I’m personally hyped to try our Edition Select. How do you feel about this option as a Blanka player, and what version of Blanka would you say was the strongest? I’m thinking Ultra Blanka or Vanilla Blanka are the only two viable options. I felt that Blanka was a beast in Vanilla although I only started maining him in Super.
Thoughts?
One of the best advantages of Vanilla Blanka is his 600 Ultra damage, apart from that I think Super Blanka was a better version, including having access to U2 in certain matchups.
On the other hand, AE2012 Blanka has EX upball knockdown and it would be really hard having to play without it now.
But, assuming that someday the version select will be tournament standard, you could always sacrifice the KD in some matchups, especially because the KD came with the significant nerf on the recover on block
What about his balls being safe on hit and block, a better hop and a better slide in Vanilla?
As far as I know, all the advantages you mentioned were present in Super.
I think hop was a little nerfed in Super (more ground frames, I believe) but slide got better, having less active frames, making it easier to space out and making it safe on block
Vanilla hop is 25f, extra grounded frames were added in normal AE
Vanilla Blanka has best u1 has an anti air hitbox+extra damage, best coward’s crouch(can release while holding charge) and a different lp ball which we can argue about if it’s better or not. It allowed some different safeballs than the current lp ball, and allowed easy ground crossovers, it’s harder to see too. New lp has less range which is a positive for neutral movement especially against characters like sim, and allows a different set of safeballs.
Super Blanka has the fast hop without the grounded frames, new lp ball, but keeps old MP/HP ball and old slide, and electricity on hit leaves the opponent at a different spot on hit. I honestly don’t remember if it is farther or closer, but it’s not really a buff or nerf. He also got U2, and Either him or AE blanka got a buffed cr.hp too.
AE Blanka has no advantages over 2012 Blanka other than a better recovery on backthrow, otherwise he’s strictly worse. IGNORE HIM
2012 Blanka has knockdown upball that is less safe, a reduced pushbox, overhead, 5f ex elec, knockdown ball on first few frames, nerfed ball hitboxes/hurtboxes/pushback/throwable frames, slide with bigger hurtbox in recovery but less total frames, controllable rainbow that doesn’t go as far, and grounded hop.
Ultra Blanka has safer rainbow rolls(lol), airborne st.mk, faster dash leading to broken setups(and fixed b.throw setups too!) but more advantage on focus forward dashes, +5 cr.mk with more pushback, knockdown hp ball from any distance, focus and red focus cancelable normal upball and EX.
In theory you’ll want to use Vanilla, Super, 2012, and Ultra Blanka depending on the matchup. I haven’t worked it all out, but pretty much every version has strict advantages over others except normal AE who is flat out a mix of all the worst attributes of 2012 and older versions.
The way I see it is… Pre ae2012 if you’re cornered and have less health and got knocked down… It’s basically game over. Your opponent can make the completely wrong choice and even if you make the right choice you get punished for it (do meaty os setup that beats out rainbow ball and mix it up with throws…the ultimate keep blanka in the corner strategy). Unless you’re gonna gamble with ultra 1 all the time your ex upball is completely useless when you’re trapped in the corner. In ae 2012 because ex upball knocks down and rainbow ball still works out pretty well it’s not easy to completely trap blanka unless you have a double os which isn’t common or easy to setup for some characters.
So in edition select I don’t see any reasons to use any blanka other than Ultra version, vanilla is probably the only other version I might play with simply for the insane ultra damage but still doesn’t justify to use over ultra blanka
Vanilla Blanka also has more health (1050?) and I believe Ultra 1 got a nerf in frames in AE (went from 1+3 to 0+4)
forgot to mention the 1050 health yeah
Yeah, Blanka was also affected by the health nerf (along with a lot of other characters, including Sagat)
Now, what do you guys think about Edition Select (ES)? Do you think tournaments should:
a) Use Ultra only for now and leave ES for side tournaments
b) Allow ES since the release of the game
c) Leave ES for two or three years later, to keep the game alive (like what happened with SFII in Anniversary Edition)
Ultra should be the only one used - Vanilla Sagat and Akuma, AE Yun, Yang, Fei are probably too strong. ES will be fun to mess around though.
Honestly ae yun along with few others will not be nearly as strong against ultra characters simply because there’s delay wake up and red focus.
Another reason why ultra blanka is the best
I’d definitely prefer Vanilla Blanka vs. shotos, Super Blanka vs. Hawk, etc.
I don’t think it’s that cut and dry.
Still can’t understand why you will give up ex upball knocking down and U2 vs shoto.
Not to mention post ae ex rainbow ball IMO is better but I guess that’s at least subjective and can be personal taste.
The thought of being trapped in corner after getting knocked down just makes me remember how stupid the game used to be
Easier to safeslide, better cowards crouch(can cancel and keep charge), u1 that anti airs, cr.mk to u1 actually WORKS in vanilla and it does a crapload of damage, more damage on combos to super, better hitbox/hurtbox on balls, hp safeballs
Vanilla Blanka would dominate the nerfed down shotos in neutral.
Super Blanka did the same for the most part but you lose utility on CC and some damage. I don’t need a reversal if you can never hit me because I control the whole screen.
Thanks for the insights although still think it’s not worth it but at least give me a different perspective
I agree with you - I’m not saying Ultra Blanka is best, just that I think Ultra should be the tournament standard. ES will be fun though.
Yeah I don’t think any version of Blanka is actually viable in edition select, he’s pretty crap.
Until they add “Super Turbo” and “Hyper Fighting” to Edition Select… a player can hope
Disregarding game mechanics, we need CVS 2 Blanka =D
If the c.MK thing gets fixed Ultra Blanka would replace 2012 Blanka as the one you would want to use in all of those situations.