Future Leon Improvements - Enhancing the Environmental Game

XZero264

FSD | Nichol
Premium Donor
Leon is very solid as he is. He hits hard, throws harder, and entire matches can turn into his favor with the slightest bit of effort due to his ridiculous environmental control. Sure he doesn't have ninja tools or Hitomi's mixup game, but what he has is great. Of the tools he has, his control of the environment what really sets him apart from the rest of the cast, no character can do what he can on a stage without making enormous sacrifices to damage or without making efforts not worth risking.

Environmental control is something that not too many characters actually are able to excel in at his level, how many characters can run up to an opponent that has been knocked into a breakable and hurl them into another that is in an entirely different direction? Why not enhance his throws to give him some more positional utility that could really help him in matchups against characters that easily shut him down in situations where he is unable to utilize his environmental tools?

Leon could stand to gain a few more control tools, what I have in mind is more of a "keep you close" kind of game because there are many situations where Leon's wall game is not able to be used.



A common thing heard is control of Desert Falcon (:4::1::2::3::6::H+P:) in a similar form to his Air Catapult throws. The best way I could think of would be to add an additional direction as a final input (ex. :4::1::2::3::6::8::H+P: to throw into the background) or a Combo Throw input during the animation. While it is a doable command it really isn't a necessary addition, having it is just a tool he could use to get opponents where he wants to put them aside from being forced to launch them and use his directional air throw.


A similar thing on this topic is to give him something he has in his Power Blow, a Desert Falcon into the ground right in front of him at a range where he is able to perform a ground throw if the opponent does not tech roll. I originally thought that this could be added through his air throws via a Combo Throw input during one of his directional air throws (ex. :4::H+P: to an airborne opponent :2::H+P: in the window) or by pressing :2::2::H+P: as his air throw. I then thought that it could also be added to his standing Desert Falcon via a Combo Throw input (:2::H+P: in a small Combo Throw window). This gives Leon a close range throw that gives him some advantage, something he could use as he is one of the slowest characters in the game.


After that I thought about giving him a type of Super Launch throw as an enhancement to his Desert Falcon or a smaller relaunch for his Air Catapult throws. For his Air Throw he air throws an opponent upwards but throws them up into the air but not high enough to give him a second Air Catapult throw (similar to Rachel's air throw outside of Tag Mode). Again, this could be either a directional input (:4::1::2::3::6::H+P: to airborne foe) or a combo throw input during an air catapult (:8::8::H+P: or a just frame :H+P:). If done in one of his Air Catapults he would have the directional control of an Air Catapult (:4:/:2::8:/:8::2: directions) but he would position himself as if he were performing a normal Air Catapult and sacrifice raw damage from a normal air throw. In a closed room with a ceiling this could change the animation into a big windup where he can perform a Super Launcher Air throw (ex. Bass, Rig, and Kasumi) that grants a Ceiling Hit and allows for his own followups.
If done with his standard Desert Falcon (in a similar form to what is mentioned above) he could just throw them straight into the air as a Super Launcher and be able to get Ceiling Hits.

Just a couple changes that could really enhance Leon's environmental control game. What do you guys think he could use to enhance his environmental control tools?
 

DontForkWitMe

Well-Known Member
changes i want for him are new hold animations that add to his environmental use similar to his unique mid p hold. The rest of his holds are still copy and pasted from Bayman's which are all bone breaking submission holds and with Leon's focus on strength and power they should be changed to reflect that and all of them should animate to either launch opponents into the air or knock the opponent away into potential objects/walls.

Another change i stand by is that all his fully charged attacks should be unblockable like arm grenade. Leon already has plenty of plus frame guard breaks that don't require full charge and an opponent already has multiple options to deal with them like attacking, holding, counter throwing during charge, and sidestep. if they are clueless enough to stand their blocking a 40+frame attack they should eat raw damage instead of just giving him frame advantage which while nice still allows opponents to avoid his follow ups with sidesteps, holds, crushes etc

Last but not least give him a fucking new unique outfit already

that is all
 

Grimace

Active Member
I want a new taunt where he takes off his shades and throws them at his opponent - if it hits they get stunned like Zack's thing.
 

Forlorn Penguin

Well-Known Member
Premium Donor
I definitely like the idea of being able to change the direction of Desert Falcon. I think the throw's input should remain 41236T, but just make a brief few frames early in the animation (while Leon is still lifting the opponent) display "COMBO THROW" on screen and have you press a directional input to determine where Leon will throw the opponent. 4T to throw them directly behind him, 8T to throw them into the background, and 2T to throw them into the foreground. Pressing nothing will have Leon throw them straight forward.

Naturally, every direction of the throw should hone in on any nearby objects too, like his air throws do.
 

KidArk

Active Member
In the realm of new holds I'd love if his mid kick hold became dervish throw. I'd like some hit box adjusting on WR K because I can never crush with it. The fully charged GBs all becoming unblockable sounds nice I still like the way the low one works though. Hmm, I'll edit in some more thoughts.
 
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