So lots of talk about what a vampire character should look like, but less so with the playstyle…I figure that’s the prime chance for me to come in and take the ring to Mordor myself. I present…Profano!
LOOK AND BACKGROUND: GAMEPLAY BELOW
Still important to have! An Italian vampire from around the 1600s, Profano is initially rather on the classical side of vampire looks. I’m thinking this kind of underplating, cape, and belts:
and this kind of overcloak business:
The armor on his chest would be cracked and broken, as he’s been impaled with what is now a broken, chipped sword like the first parts or so of this:
It is this sword which he withdraws from his chest during his intro sequence.
During instinct, he would still be in that armor, but his actual body would be more:
or:
But enough talk, have at you, gameplay! I know, overused. Anyway, it’s what you’re all here for (I hope >_>).
~BEFORE I GET INTO THIS, A REMINDER THAT THESE FRAME DATUM AREN’T ACTUALLY REAL OR SET IN STONE, AS I AM NOT VERY GOOD AT THIS GAME OR THE TECHNICAL THEORY~
MOVEMENT
Forward dash is similar to Jagos in overall speed and distance, but almost…staggered in its incremental movement as he picks his way along with the blade – at extremely close ranges, this can hit low. A slightly slower and stubbier backdash, but otherwise standard.
DISTINGUISHING MECHANICS
Being a vampire, he naturally tends to do better when covered with blood, and thankfully, has a sword with which to do just that. Granted, this sword is cracked and broken, but as it is a cursed sword from his own era, that tends to not matter as much.
All attacks that use the blade draw blood from the opponent, strengthening Profano’s lifebar for every % damage done. This added health is marked on the bar as crimson health, and serves as a buffer before getting to the juicy green/red underbelly. Of course, there’s still some gameplay concession to be made there, so it drains about half as fast as white health normally refills. Grabs have a similar healing effect, as he can get in nice and close to really chow down.
Attacks which use the blade are as follows:
Standing: MP, HP, MK, HK.
Air/crouching: HP, HK
What’s more, the ending 20% of the hitbox of the blade deals/heals an additional 2% of damage iff it is the only portion of the blades hitbox to contact the enemy. This additional damage is a flat increase; if a hit deals, say, 5%, it would instead deal 7%(5+2), not 5.1%(5*1.02).
Finally, there’s the fact that some defensive play can be used rather uniquely by this sword. Yes, parrying is in KI. It functions much the same way as 3rdS – tapping forward (while standing) or down (while crouching) activates a 10 frame window in which to be hit by the active frames of an attack. On a successful parry, gains (8-x) frames of advantage, where x is the active frames of the parried attack, down to a minimum of 2.
If done within a 5 frame window, however, knocks the opponent back, with the same frame difference but now them being in the sweet spot for some bladed attacks.
COMMAND NORMALS
Aereo: Press LK+LP and down to have him grab directly above himself; should he connect the grab on an airborne opponent, he slams them to the ground and does a health-draining bite attack before tossing them out in front of himself at heavy tipping range.
Giallo: Forward and medium punch. A “Psycho shower scene” style overhead stab which, unsurprisingly, hits overhead and moves him a step forward. Can be chained together 4 times, each time being a slightly longer swing arc, takes slightly longer, does slightly more damage, and has slightly longer recovery for anything that’s not another stab. The 4th stab, should it land, causes a stagger. Recaptures and heals.
Deviato: Back and light punch. A slight spinning backstep and a quick slash where he used to be. Not much range, and no health drain, but it does have tipping. Hits low.
Regno: In air, all three kicks. Instantly teleport straight down to the ground in a swarm of bats. Conserves any forward momentum from the air. Initially not a ton of landing lag, but this lag doubles every time it’s used within the last 15 seconds.
Impulso: Forward any kick, or kick during a dash. A thrust kick which pushes enemies hit into heavy and medium tipping range. Heavy crushes guard on block, but is the slowest and shortest range.
SPECIALS
Approccio: Back-forward+punch: Launches into a series of advancing rekkas with the sword; can punch up to three times.
- LLL: Only the last hit uses the sword for the health gain, but leaves Profano at a +4 frame advantage.
- MMM: First and last hits use the sword, ending with pushback at sHP tipping range.
- HHH: All three use the sword, but ends in a soft-knockdown.
