As of patch 2.10, our beloved dinosaur waifu still does not have the buff she deserves. I’ve heard people ask for her traditional fireball back, more frame advantage on her predator stance shenanigans, a more reliable overhead… let me know what you think. How should Riptor be buffed without making her OP?
I’m not sure about balance, but giving her fireballs would be hella cool.
Granted, they’d probably nerf her other goodies if they gave her one. Maybe if they had a really slow start up, so they’d only be useful against keep away opponents who aren’t inherently doing any zoning shenanigans (so she still has to work to get in on a good Glacius or Fulgore)
I think she works just fine as is…
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Why have a traditional FB when her dashing breath stuffs all projectiles but a Shadow (and many ranged Normals)?
What’s more reliable as an Overhead than Predator Stance+Medium Kick?
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As the other dudes said, I don’t think she NEEDS a buff, but it’s fun to think about ways to make get even crazier than she already is 
I would revisit her combo trait to give it more utility, nothing more
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MK from predator stance can be punished by pretty much any jab, which then leads into a combo. I only ever use that move when I absolutely know I’ve got my opponent blocking low. Plus, if my opponent has an invincible reversal like Wulf’s shadow eclipse or any DP, if Riptor is in predator stance in front of them, she is getting hit by it. Sure, if you have an amazing psychic read on your opponent, you could backdash, but that’s all during the moment when you are supposed to be putting the pressure on them, not the other way around. Yes, this works great for some matchups like Hisako or (maybe) Aganos, but she outright loses to characters like Glacius, Jago, and Thunder. The fireball thing is just one possible answer to the problem. If you want an in-depth explanation of how Riptor is low-tier, look at this Paul B stream archive: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9yQ2KsxkllA Skip to the 1:01:30 mark.
I don’t tink so. Considering Riptor is fast and powerful, has a great cross up mechanic and her stance is useful if ya just wanna get under some fireballs she’s good for those.
Considering that I main her I don’t have too much trouble except MAYBE for Jago. Sure Glacius and Fulgore can give her trouble but once you’re in their face there’s no stopping you, unless they turn the tides on you.
I don’t think Riptor needs a fireball or anything. She’s doing fine dude. The main thing you need to focus on with Riptor is to get in your foes face and be unpredictable, use your mix-ups and keep your opponent guessing.
When playing as her, predictability is death.
A few other things Riptor can do: her tail can cause a hard knockdown which is a good way to set your opponents up and keep them oppressed.
I don’t believe in tiers : p I believe anyone can be beatin with Riptor just a matter of knowing your foes weaknesses.
And hey like everyone else, of course Riptor is going to have issues with Zoner’s sher’s a rushdown, Sabrewulf has a similar problem in that same regaurd. The thing is while Riptor is fast and is a highly offence character, you do not want to get cornered because that is where things get ugly.
It’s not that I can never win with her, its that almost every match is an uphill battle. Yes, her mixups are really confusing, but if your opponent blocks your tail flip, your standing sweep, or your sweep from your run, you are screwed. (Yes, you can punish her standing sweep even from really far away.) As far as not believing in tiers goes, I also play Spinal. He has the same mixup potential that Riptor does (if not greater) and can be completely safe through all of it. Riptor’s standing HK and literally everything from predator stance can be shadow countered with a correct guess. I dare you to try and shadow counter the crazy fireball shenanigans from Spinal. Lately, I’ve been having some better success with Riptor, but that’s mainly because most people online don’t have a lot of matchup experience with her. When I’m fighting Wulf, I can’t even use talon rake, because if he blocks it, he can just eclipse through whatever I do. I have to hope that my opponent doesn’t know that, or my life gets a whole lot harder. It’s the few, the proud, the Riptor mains who must fight for our glorious dinosaur and pray to the dino gods for a buff of some kind.
For me, I don’t just do those attacks willy-nilly unless I’m sure I can get an opening. Those attacks you mention do have alot of recovery which is why I’d only use neutral HK from predator stance once I have them on hard knockdown or MK depending on what they plan to do. Other times I just wait and see if they try a DP. The only hard part other than getting in your opponents face is actually staying in their face. But if you’re smart about what you’re doing you can keep them cornered.
I don’t see a point in countering Spinal’s shinanegans. I just avoid what I can, maybe throw out a kick or so on the way down if even tries to teleport etc. Always an alternate way around things. Which is why I love this game so much. Sure I definatley get owned once in awhile when I make a mistake.
In the beginning of the fight I space myself whenever I get the chance or between rounds. I usually poke with quick attacks till I can get an opening. Unlike Spinal who may have different mix up-potential, he is not really a rush down, so his mechanics for the most part are very different. Yes some characters will have ways to counter but it this is why you need to try out other tactics. If that didn’t work try a different tactic.
If Riptor gets a fireball I fear she will have to lose her speed which isn’t really a good thing since alot of her other attacks are pretty good for offence. I don’t think characters need a whole new move just because they have an issue with opponents at a distance. If we’re doing that we might as well just give everybody a fireball and not bother using the other tools for close combat. I think Riptor will be fine without it. To ask for a whole new move that’s not even associated with that character’s archetype is extreme. Most people kept asking for Sabrewulf to have a fireball, even though he could clearly do fine in the hands of a good player. Plus it just decreases more variety in playstyle between characters.
