Guilty Gear Strive Starter Guide returns, led by Sin Kiske and his abs

Mid-range. Midriff.

With the arrival of a new Guilty Gear Strive combatant, we see the return of Arc System Works’ super-handy Starter Guide series, giving us the ins and outs of the new fighter in order to get players up and running — And this time around, it is the turn of ass-kicking offspring Sin Kiske!

Sin Kiske, as his name denotes, is the son of Guilty Gear‘s regal poster boy Ky Kiske, his mother being the ethereal Half-Gear, Dizzy. As such, Sin has inherited her Gear blood, bolstering the fighting abilities handed down by his father. As a relatively young man of great spirit, Sin is far more happy-go-lucky than his parents, boasting a somewhat cocky attitude and untamed personality. But his heart is just and true, and he remains a stalwart defender of the good and righteous, operating alongside Sol Badguy as a bounty hunter-in-training.

Sin would make his playable debut as a DLC character for 2014’s Guilty Gear Xrd –SIGN–.

Brandishing a flag as his unique weapon of choice, Sin Kiske is the master of mid-range, able to frustrate his opponent with just-out-of reach pokes and defensive strikes, while antagonizing with his two main gimmicks: Stamina, and Gazelle Step. Sin’s Stamina gauge offers him numerous follow-ups on a variety of his attacks, allowing him to spend a bar of stamina to turn fished specials into lengthy and damaging combos. In addition, he can spend a bar of stamina on Gazelle Step, essentially a dash cancel out from his various mid-range strikes, closing the distance with fearsome speed.

This Stamina play forms the core of Sin’s battle plan, allowing him to frustrate with mid-pokes, then convert into Gazelle Step combos, or extended specials, at the cost of stamina. This meter houses three blocks for the round — though it seemingly rebuilds after cooldown. Additionally, the guide shows Sin Kiske taking a break to eat some tasty grub. While it isn’t clearly stated, performing this action may increase the speed at which stamina rebuilds. Sin’s super, R.T.L., sees the lad lunge forward with and invincible strike, before launching into one of several follow-ups, dependent on player choice.

Sin Kiske is available to purchase tomorrow, November 24 in Guilty Gear Strive as part of the Season 2 pass. As a quick refresher, here are the links to the previous Guilty Gear Strive starter guides for May & Axl Low, Sol Badguy and Ky Kiske, Chip Zanuff & Potemkin, Faust, Millia Rage, Zato-1, Ramlethal, Leo Whitefang, Nagoriyuki, Giovanna, Anji Mito, I-no, Goldlewis Dickinson, Jack-O Valentine, Happy Chaos, Testament, and finally Bridget.

Chris Moyse

Senior Editor – Chris has been playing video games since the 1980s. Former Saturday Night Slam Master. Graduated from Galaxy High with honors. Twitter: @ChrisxMoyse