, this deals 350 damage. At first glance this move seems useless, but much like Zudah’s self destruct move you can deal big damage to the enemy and yourself, with the right setup. 

This actually charges your Burst gauge, although you probably won’t be using it for that reason. Do not use this if your death will cause you to lose the game, as you stab yourself before the enemy so you will end up losing the match, even if you kill the enemy.

Here are some ways you can combo into this move:

  • AB~5BC~2B
  • 5B~8B(2nd or 3rd hit)>AB (step forward)
  • 4/6B~8B(before the final hit)>2B
  • Trans-Am Melee>5BC~2B (step sideways)

When used in the right way and at the right time, this move has the potential to turn the tide of battle. 

CC8B: Slash-through

A slash-through combo that deals poor damage. On the plus side this has good damage proration, so you can cancel out of this early to combo into your big damage combo parts.

Trans-Am Melee

During Trans-Am, 5B, 8B, 4/6B, and CC8B will perform this move instead. Susanowo performs a series of slash-throughs, ending with a rising drill attack.  This does good damage but has a long combo time. And while this looks like it has great cut resistance, it’s actually only so-so in that regard. 

This is a really good melee move overall, but because of the limited time you have in Trans-Am you have to think about whether this lengthy combo is the most worthwhile way to spend your powered up time. You can opt to hit the first few hits of this, then cancel out into a less-damaging but faster-ending combo.

2/8BC: Spinning Helmbreaker

Susanowo follows a parabolic trajectory, spinning towards the enemy with its swords out. Susanowo rises slightly when performing this move, allowing it to leap over some projectiles. 

This has really strong melee priority. While it costs a lot of boost to perform this move, 2/8BC>backstep>4/6BC is sure to defeat most melee attacks coming your way. 

4/6BC: Beyblade

Let ‘er rip. Susanowo spins with its swords left or right, depending on your directional input. Susanowo follows a wide curving arc but tracks the enemy. 

The entirety of Susanowo and its swords is an active hitbox, meaning you won’t lose out to any melee moves that don’t have super armor, invincibility, or a far-reaching hitbox. You can use this both to chase down enemies thanks to its curving arc, and also to intercept incoming melee attacks. 

You can close in on enemies with this move and then sidestep to fire your AB at them. 

Burst Attack

Love’s Single Strike

After a slash-through, Susanowo performs a single strike with Souten, causing a large explosion. Good reach on the first hit, and the charging speed is also fast. However this has a small hitbox, so it can be difficult to hit raw. As you’d expect this has super armor on startup. Useful as a combo finisher. 

Recommended Combos

Normal Mode

Ranged Weapons
Input DMG Notes
CSA~AB>>CC8B 132 (148) Does more damage if you BDC into AB instead of directly cancel
CSA~5BBBBB 190
AB~5BC~5BBBBB>8B 202 233 with Nyuukon
AB~5BC~5B~8B(3hits)~Nyuukon>2B 273 307 if you start with Nyuukon
Melee
5BBBB>5BBBB 240 265 with Nyuukon
5B~8B(3hits)~Nyuukon~2B 324 350 with Nyuukon
8BB>5BBBB~CSA 219 232 with Nyuukon
4/6B~8B(1hit)~Nyuukon>5BBBB~CSA 230 249 with Nyuukon
CC8B(2hit)[~Nyuukon]>5BBBB~CSA 212 [234]
4/6BC(1hit)>5BBBBB~CSA 233 236 with Nyuukon
During Burst (Damage numbers shown are for F Burst)
CSA~5B~8B(3hits)>ABC 281
5B~8B(3hits)>ABC 357

Trans-Am Active

Ranged Weapons
Input DMG Notes
CSA(1 pizza)>>(or ~)AB 136(117) 146(127) with Nyuukon
CSA(2 pizzas)>>(or ~)AB 178 (165) 197(184) with Nyuukon
AB~5BC~Trans-Am Melee (2hits)>2B 328 Deals 200 damage to yourself
Melee
Trans-Am Melee (4hits)>Trans-Am Melee (3hits)>Trans-Am Melee (1hit) 277 291 with Nyuukon
Trans-Am Melee (5hits)>2/8CSA 241 Overheat combo
4/6BC(1hit)>Trans-Am Melee(3hits)>2B 352 353 with Nyuukon
4/6BC(1hit)>Trans-Am Melee(5hits)>Trans-Am Melee(1hit)>Trans-Am Melee(1hit) 266 269 with Nyuukon
During F Burst
Nyuukon Trans-Am Melee (1hit)>Trans-Am Melee (1hit)>Trans-Am Melee (1hit)>Trans-Am Melee (2hits)>2B 378 Big boy damage.
AB~5BC~Trans-Am Melee (3hits)>ABC 353 High damage, and you don’t need to stab yourself

Strategies

  • Pressuring enemies with difficult-to-escape shooting attacks in the close to mid-range is Susanowo’s basic playstyle. 
  • Fire CSAs consecutively. With the fast 1-second charge time you can dish these out pretty quickly. There’s no need to charge Nyuukon before dishing out pizzas. 
  • Work with your partner. Fire CSAs from a safe distance, and if your partner makes an opening go in for a sneak attack.
  • This strategy changes when you have Trans-Am. Use CSA to force enemy movement, catch landings with AB, then go for a melee combo. This is the Trans-Am workflow.
  • Look for the best opening to use your Trans-Am. You can either use Trans-Am after an enemy has used its Burst so that you can bully it with no worry of retaliation, or use it during an enemy’s Burst to dampen its effectiveness. Choose wisely according to the scenario. 
  • There’s no need to rush into melee with Trans-Am. From the mid-range you can spam the double pizzas with 4/6CSA, and serve up 2/8CSA pizzas in the close range.  
  • You can chain CSA into 4/6BC, and then back into CSA. This loop is strong in the close range, just watch your boost consumption.
  • F Burst provides the most obvious benefits to Susanowo, and if you activate Trans-Am and your Burst together you will see a huge power-up. 
  • E Burst is usable if you want to prioritize surviving when partnered with a 3000 cost partner. 
  • S Burst does not give you any freefall options, but you can fire off CSAs much faster and also get more uses out of your Sub. However this alone is probably not good enough to make it a better option than F Burst.
  • Susanowo pairs well with high cost shooting or melee suits, such as V2, FAUC, X1FC, and Zabanya. They can provide the cover Susanowo needs to fire pizzas repeatedly, and also draw attention away from Susanowo so that it can get in some sneak attacks.