If you really think she needs above only thing I think MIGHT be reasonable is a slight decrease in recovery in those frames to make it a bit safer. Not so much though that you can use it willy-nilly without worry.
You should always change up your tactics a bit here and there when you play as her because her attacks can be easy to pick out if you make a habit of doing them. Yes Riptor has a tough time with some characters like Glacius but that should be expected. Rushdowns should have a hard time getting in if they leave the zoner any room. FYI Fulgore is kind of more of a balance type but seeing as I also main him, I can understand the kind of trouble Riptor might have.
It’s a matter of knowing how and when you should use those moves. Remember that even you have your opponents weaknesses to take advantage of.
I reccomand you talk to a fellow named yok0h. I dnon’t quite remember how his username is spelled but he’s one of the best Riptor players I know.
I’ll keep an eye out for him (and you, while I’m at it). BTW, I’m not arguing for a fireball per se, just some kind of buff. The main issue is that any character with a DP-like move can win any exchange immediately after she goes into predator stance. I’m fine with her having super-awesome recapturing crossup move that’s really unsafe. It’s just that her talon rake and predator stance pressure is also not completely safe. Spinal’s fireball blockstrings, you’ve just gotta respect since you’re in blockstun for five years. With Riptor, you don’t have that problem. Either way, I still love the character, and I wouldn’t be so adamant about the game if I didn’t love it too. Also, just watching the most recent 8BBD (S2W38) is showing me some new tech if you want to check that out. FOR RIPTONIA.
I think that a fireball its a mistake for Riptor. In terms of balancing, giving a fireball to a heavily up-close mix up character its… weird?
If its a bad projectile, any zoner can still out-zone you witout problem, and rushers maybe can avoid it easily.
If its a good projectile, then why bother to go into rushdown?
IMO Riptor has to be near the rival, and MUST be unpredictable. My biggest issue with her is that she its a bit easy to break. Limbs: light, body/head:medium, fire/tail: heavy. Her auto doubles are very obvious, at least for me.
My solution? Change her combo trait. I feel that her combo trait its a concession about simplicity in S2. Tj, Maya and Kan-Ra were complex characters and Riptor was the first “straight forward” character, with a simple combo trait , making her more “begginer friendly” than the previous s2 characters.
One option I’m tinking it’s making any auto double pressed after her “heavy linker trait” a manual. Example:
Opener-> auto doble-> heavy tail/fire linker-> the next auto double will be instead a manual regardless the button or timing.-> linker…
Still, its risky, as you have to perform a obvious and easy to break heavy linker, but allows performing easy manuals, keeping your combos unpredictable.
Thougths?
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@DaChimbly one thing I would suggest is don’t do your rake kick just yet. poke around for it.
@Dayv0 Ah but there is a bright side to Riptor’s predictability in her combos. It’s easier to bait people into a combo breaker. Yes Riptor’s combos are easy to break which is why I wouldn’t go for long combos unless your opponent can do a combo breaker. Also be sure to switch it up a bit when you do your linkers and autos.
Of course her easy to break auto doubles make them good counter breaker bait! As Aganos user, I’m very familiar with the CO-CO-COUNTER BREAKER!
Still, IMO her combo trait stills lacks something… very similar to wulf’s trait, but more limited…
Riptor its unsafe in some moves, lacks goods wake ups in certain scenarios and has other “flawns”, but all can be surpased with her tools as she has this qualities by design… except her combo trait. It’s main use its baiting a counter breaker… IMO it can be improved
How about keeping her combo trait the same at the basic level so that beginners can still just mash heavy for an autocombo but adding something to it that high level players can take advantage of, like some ridiculously huge frame advantage that would allow for interesting manuals or reset set ups, or being able to predator cancel directly out of the linkers so that the stance has some combo usability.
By my example, you can still mash, with this result:
Opener-> heavy auto double -> heavy linker-> heavy manual->heavy linker-> heavy manual…
So beginners still get some combo damage by mashing, but less damaging/less breakable combos, and advanced players can still use it
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Well the whole point of her gameplay is because she has bad wake up she has to be an offensive focus character. The idea is to not let your opponent get any leverage on you in a battle or it will be difficult. The reason she may have poor defensive options is because she’s one, if not the fastest character in the game. She can get right on you in half the time it takes for Wulf to get on you. However in doing so including her mix-up ability comes with heavy recovery on moves. Which is why I often just poke around till my opponent messes up. Once I got an oppurtunity then I go for the kill with those moves. Granted I’m saying all of this from experience.
You raise a few interesting points though.
As of right now, I don’t mind the Riptor we have right now. So long as they don’t change her drastically so much that she loses her variety as a fast offensive based character. Or lose something vital that made her pretty good as it was. Already lost that with Fulgore’s damage. I don’t want something vital to be lost to Riptor as well.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m ok with Riptors weakness. She has tools for compensate them. The only exception, IMO, its her combo trait, I find it uninspired or almost useless.
I do agree with you. I only want a refinement of her combo trait, not a full rework on her. She is a great and unique character and I love her gameplay
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For her combo trait I just switch it up once and awhile.
As I just put this in the survey and thought about it more.
On knockdown, Riptor can Flame Carpet BUT this carpet does decent white damage, especially if she can’t get off the spot and stands on it. Make this flame greenish.