Part Five: Stage-Selection Theory
My favorite stages for Deathstroke are Ferris Aircraft and Atlantis. These stages benefit Deathstroke not only offensively, but defensively as well. Deathstroke probably finds himself in the corner more than any other character in the game. This leaves him vulnerable to b3 transitions from transition-heavy characters like Green Lantern, Green Arrow, and Superman. On the other hand, Deathstroke will rarely, if ever, initiate his own transition except through a lucky MB.b3. Because of this, Ferris and Atlantis benefit Deathstroke because they don’t have transitions. This makes backing into the corner far less dangerous than in any other stage.
Not only do these two stages not have transitions, but they both have corner interactables that hugely benefit Deathstroke. Ferris has the missile launcher on the far right and the “log trap” on the far left. If Deathstroke connects with the “log trap”, he can follow up with b3-j3-323-f23-Sword Flip for 42%. Atlantis has the water valves located in both corners. These are amazing for Deathstroke because he can meter-burn then to game 5 hits of armor. This makes approaching Deathstroke nearly impossible on either stage.
You should always be picking either of those stages (at least in a tournament setting). If you do get pulled into another stage, here are some things to look out for:
The left corner of Stryker’s Island (Cell Block) is amazing for Deathstroke. You’ve got 2 interactables at your disposal, and the robot’s shotgun can be meter-burned for 5 hits of armor. Unlike other projectiles, it cannot be ducked or jumped; if they are within range, they will be hit.
The Hall of Justice (Plaza) allows Deathstroke to set up unblockables with the little robot drones. If you can activate one, you can either lock your opponent down with Machine Gun or jump and wait to Air Quick Fire them when they try to jump it. When you land, you can MB.Machine Gun for 35% full-screen damage.
The stages you really want to avoid when fighting power characters are both Asylum Cell Blocks, both Wayne Manor Entrances, Gotham City Rooftop, Fortress of Solitude Menagerie, and Insurgency Command Center. This is because these stages have few interactables that benefit Deathstroke, while having several interactables that do benefit power characters.