DOA5U The Official Tier List with Discussion Thread

[UncleKitchener]

Well, characters with strong single hit moves make it a bit less intimidating, 'cause a correct read on a throw attempt means you lose a ton of health. Like Gen Fu 16P when Bass tries to throw after 6T means attempting to throw is actually really scary for Bass.

I've played against a lot of 7K characters and Akiras to know that there's no point in going for another reset when you can either go for launchers, OHs or unparryable or unholdable attacks. It is only when you've conditioned someone to do what you want or expect something else that you go for another throw and that doesn't happen until the second or third round in a game or if it's against someone you know or are aware of their habits. If you end up pressing a button, you only end up extending his hitboxes.

Even if you're some mental super-genius or play the best character in the game, you can't make reads in that situation unless the other guy is being too obvious. You can't willy nilly try to intimidate this kind of character who has already made a throw punish on you. If you manage to score a good 16P or a launcher on the guy, then good read and reap the rewards, but if you mess that up, he'll hit you just as hard if not harder.

The good thing about DOA3 and DOA5U Bass is that it invites different playstyles for a grappler. You could either be patient and end a round quick or take advantage of a mistake and make the initiative and keep forcing an opponent into resets and blenders. Okay, DOA3 Bass just killed you whenever he got his hands on you, but that's a topic for another discussion.

 

[Matt Ponton]

Katsuninken (Japanese champ) has tweeted his DOA5U Tier List:

EDIT: This is not his tier list, just him ranking those who are good at mid range.

SS Hayabusa
S Hayate
A+ Eliot, Bass, Ayane, Lisa
A- Kasumi, Jann Lee, Kokoro, Alpha 152
B+ Ein, Momiji, Helena, Pai, Hitomi
B Mila, Akira, Zack
B- Christie
C+ Tina, Rachel, Rig, Leifang, Brad
C- Bayman, Jacky, Leon, Phase 4
D Sarah, Gen Fu, Marie Rose


If you had to convert these to our tier levels it'd probably be something like this:

S - Hayabusa, Hayate
A - Eliot, Bass, Ayane, Lisa, Kasumi, Jann Lee, Kokoro, Alpha 152
B - Ein, Momiji, Helena, Pai, Hitomi, Mila, Akira, Zack, Christie
C - Tina, Rachel, Rig, Leifang, Brad Wong, Bayman, Jacky, Leon, Phase 4
D - Sarah, Gen Fu, Marie Rose

 

[Russian-chiropractic19]

i think y'all agree more with the eventhubs people than the japanese players

 

[RoboJoe]

"D - Gen Fu"

TFC is going to be an eye opener for Katsuninken. Honestly, I'm surprised at the trend of Gen Fu being placed lower on the tier list in Japan. I wonder what their criteria for judging a character is?

 

[Force_of_Nature]

"D - Gen Fu"

TFC is going to be an eye opener for Katsuninken. Honestly, I'm surprised at the trend of Gen Fu being placed lower on the tier list in Japan. I wonder what their criteria for judging a character is?

I think it's how "Japanese" the character is. Though the Japanese do play the game fairly differently to the Western players.

The D & A+ Tiers are most Lol to me.

 

[Matt Ponton]

From what I've been seeing, not everyone (most) are in disagreement with his list. There are some who are of course, but I'm reading more disagreements. It is purely his list.

He did leave comments for many of the characters, but I'm not fluent enough to understand them completely.

One person has suggested that his list looks like it's based on attack range.

 

[Russian-chiropractic19]

cant wait to see this guy fight now. i have a feeling its going to be pretty interesting

 

[Force_of_Nature]

Well that would explain why Hayabusa would be at the top of any DOA5U Tier List. The thing that gave me a chuckle was that this is the only "Japanese" Tier List that has Ayane rated highly (approximately almost the same tier that she'd be considered in the West). Movement and zoning is an underrated attribute of DOA. Though, interestingly, GenFu's effective attack range isn't even that short thanks to bullshit like 214PP.

 

[Kuga]

Rejoice Hayate/busa players! They are best chars again! Ol' good DoA2/3 feeling!

