Most optimal Spawn Kustom?

[Kindred]

So now that Kustoms are available, what have you guys been experimenting with? What is his most optimal overall best Kustom variation? Let's figure it out
I tested out Kustom 1 and 2. I want to test out Kustoms 3 and 4:

Kustom 1 (Charge, Command grab)

• The damage here is great because of the charge.
• The command grab can add an opening for blocking opponents which is good
• The command grab whiffs a lot if the person crouches or presses a button. Full Disclosure: When I played this variation, I wasnt playing against a great player so he kept pressing buttons and I kept whiffing the command grab.
• Command grab is too slow to be a combo ender and get damage
• No anti-zoning tools whatsoever

Kustom 2 (Charge, Dive kick/cape)

• Damage due to charge
• Dive kick can catch some people off guard but honestly not a fan because.....
• Dive kick recovery is fucking slow, super punishable, doesnt have that amazing of a range and doesnt help against zoners.

Kustom 3 to try (Charge, Plasm Pool)

• Charge gets the damage
• Plasm pool gives us the meter we need for the damage (do you need to stand in it though?)
• Plasm pool shouldnt conflict with projectile parry

Kustom 4 to try (Charge, low Chain)

• Damage due to charge
• Low chain makes his pressure more safe and he gets the Overhead/low mindgames of the other tournament variation

Has anybody tried any of these? Any feedback/findings?

 

[Trustful_Whale]

My favourite loadout that I've been more than excited to be able to finally use in ranked is based on glorious Soul Forfeit.

• Soul Forfeit
• Blaze of Glory
• Leetha Stance

Idea being maximum KB potential. He keeps armor break and restand, both BoG and Leetha stance KBs can be used in unbreakable combos and Spawn doesn't really need meter for much else while Soul Forfeit is active. Through his KBs he gets ez 30% per touch (or more depending on KB dump) and with armor break can really decimate health bars on a solid read.
Forward throw becomes a potential 40% unbreakable anywhere on screen using either BoG or Leetha KBs too.

I like giving him what is basically a round 3 cleanup tool that can be popped in round 2 as a gamble if Spawn's ahead. It's kinda interesting that playing less optimally (not getting KBs) can potentially make him more threatening later via whatever leftover KBs he might have and it gives him a ton of versatility.
The reduced damage from the KBs lines up with being able to use them in combos and the resulting damage for single KB combos adds up to be roughly the same as hitting them normally.

Been also messing with;

• Plasm Pool
• Hell Chain/Leetha Stance
• Raising Hell

The idea being I can bully my opponent into the corner while staying safe with Raising Hell, and once in the corner a well placed pool gives Spawn a tremendous amount of meter regen while he does his already really oppressive corner game.
- Raising Hell amp on block, Hell Chain or Hell Chain amp, and Leetha Stance low amped all will push Spawn back into the plasm pool to recharge so he can continue his offense.

 

[Kindred]

My favourite loadout that I've been more than excited to be able to finally use in ranked is based on glorious Soul Forfeit.

• Soul Forfeit
• Blaze of Glory
• Leetha Stance

Idea being maximum KB potential. He keeps armor break and restand, both BoG and Leetha stance KBs can be used in unbreakable combos and Spawn doesn't really need meter for much else while Soul Forfeit is active. Through his KBs he gets ez 30% per touch (or more depending on KB dump) and with armor break can really decimate health bars on a solid read.
Forward throw becomes a potential 40% unbreakable anywhere on screen using either BoG or Leetha KBs too.

I like giving him what is basically a round 3 cleanup tool that can be popped in round 2 as a gamble if Spawn's ahead. It's kinda interesting that playing less optimally (not getting KBs) can potentially make him more threatening later via whatever leftover KBs he might have and it gives him a ton of versatility.
The reduced damage from the KBs lines up with being able to use them in combos and the resulting damage for single KB combos adds up to be roughly the same as hitting them normally.

Been also messing with;

• Plasm Pool
• Hell Chain/Leetha Stance
• Raising Hell

The idea being I can bully my opponent into the corner while staying safe with Raising Hell, and once in the corner a well placed pool gives Spawn a tremendous amount of meter regen while he does his already really oppressive corner game.
- Raising Hell amp on block, Hell Chain or Hell Chain amp, and Leetha Stance low amped all will push Spawn back into the plasm pool to recharge so he can continue his offense.

So I was very excited with the soul forfeit shenanigans you described until I saw, to my chagrin, that it is a 3 directional input. I tried it and as I suspected, my spawn was left jumping backwards or doing a leatha stand. So yea I dont think Ill be using it lol

I didnt try to plasm pool kustom you described yet but I did try Charge+Raisin hell and I like this one. You get the damage, you get the safe low that can condition them to block high and give you and openning for your low starter.

 

[Trustful_Whale]

I think it's worth learning the muscle memory and it opens up more characters for you.

Also, I forgot to mention Soul Forfeit has a hidden bonus that it also gains the larger hitbox on Fatal Blow as Invoking the Legion, but it returns to normal after using a KB.

 

[Kindred]

I think it's worth learning the muscle memory and it opens up more characters for you.

Also, I forgot to mention Soul Forfeit has a hidden bonus that it also gains the larger hitbox on Fatal Blow as Invoking the Legion, but it returns to normal after using a KB.

Yea its worth it for sure. and Ive tried 3-directional inputs in other characters (Liu Kang command grab variation) but i just cant seem to get in consistently no matter what. I was suspecting it might be my controllers because I would look at the buttons Im pressing and, despite never touching the Up button, my character still jumped (Im using a controller with 4 separate buttons for the directions, not the original xbox controller).

Ill give it another try but what do you do against zoners? Is there video of someone using that variation?

 

[DarksydeDash]

Hellspawn Charge with Plasma pool is HILARIOUS.

Like if they break, it's a free pool.

 

[ticklebandit!]

My favorite has been soul forfeit, blazing guns, and the dive kick. The dive kick spacing takes some getting use to but I honestly really like it as it catches people off guard a lot. Giant soul forfeit combos ftw give me life, especially when I catch people’s break away.

As far as anti zoning variation I had one that was flight, the dive kick, and blazing guns. For some MU’s when I was full screen I’d just do far flight and then dive kick to catch them pressing buttons or preemptively trying to anti air, or I’d just cancel the flight and be up close. I could also be more unpredictable with my jump ins.