INTRODUCTION

The Shin Budokai series has been very kind to Trunks. Since the first game in
the series, Trunks has been an amazing character excelling in virtually every
area of combat. With the new rush and slam combo system, Trunks was finally
blessed with a movelist that freely allowed him to draw his sword in combat
without the horrible start up and recovery issues he suffered from in 
Budokai 3. While other characters suffered from the new combo engine (see 
Goku), Trunks only improved and was freed entirely from all of his faults in
the original Budokai series. He gained the slam strings needed to fight at
point blank range and defend against the most aggressive rush down characters
in the game, he had a decent set of death moves, an amazing ultimate, and
good ki building. At long last, Trunks fans had an amazing Trunks that they
could play as. In Shin Budokai Another Road, Trunks virtually remains 
unchanged from the last game save for the addition of Masenko as his base
form death move and the Power of Mixed Blood and Ultimate Power as Aura Burst
charges. So how does Trunks fair overall? He is among the best characters in
the game, second only to Piccolo who most vets consider broken.

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SWORD TRUNKS OR FUTURE TRUNKS

Since there are two versions of Trunks in this game, you may be asking what
are the differences between the two. For starters, both versions of Trunks
have completely different fighting styles. Trunks (referred to as Sword Trunks
for this section) is Trunks when he first arrives in the present time line, he
is a well rounded fighter who doesn't specialize in any specific area of 
combat but he is proficent in all of them. Future Trunks on the other hand,
is Trunks after the Cell Games, he is a close range bare knuckles brawler
and is one of the best rush down characters in the game. Both characters play
remarkably different from each other, the only moves they share are <SS,
<R<RR, and the Heat Dome Attack ultimate.

So which is the better character? Well it depends on what you are looking for.
Sword Trunks is more balanced and well rounded while Future Trunks is a pure
rush down character. Sword Trunks is safer and can fight effectively at 
all ranges while Future Trunks is close quarters only but hits harder. They
are both amazing characters, and as far as competitive play is concerned, they
are close enough on the tier list not to pose any signficant advantages or
disadvantages against eachother. Considering that they are both top tier 
characters, you can't lose either way.

Personally, being a huge Trunks fan myself, I use them both. I do use Future
Trunks more often since rush down characters fit my playing style, but every
now and then, its fun to slice someone up with Sword Trunks.

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TRUNKS ADVANTAGES

- Like his future counterpart, Trunks has a very user friendly combo platform
to work with.  His SSSS slam starter is quickly charged on every hit had has 
enough range to keep out most higher priority slam strings. For close quarters,
Trunks still has the traditional defensive <SS slam starter making it very
hard to rush him down.  Between these two strings, Trunks can fight freely 
hand to hand against any character at close to mid range.

- Trunks is extremely versatile, probably the most balanced character in the
game. His <SS slam string allows him to go toe to toe with the best rush down 
characters in the game at point blank range, he can zone freely with SSS
against everyone except for Krillin, Broly, and Piccolo, he has a decent set 
of death moves, Power of Mixed Blood is a decent Aura Burst Charge, he has
very high damage potential (capping out just above 3000), and he has an
excellent ultimate.

- Mixed Blood Power is a good ABC, giving a free 20% attack and defense 
boost just in case you get knocked out of SSJ.

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TRUNKS DISADVANTAGES

- No Burning Attack. Really, the only thing preventing this Trunks from being
100% accurate to the series is a useable Burning Attack. This might be a good
thing in the end however, seeing as how Future Gohan's Burning Attack is only
average and Future Trunk's Burning Attack is complete garbage.  

Seriously though, Trunks doesn't have any real weakness. He is good at all 
ranges, has a solid set of death moves, a decent aura burst, and a great 
ultimate.  Even in his lowest areas, he is still considered well above average
when compared to the rest of the cast.  

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TRUNKS MAIN STRATEGY

Since you don't have a choice, SSJ is the transformation to go with.  Other 
than that, Trunks can be played a number of ways depending on your playing 
style. Aside from Piccolo, nobody can really overwhelm Trunks to the point that
you HAVE to adopt a certain playing style.

