Metal Fight Limited's Gravity/Libra/DK Legality Question And Proposals

Hello everyone,
 
I’m making a post here to bring attention to potential changes to the Metal Fight Limited Format as well as receive input on a few different scenarios. For quite some time I have been testing and hosting events that would see the re-introduction of currently banned parts, namely Libra and Dark Knight.
 
While these tests and events have generally been successful in proving that these parts are not more oppressive than what currently exists, talk has come about of completely re-assessing not just Libra and Dark Knight (DK), but Gravity as well.
 
To fill in those who many not know, many months ago I started testing these two parts because it was clear (in my opinion) that in a format with something as versatile and strong as the Gravity wheel, neither Dark Knight nor Libra would be out of place.
 
Both are competent wheels with some potent combos and attributes, same as Gravity. What we allow Gravity to do by existing is … interesting … and is at odds with the reasoning to have certain other bans, so why not be more consistent about was is and isn’t an acceptable power level?
 
As the idea of this reconfiguration continues to pick up traction, certain alternatives have come about. I will list the main proposed options here followed by my own personal pros and cons of the parts in question and the potential implications of each option on the meta.
 
1.     Increasing MFL power ceiling: Unban Libra and Dark Knight parts.
2.     Decreasing MFL power ceiling (1): Ban Gravity, keep Libra and Dark Knight banned.
3.     Decrease MFL power ceiling (2): Ban Gravity, keep Libra banned, unban Dark Knight moving it and Screw to the watch-list.



Gravity Perseus
 
Pros
  • Highly versatile across the board (attack, anti-attack, balance, “stamina”), providing a sense of format/deck building depth
  • Helps keep very strong Attackers (Screw) in check on a variety of setups
  • Provides a dual spin option to the format
 
Cons
  • Its strength can suffocate other potential alternatives in niches it occupies (Leone RF is a prime example)
  • Its consistency across the board makes it an easy choice, simplifying the game at times (why pick X attacker when Gravity can do it and win AvA?)
  • The most menacing setup (LTAC) can break general rules of the game when played optimally, its only true weakness being user error
  • Lacks plentiful or common counter-picks
 
Libra
 
Pros
  • Highly versatile across the board (mobile defense, grip defense, stamina, balance), provides some sense of depth to deck building options and the format
  • Helps keep very strong attackers (Screw, Gravity to some degree) in check on a few setups
  • Provides MLD with a few losing Stamina matchups (LSTCs, 230 combos with Mold 3)
  • Every Libra combo variation has definitive and common counters while adding in its own counter chart
 
Cons
  • Versatility can make other options feel obsolete or unnecessary (bakushin RSF, Earth RSF, HasDuo Stamina)
  • Its ideal combos are “easy” to pick over others in the decision-making process, and very easy to use to its full extent (pick up and play can make for a toxic if not suboptimal environment)
  • Can wall some lower-tier Attack types very hard, unlike most other existing alternatives, legitimately reducing the Attack pool (HasFang, things of that ilk)
 
Dark Knight
 
Pros
  • Gives Chrome Wheels access to the left spin direction
  • Opens up a few more viable chrome wheel combo options
  • Realistically doubles the amount of high competitive Crystal Wheels (from 1 to 2)
  • Provides a low track attack answer to 230 combos
  • Every Dark Knight combo variation has definitive and common counters (often the same things)
 
Cons
  • Potential to shift the meta to unduly focus on short tracks to combat it since it could eliminate extremely tall stamina threats and can do well against most mid height attackers
  • Its most menacing setup (with a well-balanced Killerken and mint RF) can potentially outspin or draw combos defensive oriented combos  


"Summary" of Proposed Options
 
Option 1: What was originally proposed in the very beginning of MFL’s life. Power and versatility of these parts are accepted and kept in play. A fair share of the “decent but not crazy” part pool become noticeably less viable (typically the later Hasbro stuff), but in return you have a few parts allowed that all have the ability to be used on wildly different setups so unique combo expression is not lost in a technical sense.

Essentially going all in on a "fight strong parts with strong parts" idea. We bring in contentious parts, see how they fare and hope the lower tier stuff still sees use amidst high tier battles.
 
Option 2: This option simply removes the already banned or contentious parts. The power ceiling is drastically reduced and much of the existing MFL pool will lack that same level of versatility or viability, but there aren’t many stand out issues presented.
 
