INTRODUCTION
Allow me to be somewhat lazy and put all three of the current combos that I'm testing here in one thread. It should also help to give comparative insight as to how each combo performs against specific beys. For this series of tests, I've elected to synchrom identical wheels rather than find another wheel to pair it with. This is easier for me and should provide a baseline against which other tests can be compared.
I developed three specific combos for my use in competitions, and I've leaned towards Zero-G purely because I really like the synchrom system (balance be damned!) and because I really don't like to tread the beaten path and use typical competitive combos. I disdain the advice of some veterans to just "look at the competitive parts list and just build from there." It's good advice, for sure, but it doesn't leave much room for growth. So without further ado, here are the combos I'll be discussing in this thread.
THE COMBOS
THE TESTS
CONCLUSIONS
Allow me to be somewhat lazy and put all three of the current combos that I'm testing here in one thread. It should also help to give comparative insight as to how each combo performs against specific beys. For this series of tests, I've elected to synchrom identical wheels rather than find another wheel to pair it with. This is easier for me and should provide a baseline against which other tests can be compared.
I developed three specific combos for my use in competitions, and I've leaned towards Zero-G purely because I really like the synchrom system (balance be damned!) and because I really don't like to tread the beaten path and use typical competitive combos. I disdain the advice of some veterans to just "look at the competitive parts list and just build from there." It's good advice, for sure, but it doesn't leave much room for growth. So without further ado, here are the combos I'll be discussing in this thread.
THE COMBOS
Spoiler (Click to View)
BALANCE - MSF-F Dragooon Dragooon LW160CF
MSF-F - In my use of Dragooon, I've discovered that many of my wins were from OSing the opponent's bey. It is a terrific spin stealer, so I opted to use the lightest Face Bolt to add to its stamina and increase its ability to get up to speed with an opposing bey.
Synchrom Dragooon Dragooon - Dragooon gives me a little of everything. As the only Zero-G left spin bey, it's my only option for spin steal. It also has pretty good balance, low recoil, and token smash. Basically, a jack-of-all-trades wheel. I've tried Synchrom Phoenic Dragooon and Killerken Dragooon, but I've found that Dragooon Dragooon seems to work best for me.
LW160 - If the early indicators for W145 are correct, LW160 should do the same for left spin. Since I want a bey that can outlast my opponent's I went for a track that supposedly increases spin time.
CF - In my first foray with Dragooon, I used a GCF, which proved too difficult to control and always settled into a tornado stall after one hit. I wanted something more consistent yet gave me enough velocity and stamina to outspin opponents or destabilize them. CF gave me the answer because the wide disc adds additional weight at the bottom and prevents toppling over with the heavy synchrom and tall track.
ATTACK - MSF Phoenic Phoenic S130RF
MSF - I would've used an MSF-H, but I was loath to open another one I had stashed, so I used an MSF instead. Phoenic has laughable stamina, so I didn't bother. Get a heavy Face Bolt and just go for muscle.
Synchrom Phoenic Phoenic - Phoenic is still the best attack wheel in Zero-G and delivers the most impressive smash of all chrome wheels. I completely enjoy the way it performs but I might not have discovered its true potential yet.
S130 - As much as I liked the cookie-cutter BD145RF for this, Kei was right in saying that there's no real synergy between Phoenic and BD145. Instead, I opted for a lower track with a little bit of BD145 disc action going on.
RF - The important thing about Phoenic is that it keeps attacking. RF, despite its lower velocity, gives you just that -- constant attacks. If you launch it hard enough, it'll do the job early enough and not suffer from the severe deceleration that RF goes through after impact.
DEFENSE - MSF-H Killerken Killerken BD145CS
MSF-H - I wanted to build a tank bey, so the heaviest Face Bolt is a no-brainer.
Synchrom Killerken Killerken - I hate Revizer because it has incredibly bad balance and the smooth edges do absolutely nothing. It's just heavy. Killerken, on the other hand, has ridges along its side and has decent weight. When synchromed, it behaves in a manner similar to Death. It has more smash than Dragooon, and is basically -- to use someone's term -- a big bus full of fat people ... but the fat people are carrying machine guns.
