GENERAL:
- All jumping attacks now have 2 extra frames of whiff recovery.
- Strings or normal attacks can no longer be linked after a BACKWARDS jump attack on BLOCK ONLY. (the follow ups will still come out and connect on hit).
- Breaker knockdowns now properly space the two characters away from each other so they can no longer give adFvantageous situations for the person using breaker or being broken on near the corner. Both players recover at exactly the same frame with space from one another.
- Teching a throw now adds full invincibility frames to both players during the full tech escape window animation.
- Back Throw now has a slightly altered animation.
- Characters hit and launched out of CROUCH now no longer give reduced height that would be limiting many guaranteed juggle opportunities for certain characters.
- Normals on a successful trade up close no longer grant a full combo opportunity for any character.
- Any costumes that slightly change or affect a characters hitboxes or hurtboxes is now fixed.
I like these changes.
- I will like to see meter gain on block (think 33% of what it gives on offense) ... maybe
Johnny Cage:
- Good propositions, however wouldn't EX Rising Mimic be better off having increased recovery (so the sweep cannot come out in time, but juggling midscreen is still possible)?
- I'd give A-list less advantage on block and on hit as well
Takeda:
Giving hurtboxes to the whips is going to feel weird I feel. Agree with the rest, though I'm not sure if Takeda still deserves being able to jail after EX Kunai if not delayed, might be better if EX Kunai becomes mid with reduced on block advantage, normal ones stay low.
edit: they don't jail but might as well
edit 2: I think Lasher needs a few more minus frames on block with his special, specifically Whip Flip (armored low launcher) to -15 down from -11.
Video for reference:
Jax:
Kung Jin:
Agree with Jax and Kung Jin universal changes. Can't speak for Ancestral or Bojutsu.
Would like to see Shaolin's Up Kick AND Shaolin Drop being unsafer (think guess on a punish, similar to Mileenas Teleport/Air Sai mindgame).
Sub-Zero:
- No pushback on Frost Bomb sounds like it's more in SZ's favor, I guess this would mitigate the loss of damage from Ice Shatter combos. Seems fair.
- Cryos hammer 0 on block seems a bit too advantageous, in combination with a faster poke (which I think SZ deserves), I'd say it'd be fine at -3.
- would maybe like to see him have added 0.3 seconds delay needed to resummon clone if hurtboxes were to be changed
edit: b2 at -15 down from -13 on block
Ferra / Torr:
Kotal:
- Can't speak for F/T or Blood God. The EX Overhead Sword changes are good but would like to see less pushback on normal Overhead Sword as well. This is Kotals gapless option after b112, I don't think it deserves being unpunishable midscreen (this is MU specific, but too advantageous imo) even though it's -18.
- Kotals d1 -6 down from -5
Sonya:
Yes to Demolition changes, specifically Stun Grenades being disarmed. Now there's at least a risk to her delaying the Stun Grenades AND a use for Frag grenades. Nice. She'll still have the strongest 50/50 game, but this helps.
Tanya:
- Pyro: Don't like not being able to grab anymore during Shroud, this variation already struggles a lot, can't even break 20% damage meterless unless the opponent is Dusted and even then without using a bar the scaling is very high.
HOWEVER, this is probably the best for the game as IMO it's ridiculous even attempting to tech this situation.
She would need something more other than Overhead Fireballs. I'd consider a string that contains an overhead and the ability to trigger the dust like B312, which would also hold a gap.
- I feel like Dragon Naginata and Kobu Jutsu could use a little more than that, can't speak for DN but here's what I propose for KJ: First EX Rekka gains its 1-hit of armor back + significantly reduced on-block Rekkas (excluding the last EX Rekka). Would love to see EX Tonfa Toss being a little more useful but really I want that armor-breaking special back.
Mileena:
These changes seem pretty minimal, which is a good thing. She'll have slightly more difficulty prioritizing meter for Breakers and more to keep her "safe" after a teleport. The hurtbox on Roll is a must, not sure if it's possible without increasing Start-up but if that's what it takes then so be it, it's horrible right now.
IMO, she could still use some overall damage scaling and whiff recovery+normalized AA hitbox on her D1.
Bo Rai' Cho:
Can't speak for BRC, I do agree he needs help. Damage reduction for Drunken Master is a GREAT idea.
Jacqui:
- Full Auto: Normal Up Rocket stays at +5? That's still inescapable in the corner, I don't think she deserves launching meterless plus, safety is good enough considering her normals (more so in the corner).
- Shotgun: -20 on block seems like a good start.
Kano:
Very minimal changes, could use a bit a more of a downtone imo:
- EX Blade Toss at +6 down from +9 (F2 would beat pokes, Mixups would get beaten/traded by pokes)
D'Vorah:
- I doubt reducing the Swarm Puddle on block advantage will help anyone by much, nor would it increasing the characters execution requirement, but the Puddle change is welcome.
- I would add a gap in F11<>2. She could bait and punish backdashes/armor or still remain plus like she always was. At least there's a defensive option vs such a good offense now.
Tremor:
I do think the EX Low Shatter change is necessary, but Tremor could use a slight improvement somewhere, I haven't seen this character anywhere since KP2. Dare I propose increased range or 16 frame B1?