Options that were drowned or skipped over by Gravity/Libra/DK being present would be back on the menu without any “guilty” or “handicapped” feeling to their use. You lose some feeling of having “really strong” picks, but in return you have a deeper pool of options that you’re less likely to feel bad about picking anymore (Screw being the only real question mark here).
 
Option 3: This option removes the most contentious parts, Gravity and Libra, as they are really the bigger offenders of giving players that “handicapped” feeling or that they may be too much for the format. Dark Knight, relatively speaking, is much less offensive. It can produce some similar feats as Gravity on its best setup but not to the same degree or with the same level of safety vs. low track opponents in particular. Bringing it back because it is the most milquetoast of the three means it, along with Screw still, get watchlisted.
 
Essentially, you get a watered down version of Gravity back along with additional options for zero-g wheels, while ideally not compromising on the viability of the “decent but not OK” crowd as both Dark Knight and Screw would be closely watched to see whether they continue to invalidate those options where Gravity or Libra would have left off.
 


Please feel free to respond below with thoughts on the above options, or even potential proposals of your own if you have any. It could have a direct impact on the course of the Metal Fight Limited Format.
I'm fine with whatever if it is between option 1 or option 2, both of them I agree with the most so whatever the choice comes down to I'm ok with that.

I lean towards more of option 1 out of personal preference.
In my honest opinion, I think if libra is unbanned we should look into an omega unbanning. It's not as consistent against flame 230 as screw is
I'm actually thinking more along the lines of 3 over 1 or 2, though I would add a footnote that if 3 doesn't work and Dark Knight becomes too strong it them becomes super easy to turn it back to 2 from there by simply rebanning Dark Knight, and if it starts to push things into undesirable territory it's easily the quickest fix to make.

I do recall some discussion on forcing Gravity to spin right to minimize its ability to counter everything from the Discord, but I haven't done much testing on this nor do I know if this is sufficient enough at the moment. If I could get some answers to this, it would help create a potential 4th situation where Libra remains banned, Gravity is restricted to right spin, and Dark Knight is allowed back in.

(Mar. 06, 2023  7:01 PM)Flame~Capricorn Wrote: In my honest opinion, I think if libra is unbanned we should look into an omega unbanning. It's not as consistent against flame 230 as screw is

This should not happen at all. It invalidates just about any other right spin Attack wheel that isn't Screw, and that's not what we want.
(Mar. 06, 2023  7:07 PM)MagikHorse Wrote: I'm actually thinking more along the lines of 3 over 1 or 2, though I would add a footnote that if 3 doesn't work and Dark Knight becomes too strong it them becomes super easy to turn it back to 2 from there by simply rebanning Dark Knight, and if it starts to push things into undesirable territory it's easily the quickest fix to make.

I do recall some discussion on forcing Gravity to spin right to minimize its ability to counter everything from the Discord, but I haven't done much testing on this nor do I know if this is sufficient enough at the moment. If I could get some answers to this, it would help create a potential 4th situation where Libra remains banned, Gravity is restricted to right spin, and Dark Knight is allowed back in.

(Mar. 06, 2023  7:01 PM)Flame~Capricorn Wrote: In my honest opinion, I think if libra is unbanned we should look into an omega unbanning. It's not as consistent against flame 230 as screw is

This should not happen at all. It invalidates just about any other right spin Attack wheel that isn't Screw, and that's not what we want.

That is a fair point. I'm not super up to date on the current range of viable smash attack wheels, so I guess I thought libra would make omega's pure power not too overpowered. I haven't been able to go to tournaments so I don't know how valuable my input is, but figured I'd put it out there regardless.
Because I've heard this alternative argument elsewhere I will address it with some testing for people to consider.

For those who think that right-spin locked Gravity is still within cutoff for Option 2/3 and should be kept in as a good "anti-attack alternative", I really disagree and I think it undermines and downplays the rationale of the "ban Gravity" options in the first place. 

Gravity is still very much Gravity in right spin, the shape and innate qualities of the wheel remain. In right spin it is still the definitive anti-attack combo, in my opinion, and leaves little room for other potential options. With the purpose of removing Gravity and keeping Libra out being increased Metal Wheel diversity.. it would make no sense to keep spin-locked Gravity around even if we all agree left spin Gravity is stronger than right.

I've heard arguments that Gravity would be suboptimal in this role, and that Vulcan is in fact the best Metal Wheel for the job, so if you run Gravity you're doing yourself a disservice. I am curious why I barely hear about it in that role, and people often enough use Leone instead, but still lets take that at face value.