 

[Matt Ponton]

I've edited my post, I found out his list is not his overall tier list, but just a ranking of the characters who are good at mid range.

 

[Brute]

I still don't feel like it's completely accurate, but at least that makes some bit of sense.

Like I said before, it was hard for me to swallow that that list could actually be a legitimate, competitive player's complete tier list for 5U.

 

[Tenryuga]

Hayabusa is not better than Hayate or Ayane at range. That is all.

 

[Brute]

Hayabusa is not better than Hayate or Ayane at range. That is all.

Well, he did say "mid range" and not "long range," but even so I still don't consider Hayabusa to be hands-down best character at mid range. That's nuts.

 

[Jaguar360]

Ein and Hayate should be at the top of the list IMO. Busa is more A+ and Ayane is probably S or A+.

 

[tokiopewpew]

I don't understand that huge difference between Phase and Kasumi. Kasumi only has 4H+K as kind of a good mid range tool that is better as Phase's H+K, her 66K~K is also safe, but Phase has 3P+K P which is safe instead.

Edit: That 3P+K stuff can already be considered as long range tools

 

[Brute]

Ein and Hayate should be at the top of the list IMO. Busa is more A+ and Ayane is probably S or A+.

Ayane and Hayate have the two best spacing games. Everyone else is below them.

 

[Force_of_Nature]

Ein and Hayate should be at the top of the list IMO. Busa is more A+ and Ayane is probably S or A+.

Ein's ranged game is keepout. Ayane and Hayate can play a mid-to-long range spacing game more effectively beyond just keepout. Momiji's spacing game is also excellent too.

 

[Tenryuga]

Momiji's spacing is better than Hayate's because she has one major advantage he does not: Safety. It doesn't matter wtf happens if she whiffs or gets blocked she is safe and can possibly even backdash on moves that leave her BT as well as moves with pushback.

She has better tools for both approach and interception. 66P is -5, 66PP can't be stepped, H+K is 12 frames and 30+ damage on counterhit which gives it priority over 66P and 66K class moves. 2H+K can duck some mids at range. She has the short recovery flips and hops to bait people into attacking. So much silly shit for no reason.

The perk Hayate's spacing has over hers is that he has both mid and long range (3H+K, 214P) tools and his ranged attacks either have mixup , +frames or crush properties somewhere. Some of his moves require more commitment than a Momiji player knows.

Also Force of Nature is correct. Ein's spacing is limited to unsafe keepout and interception outside of 46P and a few other moves. Even then he is in the opponents face (where he is shitty unlike some other spacers) at -7. He should not be on par with or better than the following characters in mid range when it comes to effectiveness:

Ayane, Hayate, Momiji, Lisa. I would also argue Hitomi because she has superior backdash and walk / dash speed when compared Ein and when you actually take a look at move details around 80% of the moves they share have greater range on Hitomi. She really only loses to him in range on 46P and a tand bit on moves to intercept with IMO in exchange for better overall spacing tools with tracking ability.

Now if this was a list about who had the longest ranged attacks then Ein, Hitomi, Ayane Hayate and probably Lisa would be up top.

 

[BlankOctober]

Anybody got anything on the Tina vs. Phase 4 matchup? I think that should be 7-3 in Tina's favor. Why? Two aspects: Safety and throw punishment. Tina's not the safest of characters, but against P4 she will have a field day chucking her around the stage.

 

[tokiopewpew]

I don't know much about Tinas frame data, but isn't Tina actually one of the safest characters, except on some string enders? Since Phase has to be very careful while facing Tina who is a grappler, I think she's forced to try taking advantage out of her speed with her i9 jab and her 2P. However, Tina has some very good high crushes and one of the best tracking lows in the game that can make that very difficult. Tick-throwing as well as baiting for counter hit opportunities can be also very difficult for Phase against Tina due to her safety.

Tinas 4K can also cause a lot of trouble at mid-long range due to it's speed and good range, and I believe she will also out damage Phase a lot (please correct me if that is wrong, not sure about it).

While it's surely in Tina's favor, I would still hesitate to call it a 7-3 and rather tend for a 6-4, although I also lack a bit of knowledge and really like to her some opinions from Tina players about that.