So I recently thought I'd redo this character archetyping/classing exercise now that I have some solid WiiU time and there's also been a balance patch that pushed some questionable characters into various spots (Wiifit, Lucario, Shulk, and a general reshuffle of the 3 latter categories). The precision / spacing grouping looks a bit large, but it also has two sets of clones within it and it has some shaky definitions within say MK (he seems designed to be rush down, and his range is shorter than in Brawl, but I think those nerfs priorities even more precision).
Heavy CQC/Grappler:
Heavy Hybrids:
CQC "Brawler":
Precision / Spacing:
Zone Breaking / Rush Down:
Projectile Zoning Fighters:
[Long] Ranged Zoners:
Heavy... grapplers. These characters tend to not die, deal extremely high amounts of damage in single hits, and tend to fail in neutral, but once an opportunity arises they can wreck havoc (as close quarter combat fighters indicate). Why have these separate to the other CQCs? Well their weight just sets them apart in how they're played and also what characters they tend to do well against. Precision characters tend to have range/safety to beat CQCs in neutral and their lighter weights decrease risk for them getting a kill, but for the heavies they have similar or comparative range and take a lot of effort to kill, exactly what precision characters dislike (even if they can shut them down in neutral).
Heavy Hybrids is a cop out grouping kinda like Heavy CQC. With the exception of Falcon, I tend to see similar play styles or designs for these characters exist elsewhere in the cast but they have a heavier spec than their counter part. These characters tend to not have frame data that is much worse than non-heavy selves, but contrast in one field noticeably to the other. Falcon is a precision / rush down character who happens to be heavy, Ike is a very heavy swordsman with great mobility specs but slightly worse frame data than Marth in some areas, Link is obvious, Wario is a heavy grappler but has the abysmal range but with Jigglypuff aerial mobility, Yoshi has a much similar 'stance' to Fox than in his previous games, outweighs him by a lot and has some high/top tier mobility specs.
The Brawlers consist of what should be the obvious. These characters get the most out of things up close and tend to be forced to approach. Like the heavies they should be destroying you once they get in. WiiFit is still the odd character out in this game in my eyes, I still don't
really know but she hits so hard with her attacks and most of her set ups are close-range.
The precision / spacing characters are varied in tools but tend to have similar design points and weaknesses. They're usually light weight, have laggy or risky kill options (i.e. lack kill set ups) but tend to excel in shutting down characters from setting up and can rely on mobility and poke moves to approach and pressure. Their ability to catch up in a deficit is pretty low, usually relying on pressure to coerce favourable trades, but a camping/stock lead opponent can usually play safely in a way that requires commitment, something that they tend not to be able to withstand multiple punishments for.
Zone breaking/rushdown had a few adjustments. Often accompanied by tools that shut down or hinder projectilers (reflectors, tjolt traveling around walls/etc) and can rush down and punish an opponent who's open or "slow" reliably (dash attacks, grabs), usually due to their zoning tools being made negligible. Diddy Kong and Ness are awkward, in Diddy's case most of his zone breaking/rush down is dash grab and side-b, both amazing tools for aggression mind you, but his neutral game based around projectiles seems more prioritised than just bum rushing them with grabs, I pushed him into the zoning fighter spec. Ness is also on the fence, he has a lot of ways to oust zoning opponents and amazing spacing tools, side-b and up-b aren't as focused on as his aerial and grab game are though.
Projectile Zoning Fighters... a totally new thing... kinda. Mid-Range zoners from previous iterations mostly, the notion of "they throw something at you so they can go in". They usually require some setting up first, but throw 100 hitboxes towards you once they're ready. Stopping them from setting up plus the ability (usually patience) to deal with the onslaught safely when its unavoidable is pretty vital to succeeding.
Long Range Zoners, the characters who essentially should be looking for centre stage and not moving for an entire match if they can get away with it. While they may need to go in for the kill or aren't too great at getting them, they tend to be comfortable with (and rely on) opponent's approaching. Their tools hit at long ranges and they're hard to approach, but they often suck at approaching themselves (no safe and fast tools while moving).
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Anyway I'm going to do an exercise sometime soon where I'm going to -gasp- rank each character within the aforementioned categories and describe why.