Jason:
No idea about Jason but I agree with the poke nerf
Scorpion:
Inferno might need a change, but launching EX Minion Drop at already 13% damage seems a lot.. But still, it's reactable, maybe with very high damage scaling this could be interesting.
Shinnok:
That Hell Spark nerf would really, really switch up a lot of MU's for him. I'd be happy to see it playing Ermac but I don't know.. Seems like a hefty nerf for him.
I think a slowed down or decreased range of Hell Sparks could also work if opponents could time it right and jump over (instead of just being really lucky).
Additionally, never liked 7 frame low but I guess.. he needs it.
edit: b3 at -15 down from -13 on block
Reptile:
Seems fine.
Predator:
Seems fine
Erron Black:
- Not a fan of Marksman changes as this supports heavy 50/50 or even 50/50 into 50/50 use
- Gunslinger: changed chip per bullet damage on Stand Off-Low Shot to 1% down from 1.63%. As it stands now, you're better off getting HIT purposely to take reduced damage. I don't think there's any excuse for that.
Goro:
- Can't speak for Goro but deserves a little extra something
Liu Kang:
- Same for Dualist
- Again, I doubt higher execution for Dragons Fire will help anyone. I dislike the design of the character and would consider rehashing DF to a neutral character with little reliance on FBCs, but it will never happen so I'll keep it realistic:
Universal:
- Flying kick and EX Flying Kick: increased whiff recovery so it's punishable when Neutral Crouched
- D3 becomes -3 down from +1
- Dragons Roar/Wrath at -5 down from -2
Dragons Fire:
- added gap in F21<>3
Same as D'vorah: There's a defensive option now and Liu can relatively safely make a read (cancel F21, to punish a backdash or break specific armored moves) with the risk of being put in a neutral situation.
Flame Fist:
- Fist Flurry and EX Fist Flurry at +15 on hit, down from 50 and 31
Seeing how all these suggestions are nerfs and the character is still somehow struggling in tournaments, I guess he could use an improvement somewhere. Honestly, I can't speak for any buffs he might need after these changes, although I'm thinking more range on normals or faster startup on his d1.
Kung Lao:
- Dislike the Buzz Saw change, but maybe he needs it.
- No idea about Hat Trick
Alien:
Removing Armor on Tail Flip, a normalized JiP2 and near-guaranteed first hit is nice but not enough.
- removing the low during F134 is very interesting, a nice alternative would be F13<gap>4 as long as the 4 or Tail Flip doesn't catch any backdash but Dash or Pounce after F13 would.
- close and normal Exo Splash should be punishable, this is still a projectile that does 8%, should not be done up close or special cancelled after pokes without any risk considering it's fast startup. -11 down from -8
Kitana:
- I would like her to have improved whiff recovery on Square Wave as well but if the goal is to escape or dodge, I believe using a bar should keep her very safe.
- d3 to -5 down from -3, hit advantage 15 up from 10
Kenshi:
Triborg:
- Triborg, agreed, the difference between crouchblocking and neutral crouching should be the same for all characters.
- CSZ changes sound fair, also, he should be able to combo using F13-ice ball, solely to punish. I would make Ice Ball -15 down from -13 however.
- Cyrax: wasn't this the case pre-patch? He deserves it now I suppose
- Can't speak for Sektor
- Smoke:
- I've tested B21 on every character, whiff and block and out of 33 characters there's 22 characters that have an answer to this string on reaction. Making B2
1 a high so it will whiff on anyone neutral crouching would make it full combo punishable unless the string is continued (and even then characters might get saved due to autocorrect).
Now the issue with this change is that Smoke wouldn't have full screen presence (other than EX TP, not a great option). I would say this helps Smoke's opponents more than it does the character, and hearing a lot of complaints from this string maybe it's a good change, I would be fine with it in addition to this idea:
they need to make it so if you hold x on invisibility- it works as shake, and if you hold x on EX, it works as ex shake so we can use it as a wakeup parry and also so he can be the true anti zoner he was in mk9
Anywhere between 5-8% damage would suffice.
I feel like Smoke was designed to be a variation to deal with everything without excelling at anything, having just the right normals in the game and a somewhat fair mixup game with the drawbacks being no Armor and low damage, giving him Shake and EX Shake as projectile parry and normal parry would complete that design and if it helps opponents eating less B21's then I think that could be a good trade-off.
edit: thinking about it having B21 a true block string on block would actually be a nice improvement. Alternatively, if the TP actually low profiled he wouldn't need Shake, but I'd still like to see it happen.
Oh and B21
4 should not hit mid but should also not whiff on crouchblock.
edit: I take it back, having it made a mid would actually give it a mindgame he needs on some characters as some can poke out a B21 and B214 that whiffs
Ermac:
- don't see the issue with JiK3?
- Ground Slam is easily whiff punishable so I don't really see the issue but I'd be okay with -3. Follow-up with d1 loses to pokes and wins to jumpouts
- as for Mystic, I don't feel like he needs any of those nerfs aside from the Health Glitch... but maybe its for the best, doesnt destroy the variation either. I'd like to see him keep the pushback and start-up though.
Raiden
Cassie Cage
Leatherface
Sure