I've done testing comparing the the two against combos of varying heights and types one would expect to come across to see how right-locked Gravity compares to Vulcan, the to-be anti-attack king of a potential scaled-back MFL + nerfed Gravity idea that started floating around a bit after I made this thread.

For Attack on Attack matchups the combos were launched in alternate order and had RFs swapped at the halfway point to ensure things were as fair as one player can make it. Because of how many rounds of testing I was expecting to do, I only did 10 rounds each instead of the usual 20.

MF Vulcan Byxis 85RF vs. MF Fang (Metal Fury) Leone CH120RF
MF Vulcan Byxis 85RF wins: 4 wins (4 KO)
MF Fang Leone CH120RF: 6 wins (4 KO, 2 OS)
Vulcan Win Percentage: 40%

MF-L Gravity Perseus (Stamina Vers.) 85RF vs. MF Fang (Metal Fury) Leone CH120RF
MF-L Gravity Perseus 85RF wins: 6 wins (4 KO, 2 OS)
MF Fang Leone CH120RF wins: 4 wins (2 KO, 2 OS)
Gravity Win Percentage: 60%

Here what made a noticeable difference seemed to be that Gravity was less likely to get pummeled into the ground at odd angles by Fang (Metal Fury) compared to Vulcan later on in the game, and because of its lower relative recoil, when it wasn't KO'd it would be able to OS due to better distribution overall. Better distro and shape won the day here.

MF Vulcan Byxis 85RF vs. MF Leone 85RF
MF Vulcan Byxis 85RF wins: 5 wins (3 KO, 2 OS)
MF Leone 85RF wins: 5 wins (5 KO)
Vulcan Win Percentage: 50%

MF-L Gravity Perseus (Stamina Vers.) 85RF vs. MF Leone 85RF
MF-L Gravity Perseus 85RF wins: 5 wins (4 KO, 1 OS)
MF Leone 85RF wins: 5 wins (4 KO, 1 OS)
Gravity Win Percentage: 50%

Here things were much the same. In personal testing I found much more luck with Gravity Perseus, essentially always securing the OS on Leone, but in this testing there was a time where Leone simply hit Gravity too hard (without a KO to show for it), and all the distribution in the world can't save any wheel from a beating like that. Conversely Vulcan got the best of Leone via OS a bit more frequently here.

MF Vulcan Byxis 85RF vs. MF-H Screw Susanow CH120RF
MF Vulcan Byxis 85RF wins: 5 wins (4 KO, 1 OS)
MF-H Screw Susanow CH120RF wins: 5 wins (5 KO)
Vulcan Win Percentage: 50%

MF-L Gravity Perseus (Stamina Vers.) 85RF vs. MF-H Screw Susanow CH120RF
MF-L Gravity Perseus 85RF wins: 5 wins (4 KO, 1 OS)
MF-H Screw Susanow CH120RF wins: 5 wins (3 KO, 1 OS)
Gravity Win Percentage: 50%

Another tied score, though it seems like they're even for different reasons. Sometimes due to Gravity's shape it can simply bump Screw out, but also later on in the game Screw can capitalize on that and hit Gravity down hard enough to make OSing much more difficult. Compared to that, Vulcan has less bump KO's, relying on raw Smash Attack, but not likely to be outspin since Screw seems to not have the same leeway design-wise on Vulcan. That, or the OS sample size wasn't big enough because they are two high recoil Wheels.

MF Vulcan Byxis 85RF vs. MF Pegasis R145RF
MF Vulcan Byxis 85RF wins: 8 wins (5 KO, 3 OS)
MF Pegasis R145RF wins: 2 wins (2 KO)
Vulcan Win Percentage: 80%

MF-L Gravity Perseus (Stamina Vers.) 85RF vs. MF Pegasis R145RF
MF-L Gravity Perseus 85RF wins: 7 wins (4 KO, 3 OS)
MF Pegasis R145RF wins: 3 wins (3 KO)
Gravity Win Percentage: 70%

This was another case of Gravity suffering because it was getting hit down, hard. Vulcan had no such issue so it had a slight edge as shown. In general this is a very bad matchup, R145 into Low Track Attack.

