Mainly for fun, but also to see what people are saying and to maybe learn a little something about a fresh game, name the top 5s in your opinion in these categories! Explanations optional. The "top 5" would take into account overall factors, rather than just "best AA" being the easiest to land AA but doing 1% damage. This isn't only about hard facts, there are lots of opinions and match-up specific things to consider, though some things like damage, start-up, and hit-boxes are literal facts.
- Anti-Air - takes into account start-up, hit-box, damage/oki, ease of use (d+2 is easier and more consistent than a motion by default), etc. This is the only one I'll make a list for, and even then I know I'm missing crucial character info.
1. Grundy - d+2 leads to 50%+ damage off a pretty strong hit-box into his inescapable reset, and his DF1 air throw is ridiculous as all air throws are.
2. Green Lantern - His DB1 has an amazing projectile hit-box and leads to a consistent 30%+ combo off of a bar. If it was a little faster it'd be the best in the game, hands down.
3. Aquaman - probably the best d+2 in the entire game, and he gets pretty good damage into oki off of it, somewhere around 35%.
4. Doomsday - ridiculous air throw DF1 which can be meter burned for okay damage and damn good oki. Possibly the best anti-air in terms of anti-airing capability due to its speed and hit-box, but generally he's not punishing as bad as the other guys who are all still damn good at it.
5. Wonder Woman - Very strong d+2 in Lasso stance, leads into good damage and oki like Aquaman.
- Wake-up Options - takes into account invincibility, safety, damage on hit, options, etc. The only one I can say with some degree of certainty is Killer Frost is #1 - Parry is instant and leads into 40%+ on MB, and Slide is completely invincible, safe on block, hits low, and starts a 40% combo into oki on hit. Her wake-up must be respected and punished by specific means.
- Jump-in Game - takes into account hit-boxes, damage off of jump-in, speed, cross-up ability, and ability to screw with AAs. Just because a character has an unstoppable jump-in doesn't mean they're the best jumpers, though.
- Zoning Game - takes into account if the opponent can crouch their main projectiles, how much chip, overhead/low options, how much damage off of raw and MB zoning, how easily the zoning can be countered, etc.
- Damage: takes into account max damage and practical (emphasis on this) damage in a match, with and without trait, corner, etc. Someone like Doomsday is obviously terrible in relation to the rest of the cast, someone like Superman is obviously near top because of his corner combos and free trait off a hit-confirm. Someone like Killer Frost, who can do top tier damage in trait, won't be landing it most matches as of now.
- Mix-ups/Oki: takes into account high/lows, frame advantage, setups after knockdown, how ambiguous their stuff is to block, etc. Someone like Doomsday would be near top here due to his damn hard to block DF2 he can always throw into his strings, massive frame advantage, unblockables, strong chip damage, body splash, etc.
Here is a set of lists you can copy/paste if you'd like to make your own lists easily:
Anti-Air:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Wake-up Options:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Jump-in Game:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Zoning Game:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Damage:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Mix-ups/Oki:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
- Anti-Air - takes into account start-up, hit-box, damage/oki, ease of use (d+2 is easier and more consistent than a motion by default), etc. This is the only one I'll make a list for, and even then I know I'm missing crucial character info.
1. Grundy - d+2 leads to 50%+ damage off a pretty strong hit-box into his inescapable reset, and his DF1 air throw is ridiculous as all air throws are.
2. Green Lantern - His DB1 has an amazing projectile hit-box and leads to a consistent 30%+ combo off of a bar. If it was a little faster it'd be the best in the game, hands down.
3. Aquaman - probably the best d+2 in the entire game, and he gets pretty good damage into oki off of it, somewhere around 35%.
4. Doomsday - ridiculous air throw DF1 which can be meter burned for okay damage and damn good oki. Possibly the best anti-air in terms of anti-airing capability due to its speed and hit-box, but generally he's not punishing as bad as the other guys who are all still damn good at it.
5. Wonder Woman - Very strong d+2 in Lasso stance, leads into good damage and oki like Aquaman.
- Wake-up Options - takes into account invincibility, safety, damage on hit, options, etc. The only one I can say with some degree of certainty is Killer Frost is #1 - Parry is instant and leads into 40%+ on MB, and Slide is completely invincible, safe on block, hits low, and starts a 40% combo into oki on hit. Her wake-up must be respected and punished by specific means.
- Jump-in Game - takes into account hit-boxes, damage off of jump-in, speed, cross-up ability, and ability to screw with AAs. Just because a character has an unstoppable jump-in doesn't mean they're the best jumpers, though.
- Zoning Game - takes into account if the opponent can crouch their main projectiles, how much chip, overhead/low options, how much damage off of raw and MB zoning, how easily the zoning can be countered, etc.
- Damage: takes into account max damage and practical (emphasis on this) damage in a match, with and without trait, corner, etc. Someone like Doomsday is obviously terrible in relation to the rest of the cast, someone like Superman is obviously near top because of his corner combos and free trait off a hit-confirm. Someone like Killer Frost, who can do top tier damage in trait, won't be landing it most matches as of now.
- Mix-ups/Oki: takes into account high/lows, frame advantage, setups after knockdown, how ambiguous their stuff is to block, etc. Someone like Doomsday would be near top here due to his damn hard to block DF2 he can always throw into his strings, massive frame advantage, unblockables, strong chip damage, body splash, etc.
Here is a set of lists you can copy/paste if you'd like to make your own lists easily:
Anti-Air:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Wake-up Options:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Jump-in Game:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Zoning Game:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Damage:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Mix-ups/Oki:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
