Member
Hey guys! Thought I should probably post at least one combination thread before summer comes to and end. Hope you like it!
The Concept (Click to View)
The real purpose behind this thread is to take the first step toward establishing S130 as a competitive Track for Spin-Equalization. I've always used S130 on Dragooon and Meteo customs, but I realize I'm in the minority. I've mentioned S130's utility on left-spin Stamina combinations a couple times before, but this is the first time I've sat down and tested it extensively.
The two primary Tracks used for Spin-Equalization in Limited Format are CH120 and TR145. CH120 is used for its high Precession, and TR145 for its LAD. CH120 is virtually impossible to out-precess in a Stamina match; only LTSCs below 105 can really pull it off, and even then you're cutting things close. TR145's rollers provide applicable LAD that can carry a custom half a rotation to victory in the final moments of an opposite-spin matchup. S130, on the other hand, combines both of these qualities. Being just above CH120 in height, S130 still gives you the advantage of a low center of gravity and extremely high Precession when paired with EWD, while giving you a more convenient height that helps against taller Stamina customs. The "Sheild" on S130 performs in much the same way as TR145's rollers do (probably better in my personal experience), providing impressive LAD (and some advantageous weight distribution as well).
These attributes give Meteo L-Drago S130EWD the ability to deal with basically any right-spin Stamina/Defense custom at any height (well, LTSCs are still an issue, but that's a given for pretty much any Spin-Equalizer). Hopefully this testing will demonstrate that.
Parts Choice (Click to View)
Meteo: The only really viable Metal Wheel in Limited Format for Spin-Equalization. Lightning's recoil is far too high, and Destructor and Guardian have horrible weight distribution. Meteo is the only Wheel for this job.
S130: I pretty much already explained this above. Great height and shape that can maximize Precession and LAD on a Spin-Equalizer.
EWD: Hands-down the most effective Bottom for Spin-Equalization in Limited Format (arguably in all MFB formats). No other Bottom can perform nearly as well on this custom.
The Launch (Click to View)
Weak launch against Attack customs, as usual. Against Stamina combinations, you can really do anything you want (banking would make no sense, but it probably wouldn't hurt anything). Against Defense, I would actually advise a strong launch. I discovered, during testing against MF-H Libra 85RB, that this custom is far less prone to KO when it's spinning around the same speed as its opponent. Since Meteo is a pretty flimsy Metal Wheel, this can be useful against semi-Aggressive Defense customs that would otherwise pose a threat (like Libra).
Testing (Click to View)
NOTE: When looking through these tests, you're going to see a lot of 100% win rates. A big chunk of this is comparing different Spin-Equalization setups, and they're all extremely competitive, so results aren't usually going to clearly favor one setup or the other. After all the testing, we're going to compare the performances of each setup based on the results, and that requires attention to detail. Pay special attention to the number of ties that occur in each match; the fewer ties that occur, the more efficient the Spin-Equalizer is at winning consistently.
Also be sure to read the commentary for each set of results if there is any. Describing the behavior of each combination during the match is key when making comparisons like this.
Spin-Equalizer Benchmarks (Click to View)
Meteo L-Drago CH120EWD vs. Earth Cancer W145WD
Hasbro Meteo. Earth launched first on all launches. Both customs weak launched.
Meteo: wins, 10/10 (All OS)
Earth: wins, 0/10
Meteo L-Drago CH120EWD win rate: 100%
Ties redone: 3
The ties were mostly a result of CH120's low height from what I saw. In the final moments of the match, Meteo would lean down underneath the Earth and its rubber would get caught, bringing it to an abrupt stop. Now, I was using a Hasbro Meteo, which has very soft rubber that grips surfaces much tighter. I'm not sure if a Takara Meteo with harder rubber would have as much of a problem with this.
Meteo L-Drago TR145EWD vs. Earth Cancer W145WD
Hasbro Meteo. Earth launched first on all launches. Both customs weak launched.
Meteo: wins, 17/20 (All OS)
Earth: wins, 3/20 (All OS)
Meteo L-Drago TR145EWD win rate: 85%
Ties redone: 11
TR145 had a little bit of trouble with this. There was one instance where 6 rounds in a row ended in ties. This was just a lack of Precession (well, relative to CH120; TR145's Precession is excellent compared to most of the meta, but again, we've gotta get nitpicky when comparing Spin-Equalization setups).
