Analysis #2: Sustained Holds in Street Fighter: The Storytelling Game

 

This is a simple comparative analysis of Sustained Holds, such as the Head Butt Hold, Braincracker, etc., in Street Fighter: The Storytelling Game.  This comparison limits itself only to the special maneuver listed in the core book, Secrets of the Shadoloo, and the Storyteller’s Screen in their original forms.

 

Here they are in summary format:

 

 

There are not very many sustained holds in the core books.  In fact, as Bear Hug, Head Butt Hold, and Neck Choke are identical, there are only 6 separate holds in the game—and they are not particularly balanced.  Head Bite, Stomach Pump, and Knee Basher in particular are more powerful than the other simple grabs, to the point of making Iron Claw, with its willpower cost 1^st round, seem wasteful. 

 

Analysis #3: Throws in Street Fighter: The Storytelling Game

 

 

Throws have a lot more variety, and they are the place to go for the high-damage wrestling maneuvers.  There is little repetition in the maneuvers—each throw is at least somewhat different from the others.  I’ve included Knee Basher with the throws as well as the holds because it is, in a sense, both—it has the sustained effect of a hold and the KD effect of a throw.  This makes it either one of the best holds in the game, or one of the best throws, depending on your viewpoint. 

 

Spinning Piledriver and Storm Hammer are nearly identical, except that Spinning Piledriver has a movement of Two and Storm Hammer ensures that the characters land in the same hex.  Both are advantages, although the second one is only effective if you’ve already managed to catch your opponent in the Storm Hammer. 

 

It seems that powerful wrestlers would do well to have high damage dizzy combos to set up opponents whom they could then crush with high damage grabs while dizzied.  Otherwise, only Spinning Piledriver and Siberian Bear Crusher could be counted on as likely to hit, and those only as long as the opponent hasn’t interrupted the grappler and caught him in a Knock Down or otherwise Canceling maneuver.

 

Hm, even though the “heaver hitting” maneuvers in Grab are throws, it would seem that a good sustained hold might be a better way for a slow, high strength fighter to go for the win.  The high strength helps ensure that the hold will not usually be broken off too early, and it keeps the damage high over the course of multiple rounds.

 

Here are the maneuvers added by Secrets of the Shadoloo and the Storyteller’s Screen.

 

 

It’s pretty safe to say that in spite of its low Damage, Flying Tackle is a potentially overpowered maneuver.  It’s particularly dangerous in combos and when used by characters with good speeds. 

 

Choke Throw and Air Suplex are also strong alternatives to Air Throw.  Air Suplex is fairly well balanced because of its low speed and reliance on the opponent being airborne.  It’s the poor man’s Air Throw—not as powerful, but doesn’t cost a Willpower, either.  Choke Throw is more powerful because it hits standing or aerial opponents, regardless, and it lands the fighters together in the same hex.  It and Flying Tackle are the only two grabs that have good movement that isn’t offset by a Willpower cost.