BD145 - If you're building a tank, you give it tank tracks.
CS - Because I wanted a Defense bey, and not an anti-attack bey (there's a difference), CS was the only choice. CS makes the entire bey like a Soft Master, flowing with impact. Much of the opponent's smash is dissipated by CS's adaptive nature. It also has pretty good stamina.
MSF-F - In my use of Dragooon, I've discovered that many of my wins were from OSing the opponent's bey. It is a terrific spin stealer, so I opted to use the lightest Face Bolt to add to its stamina and increase its ability to get up to speed with an opposing bey.
Synchrom Dragooon Dragooon - Dragooon gives me a little of everything. As the only Zero-G left spin bey, it's my only option for spin steal. It also has pretty good balance, low recoil, and token smash. Basically, a jack-of-all-trades wheel. I've tried Synchrom Phoenic Dragooon and Killerken Dragooon, but I've found that Dragooon Dragooon seems to work best for me.
LW160 - If the early indicators for W145 are correct, LW160 should do the same for left spin. Since I want a bey that can outlast my opponent's I went for a track that supposedly increases spin time.
CF - In my first foray with Dragooon, I used a GCF, which proved too difficult to control and always settled into a tornado stall after one hit. I wanted something more consistent yet gave me enough velocity and stamina to outspin opponents or destabilize them. CF gave me the answer because the wide disc adds additional weight at the bottom and prevents toppling over with the heavy synchrom and tall track.
ATTACK - MSF Phoenic Phoenic S130RF
MSF - I would've used an MSF-H, but I was loath to open another one I had stashed, so I used an MSF instead. Phoenic has laughable stamina, so I didn't bother. Get a heavy Face Bolt and just go for muscle.
Synchrom Phoenic Phoenic - Phoenic is still the best attack wheel in Zero-G and delivers the most impressive smash of all chrome wheels. I completely enjoy the way it performs but I might not have discovered its true potential yet.
S130 - As much as I liked the cookie-cutter BD145RF for this, Kei was right in saying that there's no real synergy between Phoenic and BD145. Instead, I opted for a lower track with a little bit of BD145 disc action going on.
RF - The important thing about Phoenic is that it keeps attacking. RF, despite its lower velocity, gives you just that -- constant attacks. If you launch it hard enough, it'll do the job early enough and not suffer from the severe deceleration that RF goes through after impact.
DEFENSE - MSF-H Killerken Killerken BD145CS
MSF-H - I wanted to build a tank bey, so the heaviest Face Bolt is a no-brainer.
Synchrom Killerken Killerken - I hate Revizer because it has incredibly bad balance and the smooth edges do absolutely nothing. It's just heavy. Killerken, on the other hand, has ridges along its side and has decent weight. When synchromed, it behaves in a manner similar to Death. It has more smash than Dragooon, and is basically -- to use someone's term -- a big bus full of fat people ... but the fat people are carrying machine guns.
BD145 - If you're building a tank, you give it tank tracks.
CS - Because I wanted a Defense bey, and not an anti-attack bey (there's a difference), CS was the only choice. CS makes the entire bey like a Soft Master, flowing with impact. Much of the opponent's smash is dissipated by CS's adaptive nature. It also has pretty good stamina.
THE TESTS
Spoiler (Click to View)
Because I was testing three beys, you'll indulge me in that I didn't test exhaustively against the Competitive list. Instead, I picked out a few which have made a mark in our meta. All tests were conducted in a BB-10 Attack Type Stadium (Pegasis Leone Vs Set ver.), using an L/R Beylauncher. Attack type launched second, with alternating launches vs. other attack types. Combos tested against were taken from the Competitive Metal Fight Beyblades Combos thread.
