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Non-Tournament Specials

i dabbled around in training a bit with his non-tournament specials (i gave them my own names if i didnt remember the real one, but youll know which one i mean). impressions:


first of all: charge (db3) does not change any move aside from db4 (low staff). any two moves that have the same input cannot be in the same loadout.


Jo push (bf1): replaces bf1 lightning, 2 slots: this move has mid range and can be amped for a bf3 followup midscreen or a string in the corner. tbh i dont see any reason why you would pick this over storm cell, as storm cell replaces a less useful move, has only one slot and leads to better combos.


rolling thunder (db3) 1 slot: seems very useful, especially for a more rushdown-y raiden. travels slowly on the ground and does unblockable 1% for 10 ticks. AMP enhances range and duration. i think of this as a supplement to combos or blockstrings. also, it could be a lockdown tool in combination with:


fly (d,u) 1 slot: looks flashy as hell. he gets a forward and a diagonal downward lighning as well as an overhead drop and a cancel. he always flies forward but can control the speed with the initial input (slow/very slow). amp does a lighning discharge similar to raijins db3, but downwards. this move sadly does not synergize with:


Staff Placement (db4), 1 Slot: this is actually a good move. raiden places his staff on the screen (close, mid, far) and it can redirect bf1 or df2 to the opponent when you hold the button. the redirection has about sweep range. with certain setups you can get up to 3 hit lightning combos, if the you hit the opponent with the projectile first, the staff will add another hit, and if you amped the first projectile it will be a 3 hit combo. the duration of the placement is only short, you can throw 2 projectiles during it. but the staff placement itself has a hitbox like a normal and does 50 damage, so you can use it as a combo ender to set up some zoning. maybe you can also make blockstrings safe by ending in a lightning attack when the staff is set up, havent tested that yet. the amplified version sets up an electric field that sends out lightning zaps on it own (i hope i remember that correctly). the lightning rod does not redirect the projectiles you have in FLY, which is quite a waste imo.


flying Punch (bf3, 1 slot, replaces electric fly): i have no clue what the point of this is. it works exactly like EF; but has a slightly different and actually maybe worse hitbox. it does less damage on the first hit and also on AMP. it has a krushing blow that is just as hard as EFs (has to hit as a counter from full charge).


i didnt really find any special combination that screams "this is an awesome variation" though. but im quite sure something that has storm cell and charge would be ridiculous, even though there is no third move as perfect addition to it. aside from these two, raidens best specials seem to be sparkport and rolling thunder, staff placement and fly could be good too.
 
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Cosmic Forge

Practice mode noob
I wish the Rolling Thunder cloud would follow them or at least stop in the corner. Other DoT's are stable like Kotal's sunlight or Erron's acid flask. I also wish it had more interactions with other moves.

I feel the lightning rod is too gimmicky for now. The fact you lose all other rod attacks while deployed is lame. No f+1,1 and no 3,2,1 and no Jo Push if equipped. Plus, the amped version doesn't last long enough and can't be "triggered" more than once. It's just not "useful" enough or consistent.

The superman punch is also inferior to superman fly other than it "low crushes" low attacks so it's a good way to punish low spammers with big damage on KB. Otherwise, inferior to fly. Again, unless it has some interaction with other moves that I don't know about, it's inferior and a waste IMO.
 
Reactions: f24

f24

Don't F*** with a God
I wish the Rolling Thunder cloud would follow them or at least stop in the corner. Other DoT's are stable like Kotal's sunlight or Erron's acid flask. I also wish it had more interactions with other moves.

I feel the lightning rod is too gimmicky for now. The fact you lose all other rod attacks while deployed is lame. No f+1,1 and no 3,2,1 and no Jo Push if equipped. Plus, the amped version doesn't last long enough and can't be "triggered" more than once. It's just not "useful" enough or consistent.

The superman punch is also inferior to superman fly other than it "low crushes" low attacks so it's a good way to punish low spammers with big damage on KB. Otherwise, inferior to fly. Again, unless it has some interaction with other moves that I don't know about, it's inferior and a waste IMO.
I think Rolling Thunder should be static on amplify and it would be perfect. I like the utility of having the moving unblockable damage, but it doesn’t really make sense to use all that much.

My ideal variation would have sparkport, Storm Cell, and rolling Thunder.
 

Cosmic Forge

Practice mode noob
If discharge allowed for extensions mid screen too, I could see swapping it for storm cell.
  • BTW. Can we PLEASE fix discharge so it doesn't wear off during Krushing Blows??? How do we use this after B2 or D2 KB's? :mad:
So many side variations are interesting but just aren't worth the swap.

The flying stance needs love.
  • Either more mobility or make it easier to combo into.
  • Or give it a combo extension with amplify.
  • Why can't I superman from this stance?
  • Or fake with it like you can with sparkport amplify?
  • Or air dash around with f,f, or b,b?
  • Pretty sure the FLY 3 stomp should have a KB, if not a Brutality.
Rolling thunder needs help. I like the idea of amplify = longer duration + stationary.

The low current staff knockdown amplify needs to be a legit combo extender again.

Jo Push amplify needs to work in any combo vs standing or juggle.
  • Since this "amazing" combo extender costs 2 slots, it should offer more, like added normals and strings.
  • No KB for this thing? Wut?
Lightning Rod needs to have a hitbox wherever it comes down, not just when he does the close version. Mid is fine. Not trying to ask for too much :p
  • Amplified lightning rod needs to last 6 seconds at least instead of 3.
  • And should also redirect Flying stance bolts on input hold.
  • Recalling the staff with d,d+4 should also have a hitbox.
  • Give Raiden some kind of replacement moves while deployed so he doesn't straight up lose f+1,1; 3,2,1; Jo Push etc.
Sparkport amp should have a press and hold for delay appearance like Kung Lao's teleport amp.

Buff the hell outta Super Bolt (superman punch EF replacement).
  • Maybe give it a wall bounce mechanic? Prob asking for too much there.
  • Make fully charged version safe-ish (-6 or better).
  • Change the KB requirement to something else. Maybe after a 6 hit combo, or as a kounter/punish without fully charged.
/impromptu buffs wishlist
 
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Yeah, Super Bolt is frustratingly bizarre and has puzzled me greatly since I first tried it out on day 1. It's such a badass looking move (has probably the coolest KB in the game) and yet just has nothing going for it whatsoever compared to Electric Fly.

The best I could figure out is that it changes your oki on hit (pretty much the opposite of electric fly for normal and amped versions), and superman cancels leave you much closer which I don't think we even want. The only other okayish thing I could find was it's less unsafe on whiff, but we can't do it in the air or anything so it's just overall less versatile in general for the generous cost of taking away a better move for 1 ability slot, yay!

I don't get it. I shouldn't have to look this hard for clear differences of a move that takes up a resource to equip.