Hiya!

Last week, I went to talk about some nerf suggestions that some characters “deserve” when Street Fighter V: Arcade Edition rolls out next month. I know Capcom won’t really pay attention to a nobody like me as I’m definitely not on the level of the guys in the Capcom Pro Tour and I’m definitely not worthy to join any professional tournament or anything like that. But I do have a unique position as I’m coming from a “casual” point-of-view. You know, the audience that Capcom is trying to target with Street Fighter V: Arcade Edition! I don’t think the pros care about an arcade mode but here we are! We’re finally getting an arcade more for us “filthy casuals!”

Anyway, since we kinda nerfed some of the top-ranked characters in the current build of Street Fighter V, those changes probably won’t be enough to make the low-tier characters be on the same level as the top tier ones. Even with the nerfs I gave them, the really good characters will still have better tools than the bad ones. So, with that in mind, here are some buff suggestions for the ones who really need them. And, to be really fair, some of them are going to get more than just one buff!

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1) FANG’s Sotoja should be buffed out and make Nirenko an overhead

I really wanted to main FANG when the game came out. He was one of the rare charge motion characters in the game and I actually like his design. Then I started playing him and switched immediately. Most of FANG’s normals are actually good, albeit slow, as they can work as frame traps most of the time. The thing that makes Shadoloo’s self-proclaimed right-hand man so weak is his special attacks are bad and he doesn’t have an overhead. So, let’s go fix those problems!

First off, FANG’s startup with the Sotoja, the lunging poison double punch, is super delayed. Unlike most specials, you can’t combo them from the same strength level as the actual attack is so delayed at times. For example, you can combo the first hit of FANG’s standing medium kick into the medium punch version of the Sotoja but you can’t do it with his crouching medium punch, which is a much better button, because it’s so slow.

This issue can be alleviated by making it come out faster and maybe making it a little bit safer on block as well. Right now, the Sotoja is extremely punishable because it’s so negative when blocked. Couple that with its rather poor damage output, you severely make a FANG player working twice as hard to get more damage. I guess Capcom thought it was okay for the move to not do too much damage because they were counting on the poison damage to help it along but it just doesn’t worked out that way. So, I say buff the Sotoja’s damage as well.

Now, while FANG’s normals are strong, he doesn’t have any real way to surprise the opponent besides laying a poison trap and then going to the other side with the Nikankyaku, his dash special (that doesn’t do any damage). This could be alleviated somewhat by giving him an overhead. FANG does currently have a command move called the Nirenko, the hammer heavy punch, but it doesn’t really all that good besides it having good range. I hope Capcom makes this an overhead when Street Fighter V: Arcade Edition rolls along. It already looks like one, anyway. It’ll be a nice surprise for those guys who are too intent on playing defense against a FANG up close.

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2) Alex’s Heavy Power Bomb, Power Drop and EX Air Knee Smash should keep him closer for pressure

I’m not an Alex player and I never will be but, among the grappler type characters in Street Fighter V, he’s the one I’m least afraid of right now. With Zangief, Birdie and even Abigail, I’m terrified once they land their command throw because you know they’ll be able to keep up the pressure afterwards. Those characters have the option of dashing in after a command throw and then make you guess if they’ll go for another command throw or sucker you in with a heavy Crush Counter attempt or even just a normal throw just to keep things interesting.

Alex doesn’t seem to have that ability as his Power Bomb and Power Drop has the character bounce away from his downed opponent. Capcom did give Alex the ability to dash in with some of his special attacks but they’re easily avoidable by dashing or jumping back, which means Alex will have to try a lot harder to keep up the pressure after a command throw. His EX Air Knee Smash is his best anti-air attack right now but suffers from the same weakness as the Power Bomb as he backs off after connecting with it.

I hope by the time Street Fighter V: Arcade Edition rolls around, Alex will be then able to keep the pressure like his grappler brethren by keeping him much closer after a successful Power Bomb/Power Drop/EX Air Knee Smash. But, to keep things fair, it should only be in effect for the heavy versions of the ground command throws and only the EX version of the anti-air grab. I think these tweaks would make Alex a more formidable opponent… but I’m not an Alex player so I could be totally off base here.