Meteo L-Drago CH120EWD vs. Scythe Cancer B : D
Hasbro Meteo. Scythe launched first on all launches. Both customs weak launched.
Meteo: wins, 10/10 (All OS)
Scythe: wins, 0/10
Meteo L-Drago CH120EWD win rate: 100%
Ties redone: 2
Same deal as the match against Earth pretty much.
Meteo L-Drago TR145EWD vs. Scythe Cancer B : D
Hasbro Meteo. Scythe launched first on all launches. Both customs weak launched.
Meteo: wins, 10/20 (All OS)
Scythe: wins, 10/20 (All OS)
Meteo L-Drago TR145EWD win rate: 50%
Ties redone: 10
Again, much lower Precession than CH120. Still, I was actually kind of impressed that this thing went toe-to-toe with Scythe B : D. I find it funny that the end score was 10 wins, 10 losses, and 10 ties.
Meteo L-Drago CH120EWD vs. MF-H Libra SR200CS
Hasbro Meteo. Libra launched first on all launches. Both customs weak launched.
Meteo: wins, 10/10 (All OS)
Libra: wins, 0/10
Meteo L-Drago CH120EWD win rate: 100%
Ties redone: 0
I tried launching Libra at full power and going for the KO before I started this set to make sure weak launching wouldn't negate any potential wins for Libra, and Meteo wasn't moving, so I went ahead and used a weak launch. This was basically a flawless match for Meteo.
Meteo L-Drago TR145EWD vs. MF-H Libra SR200CS
Hasbro Meteo. Libra launched first on all launches. Both customs weak launched.
Meteo: wins, 10/10 (All OS)
Libra: wins, 0/10
Meteo L-Drago TR145EWD win rate: 100%
Ties redone: 0
Meteo L-Drago CH145EWD vs. Earth Cancer 230D
Hasbro Meteo. Earth launched first on all launches. Both customs weak launched.
Meteo: wins, 10/10 (All OS)
Earth: wins, 0/10
Meteo L-Drago CH120EWD win rate: 100%
Ties redone: 1
The one tie happened when Earth knocked Meteo over late-game. I'm inclined to think it wouldn't have happened had Meteo been using a different Track, just because I've had horrible experiences with CH145's stability.
Meteo L-Drago TR145EWD vs. Earth Cancer 230D
Hasbro Meteo. Earth launched first on all launches. Both customs weak launched.
Meteo: wins, 10/10 (All OS)
Earth: wins, 0/10
Meteo L-Drago TR145EWD win rate: 100%
Ties redone: 0
This is the one match where TR145 performed on level with CH120 (probably slightly better).
Hasbro Meteo. Earth launched first on all launches. Both customs weak launched.
Meteo: wins, 10/10 (All OS)
Earth: wins, 0/10
Meteo L-Drago CH120EWD win rate: 100%
Ties redone: 3
The ties were mostly a result of CH120's low height from what I saw. In the final moments of the match, Meteo would lean down underneath the Earth and its rubber would get caught, bringing it to an abrupt stop. Now, I was using a Hasbro Meteo, which has very soft rubber that grips surfaces much tighter. I'm not sure if a Takara Meteo with harder rubber would have as much of a problem with this.
Meteo L-Drago TR145EWD vs. Earth Cancer W145WD
Hasbro Meteo. Earth launched first on all launches. Both customs weak launched.
Meteo: wins, 17/20 (All OS)
Earth: wins, 3/20 (All OS)
Meteo L-Drago TR145EWD win rate: 85%
Ties redone: 11
TR145 had a little bit of trouble with this. There was one instance where 6 rounds in a row ended in ties. This was just a lack of Precession (well, relative to CH120; TR145's Precession is excellent compared to most of the meta, but again, we've gotta get nitpicky when comparing Spin-Equalization setups).
Meteo L-Drago CH120EWD vs. Scythe Cancer B : D
Hasbro Meteo. Scythe launched first on all launches. Both customs weak launched.