*Rush down*

As stated earlier, Trunk's main starters are his SSSS and his <SS string. This
simply boils down to a matter of range, if the opponent is right in your face,
<SS is the safest bet. If the opponent is a step or two back, SSS is the way
to go. Both starters have their advantages. SSSS charges very quickly on each
hit giving you plenty of mix up from that string alone. <SS on the other hand,
has insanely high priority and can be side step cancelled to reach the 
opponent's back where damage is greater. Basically, <SS is used for safe damage
while the quick charges from SSS is used to break the opponent's defense. As
for which one makes the better starter, it depends on what kind of range game
to want to play. 

One key string to Trunk's arsenal is his >RRSSS- string. This stylish rushing
string comes out surprisingly quick and has excellent ki building. The only
down side to this move is that it can't be continued from in a combo when
done from the front.  When moved to the opponent's back however, this sting
leaves the opponent stunned for an extended period of time. This is critical
when going for Trunk's most damaging combos. Keep in mind that this is the
same animation for Trunk's Burning Slash ultimate so if you don't cancel the
final S, Trunks spins his sword before sheathing it leaving him wide open.
Also, while the string as a whole is pretty quick, the starting >R is fairly
slow so under no circumstances should you use this string to start a combo.
This string is best kept for damage filler and ki building after side step
canceling with <SS.

While Trunks can't combo off of his throw, it is still a useful option in 
battle. On top of adding to his mix up at close range, Trunk's throw puts
the opponent just outside of his SSS range. Since Krillin and Piccolo are
the only characters who have more range on their slam strings, this puts 
Trunks at a huge advantage against the majority of the cast. Trunks is at the
perfect range for his SSS string to work, the string is almost guaranteed to
beat out any other starter from that distance and can be quickly cancelled to
guard against a quick rushing death move or an aura rush.

*What to do when the opponent has the ki advantage*

When the opponent has the ki advantage, it is best to use short combos, pokes,
and throws to avoid a teleport counter and charge ki. Trunk's SSSS string makes
regaining the ki advantage very easy since the string can be cancelled quickly
at any slash giving you a variety of options to keep the opponent guessing.
If you can predict when the opponent will teleport cancel, just cancel the 
string accordingly and hold down guard and watch as they waste 3 bars. To
break rhythm, just cancel into a throw and push them back to the string's
optimum range. You don't even have to cancel the string and just start fully
charging hits to break their guard, it is all up to how well you can read the
opponent. Just be careful, if you get predictable it will cost you, and
nothing hurts more in the game than to eat a full combo without enough ki to
teleport out.

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COMBO SECTION

*Super Quick Guide to Combo Canceling*

All combo cancels are done by holding down the last S in a regular combo
string then tapping guard to cancel the animation.  When done fast enough,
the character returns to their neutral state and can immediately start 
another combo string.  Once mastered, the charge on the canceled S doesn't
show and the full combo looks fluid without any noticeable breaks or pauses.
Side Step canceling can be done by tapping down or up with guard but only 
works with certain combo strings.  The advantage to side step canceling 
is that if done properly, the combo continues from the opponent's back 
where damage is greater.  Energy attacks can also be canceled by holding 
down E then tapping guard, but only a few characters need use this method 
to cancel a string.  Since energy canceling uses a small amount of ki, it
isn't recommended unless it is the ONLY way to cancel a certain string
for that character.

Finally, the most advanced combo cancel is the Aura Cancel.  While
holding S, tap Aura Burst, release S, then tap S again to trigger the
character's Aura Slam.  This is by far the most difficult cancel to pull off
but opens a whole new range of damage. After a successful Aura Smash cancel,
you are granted a free Aura Rush attack so use that to close the distance 
and continue the combo.

*The Golden Rule of Combo Canceling*

NEVER under any circumstances attempt a combo that puts the opponent in ki
advantage.  That means that no combo should EVER go over 2.5 bars worth of ki
gain for the opponent since it leaves you open for a teleport counter (which
can be canceled into a combo).  That also means that no combo should end in 
an attack that can be recovered from quickly leaving endless possibilities 
for a counter attack.  

