Jago handsdown has the best normals in the game. Sure things like dog’s heavy bite is better but overall he has better tools.
Wulf probably has the best normals in the game, both for footsies and pressure. (Outside of maybe Eyedol?) Overpower (back+HP) hits from more than a character length away, begins his pressure at something like +2 on block, is one hit (so isn’t reactable shadow counter bait like, e.g., Jago’s double roundhouse), and is chargeable for better range, advantage, and unblockability at full charge, making it both a great poke and a great pressure option in a single command normal. His sweep hits from a similar great range, so moving in with his amazing walk or forward dash and then placing an overpower or sweep on your opponent is pretty potent. MP, crMP and crLP are also great buttons, and once you’re in, crLK is a sickening +4 on block.
Other characters have situationally better buttons or a better button or two in isolation, but I don’t think you could ask for a better full suite of normals taken in concert, and Wulf backs them up with great movement and mixup options.
Anyway, I’m going to do that thing where you quote others’ advice and offer modifications or alternative takes. Hopefully it comes across as constructive and maybe starts a conversation, rather than seeming like sniping or something.
Omen’s normals are comparable to Jago’s, with a few specific buttons which are better on Omen’s side.
Both characters’ neutral games are defined in large part by their specials, though: whilst Jago threatens space with wind kick primarily and harasses with pretty basic fireballs to a matchup-specific extent, Omen can put up to three randomized fireballs on the screen with a better time cost per fireball than Jago, from which he likes to get a nice pattern with which to cover his approach by either air (with air dash to modify his arc) or ground (slide or furious swipes command normal).
In fact, check Infil’s Omen page for more info.
iuno about obvious. Jago has good normals, but there are probably at least six or seven characters with better buttons in neutral (Wulf, Orchid, Mira…). If OP wants to play the best normal-driven footsies in the game, then there are definitely better characters for that. Jago’s got great buttons for frame trapping, yeah, but that doesn’t seem to be what OP is looking for, and there are better characters in that department, too (Wulf, Riptor…).
Riptor’s got great light buttons, good HK button and a stellar sweep, but her medium buttons are mostly pretty stumpy and best for pressure situations, which combined with her slow walk speed and lack of a proper dash make it impractical for her to poke with normals at certain ranges, so she’s either trying to play a spacing game with tail and flame carpet/mortars, playing runaway, or going in for pressure.
Standing MK and HK seem fine to me. Her crouching kicks are terrible, of course.
You forgot to mention that overpower also has a super late cancel window, meaning with good reactions you can confirm the single hit into a combo. It’s really a ridiculous button.
@Fnrslvr @DEClimax I always forget to mention Overpwer when talking about Wulf stuff, but it’s really one of my favorite tools. In pressure it’s a really fast Heavy that can beat out a lot of stuff, and if you charge it up while the opponent is knocked down or in recovery after doing something stupid I can do mondo-damage on hit. The fully charged unblockable takes a while to get to, but since you can cancel it early… It can lead to nasty shenanigans.
Also Wulf’s Medium Punch buttons are some of my favorites. And his sweep is great. Even his lights have decent range.
Wulf is the gift that keeps on giving.
I think y’all are forgetting kan ra. He’s got pink hitboxes on his normals!!
I’d say the answer to your question depends on exactly what you want the set of normals for.
In a bubble, I’d say RAAM probably has one of the best sets of normals in the game. Stupidly fast pokes and with very big reach, amazing AA’s, ridiculously big reach in his jumping normals. But he has very slow movement and is a grappler, so he isn’t exactly a footsies character.
Wulf on the other hand is a frametrap monster, between c.LK and c.MK, an amazing sweep and overpower as an almost OP normal (pun intended), but he’s a juggle and reset-heavy character these days, with a neutral based around aggressive mixups.
Jago, on the other hand, is a true footsies monster, good all around and at every distance, with really good frames up close and good reaching pokes with a godly overhead.
lol, forgot to mention because I didn’t know. I’ve been putting a bit of work into Wulf lately, so it’s good to know that I don’t need to link counterhits to confirm.
When Warrior head is active, Eyedol’s normals are amazing. Really fast, most (all?) of his punches are plus on block, and his command normals are a rekka and a recapture. jHP ground bounces.
General Raam and sabrewulf
Yeah, it almost feels like the entire recovery period is cancellable. So…basically to sum it up (comparing to other pressure heavies):
-more advantage than double roundhouse/axis slash when charged
-not shadow counterable, still confirmable
-unblockable gimmicks
-massive range if charged
-fast startup if not charged
-low hitbox that’s harder to low profile than double roundhouse/axis slash
It’s proooooobably the best normal in the game?
Aganos and 2 chunks
Tusk. He has range. He has deflect. He has kicks that move him forward.
Has Damage…That guy is seriously brainless!!! I hate when people who plays Tusk start taunting and acting like “OMG my character is more complex than Omen and Im still beating you”
Seriously Im expecting a NERF on his damage or at least to remove some of his Stagger arsenal…Guy is simply OP…Regardless his speed, the reach compensates that. Cant understand how people who play Tusk as their main still complains…About WHAT???
I don’t think Tusk is OP.
Tusk is absolutely not op…
Wait, are we no longer derailing threads anymore? Who decided this?
Is rash OP?
Wulf and Raam
No.
I must say the right terminology was not used…OP is certainly not the right word but compared to the old KI 2 Tusk this guy is a little out of his league. A character with such damage potential should have way less mobility (Aganos).
Is there any reason why everything with Tusk is Stagger? Dude come on
CR HP hits BEHIND…??? Come on son, come on
Dont get me wrong, I have no hate towards the guy or whoever plays him ( in the end I could also play him and probably wont like anyone telling me crap) But I believe people are abusing him too much (specially on Rank).
Raam, and Aganos, both share his damage potential but with way less mobility and range. There is the balance