Meteo: wins, 10/10 (All OS)
Scythe: wins, 0/10
Meteo L-Drago CH120EWD win rate: 100%
Ties redone: 2
Same deal as the match against Earth pretty much.
Meteo L-Drago TR145EWD vs. Scythe Cancer B : D
Hasbro Meteo. Scythe launched first on all launches. Both customs weak launched.
Meteo: wins, 10/20 (All OS)
Scythe: wins, 10/20 (All OS)
Meteo L-Drago TR145EWD win rate: 50%
Ties redone: 10
Again, much lower Precession than CH120. Still, I was actually kind of impressed that this thing went toe-to-toe with Scythe B : D. I find it funny that the end score was 10 wins, 10 losses, and 10 ties.
Meteo L-Drago CH120EWD vs. MF-H Libra SR200CS
Hasbro Meteo. Libra launched first on all launches. Both customs weak launched.
Meteo: wins, 10/10 (All OS)
Libra: wins, 0/10
Meteo L-Drago CH120EWD win rate: 100%
Ties redone: 0
I tried launching Libra at full power and going for the KO before I started this set to make sure weak launching wouldn't negate any potential wins for Libra, and Meteo wasn't moving, so I went ahead and used a weak launch. This was basically a flawless match for Meteo.
Meteo L-Drago TR145EWD vs. MF-H Libra SR200CS
Hasbro Meteo. Libra launched first on all launches. Both customs weak launched.
Meteo: wins, 10/10 (All OS)
Libra: wins, 0/10
Meteo L-Drago TR145EWD win rate: 100%
Ties redone: 0
Meteo L-Drago CH145EWD vs. Earth Cancer 230D
Hasbro Meteo. Earth launched first on all launches. Both customs weak launched.
Meteo: wins, 10/10 (All OS)
Earth: wins, 0/10
Meteo L-Drago CH120EWD win rate: 100%
Ties redone: 1
The one tie happened when Earth knocked Meteo over late-game. I'm inclined to think it wouldn't have happened had Meteo been using a different Track, just because I've had horrible experiences with CH145's stability.
Meteo L-Drago TR145EWD vs. Earth Cancer 230D
Hasbro Meteo. Earth launched first on all launches. Both customs weak launched.
Meteo: wins, 10/10 (All OS)
Earth: wins, 0/10
Meteo L-Drago TR145EWD win rate: 100%
Ties redone: 0
This is the one match where TR145 performed on level with CH120 (probably slightly better).
Vs. Stamina (Click to View)
Meteo L-Drago S130EWD vs. Earth Cancer W145WD
Hasbro Meteo. Earth launched first on all launches. Both customs weak launched.
Meteo: wins, 10/10 (All OS)
Earth: wins, 0/10
Meteo L-Drago S130EWD win rate: 100%
Ties redone: 1
Worked more smoothly than CH120. S130 kept it high enough off the ground that it didn't stoop underneath Earth. Better performance than I was expecting, actually.
Meteo L-Drago S130EWD vs. Scythe Cancer B : D
Hasbro Meteo. Scythe launched first on all launches. Both customs weak launched.
Meteo: wins, 10/10 (All OS)
Scythe: wins, 0/10
Meteo L-Drago S130EWD win rate: 100%
Ties redone: 5
This was almost all metal-to-metal contact, rather than rubber-to-metal as in the CH120 testing. That was most likely the reason for the higher number of ties; stealing spin was more difficult near the end of the match when the rubber couldn't make contact. Still, 100% against Scythe B : D is pretty incredible for a left-spin Stamina custom.
Meteo L-Drago S130EWD vs. MF-H Libra SR200CS
Hasbro Meteo. Libra launched first on all launches. Both customs weak launched.
Meteo: wins, 10/10 (All OS)
Libra: wins, 0/10
Meteo L-Drago S130EWD win rate: 100%
Ties redone: 0
Pretty much identical to CH120.
Meteo L-Drago S130EWD vs. Earth Cancer 230D
Hasbro Meteo. Earth launched first on all launches. Both customs weak launched.
