This variation is all about the 50 50 u get from hard knockdown. When opponent gets knocked down from DB2 u can cross over J2/1 into DB2 again or into B3 string. This is guaranteed and stuffs unarmored wakeups.
That sounds good, but won't work very often outside the lab. DB2 is slow, can be punished during the leaping frames, backdashed/techrolled easily... I've personally been beaten during a DB2 leap, so if I can't connect it there's no follow-up.
Crossups using DB2 aren't a very good idea because they are as easy to punish as kotal kahn tossing his sword at sweep distance. In my honest opinion predator doesn't even benefit from sticking to melee range more than he favors staying at jump distance, tossing disks and poking with the combi-stick's ridiculous range.
You do punish unarmored wakeups easily (most of them), then again the other 2 variations punish them much more efficiently, and any armored wakeup will shred you.
And lastly, warrior adds 3 moves:
- A leap that is a good addition, also with an air move.
- A shoulder charge. I've literally seen nobody use this. At least Shinnok's amulet has a couple of uses, but this one is terrible (or I'm missing something).
- Self-destruct. As good as it can be meter-burning twice and chaining juggles with SD in the lab for 80%-ish combos, the costs don't make up for the rewards in a match... In short, it's just as useful as healing in the hunter variation.
Don't get me wrong here, I don't mean he sucks and I actually intend to main him and be good with him at some point, but so far this variation doesn't offer anything that makes him better than hunter or HQT anywhere other than a leap that can jump over low projectiles across the screen.
