Future Trunks Strategy/Combo Thread

[AquaTeamV3]

Taking a shot at making a legitimate character thread. This one's for Future Trunks, a strong yet unorthodox character that tends to get overlooked. So without further ado:

Moveset

Heavy Slam

Not the greatest HS out there. Does an overhead flip kick that leaves very little follow up time. If you follow up with <KKK- be sure to input the command early so you don't miss your opportunity.

Death Moves and Ultimate

Buster Cannon (1 bar) [Damage: 375(Base), 412(SSJ), 431(SSJ2)]

Solid projectile DM with average recovery. Makes for a nice combo finisher when you aren't in the position to land a fully charged SS and want to conserve ki. Shame that Trunks doesn't yell "Buster Cannon!" like he did in Budokai 1-3.

Finish Buster (2 bars) [Damage: 600(Base), 660(SSJ), 690(SSJ2)]

A pretty strong 2-bar energy blast. Recovers faster than BC and does more damage than SS from the front. Definitely worth it if you don't mind the ki cost.

Shining Slash (2 bars) [Damage: 525/656(Base), 577/721(SSJ), 603/753(SSJ2)] [Charged Damage: 787/983(Base), 865/1081(SSJ), 905/1131(SSJ2)

Shining Slash is Trunks' only physical death move, and it's arguably one of his most useful tools. What makes this move so useful is the ability to charge it, making it a fantastic combo ender and fatigue punisher. A simple combo like <KKK-, P+K-, dashPPP <E [Charge] does over a bar of and around 50% stun. Shining Slash also has utility in that you can not only use it to cancel chains for combo extension, but it also can be used to follow up after a guard break.

Burning Slash [Damage: ???] (I don't have the game on me right now so I can't check)

As stylish as Burning Slash looks, it's essentially worthless. In a fatigue punishing situation the fully charged SS does more damage consistently and also inflicts stun. Saves a couple of bars too. Save this for stylish finishers, if you use it at all.

Starters

PPPP-

Bnbs

PPPP- inf until their ki nears 3 bars then >E or <E
<KKK-, DHS, P+K-, dashPPP, <E [charged]

Pros

One of the game's strongest priority abusers with P+K-
Causes high damage and fatigue with charged SS shenanigans
2 re-usable transformations

Cons

His only fast starter is a very fast cancel without any priority

Strategy Zone

Basic Strategy

Trunks is a pretty interesting character. His combos are pretty short, and he only has one quick starter. On the other hand, he churns out damage pretty effectively, and his P+K- has an astounding amount of priority despite not being able to link after it from the front.

Trunks should be played in a more defensive matter due to his tools (or lack of). P+K- keeps most of the cast out of your face aside from Dabura and Yamcha, and has the nasty side effect of building your opponent's stun bar if they get hit/block/dodge it. Since P+K has nullification from start to finish, the only real threat to you is the universal ki blast, which you should always be on the lookout for. Should you wish to increase your pressure, Trunks has 2 transformations for guard-breaking purposes. If your opponent likes to dodge the P+K slashes and their ki drops, using a transformation to capitalize is a very viable option.

Shining Slash, Cancels, Guard Breaks, and You

As stated above, Shining Slash cancels can be implemented to extend combos. However, this is very impractical as the amount of ki spent does not make up for the damage you deal. Sticking with the short bnb into a charged SS does far more damage and stun. Keep it simple, folks.

That said, using one in a guaranteed guard break situation isn't a bad idea. fP+K and dashPPP are strong guard breaks that can be canceled into SS, which in turn canceling than SS allows you to go for a combo into a fully charged SS. Despite the ki cost, the reward more than makes up for it, provided that they don't have ki to teleport out.

Sword Footsies and Mixups

Because Trunks' sword is such a scary tool, using it as a tool for mindgames is very handy. If your opponent is getting edgy, cancelling P+K and immediately firing a ki blast works wonders. If you land a counter hit, follow up with dash up PPPP-. Trunks' throw and energy throw do an excellent job of opening up an overly defensive opponent. Note that if their stun bar is already full from blocking P+K, go for the regular throw instead of the energy throw. Despite the fact that the energy throws both do more damage and have more range, the regular throw will actually stun them, leaving them open for a charged SS from the back. As long as you mix up your P+K pressure with dashes, ki blasts, pokes, and throws, you can stay threatening without running the risk of getting too predictable.

Buster Cannon or Finish Buster?

Since SS is all but a requirement on Trunks' skill set, the choice between BC or FB is up for debate. While Finish Buster supersedes BC in every category that counts, it still requires 2 bars, which may or may not always be available. It's really a matter of preference, both DMs are solid and it's really up to your playstyle when selecting one.

Video Appendix

[CajNatalie]

If you end up using heavy smash from the front, and don't want to risk screwing up the <K timing, you can follow up with >KP- to lead in to <K[P]P[<E] ...charge the [P] and [<E].

>KP- and <KKK- don't mix, and <K[P]P does more damage than >>PPP.