Spoiler (Click to View)
vs STAMINA
MSF-F Dragooon Dragooon LW160CF vs Phantom Cygnus AD14WD
MSF Phoenic Phoenic S130RF vs Phantom Cygnus AD145WD
MSF-H Killerken Killerken BD145CS vs Phantom Cygnus AD145WD
MSF-F Dragooon Dragooon LW160CF vs Duo Cancer 230SD
MSF Phoenic Phoenic S130RF vs Duo Cancer 230SD
MSF-H Killerken Killerken BD145CS vs Duo Cancer 230SD
vs DEFENSE (Anti-Attack)
MSF-F Dragooon Dragooon LW160CF vs MF-H Diablo Kerbecs BD145RF
MSF Phoenic Phoenic S130RF vs Diablo Kerbecs BD145RF
MSF-H Killerken Killerken BD145CS vs Diablo Kerbecs BD145RF
vs INGULIT'S CHALLENGE, designed according to instructions
MSF-F Dragooon Dragooon LW160CF vs MF-H Basalt Horogium TR145R2F (slightly used)
MSF Phoenic Phoenic S130RF vs MF-H Basalt Horogium TR145R2F (slightly used)
MSF-H Killerken Killerken BD145CS vs MF-H Basalt Horogium TR145R2F (slightly used)
MSF-F Dragooon Dragooon LW160CF vs Phantom Cygnus AD14WD
Spoiler (Click to View)
Win: 3
Lose: 17
15% WIN RATE
Notes: This was a complete surprise to me as I had extremely promising tests with Dragooon. Dragooon did not have the smash to consistently KO Phantom 145, and for some reason was unable to steal enough spin to stay alive during a battle. I theorized that it might be the height disparity and that at 160 Dragooon might have trouble with lower tracks.
Lose: 17
15% WIN RATE
Notes: This was a complete surprise to me as I had extremely promising tests with Dragooon. Dragooon did not have the smash to consistently KO Phantom 145, and for some reason was unable to steal enough spin to stay alive during a battle. I theorized that it might be the height disparity and that at 160 Dragooon might have trouble with lower tracks.
MSF Phoenic Phoenic S130RF vs Phantom Cygnus AD145WD
Spoiler (Click to View)
Win: 15
Lose: 5
75% WIN RATE
Notes: This one should be fairly obvious - if you hit Phantom right, it'll fly out of the stadium across the room. If you miss, you're toast. These are the match-ups that make Phoenic so much fun to use, each win was a stadium KO.
Lose: 5
75% WIN RATE
Notes: This one should be fairly obvious - if you hit Phantom right, it'll fly out of the stadium across the room. If you miss, you're toast. These are the match-ups that make Phoenic so much fun to use, each win was a stadium KO.
MSF-H Killerken Killerken BD145CS vs Phantom Cygnus AD145WD
Spoiler (Click to View)
Win: 14
Lose: 6
70% WIN RATE
Notes: This was very surprising for me. As a tank bey, I'd intended for it to withstand attacks, but Killerken Killerken was a revelation. It acted like Death and ate away at the opposing bey's spin. These matches had Killerken Killerken OSing Phantom reliably, sometimes by more than several rotations. Two wins were stadium KOs, thanks to its modicum of smash.
Lose: 6
70% WIN RATE
Notes: This was very surprising for me. As a tank bey, I'd intended for it to withstand attacks, but Killerken Killerken was a revelation. It acted like Death and ate away at the opposing bey's spin. These matches had Killerken Killerken OSing Phantom reliably, sometimes by more than several rotations. Two wins were stadium KOs, thanks to its modicum of smash.
MSF-F Dragooon Dragooon LW160CF vs Duo Cancer 230SD
Spoiler (Click to View)
Win: 20
Lose: 0
100% WIN RATE
Notes: This was the matchup that sold me on Dragooon. Having lost to Dup 230s in the Finals bracket of my last tournament, I went back and tinkered with my combo until I was on to something. This is a matchup that is just obscene, where Dragooon Dragooon would beat Duo 230 in every which way, from stadium KOs, to destabilization, to OS. For some reason synchrom Dragooon Dragooon destabilizes 230s best among the other Dragooon synchroms that I've tried.
Lose: 0
100% WIN RATE
Notes: This was the matchup that sold me on Dragooon. Having lost to Dup 230s in the Finals bracket of my last tournament, I went back and tinkered with my combo until I was on to something. This is a matchup that is just obscene, where Dragooon Dragooon would beat Duo 230 in every which way, from stadium KOs, to destabilization, to OS. For some reason synchrom Dragooon Dragooon destabilizes 230s best among the other Dragooon synchroms that I've tried.