Can mix up with punches of increasing strength, for instance going LMH, LLM, MMH, LLH, or MHH. The conniption is that each one has its own advantage; using an L deals/heals the least damage but adds a frame of advantage at the end (the final L gives +2), using an M deals/heals a medium amount of damage but only gives the knockback if used for the final hit, and using an H deals/heals the most health but will end in a skd. Naturally, the heavier the button is, the more range it has and the slower the move is, as well as being -1/-2/-3 on block.
Can be done in the air, which adds different angles to the hits. A light would move him only slightly down, a medium at 45 degrees down, and a heavy straight down.
Shadow: Rekka 5 times, the first, third, and fifth all using the blade for medium-caliber damage and speed, heavy range, and +3 advantage on end. Rather negative on block.
Vento: QCF+K: Spins up an unearthly wind, moving the player about 40% of full screen. Normals can be done during this, causing a “skidding” effect. This skidding “cancels” the drift from the wind, but the character skids for up to 30% of the screen (if skidding on a light), up to 22.5% if skidding on a medium, and up to 15% if skidding on a heavy. For instance, using the light version of Vento moves Profano forward by 40% of the screen. If a light normal is done after a quarter of the distance is traveled (ie, 10% of the screen distance covered), then the light skidding carries him the full 40%. If it was a normal, it carries him (10+22.5=32.5%) of the way across the screen. If it was a heavy, he’s carried (10+15=25%) of the way. These distance numbers increase by 50% (ie, 401.5=60% distance) if done to an airborne character and decrease by 50% (40-0.540=20% distance) to a crouching character.
- L: Blows Profano towards opponent.
- M: Blows both Profano and opponent together by 20/30a% of full screen each.
- H: Blows opponent towards vampire. Causes 1 frame of stun as wind picks up.
Shadow: The movement as caused by the wind is now 50% faster, and gives Profano a single hit of projectile armor.
Minacce:Half-circle starting from the back+Kick: Swoops in as a swarm of bats. Initial few frames are low profile and throw invincible, then just low profile, then normal.
- L: Crosses up if used close and can be canceled into any normal, otherwise knocks them back into standing tipping range with a few frames of advantage.
- M: Acts like Rash’s wrecking ball, ending on a low jump capable of an aerial crossup. If no attack and landing on the enemy from this jump, leads directly into a biting, grounded grab attack. Unsafe on block.
- H: The longest swoop, ending with an upward swing of the sword as it’s held pointing down like an oversized knife. Launches on hit.
If done in the air, has him swoop to the ground at a sharp angle, shortening the range, but the first few landing frames are fully invincible.
Shadow: Five hit version of the heavy version; launches enemies slightly more.
Sciame:QCF+P: Throw out a swarm of bats, each at different speeds and slightly different hitboxes. Light is fastest and smallest, heavy slowest and largest.
With any of the fireballs out, do the motion again to teledash to the corresponding swarm, or the other two to cause the swarm to poof out of existence. For instance, after doing QCF+MP, do QCF+MP again to teleport to the medium swarm, or QCF+LP/HP to dissipate the MP swarm. The teledash turns Profano into a small swarm of bats himself which then very quickly flies to wherever the projectile was. This form moves about as fast as a dragon cannon and can pass through enemies, but is not strike invincible - so he can be hit out the teledash, it’s just difficult.
Shadow: Sends out a light speed, medium hitbox 5-hit swarm. Any damage done this way engorges the bats, who then attempt to home in on Profano to give it back to him as health. Can be “shot down” to dissipate health delivery part. Attempting to teledash to this super swarm is instant and fully invincible, and when he dashes, the super swarm acts as if it was thrown again from wherever he was before the teledash - basically, he and the swarm switch places and it “resets” it’s trajectory. Teledashing to it can only be done once.
Vendetta: Taunt: Pauses, then slashes his hand with the blade, dealing 10% damage to himself but for the next 7 seconds doing 50% damage/healing through block with all bladed attacks. Blocked attacks are otherwise treated as normal.
INSTINCT
Crimson health now drains half as fast as before, and the cursed blade fills out its broken section with blood, extending the tipping range by 60% what it was before. Gains access to a short air dash. As an added horror, he can now read the mind of the opponent, displaying their inputs on the side of the screen behind them, akin to training mode.
Soooooooo…what say you? Was going for the…rushdown, close-range zoner type character.