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3) Buff Juri’s health a bit and give her all Fuharenkyaku Trigger specials charged from the start of the round

I like Juri’s character. I like how she’s psychotic and totally insane and sadistic. I do wish she was a better character, though. I know Infiltration’s been making the rounds with her as she’s a fellow Korean. But he has to do so much work to actually win because Juri is a low tier character at the moment. One of the things that may strengthen a Juri player’s chances in a match would be to boost her health a little bit. Granted, she’s a female character in a Street Fighter game and Capcom has made it a habit to make all their female characters in the series have less health than the average. But I think Juri should be the exception. I mean, she’s a sadist… why can’t she be a masochist as well so she would naturally have more health, right?

Another buff that Juri should get would be her access to her Fuharenkyaku Trigger special attacks right at the start of a round. In the current build, you have to activate them individually to gain access to the “trigger” versions. That hardly seems fair as there are some characters that have their special attacks from the outset! Even Ibuki has a stockpile of kunais right at the start! Shouldn’t Juri have got those moves ready before the round started?

I know it’s Juri’s special gimmick and what makes her unique but this means you either have to put the “charge” Fuharenkyaku in a combo or back off to get the Trigger version ready. But c’mon! It’s like Hakan in Street Fighter IV. He needed to be oiled up to be more terrifying so Capcom made his oiled up at the start of the round in a balance patch. They should do the same with Juri as well. Oh, and while they’re at it, can they make the “charge” Fuharenkyaku’s hitbox hit a little higher? Juri looks like she’s kicking the sky! Why is the hitbox only showing up in front of her? Make the hitbox look like the actual animation!

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4) Change Ryu’s standing Heavy Punch Crush Counter to a stagger

How did the poster boy for the Street Fighter games become one of the bottom tier characters? Well, I’m not a Ryu player and I still think he a threat overall. He’s got decent range of his normals as of now and he’s got some really damaging combos. But I do think that there’s no real need to choose him because Akuma is so much better, making Ryu much weaker in comparison. So, yeah. He needs buffs.

One buff I can think of is his Crush Counter attacks. The only one he can use that leads to a damaging combo right now is his standing Roundhouse kick. The problem is this move can be ducked under. This means this move can’t Crush Counter opponents doing a low attack, which really hurts his ability to do damage. I would suggest that, instead of making his standing Roundhouse his Crush Counter that staggers, make it so that his standing Fierce punch actually does the stagger Crush Counter animation.

Ryu’s standing Fierce punch can hit crouchers and does do a Crush Counter know but it knocks the opponent down. By making this is move cause a Crush Counter stagger, Ryu can still hit crouchers and then dash in for a combo. But what do we do with his standing Roundhouse Crush Counter? Well, it’ll still Crush Counter opponent but it will instead knock the opponent into the air, enabling Ryu to juggle the opponent a bit. Maybe make it possible for him to do a Dragon Punch then a Critical Art afterwards for massive damage?

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5) Revert Chun-Li’s Air Hyakurestukyaku to Season 1

Remember when Chun-Li was a dominant force in Season 1? Well, that all changed in Season 2! What happened? She did get a lot of nerfs, like reducing her stun level and making her easier to hit when crouching. But I think the most devastating nerf she received revolves around one move: her Air Hyakurestukyaku.

The jumping version of Chun-Li’s Hyakurestukyaku was her best way of getting in on her opponent in Season 1. She was able to use it very close to the ground and still combo after landing if it connected before. It was also put Chun-Li in an frame advantage if blocked and caused more damage if it did connect in Season 1. All that changed in Season 2 when the Air Hyakuretsukyaku was nerfed into its current lame state.

I say return this move to its original Season 1 glory in Arcade Edition. It may be controversial for a lot of fans to revert it to one of the most devastating moves in the game but I think Chun-Li needs it since she instantly became bottom tier after this move was weakened. What’s the use of all those DLC costumes if no one’s gonna play her, Capcom?

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What buff suggestions can you give for the upcoming Street Fighter V: Arcade Edition? Let me know in the comments section below!