Basically, no on the ground attacks since break fall can lead into a combo
just as quickly as a teleport counter cancel.  

Finally, absolutely NO PURSUIT FINISHERS!!!!!!  I can't stress this one enough,
although they look great each pursuit attack gives the opponent back 1 whole
ki bar.  That means that getting a complete Pursuit combo ending in a
finisher is next to impossible against anyone who knows how to teleport
counter.  A single pursuit attack is okay once in a while to show off, but
trying for 3 is asking for trouble.  All combos in this guide follow are 
safe to use but incase you try building your own, just keep in mind the 
golden rule and you should be okay.

Legend:

R = Rush attack
S = Slam attack
>= Towards opponent
< = Away from opponent
>> = Dash to opponent
^ = Up on the D-pad
E = Energy Button
- = Cancel
* = Stun
~ = Side Step Cancel
' = Fully charge upcoming move
[AB] = Aura Burst
-[AB] = Aura Cancel


***ALL COMBOS ARE DONE AT MAX KI AGAINST GOGETA AT MAX KI***


All combos are performed on the ground without booster cards in SSJ.

Beginners Section
No combo cancel knowledge needed

1) SSS*, >>R, <R<RR>E [Buster Cannon] 8 hits, 978 damage

2) SSS*, >RRS*, RRRRSS>E [Buster Cannon] 15 hits, 1276 damage

3) SSS*, >RRS*, >>R, ^E [Heat Dome] 11 hits, 1950 damage


Intermediate Section
No Burst canceling knowledge needed

1) <SS~, RS-, >RRSSS-, >>R, <R<RR>E [Buster Cannon] 17 hits, 1405 damage

2) SSS*, <SS~, RS-, >RRSSS-, >>R, ^E [Heat Dome] 25 hits, 2281 damage

3) <SS~, SSS*, >RRSSS-, >>R, RS-, ^E [Heat Dome] 28 hits, 2506 damage


Advanced Section

1) SSS*, >RRS*, <SS-[AB]S, [AB]R, RS-, <R<RR, <R<RRE-, ^E [Heat Dome]
30 hits, 2518 damage. Opponent gains 2.1 ki bars

2) <SS~, RS-[AB]S, [AB]R, >RRSSS-, >>R, SSS*, ^E [Heat Dome]
30 hits, 2713 damage. Opponent gains 2.1 ki bars

3) <SS~, SSSS-[AB]S, >>, >RRRSS-, >>R, RRRRSSE-, <R<RR, <R<RR, ^E [Heat
Dome] 41 hits, 3007 damage.  Opponent gains 2.4 ki bars 

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TRUNKS SPECIAL MOVE RATINGS

Masenko: 7/10
This close range blast is perfect for close to mid range combat. When fully
charged or done from an aura burst, this move fans out over a wide range 
hitting any side stepping opponents at close to mid range. Remember this is a 
proximity blast so don't use it thinking you can hit a fleeing opponent.

Shining Slash: 7/10
This is a really good physical death move, it comes out quick and is perfect
for mid to long range combat. When fully charged or done from an aura burst,
this move gains some range and becomes unblockable, even going through aura
guard.  

Buster Cannon: 6/10
This is a fairly solid death move, it is a single hit so the opponent can't
teleport count it as easily as a kamehameha. The start up time kind'a hurts
this move a little but it is still a feasible option. I just wish Trunks 
didn't have such an exagerated lean before he throws the blast, it looks
really dumb.

Burning Slash: 6/10
Yeah this is a cool move but it is difficult to land due to the start up and
it is a royal pain in the ass to combo into. This move has amazing priority
but the start up means you use it to interrupt one of your opponent's attacks
but even then, it isn't guaranteed. As far as combo cancels go, the only way
to connect this move at the end of a combo is to energy cancel with <R<RRE-.
The timing is extremely strict, I have only been able to do this in practice,
never in a real match. For all the effort, it is just better to transform
so you have Heat Dome Attack.  There isn't really any point in connecting this
move other than to showboat or punish a really really stupid mistake.

