This thread I wanted to make to shed some light on the weaker characters of 6 and some changes that could be made to potentially fix them. In the same vein as the 9i strikers thread, I think I'll eventually make a video series of topics like this xD so here's my rundown:
~When you think weak in 6, Raidou is definitely one of the major examples; Good damage, power, and high execution combos and throws... Sounds like the catalyst of a strong character right? Well unfortunately for Raidou, his difficulty isn't really helping him, as he lacks general mix ups, is not that safe, and his guard pressure is garbage as even characters like Nico who is far faster and easier has far better GBs and stuns. Being slow, he could definitely use some more threatening guard breaks since even when performed, his options aren't all that threatening compared to other characters like Nyo who have both dangerous crushes and guard breaks to help her already nasty mix up potential. He also lacks many defensive tools, and as a slower character, this holds him back and makes him a sitting duck when fighting faster characters who can pressure him up close.I think easy fixes could be buffing his GBs, and adding maybe a few new string mix ups and enders could improve his viability. He's not a character I can see instantly being a top tier character, but the right changes could quickly bring him up to a higher mid or lower upper tier if he was buffed and would make more people use him.
~Marie Rose is a character I feel doesn't get much credit in 6; She's a defensive power house, very combo oriented and she's easy to use and mostly very safe. However, people feel she's weaker which is true, but I can't say she's bottom tier. What hurts her most is that she has no real pressure which makes sense because she can sabaki solo or from strings, has expert holds, OHs, and has relatively useful ways to stop offensive pressure. But she can't really pressure herself, and her mix ups are lacking although she's safe as a trade off, which I feel fair. I think her damage is already good, but she could use some guard breaks that leave her +; 4H+K, 3KK and KKK are moves I feel they could make +1 to +3 as a way to make her transition to Rondo more threatening as well as giving her some advantage to work with. P+K is also another move I think they could make leave her plus on block, and buffing some of her expert hold damage could help make them more threatening as there's not much reason to learn the expert hold set ups when there's characters like Kasumi who have easier combos from those holds that deal even more damage.I think with changes like these, she would be a mid tier like she was in LR where she was stronger imo.
~Momiji I think definitely needs help, she has ways to apply pressure and get advantage on block, but it's near useless since her mix ups are very lacking and she's mostly a 50/50 mix up type character, it means she's safe but this hurts her mix ups and makes getting damage always a risk for her. Her expert hold doesn't really guarantee much besides better damage, and her jump stance and double jump stance are just too telegraphed to be of any use besides when she's spacing which she's more adept at since her reach is one of the better of the faster fighters. She also has one of the worst fatal stun moves in the game, and her GB plus moves are often telegraphed and very easy to see coming.Because of how her style is designed, I can't see any real way to fix her besides maybe giving her a few more new strings, maybe some new moves like a 46P and 46K and 236K, and giving her some + on block moves, like 6P(P) could be a charge move and moves like 4K8~PK(K) could also be made + on block as well. She wouldn't be an overnight high tier even with some deep changes but this could bring her back to about mid to upper mid tier status since the fact she's mostly 50/50s is always going to haunt her.
~Rachel is an interesting one, she's strong but just not that viable, with her lack of real pressure and lack of mix ups being her main problem. She's kinda a one trick pony; Throw her opponent, throw them in the air, refloat, air throw them and then slam them into a set up for her heel grind that puts them in a + vortex where she can repeat the same formula or she can attempt to strike them to get a stun going. While this flow chart isn't too bad, she lacks the real mix ups from strings to make it truly a threat and she lacks lows meaning she'll have to be a bit more honest and manually pursue mixes.A good buff I can see for her is giving her a few more + GBs, another 1-2 strings or mix ups to work with, and maybe another move or two. This could help her rise a bit tier wise to make her a more consistent threat like she was in her 5U days.
~Bass is just too slow to be a threat in 6 without him taking major risks. His formula is quite easy, defend, get a good stun and then his shenanigans begin with him flooring the foe, forcing them up and starting his mix ups with OHs, throws, and crushes and other hard hitting punishes like his terrifying hi counter throws. Bass is always going to be on the slow side, but I think he could use some more + GBs and maybe a couple of attacks that have crush properties or some defense like how Tina has, whom is basically a Bass 2.0 who's faster, more varied and alot more a threat when fighting characters who are far faster.Buffs would definitely help him go to mid tier status since his damage from throws and combos is far too nasty to just discard as useless. His lack of any real ways to fend for himself against speedy foes is why he hasn't quite made his mark yet.