MF Vulcan Byxis 85RF vs. MF-L Bakushin Leone 85MF
MF Vulcan Byxis 85RF wins: 6 wins (6 KO)
MF-L Bakushin Leone 85MF wins: 4 wins (2 KO, 2 OS)
Vulcan Win Percentage: 60%

MF-L Gravity Perseus (Stamina Vers.) 85RF vs. MF-L Bakushin Leone 85MF
MF-L Gravity Perseus 85RF wins: 8 wins (8 KO)
MF-L Bakushin Leone 85MF wins: 2 wins (1 KO, 1 OS)
Gravity Win Percentage: 80%

This was rough. Bakushin takes advantage of Vulcan's shape far more often than the testing would have you believe and Gravity makes Bakushin look free.

MF Vulcan Byxis 85RF vs. MSF-H Bandid Wyvang CH120RSF (mobile)
MF Vulcan Byxis 85RF wins: 5 wins (5 KO)
MSF-H Bandid Wyvang CH120RSF wins: 5 wins (3 KO, 2 OS)
Vulcan Win Percentage: 50%

MF-L Gravity Perseus (Stamina Vers.) 85RF vs. MSF-H Bandid Wyvang CH120RSF (mobile)
MF-L Gravity Perseus 85RF wins: 6 wins (4 KO, 2 OS)
MSF-H Bandid Wyvang CH120RSF wins: 4 wins (2 KO, 2 OS)
Gravity Win Percentage: 60%

A weird one for sure, but a throwback.. Vulcan doesn't get along with RS and RSF, making for moments where Gravity could score a KO when Vulcan could not.

MF Vulcan Byxis 85RF vs. MF-H Lightning L-Drago 100RF
MF Vulcan Byxis 85RF wins: 5 wins (5 KO)
MF-H Lightning L-Drago 100RF wins: 5 wins (5 KO)
Vulcan Win Percentage: 50%

MF-L Gravity Perseus (Stamina Vers.) 85RF vs. MF-H Lightning L-Drago 100RF
MF-L Gravity Perseus 85RF wins: 7 wins (3 KO, 4 OS)
MF-H Lightning L-Drago 100RF wins: 3 wins (3 KO)
Gravity Win Percentage: 70%

I was a bit surprised by this as I thought Vulcan would do better. Gravity I have always thought to be really really hard for Lightning to deal with in general. It should be noted if you weak launch instead of stall vs. Lightning as either of these two, you can make the matchup even easier and ensure an OS (Lightning will very rarely be able to OS either of these two).

After all the Attack vs. Attack stuff I decided to broaden the scope of testing here. Vulcan isn't too far away from Gravity in the AvA niche, but consider how well they do outside of that subset of matchups.. Which ends up being more versatile hands down..?

MF Vulcan Byxis 85RF vs. MF-H Bakushin Leone 85RSF (docile)
MF Vulcan Byxis 85RF wins: 4 wins (4 KO)
MF-H Bakushin Leone 85RSF wins: 6 wins (1 KO, 5 OS)
Vulcan Win Percentage: 40%

MF-L Gravity Perseus (Stamina Vers.) 85RF vs. MF-H Bakushin Leone 85RSF (docile)
MF-L Gravity Perseus 85RF wins: 6 wins (6 KO)
MF-H Bakushin Leone 85RSF wins: 4 wins (2 KO, 2 OS)
Gravity Win Percentage: 60%

We know from previous testing that Bakushin can abuse Vulcan's shape and that's just what it did here. Gravity on the other hand made quick work of Bakushin. I think the Vulcan matchup could have gone a little better maybe, but the Gravity one for sure can see even greater win percent. Part of that will come down to wall saves - Bakushin got 1 vs. Vulcan and 2 vs. Gravity.

MF Vulcan Byxis 85RF vs. MF-H Earth Aquario 85RSF (docile)
MF Vulcan Byxis 85RF wins: 5 wins (5 KO)
MF-H Earth Aquario 85RSF wins: 5 wins (1 KO, 4 OS)
Vulcan Win Percentage: 50%

MF-L Gravity Perseus (Stamina Vers.) 85RF vs. MF-H Earth Aquario 85RSF (docile)
MF-L Gravity Perseus 85RF wins: 6 wins (6 KO)
MF-H Earth Aquario 85RSF wins: 4 wins (2 KO, 2 OS)
Gravity Win Percentage: 60%


Just to not be seemingly harsh on Vulcan because I think Bakushin is a particularly bad matchup I also did Earth Low Track Defense as well, in case it could make up for the disparity.. Not really? Gravity continued to hold on as the more consistent Smash Attack combo. It was much more capable of landing decisive blows.