MSF Phoenic Phoenic S130RF vs Duo Cancer 230SD
Spoiler (Click to View)
Win: 14
Lose: 6
70% WIN RATE
Notes: Same principle applies. Hit the bey. Make it fly.
Lose: 6
70% WIN RATE
Notes: Same principle applies. Hit the bey. Make it fly.
MSF-H Killerken Killerken BD145CS vs Duo Cancer 230SD
Spoiler (Click to View)
Win: 11
Lose: 9
55% WIN RATE
Notes: This was also surprising for me, mostly because I thought Killerken would be completely outclassed. It wasn't. Again, the Death effect. It would eat away at Duo's spin enough to equalize and sometimes outspin it. Wonderful surprise.
Lose: 9
55% WIN RATE
Notes: This was also surprising for me, mostly because I thought Killerken would be completely outclassed. It wasn't. Again, the Death effect. It would eat away at Duo's spin enough to equalize and sometimes outspin it. Wonderful surprise.
vs DEFENSE (Anti-Attack)
MSF-F Dragooon Dragooon LW160CF vs MF-H Diablo Kerbecs BD145RF
Spoiler (Click to View)
Win: 14
Lose: 6
70% WIN RATE
Notes: If Diablo gets a good hit, Dragooon will fly out of the stadium. In a matchup like this, tornado stall as much as you can. Dragooons wins were OSs.
Lose: 6
70% WIN RATE
Notes: If Diablo gets a good hit, Dragooon will fly out of the stadium. In a matchup like this, tornado stall as much as you can. Dragooons wins were OSs.
MSF Phoenic Phoenic S130RF vs Diablo Kerbecs BD145RF
Spoiler (Click to View)
Win: 3
Lose: 17
15% WIN RATE
Notes: Considering the anti-attack combo was made specifically against stuff like this, I probably shouldn't have been surprised or so disappointed Phoenic Phoenic did so poorly. Overall, in a battle of RFs, the heavier, more balanced bey won. This is where Phoenic's horrendous stamina will bite you in the hindside. But Diablo also got a lot of terrific stadium KOs aside from OS.
Lose: 17
15% WIN RATE
Notes: Considering the anti-attack combo was made specifically against stuff like this, I probably shouldn't have been surprised or so disappointed Phoenic Phoenic did so poorly. Overall, in a battle of RFs, the heavier, more balanced bey won. This is where Phoenic's horrendous stamina will bite you in the hindside. But Diablo also got a lot of terrific stadium KOs aside from OS.
MSF-H Killerken Killerken BD145CS vs Diablo Kerbecs BD145RF
Spoiler (Click to View)
Win: 15
Lose: 5
75% WIN RATE
Notes: Diablo snuck in a few impressive stadium KOs when I launched it aggressively, but overall, Killerken can withstand attacks and reliably outspin this combo.
Lose: 5
75% WIN RATE
Notes: Diablo snuck in a few impressive stadium KOs when I launched it aggressively, but overall, Killerken can withstand attacks and reliably outspin this combo.
vs INGULIT'S CHALLENGE, designed according to instructions
MSF-F Dragooon Dragooon LW160CF vs MF-H Basalt Horogium TR145R2F (slightly used)
Spoiler (Click to View)
Win: 15
Lose: 5
75% WIN RATE
Notes: The tip used here was a slightly used R2F because my worn R2F was simply too slow to be as aggressive as necessary. Ingulit's combo got a couple of good hits in, but otherwise was consistently outspun by Dragoooon Dragooon, despite it not being able to steal much spin from Basalt. In these tests, Dragooon was always launched first because CF has superior stamina.
Lose: 5
75% WIN RATE
Notes: The tip used here was a slightly used R2F because my worn R2F was simply too slow to be as aggressive as necessary. Ingulit's combo got a couple of good hits in, but otherwise was consistently outspun by Dragoooon Dragooon, despite it not being able to steal much spin from Basalt. In these tests, Dragooon was always launched first because CF has superior stamina.