~Diego is an interesting topic: He's a new fresh face in 6, but why is he nowhere near as threatening as his fellow new blood like Nico and Kula? Simple: TN played him too safe and made him easy with good damage, but he has very few real mix ups and has to play far too honestly compared to others. He lacks many lows and the ones he does have are gambles to attempt. His GBs are ok and get the job done, but again with how few ways he has to really pressure foes with them, it's pretty lackluster. His throws and damage are good and he hits hard too, but his lack of defensive tools really hold him back. I think with 6 being out almost 2 years, it's a safe time to give him some revamps. With how he's played, he could use some OHs, maybe a high and low so he can help ease pressure off him when being poked and pestered.More string options is also a must since he probably has the least amount of attacks in the game, and his kit is pretty linear and littered with mid punches, some mid kicks and highs and few lows. I think besides that he doesn't need much else since he has promise, but his honest play style and little room for being cheap is what sets him back, he could potentially be a upper mid tier character imo if he was given the right fixes. His simplicity and damage also would make people more open to making him a sub or pocket if it was as worth it to compared to now.
~Leifang is a character whom we all know has fallen from grace; In LR she was one of the best since her defensive tools, sabakis, expert holds, and stun gimmicks made her vary threatening and an annoyance to fight. In 6, she's still annoying to a point, but her expert holds and defensive tools took a bit of a hit to make room for other additions like a low parry and other string adjustments, like her 4P losing its old stun and overall being toned down. The improved sidestep in the game is a major slap to her since she somewhat struggles to track, and her expert holds just aren't much compared to characters like Kasumi who have easier ones with far better rewards. It's a case of being overall outpaced by characters who can do what she does better than her which is very odd since Leifang is supposed to be the face of defensive tools in DOA, but somehow Kasumi and other more offensive characters can outperform her in these areas.I think beefing up her expert hold damage would make them more worth using since there's no real benefit to them besides some extra damage but characters like Kasumi net more from theirs easily. Her damage could also be somewhat raised to put her on par with being a solid defense monster since she should be getting better damage from reading her foes correctly, and additions of a few new tracking moves here and there could restore glory, raising her to what I think could be a lower high tier character.
~Bayman is another character who's fallen from grace, his lack of good tracking means he can be outpaced easily and his tools have been gutted and gimped compared to LR where he was far more solid. His changes to make him better I feel are simple; Restore his kit to how it was in LR since I don't feel he needed any changes, he struggles at tracking which is a given but he could afford a few more + moves and maybe a slight damage boost to his expert holds and other things to make his kit hold up better to the faster foes who dominate.~Hitomi is a character who seems to have a decent kit, but she too is a character who can get outplayed by her own strengths by characters who aren't truly like her. Rig has better pressure and resets, Kasumi is far more versatile and can play a ranged game on par with her, and her strings just aren't as strong as other characters. She's a character who I feel required dedication and fundamentals to make her on par with the lower execution characters on her level, but even then she's held back. I honestly don't think she needs that many buffs, I think getting better GB pressure and generally more safe enders that aren't too linear would help her be a solid mid tier. I can't see her ever really being a higher tier character or a top tier since there's just stronger characters who can space and punish better, but she could make more waves with the proper fixes. ~Tamaki is the latest DOA character, while her style of being a solid Aikido user who can further prolong her holds longer to catch attacks easier, having OHs from strings, and being relatively safe and having a decent kit, she could still use a bit more. She's slow retreating and advancing and while she does have moves to ease pressure, she's not that good at applying pressure herself, and like Momiji whom also uses some Aikido, her style is generally filled with 50/50s from her strengths and she'll have to work a bit more honestly to mix up when opening up foes.Her style imo is petty decent already, I think by adding a few new moves to her kit and giving her a few more ways to gain some advantage on block, she could fair better since I think she has alot of promise when mastered.
-So those are basically my thoughts regarding the characters who are generally deemed as lower tier or flawed when facing the upper echelon characters who dominate at higher levels. Are there any characters you feel are lacking or may need some improvements?
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