I think in the end this means Vulcan's Average Win Percentage was ~58%. Gravity's average was ~62%? While that might not seem like a grotesque jump in consistency, it can also be put in the following terms:

Vulcan did better than Gravity against: 1. Pegasis.
Gravity did better than Vulcan against: 1. Bakushin MF, 2. Bandid Wyvang, 3. Lightning, 4. Bakushin RSF, and 5. Earth RSF.

Which would you pick for your Deck? With all the other matchups here being close to dead-even?
Very surprised you have Gravity doing better against Bakushin, and that Vulcan isn't eating screw alive, I'll provide some testing tonight should my evening go well.

Anyway, this is my proposal. For those that aren't aware, I was one of two people who did most of the work on the original MFL, and did most of the work around balancing, I don't know if that matters, but I like to think it means something.
I can agree with banning Gravity outright should the others go thru, core thing being DK should be legal and Libra and Left Gravity need to be tied to each other, preferably out of the format.

1. Libra stays banned. It's a bit much defensively to allow a lot of the attack spectrum to breathe, especially without full power Gravity to counteract it. Basically, it invalidates a lot of otherwise very interesting options for right spin attack.

2. Gravity restricted to Right Spin. This is in response to Gravity Perseus 85-105RF, using a fresh RF to OS defensive opponents it can't KO. This reduces its ability to destabilise and KO tall opponents, removes the ability to OS Defense, and curbs its attack vs attack somewhat (though it is still solid at this) while remaining a high tier attack choice with some defensive utility. We already have a spin restriction, we can stretch it to this pretty easily.

3. DK unbanned. DK combos either don't do anything existing options don't (DK Phoenic can do on 105 what Pegasis does on CH120 but does worse vs bakushin) or have glaring weaknesses to things already run frequently (DK Killerken/Girago can spin equalise with a fresh RF, but get blown up by Bakushin, Screw, Pegasis etc). It is a slightly worse Pegasis at best to be honest. It does however give a bunch of chrome wheels viability which is really nice. I know people are scared it will be objective best attack - it'll be good but I think Pegasis, HasFang (used correctly) and Screw at a bare minimum are all better. It can sit on the watchlist post unban for sure, in case the fear becomes real, but as it is I don't think I would run it.

4. Screw stays, but should be on the watch list. It has counters that are general enough to keep it in check.

The core goal of limited when we were creating it was to have as many wheels viable as possible. Libra LTDC just crush this list, costing most of the right spin attack options and fully outclassing Bakushin and Jade, only not doing so to Earth because Earth wins the mirror. I don't think it actually adds much of anything in exchange, Gravity LTAC are still a great answer to it, it just skews the meta more unhealthily. Yeah you get an extra part, but you trade off the viability of parts for it. That's not what we were going for. MFL is meant to play similar to HMS, where a defensive choice is risky, but with the option of defensive choices that trade off heavily to do better than that. In my books, Libra doesn't make that trade.

As it is I'd vote for option 3, but I think right Gravity is valuable to the metagame.
Fantastic and extremely succinct thread. You summed up every argument and thought I saw in the discussion that took place over Discord last night, and I can't overstate how greatly I appreciate that (unfortunately often thankless) level of documentation.

I lean very strongly in favor of option 2. Between the reduced power balance changes proposed, I would prefer option 2.1 as I believe that it will lead to the most diverse level of gameplay (like Broyeeto, I predict that Dark Knight will become a staple of every deck if allowed in) but I would understand if folks prefer 2.2. My primary concerns will be addressed either way.
My personal preference is option 2, but all work. 2 but with right only gravity also goes up there with base option 2 for me.
From what I've seen, I think options 2/3 are the best. Admittedly I'm not super familiar with zero-g, so idk how much of a difference allowing a crystal wheel makes in the long run, but I do know gravity needs to at the very least be restricted in some way.
(Apr. 11, 2023  3:24 AM)BladerGem Wrote: From what I've seen, I think options 2/3 are the best. Admittedly I'm not super familiar with zero-g, so idk how much of a difference allowing a crystal wheel makes in the long run, but I do know gravity needs to be at the very least restricted in some way.

It already has been, with the ability to swap spin directions limited, but it's just not showing to be enough. Right spin Gravity is still right spin Gravity at that, it's still a great wheel even if it was right spin only.