I agree. If you want to play him don't let others usage stop you.
It definitely isn't gimmicks though. Like you said, optimal timing =|= gimmick. Now we're starting to explore when to use the armor on EX to set up pressure. I'm testing ways to use the armor to blow up single hitting WU's in the corner into pressure/50-60% damage.
It's only the beginning. Cutt may be going places.
Yeah, but it's not like just picking up a character who just needs to know some strings and combos and just get out there and press buttons to play really well, because IMO while execution of his combos may not be too difficult, excellent Cutthroat play benefits from positioning, game knowledge and reads, so much more than the other variations and most other characters in general IMO, to me you need to be very comfortable to do this well. So while I could no doubt be a Kano like the other two in my local, it would take a lot of play to actually be the monster that I feel this variation could potentially be in the right hands. It would definitely be a commitment, but not out of the question.
And yeah, a lot of people seem to think buffs are gimmicky, but they are using the word wrong, or using the ability wrong. I mean potentially you can end up wasting your resources (life, meter, or frames) with it. But if you look a bit deeper, thats POTENTIALLY the case with just about everything in the game, Kano is just more honest about it (lol). Gimmicky is trying to pull off Kotal Kahns 100% combos, or going for stuff like combo's with multiple 1 frame links and insane position dependat juggles for 2% more damage, Cutthroats buff is not a gimmick
Part of me really wants to join the Cutthroat Clan though because like you said, I think its definitely going places. Still strongly considering settling on him for my secondary. Either way, I will say that one of the scarier things I can imagine is an excellent Cutthroat player, I think it is the best variation and I don't care what the "majority" of this silly site thinks, they have been wrong so many times before and often people just adopt an opinion because they see it said the most, and literally go on to say it themselves and use this as their only supporting argument instead of real logic "well everyone says this!". I just want to see a top tier Kano player dominate some tournaments with Cutthroat, anyone got some footage of some good Cutthroat games at all?