Welcome to the club, dude
I used to sit and wait for hours just for someone to show up and play some games. That’s why I’d get into multiple games and stuff. Stave off my boredom until someone for VS came along.
So, after a while of playing and to try and get some hype going, I wanted to start a little discussion about who the best players are for their respective characters online. Now, these are just my observations from people that I’ve played and I hope no one takes it personally and decides to throw a bitch fit at me, but it’s just a little hype for a scene that basically lives online. Also, this list will be of non-Japanese players. I’ll just run down the tier list
Zabel: Nicknackfiend- There’s hardly any true Zabel mains that have ever been on GGPO. Nick took on the best (if not one of the hardest characters) to learn. Zabel has so many good options and Nick gave some people fits online with his consistency to IAD and consistently land short short, super. One thing that I will say about him is that he can get predictable from time to time when it comes to situations (doing spinny thingy whenever you stand next to him, lol) and his block strings, but he’s by far the best Zabel main that I’ve played.
Sasquatch: NO ONE!- While everyone has picked the fuzzy snowman, no one has ever attempted to main him. Why not play the most broken character in the game? Easy mixups for big damage? A 60% combo that starts with a command throw? Double overheads? 3S Chun like pokes? Killer 50/50 game? Sounds like awesome reasons to me. Will someone pick up the furry hampster and master him?
Gallon: Skankin Garbage- Skank gets so much hate from playing the ever jumping, ever AROOING, ever frustrating Talbain. Skank knows his stuff, and could talk your ear off about his strategies for Talbain. He’s also got ST footsies and mindgames that often result in you eating a big ES Beast Cannon combo or falling into Talbain’s brutal option selects. Of all the people I’ve ever played, it’s been the hardest to ever pin down Skankin. He requires expert level reactions to beat consistently, but even then…he’ll probably still kick your ass. He plays Gallon
Q-Bee: Fuzzy Snugs- Fuzzy is VS’s resident child prodigy and Pokeymanz lover. But Fuzzy is also brutal when it comes to Q-Bee. He exploits Bee’s strengths to astounding levels and is not above IAD lp’ing you over and over and over again until you decide to block high.Shoultzula is the #1 contender when it comes to Bee players. I’ve never actually seen them Bee mirror, but Shoultzula brings his Marvel mixup skills to VS and it comes with devastating results when he puts it to work with Q-Bee. He’s turned her into the VS Magneto, of sorts. Gives me all sorts of trouble now and I always enjoy a good Bee mirror versus him.
Aulbath:AyaImmortal- Aya may not be around much now, but when he was…there was no doubt that his Aulbath was the best. And he did it without the bubble, something that some Aulbath players (myself included) rely on. Aya brings ST footsies, Versus Series games dash pressure and overall solid play to the game’s all-around character. Aya picks other characters, but I think his Aulbath was overall the best I’ve played.
Demitri: That’s probably a toss up between AyaImmortal and Rithli. Demitri is an interesting character, imo, because unlike a lot of VS characters, Demitri can be totally defensive and dominate a match. But he’s also deadliest when he has two meters and a Midnight Pleasure coming straight for you. Aya and Rithli both are really good at using Demitri’s tools to their advantage. Screen control with Air-Fireballs. Perfect Zoning, killer Mixups and Bliss/Pleasure setups. Special shoutout to Stretch Armstrong, who is a good VS player in his own right.
Bishamon- Psychotron- Psycho is just an asshole who makes you frustrated and want to punch infants. He’s that good. Bishamon is a character that has somewhat of a learning curve, but has many tricks and even an unblockable that make him a formidable character to learn. And Psycho can do all of them. He can and will ES Ghost unblockable you to death, and he will do late pounce crossup to instant overhead. Psychotron, when on his game, is one of the best players online, and he is easily my pick for best player in Europe. He’s also a wealth of knowledge about the game and has contributed much to the scene with his translation of SHU’s blog. Much respect to you, sir. A honorable mention goes out to Kyokuji who plays a good Bishamon as well. He’s not on the same level as Psychotron, but is very well versed in fighting games and is not a slouch when it comes to the ghost samurai.
Lei Lei- Kajoq. TENRAIHA! AYYY-YAHHHH. You will hear these sounds a lot when you play Kaj. Kaj is also a vet of many fighting games, and a walking encyclopedia of knowledge when it comes to Vampire Savior. He practically knows it all. His Lei Lei is funky too. Kajoq is capable of doing double IAD combos, Unblockables (which he loves landing, btw) and even massive amounts of turtling. While he is an American player, I’d say he could give a lot of Japanese players a run for their money with Lei Lei.
Bulleta- B-IzM- Hands down the best BBHood player and possibly the best American VS player. B-IzM, when not linking porno or being AFK when his status says available (jerk :|), is busy kicking your ass with Bulleta. Pressure games, zoning, mixups, defense, offense. B can do it all. He also plays a ton of characters to a better than average level and has taught me a lot about the game. Respect, sir.
Felicia- Magneto Maniac. MagMan hardly ever plays anymore, but his Felicia was easily the best I’ve ever played. Mag was a true student of the game, constantly learning, adapting and playing the game. Mag’s dedication to the game was so great, that he wasn’t above 50-60 game sets when he was practicing. Now a big player in the SFIV scene, MagMan has moved on to other games, but he is still one of the best players to have played the game.
Morrigan- NO ONE!- I haven’t played any good Morrigan mains who could play her to her potential. Morrigan is a quirky character, because like Demitri, she plays defensively. She has all the tools to play a good defensive game (not turtly, but defensive). Who can take up the call to be the very best, if not only, Morrigan player?
Lilith- Kenuran- Ken. Man of few words, but many Luminous Illusion combos and setups. Ken has played the best Lilith I’ve ever come across and can play multiple characters as well. He’s a quiet, but very good force. His Lilith is on crack, with constant dash pressure and mixups that will often land you in a Luminous Illusion combo.
Jedah- fLoE Floe-zor is a master of many games, but I think his Jedah was the toughest I’ve ever played against. He hardly ever shows up, but when he does…much ownage ensues. His Jedah is played on a Japanese levels. Dash Mixups. Perfect wheel placement. Run away game. Zoning. He can do it all. To a very high level. fLoE, like B-IzM, is one of the best American Vampire players.
Anakaris- MightyMar- Mar, when not making a sandwich, is the best Mummy player on GGPO. He curses you, then kicks you until your dead. Or overheads you. Either way, you’re gonna lose. Mar’s that good with the mummy. And he does it without a Tech Hit too.
Victor- NO ONE!- I’ve played people who play Victor, but not any Victor mains. Vic is one of the toughest characters to be consistently good with because of the way VS is played. The Top Tiers can rush down so well and set up truly difficult situations that won’t leave you missing 50% or more. While Victor is capable of that, it takes a lot more work with him. So, who can take up the Electric Man? (Not me >> )