Heat Dome Attack: 9/10
Who doesn't love super quick rushing ultimates? The only thing preventing 
this from getting a 10 is that it doesn't have a follow up and Trunks 
doesn't have any safe follow up options. This ultimate does have insanely
high priority, going through most ki blasts and all melee attacks, it makes
for both the perfect combo ender and the perfect counter attack.

Power of Mixed Blood: 8/10
Though this Aura Burst Charge can only be used in base form, it adds 20% to
both Trunk's attack and defense. Perfect for those times when you get 
knocked out of SSJ (though if that happens, you really need to practice)
or when you just want to give SSJ another boost before transformation. Even 
if you are still getting your ass kicked during this, at least you take 20%
less damage.

Ultimate Power: 2/10
This Aura Burst Charge is completely useless. No power increase is worth
losing all of your ki for especially when your ki is locked at 1 bar no matter
what you do. Any half way decent opponent is just going to dash away from you
in aura mode or take a single hit and teleport behind you for a full combo.

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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Q: How do you use Power of Mixed Blood and Ultimate Power?

A: In order to use any Aura Burst Charge, you have to push C (left
shoulder button) and B (right shoulder button) together at the same time.
Aura Burst Charges are unique to every character and can only be used once
per match.

Q: How do I teleport behind the opponent when they attack me?

A: To perform a teleport counter, simply press forward and guard at the same
time when you are attacked.  Teleport counters consume 3 ki bars and can be
canceled into a combo by holding down guard when you teleport.  

Q: How do I teleport after the opponent when I knock them away?  Also, how 
do I do (insert special move) after the teleport?

A: To perform a pursuit attack, simply press Burst (right shoulder button)
after you knock the opponent away with any attack.  Pursuit attacks cost 1 
ki bar and can be done up to 3 times in a row.  After the 3rd attack, your
character will automatically hit the opponent with a special move.  Be 
warned, each pursuit attack gives the opponent 1 ki bar back so connecting
all 3 is extremely rare against a skilled opponent since they will most 
likely be able to teleport counter behind you for a free combo.  

Q: I keep seeing the computer recover health, how do I do that?

A: Health recovery is an Aura Burst Charge unique to Piccolo, the Buus,
Cell, Janemba, and Cooler.  The best way to deal with health recovery (and
any powerful Aura Burst Charge) is to stop the opponent from ever using it.
Close in, stay in their face, and keep the pressure on them so they never get
a chance.  In the off chance they manage to get away and use it, they will be
wide open so hit them with any long range death move, or even an ultimate
to instantly shave off some of the health they regained. Even if the 
opponent manages to heal, it is only 1500 health points, easily taken away
by another combo.

Q: The computer keeps kicking my ass in Another Road, is there any way to
deal with all of the enemies?

A: The best way to deal with the gauntlet of enemies thrown at you in Another
Road is to learn how to combo cancel.  Instead of boosting your stats with
cards and spamming >E, just learn how to combo and you'll be able to take out
3 or 4 enemies without losing a single bar of life.  No I'm not exaggerating,
the A.I. in Budokai simply doesn't know how to deal with extended combos
from charge canceling.  Once you master combo canceling, stat boosting removes
all difficulty from Another Road since a combo that hits for 2000 damage 
normally could hit for well over 4000 damage.

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QUESTIONS?  COMMENTS?  ADVICE?

You can email me at [email protected] if you have any questions or comments
regarding this guide. 

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SPECIAL THANKS

Dimps and Atari - For caring enough to improve the series with each game.

Nnamz - For all of your support and permission to use your faq layout

Zejitox, philff138, cml64, Brogeta, Goryus, Sjsman, vegeta1,
kekken5, EVIL CAPTIAN AMERICA, SuperShinySonic, superior13, kevinlim123,
1ssj4gogeta1 - and everyone else on the Another Road board (specifically the
tier topics) who know how to play the game and continue to contribute to the
community

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LEGAL INFO

This may be not be reproduced under any circumstances except for personal,
private use. It may not be placed on any web site or otherwise distributed
publicly without advance written permission. Use of this guide on any other web
site or as a part of any public display is strictly prohibited, and a violation
of copyright.

Copyright 2008 Josh Orolfo