Helena does have her shortcomings. On a scale of 5 I would rate her the following:
speed: 3
damage: 3
throw: 3
evasiveness: 4 (including sidestep followup options)
distance fighting: 2
safe moves: 3 (pre update that would be a solid 2)
ground game: 5
tracking: 3 (moves that have tracking)
power blow: 3
sit-down stun: 3
Explanations on each grade below:
- Helena isn't that fast, but isn't that slow.
- Her damage output is also pretty average. Pre update, I would put her damage output at a 2.
- Her throw damage isn't that great, and her bokuho throw is a big part of her game, and can be predictable at times. (She also lacks uninterruptable chain throws like Kokoro or Lisa, high damage throws like Tina or Alpha 152, or guaranteed launchers after backfacing throws like Ayane.)
- Helena's evasiveness is attributable to her amazing sidestep follow ups. One is a sit down stun, and the other is a low that has tracking. That has to be one of the best in the game. (Christie's sidestep is on a whole other level, however) Her bokuho duck is not as big of an issue compared to previous DOAs, as it gets interrupted more often than ever.
- Helena sucks at turtling, punishing whiffs, and using moves that have good range. Her longest range move is 66k. It has slow start up, doesn't stun on normal hit, and can leave her either in bokuho, backfacing (which is bad if it whiffs or is blocked) and its low punch follow up may stun, but this isn't a viable mix up option that can be used for very long.
- Helena has safe moves that follow a pattern. Any move that ends in 66p is now safe, any any move that ends in the triple slaps is safe (33p4p for example. But grapplers have a faster low throw which make the move unsafe against them.) Anomalies from this pattern and other safe moves include:
qcf p+k - this version of the triple slaps leaves her at +1 on block, but it is still a useless move.
qcf pkp
bokuho 4p+k
bokuho 6ppp
f+k (guard break)
backfacing 66k (this move is GODLY. it is a low that stuns that leaves her at 0 when blocked as long as she goes into bokuho)
1kp when charged (I believe. not sure on this one)
It seems like a long list, but mostly all of Helena's moves follow a pattern. Helena has seemingly endless strings, but for the most part, they are unsafe. Unlike virtua fighter characters, she has practically no moves that leave her at an advantage on guard. That being said, she isn't that much of an issue once she finishes a string.
- Helena's ground game is the best in the game. No argument there. Bass comes second.
- Helena lacks in the tracking department. Moves that track include:
44pp2ppk (useless move)
f+k
6pp
1ppk
bokuho 2k (and sidestep derivative)
backfacing 66k
Helena lacks any sort of mid that has tracking. 1ppk is her fastest viable option, but it is a low, and if the opponent does not sidestep and/or it hits on normal hit, she is stuck between a rock and a hard place.
- Helena's standing power blow lacks range. It is also a mid punch. Helena is a woman of many mid punches. Her 6p+k from bokuho is also a mid punch, so no mix up there. Its only advantage is that it is that it has a little more range. (Ayane and Alpha 152 have very good power blows in terms of mix up possibilities)
- Helena does not have many sit-down stuns. 6pp, sidestep p, backfacing 7p to name a few. The only two moves that connect if the opponent slow escapes is 33p and 3p. and 33p sucks as a launcher. Thus, sitdown stuns are not as big of a part of Helena's overall strategy in comparison to characters like Jann-Lee, Pai, Ayane, Gen Fu, and Akira.
The only thing that makes Helena amazing is her ground game. I think comparisons in terms of these categories should be done for each character, and maybe then we can come up with a rough draft tier list. On a second note, the scale I posted should be weighted. With things like ground game, sit-down stun, damage and throw being weighted more heavily by making them count double. Or if anything is graded a 4 or better, it becomes worth x + x/2, and anything graded a 3 being worth x + x/4. just throwing some ideas around.
Helena:
Unweighted grade - 3.2
Weighted using first option - 4.6
Weighted using second option - 4.175
Please feel free to add remarks or what grades you think should be changed.