PLAYSTYLE

Balanced type with a large tool set, with moves for most situations.

Joseph’s moveset is a swiss army knife of tools for every situation. As a result, he can be played in a variety of ways, depending on the player. He has everything he needs to zone, rush down, or poke and bait the opponent to open themselves up. Being a Hamon character, Joseph has access to all moves at all times. Joseph also has a unique element where using counter specials increases his Scarf Level, which raises his EX damage output.

His large moves includes: 214A, a projectile that can boomarang back if held down. Joseph is free to move around as it returns, and the right spacing and timing can turn into a combo. 41236A rekka with different enders. 3 anti-airs with 623A projectile, 3S command normal reversal, and 22A overhead. Each one of them covers different ranges, and all can be canceled into a damaging combo. Multiple counters, most notably 64321S, which is active on frame 1 and crumples for a combo. Lastly, Joseph has a 6H command overhead, and 4S forcefield. He has an excellent set of normals, particularly his jumping attacks which all have good cross-up potential.

Joseph definitely fits the ‘balanced’ type that newcomers crave. His toolset most resembles that of a standard fighting game character in terms of poking, zoning, and controlling space. His moves tend to have good range and priority, giving a versatility that new players find lacking when they pick up other characters. These combined with his way of weaseling out of bad situations make him a favourite of new and advanced players. He does good damage, but beginners will have to make due with lesser combo damage until they can learn his more challenging combos. This is offset by raising his Scarf Level, which gives some leeway until better combos are learned.

PROS

• Balanced playstyle, with high number of usable tools.
• Easy to adapt to different situations.
• Can be played in different playstyles.
• 3 anti-airs, which can be combod off of.
• Multiple counter moves. 64321S is a combo starter.
• Great set of normals, including very useful command normals.
• Backwards run, making running away easier.
• Good damage, especially with raised Scarf Level.
• Fairly safe, especially with 4S forcefield cancels.

CONS

• Juggle combos can be tricky and character specific.
• Missing any of his counters leaves him wide open, so raising Scarf Level can be risky.
• A lot of specials are linear and can be sidestepped.