how do you think this variation doesn't need work? has no proper mixup game, no vortex, no on hit tick throws, no low combo starters. His projectile is garbage, his parry doesn't parry projectiles, his uppercut is an embarrassment and anti air throw trades most of the time. He needs to get three correct throws before it reaches 'max damage' and with this, despite his ridiculous size, being emperor of outworld and a 'sun god' he hits barely past 40% with 1 meter... yet you have characters like devorah/ermac who hit 45% with 1 meter?
I have no idea how anyone can think he's remotely viable when you compare him to the rest of the cast.
I'd like to discuss these points with you because I believe that every fighter in a fighting game doesn't need every tool in order to be successful, however as long as you has something good going for you it can be harnessed into a successful career.
1. Sun God Kotal Kahn does have a proper mix up. His mixup is based on strikes/command grabs. The reason the mix up is strong is because the opponent has to choose whether to block the attack, or physically escape the command grab since it cannot be throw escaped and is unblockable. He does have on-hit, and on block tick throws. His on block tick throws are especially nasty since you can cancel the attack into the command grab for the fastest execution of the grab on block.
More people are going to try and jump out of Sun God Kotal Kahn's tick throws because many of them cannot be reversed on block without using an armored move (just like everyone using an EX move to blow up a 50/50.) The trick is, Kotal can also armor up his command grab if necessary to better his chances of landing it. I made a video about option you have if you need to combat victims jumping/backdashing your command grab tick throw attempts so I'll list it here for you:
2. f+3,4 is a low combo start for him in the corner. In open field, it still nets you nearly 30% by cancelling into an EX sunstone. f+3 on it's own is hard to punish on block, and also has enough time to where you could catch retaliation attempts with an EX Sun God Choke.
3. The Sunstone is very different. The normal version is extremely slow on start up and travel time. It's not the best for counterzoning, but it is awkward enough to where it will throw off someone's timing that is attempting to avoid it. It'd also mid and deals good damage for a projectile. If blocked, you do have enough time to run to your opponent which for Sun God is optimal. EX Sunstone is fast enough on start up and travel that it can disrupt zoners in between projectiles. Again, giving you time to run to them. At full screen, alternating between the two will pester opponents who do not have a good projectile themselves.
4. I agree with his uppercut, but since it also recovers fast enough to where you can low jab into a combo when you are in the corner... I just understand we can't have everything.
5. I agree with the EX Air Takedown that it should trade less often than it does. I've conceded to using Kotal's mobility when people jump in (i.e. run, f+2 under them, back dash). The EX Air Takedown is still very good against deeper jump in punches more so than people attacking early in the air with jump kicks. It's also good versus cross up pressure. I do try to anti air with the takedown often still because the damage potential is too good to pass up. Also, d+4 makes you small enough for some attacks to whiff you if they attack too high in the air. I'd like the EX Air Takedown to gain armor, so it will work more effectively but still give characters who can cancel into air specials an opportunity to escape.
6. Normally characters will have an attack parry, or a projectile reflect move, they won't have both. It would be absurd if Kotal's parry reflected projectiles since it immediately puts him at 0 at success. If he had that, then you could always follow up with an EX Sunstone/Blood Offering/Sun Ray safely and it would completely change the dynamic of any fight. If projectiles were useless against him fundamentally, then he would need to be a boss character. His parry is good for what it is supposed to do. At 8 frames the regular comes out as fast as a counter poke (I understand it now!), and if you block someone's jump in you can use EX parry to start parrying the attack string if the jump in wasn't deep enough for lots of block stun. Someone mentioned earlier that they cannot cancel into their special attack when a move is parried, and that is true. Since it effectively stops the attack once the string is over, we have to study up so that we can be ready to counter with 114, or f+2 and take advantage of the extra damage. Kotal's normal 114 BnB after parry deals 50% with 1 bar open field. That's stout.
Sun God Choke makes him viable, just like the Spinning Pile Driver makes Zangief viable in Street Fighter. Only difference? We have a projectile and many more ways to get close to our victims. In respect to needing 3 throws in order to reach level 3, the quality of life improvement I was discussing in the other thread would be to make EX Sun God Choke perform the level 3 version all the time, and immediately give him access to level 3 normal choke and Soul Scorch afterwards. It would give you extra damage for 1 bar, and also give you the improvement on your normal choke's damage after. Along with that, you'd have the opportunity where you could refund half the meter cost or use another bar to heal with Soul Scorch. I think it's very fair and would give you a reason to use EX choke often outside of just the armor.
Finally, don't be fooled by Kotal only getting 40% with his BnB w/ level 3 Sun God Choke as a bad thing. The reason being is that if you can reach 40% damage combos consistently, then the match is only a 2 juggle round to begin with. Your poking and command grab will easily make up the difference. Kotal has tools to increase his damage, so we can't ask for lots of base damage increases because it would become ridiculous when powered up. Here is a pretty easy juggle after a parry:
Late game is going to be very big for Kotal Kahn. Once the opportunities for increasing his damage are sorted out better through Blood Offering and/or Parries, we're going to be ending rounds with one juggle. People are going to cry when they don't have meter to break, or we're going to force them to lose their meter because they can't afford to take the damage from us. There won't be any choice. After getting parried, it's normally going to be "breaker or death" situation for them. Once our ground game is better, our conversation is going to be different because when you have a defensive tool like we do... our success depends even more so on knowledge of every other character along with our own. I hate that I'm beating a dead horse, but keep in mind that the parry beats overhead/low mixups... and if there is a 3 frame gap in a vortex it could beat a vortex reset. We just have to work together and figure that stuff out so that we can take Sun God to the next level.
