Just going through storymode and I can’t for the life of me find a decent way to achive a 40+ damage average, or the AI will just block everything, or counter shadow attacks or generally counter. It doesn’t seem to matter what I play on, easy or killer difficulty, 90% of the time the AI just blocks everything I get 1 or 2 attacks in and my average is destoryed by that 8% or what ever it is
You can probably use the following on Easy.
Use Cinder. Inferno to add a lot of PD, cash out with one chance.
Use RAAM. Clear first bar with level 3 or 4 damage enders, get hit enough for Instinct, clear out the 2nd bar.
Use Mira. Just higher damage on average than most others. Optimal damage loop to level 4, counter break if you want.
Use Kilgore. Similar plan to Cinder but probably easier to build PD.
Use Tusk. Sword linker does more damage, counter break probably guarantees 60% damage.
Use Kim Wu. Known to be a hard hitter. Damage ender until you build up one bar, maximise shdow cashout.
Use TJ. Auto barrage after one linker should net 25-30% at least (citation needed)
Right, but i need this for riptor since its a storymode hard unlock requirement.
Throws don’t count as combos (Edit: single-hitting throws like Riptor’s) so you can use those to build up shadow meter for the big combos.
So i could blast a 40+, then do throws the rest of the match?
Yes, that will work. The game ignores single-hit combos, so those won’t be factored into the end-match combo damage.
Right so after a bit of practice i found a setup to achieve this, open with a jump medium punch, then spam heavy punch untill you get ended status and about 13 hits, then pull off the ender move, then you can get one more attack in with heavy punch should land 20 or 21 hits (I think can’t remember exact now lol) and gives you 42.7% for the match, then just do throws the rest of the match. 
This trick will work. Once the opponent is in the corner, jump heavy punch “flame” then just keep doing that same move with heavy linkers. Use the walls pat ender to finish the combo, and when he bounces back from the splat throw him. If you use 2 shadow bars at the first part of the combo you can get close to 80% damage.
Is riptor worth picking up or nah? Is there any viable tech with her?