Meteo: wins, 10/10 (All OS)
Earth: wins, 0/10
Meteo L-Drago S130EWD win rate: 100%
Ties redone: 0
Well, 100% against all four customs! Pretty sweet.
Hasbro Meteo. Earth launched first on all launches. Both customs weak launched.
Meteo: wins, 10/10 (All OS)
Earth: wins, 0/10
Meteo L-Drago S130EWD win rate: 100%
Ties redone: 1
Worked more smoothly than CH120. S130 kept it high enough off the ground that it didn't stoop underneath Earth. Better performance than I was expecting, actually.
Meteo L-Drago S130EWD vs. Scythe Cancer B : D
Hasbro Meteo. Scythe launched first on all launches. Both customs weak launched.
Meteo: wins, 10/10 (All OS)
Scythe: wins, 0/10
Meteo L-Drago S130EWD win rate: 100%
Ties redone: 5
This was almost all metal-to-metal contact, rather than rubber-to-metal as in the CH120 testing. That was most likely the reason for the higher number of ties; stealing spin was more difficult near the end of the match when the rubber couldn't make contact. Still, 100% against Scythe B : D is pretty incredible for a left-spin Stamina custom.
Meteo L-Drago S130EWD vs. MF-H Libra SR200CS
Hasbro Meteo. Libra launched first on all launches. Both customs weak launched.
Meteo: wins, 10/10 (All OS)
Libra: wins, 0/10
Meteo L-Drago S130EWD win rate: 100%
Ties redone: 0
Pretty much identical to CH120.
Meteo L-Drago S130EWD vs. Earth Cancer 230D
Hasbro Meteo. Earth launched first on all launches. Both customs weak launched.
Meteo: wins, 10/10 (All OS)
Earth: wins, 0/10
Meteo L-Drago S130EWD win rate: 100%
Ties redone: 0
Well, 100% against all four customs! Pretty sweet.
Vs. Defense (Click to View)
Meteo L-Drago S130EWD vs. MF-H Libra 85RB
Hasbro Meteo. New RB. Meteo launched first on all launches. Libra launched aggressively.
Meteo: wins, 9/10 (All OS)
Earth: wins, 1/10 (All KO)
Meteo L-Drago S130EWD win rate: 90%
The KO happened the first match. Again, I found that if I launched Meteo at maximum power, it was actually much more difficult for Libra to land a KO. This probably would've been 100% if I'd known that sooner.
Hasbro Meteo. New RB. Meteo launched first on all launches. Libra launched aggressively.
Meteo: wins, 9/10 (All OS)
Earth: wins, 1/10 (All KO)
Meteo L-Drago S130EWD win rate: 90%
The KO happened the first match. Again, I found that if I launched Meteo at maximum power, it was actually much more difficult for Libra to land a KO. This probably would've been 100% if I'd known that sooner.
Vs. Attack (Click to View)
Meteo L-Drago S130EWD vs. MF-H Omega Horuseus 100RF
Hasbro Meteo. Prime RF. Meteo launched first on all launches.
Meteo: wins, 3/20 (2 KO, 1 OS)
Earth: wins, 17/20 (All KO)
Meteo L-Drago S130EWD win rate: 15%
Those 3 wins were the product of some pitiful launches and a ridiculous number of wall saves. Just thought I'd throw a few rounds in against an Attacker for good measure.
Hasbro Meteo. Prime RF. Meteo launched first on all launches.
Meteo: wins, 3/20 (2 KO, 1 OS)
Earth: wins, 17/20 (All KO)
Meteo L-Drago S130EWD win rate: 15%
Those 3 wins were the product of some pitiful launches and a ridiculous number of wall saves. Just thought I'd throw a few rounds in against an Attacker for good measure.
Track Comparison (Click to View)
Percentage of Rounds Won via OS (Stamina Matches Only):
CH120: 86.9%
TR145: 58.0%
S130: 86.9%
As far as efficiency in Spin-Equalizing goes, S130 is definitely superior to TR145 and on-level with CH120. Overall extremely effective. I'll be honest, I wasn't expecting the results to be this good, haha.
Overall, this custom is working really well for me! Hopefully this demonstrates S130's utility on Spin-Equalizers. Thanks for reading guys! Post thoughts and test results!