Honestly, Akuma is really closed to being a “balanced” top 10 character and doesn’t need much in the way of any “grand” changes.
2 Bar vtrigger OR faster walk speed in vtrigger AND vtrigger only reduced by air fireballs and shoryu (aka, not by grounded fireballs)
He needs a Vskill. A white damage “parry” on the lowest health character in the damn game is not a vskill. It’s a vtrap. This needs to be reverted to how it was when they introduced him in his introduction video where it was an actual parry, and not 1 hit of armor. False advertising sons of bitches…
Demon flip needs to be sped up a bit.
And ahhh… that’s really it. Those changes happen and he’d be a top 10 character without being “broken” in any sense of the word instead of rolling further and further down the metaphorical “tier” hill as he has been so far as he has continued to be explored/figured out. He gets those things and his 875 health is both fine and justified. They can keep the 900 seeing as it’s pretty much going to do little to nothing to help his actual shortcomings.
I’d bring up the thing about his ridiculously stubby normals but all shotos have that problem, so I consider that more a game design change than an Akuma thing.
3 Changes that would not change his tier list rating at all, yet they would be fun:
> Parry to be a parry like Ryu’s one, not giving grey health, but only give V meter if the hit connects (or else Akuma would be the king of zoning and get imba V meter).
This would allow more risks with this move, it would be more fun.
> Teleport not vulnerable to throws.
Teleport can be already punished by chasing it, so it is too much to also be punished with a grab.
This change won’t change anything in the tier list, as good players will still punish it, but it will enable a get away from the corner from time to time.
> f+Hp to be an overhead.
Just for consistency, and because how the move looks, it should be an overhead.
This change won’t change anything in the tier list.
I’m playing akuma as a side for Laura and I think their power level is about the same, but it’s harder to win with him. He’s not in dire need for buffs
EX air fireball releasing at full speed as soon as Akuma does it would be ideal. As it is now opponents just see Akuma is doing EX air fireball and defend accordingly.
Post Raging Demon Akuma always used to be close to opponents and plus frames.
Anti air EX DP can mess up, only the first part hitting and the second part missing. Pretty sure opponents get a punish, maybe a crush counter.
V Skill Kick hitting crouchers would alow Akuma to use it more. Like as a meaty and special cancel into demonflip.
After air Tatsu maybe allow Akuma to combo a c HK.
After QCB+MK doesn’t hit property on the ground still allow something to combo.
Increasing the damage on QCB+HK would give an incentive to use it over DP+HP. I get that QCB+HK is more stun and allows an easier meaty setup though.
Fix Akuma’s fireball so it goes full screen. WTF? Personally I always use QCF+LP. Never the other fireball button strengths.
Make Akuma’s teleport better. Maybe faster, farther, not throwable, just better. It will always be vulnerable on recovery of course like all SF versions of it.
His V Trigger could last a bit longer.
Make Akuma’s whole body move forward with s HP’s animation to increase its range. Akuma has a lack of long range buttons. c HK is his only long range button and even c HK isn’t very far reaching.
I’m surprised at the lack of “buff Akuma’s face” jokes in this thread!
You don’t think his lack of range is a problem? His fireball is so crappy too Chunli’s is better ffs I think he’s bottom 10 or on the cusp of bottom 10. EX air fireball is crap too it comes out so slowly.
I dunno am quite used to the range, i played Ryu during s1, and aside from st.lk his range was worse, the one thing i would change about his fireball is making HP haduken moving faster, having a haduken that goes full screen is mostly useless in this game anyway.
And it would be nice if ex air fireball was more like Ibuki ex kunai and making you plus, but it has good uses right now, like making people stop chasing you when you are on the verge of stun and baiting dps(even ex)
His combos have strange scaling. Like c HP, s MK, HP DP 2 hits, super does more than c HP, s MK, QCB+LK, HP DP, super.
Was just playing Akuma VS a Cammy. Cammy did a DP I forget if I blocked but she landed a bit away from Akuma. I did s HK, c HP, s MK and the s MK was too short to reach! This exact scenario happened at least twice in the same match! Then my Akuma had to punish yet another Cammy DP in the same match and I decided to punish with Akuma’s s HK,HK target combo into s MK just to prevent yet another combo drop!
They could buff Akuma’s s HK,HK target combo a few ways. Both hits come out on whiff, hit crouching opponents, etc. In sf4 his HK,HK was important for footsies.
His EX air fireball is one of the best moves in the game. Very good defensive option in a game with not many of them and the recovery is very difficult to punish. Has OD projectile priority and can even stuff certain projectile supers.
His fireballs in general are better than Chun’s in pretty much every way other than recovery, but she has to charge hers.
It’s not one of the best for sure :).
As a defensive option, it is great. It is also awesome against Rashid.
On offense it is just decent. It is nice that you can do it from EX DF.