Awkward sooo yeah I'm gonna do the Johnny Cage and Jade. variations I use.
Emerald Defender Jade:
Offensive Options (3/5): For a ranged zoning character, her offense is pretty solid as back 3,4,3,4 is a string with all safe staggers and an excellent speed of 11 frames. Ending in 4 has a flawless block and fatal blow interruptible gap, but with proper conditioning you can make it work and at plus five with spacing it's ideal zoner stylized pressure. Forward 3,4,3 is also a good string for up close stagger into throw mix ups since all points are safe. Her down 4 knocks the opponent back far enough that back 2 can tag them for even more space control pressure. 2,1,2 is a great string for setting up stagger pressure scenarios as well with its safety.
Neutral game/Footsies (5/5): Back 2 is a ten frame attack that allows her to control a great deal of space in front of her coupled with her down 4. Her air glaives are really strong because they force the opponent to approach as properly done air glaives are safe and even plus. Her walk speed and back dash speeds are fantastic so she is able to space the opponent out of their optimal range to get into her specific optimal ranges.
Defensive Options (4/5): One of the best down 2's in the game, low profiling pokes that allow her to go under overheads, jump ins and even stuff like Jax's MID hitting fatal blow allow her to poke safely while subverting her opponent's advances. Back 2 really can check strong advancing mids like Baraka's forward 4 making her ability to control aggressive opponents very potent. The only reason why I cannot give this a 5/5 is because her up 2 is pretty weak and her up 3 is very susceptible to low profiling as well. Her parry is usable, but not reliable either.
Zoning/anti-zoning (5/5): She has projectiles that cover every single angle on the screen from the air glaive that covers the diagonal/horizontal space to the air glaive that occupies air space and can punish people trying to air fireball or jump in at certain ranges. Spark checks people trying to neutral crouch full screen to evade her zoning. Her regular standard glaive while it has slow wind up can catch people teleporting in or trying to jump over other zoning options. She also zones and controls space with her staff normals. Glow is one of the best anti-zoning tools in the game as when she reacts to a projectile and activates her glow, it allows her to zone you while you must block and navigate in on her. Shadow kick is also an excellent tool because she can use it to check people trying to advancing with buttons or beat out the start up of some projectiles and punish whiffs.
Damage Output (3/5): I think her damage is very fine and serviceable as on punishable stuff like Scorpion's teleport or Kabal's spin I get an easy 20% for 4,3, amp shadow kick. I'm constantly getting anti-air damage and at some ranges Jade can down 1 shadow kick amplify for a good chunk of damage. If I get you in these little exchanges even just three times in a match you're in a bad spot. Her damage in terms of pure combos is so so, but I also factor in the reliability of how one gets their damage and Jade gets it reliably enough that I feel three is an appropriate number.
Emerald Defender Jade: 20/25
Shock Jock Johnny Cage:
Offensive Options (3/5): Good stagger strings in Forward 3,4,4, excellent down 4 and down 1 as down 4 is so plus that it allows a guaranteed check with forward 4,4, or forward 3,4,4. The wake up game is strong in this game so the fact that Cage has a restand negates a lot of the wake up game options and his throw game is good with Forward 3,4,4 staggers since all parts of the string are safe. Pokes low profiling certain attacks and wake ups is a good boost to his power. His forceball pressure is great, but since it is not useful against many opponents that can go under it, it weakens an aspect of his power.
Neutral game/footsies (4/5): While his buttons are very good, he is also competing with people with safe 9 frame mids with good range. His strings are strong and his pokes can low profile quite a few varied attacks which helps him out. His shadow kick is an excellent check on people walking back or to stuff out zoning and send the opponent to the corner. His projectile is pretty fast with solid recovery so he can counter zoning as he walks and dashes his way in. His walk speed and dash block is also good for getting him where he needs to be on the screen.
Defensive Options (3/5): His up 2 is very good with a high jump. His up 3 has minimal range which hurts it quite a bit. His down 2 is pretty solid as it allows him to sometimes convert into down 1 nutpunch restand. Flip kick can be a decent anti-air option as well. His parry isn't particularly strong, but with good spacing and conditioning he can check strong advancing attacks and it being able to combo for a bar makes it even more noteworthy. His low pokes and hitbox going under some attacks and evading certain strings really helps him out in touchy situations.
Zoning and anti-zoning(3/5): Cage isn't a zoner and can struggle against some of the zoning in the game, but that doesn't mean he cannot cope. Shadow kick can check walk back, zoning start up and send the opponent closer to the corner making it a good counter zoning tool. Cage's projectiles are fast enough to keep zoners honest with his projectile. Against non-zoners his zoning has even more applicability. Decent, but nothing out of the ordinary.
Damage output (4/5): Generally speaking he gets anywhere from 24-34% damage for a bar, which is really solid overall but not over the top. He gets boosted to a four because the restand potential on a correct read can allow him additional access to damage and a loop back into the nutpunch one again. He gets his damage safely on block which I think is another key trait.
Shock Jock Cage: 17/25