MSF Phoenic Phoenic S130RF vs MF-H Basalt Horogium TR145R2F (slightly used)
Spoiler (Click to View)
Win: 4
Lose: 16
20% WIN RATE
Notes: Considering Ingulit's challenge was to beat all RF variants, this seems par for the course, as it handily beat Phoenic Phoenic in RF. Phoenic's few wins were stadium KOs.
Lose: 16
20% WIN RATE
Notes: Considering Ingulit's challenge was to beat all RF variants, this seems par for the course, as it handily beat Phoenic Phoenic in RF. Phoenic's few wins were stadium KOs.
MSF-H Killerken Killerken BD145CS vs MF-H Basalt Horogium TR145R2F (slightly used)
Spoiler (Click to View)
Win: 20
Lose: 0
100% WIN RATE
Notes: This was just a complete massacre. Basalt couldn't make any headway into Killerken as it simply didn't have enough smash to either destabilize or throw it out of the stadium. Killerken's spin eating feature just demolished this combo.
Lose: 0
100% WIN RATE
Notes: This was just a complete massacre. Basalt couldn't make any headway into Killerken as it simply didn't have enough smash to either destabilize or throw it out of the stadium. Killerken's spin eating feature just demolished this combo.
CONCLUSIONS
Spoiler (Click to View)
MSF-F Dragooon Dragooon LW160CF
I think I made the right choice here in terms of track and tip. I really think CF makes a big difference in terms of early destabilization (attack mode) and subsequently outspinning an opponent (stamina mode). No other tip provides the stability and speed that CF gives. I like this combo a lot and will probably find its way into my tournament set.
MSF Phoenic Phoenic S130RF
I'm still frustrated that I haven't quite found the right complement for Phoenic. The Phoenic synchrom has such terrific smash that I know I can make use of it, but I'm still searching for the right combination. As it is, it's still a pretty good choice of bey because with some luck, no matter what your opponent is, you will have a chance to win because of pure smash. The results are okay for me, but I won't be satisfied until I've come up with an Attack combo that can beat anti-Attack, too.
MSF-H Killerken Killerken BD145CS
This was the surprise MVP for me in the tests. It was my least favorite combo, but it did surprisingly well. Let me say it now ... Killerken Killerken is Zero-G generation's Death wheel. I love it and unlike Phoenic, Killerken and BD145 actually work well together because Killerken doesn't need to deliver smash.
Overall, I think I'm starting to settle on to a few wheels for my competitive combos. I always try to surprise our meta with new combos out of the competitive list, and I'm pretty confident with these. I hope you guys can do some tests yourselves so we can have more data. If I have time, I would do more tests against Flash, Variares, Blitz, and even Death, but my Death wheel is presently in the possession of someone else. :p
I think I made the right choice here in terms of track and tip. I really think CF makes a big difference in terms of early destabilization (attack mode) and subsequently outspinning an opponent (stamina mode). No other tip provides the stability and speed that CF gives. I like this combo a lot and will probably find its way into my tournament set.
MSF Phoenic Phoenic S130RF
I'm still frustrated that I haven't quite found the right complement for Phoenic. The Phoenic synchrom has such terrific smash that I know I can make use of it, but I'm still searching for the right combination. As it is, it's still a pretty good choice of bey because with some luck, no matter what your opponent is, you will have a chance to win because of pure smash. The results are okay for me, but I won't be satisfied until I've come up with an Attack combo that can beat anti-Attack, too.
MSF-H Killerken Killerken BD145CS
This was the surprise MVP for me in the tests. It was my least favorite combo, but it did surprisingly well. Let me say it now ... Killerken Killerken is Zero-G generation's Death wheel. I love it and unlike Phoenic, Killerken and BD145 actually work well together because Killerken doesn't need to deliver smash.
Overall, I think I'm starting to settle on to a few wheels for my competitive combos. I always try to surprise our meta with new combos out of the competitive list, and I'm pretty confident with these. I hope you guys can do some tests yourselves so we can have more data. If I have time, I would do more tests against Flash, Variares, Blitz, and even Death, but my Death wheel is presently in the possession of someone else. :p