You guy are really over-glorifying Meltdown?
Mind game? Unpredictable?? Nonononono. No matter what version of Meltdown the opponent is using, just treat it as Lv.1 and you are done. As long you know how to get close to Terra when she is firing a lv.1, you can do the same to other versions, because if you intercept things at lv.1, you don't have to worry about the other versions. It isn't that hard either, lv.1 still takes a second and half to charge, and a frontal dodge from lower diagonal can get you right pass if you are close enough when she start up the move, and frontal dodge is not even need for those who have mid range move (note, long range move actually arent as good as mid rnage ones to intercept Meltdown, long range move's travel tiem or start up actually give Terra Enough time to flee). And if you think you can't make it in time, just dash away. If anything, Meltdown is easy to run away from. And if enemy shot a lv.3, there is actually a good way to counter it as it lags the most post shot and it actually charges long enough so you know it'll be lv.3 and you aim for an safe intercept as lv.3 can't be hold on forever and now you can tell when it'll eventually come off.
>>If you're firing Meltdown first, you are not getting stuff like Rough Divide off before it.
This is not entirely true, this only happen if a moron is using Squall. Rough Divide has roughly the same start up as Meltdown. At mid range aka, the distance where the opponent must fire a lv.2 or 3 to reach you, yeah, rough Divide won't go off before Terra can fire, but it'll go off before the ball hits. And due to its higher priority, smash right through the ball, and hits Terra who is in middle of her lag.
>>(for the record, Niu, I've watched tourney videos involving Terra...people actually hit with Meltdown. Its not an AI thing, its that the move on paper is a lot easier to dodge than it is in practice. The idea of "Mind Games" is huge here, and its the exact same reason Exdeath as UBER GODLIKE TOP TIER fails as an argument)
From my own observation, at least, I find that is happening as the players are treating the moves separately according to the three versions. Which, is indeed going to fell into the mind game. That is why I only treat it as lv.1, and I run if I find myself unable to intercept it in time and wait for a counter if the opponent is bold enough to use a lv.3
Really that is the only mind game Meltdown has, it has 3 levels! And it is none existent if you treat lv.1 as your minimum threshold.
Really, the biggest worth of Meltdown that I find, is to bait the enemy to dash away from you, which bring them to Terra's most favorable fighting range.
>>You go and hype Nightglow as being this godlike move...when it doesn't even have priority over Melee HP Attacks (I was just facing Golbez with a few characters recently, slammed into nightglow...both staggered. Wonderful HP counter there, its also SLOWER THAN MOST BRAVE MOVES, whether you like it or not)
I did hype Nightglow, but as a counteroffensive move and nothing else. I never remember I have it as a good direct offensive move or a defensive move. And the both staggering is not the question, as the pillar will still hit once Golbez reached the stomping animation that summons the pillar. Got it, this is why I never hype it as a defensive move or a direct offensive move, the dark barrier that starts the hit box is slower than average block. It is easy to read from afar and not quick enough in a close defensive combat.
But why is staggering bad, I do not understand. The moves that make Golbez stagger in Night Glow usally have no way to stop them out side Exdeath's All Guard. Consider Golbez can get it out just by both staggering, I think that is good enough, especially the stagger also push Golbez back into his favorable combat distance. Yes, I won't argue Night Glow is a bad defensive move, but whether you like it or not, Night Glow's still came out fast enough to intercept some hard to dodge close range HP attack like Jecht Blade or Sutra Circle even if you are half a second slow.
But then, still Night glow's true worth is in counteroffensive, where you purposely clash your attack with the opponent's when you can fully ready the attack. In that case, even Golbez is going to stagger, he'll have enough time to stomp before hand, and can add in the mind game on whether you are using the move as a direct or counter offensive (but I won't recommend it, it is a situational thing instead something right off the bat). This is also why Golbez wants to stay in mid range, so he have time to fully ready his attacks, and thankfully, Golbez has enough trick to keep the enemy at that distance.
Ugh. Meltdown is just terrible for so many characters. Like, say, Tidus. (Thank you not having any quick mid-range moves, or any long-range moves) Meltdown v.1 is too fast to just close in and attack on, Meltdown v.2 has too much range and not enough cool down to close in the distance, and v.3 is just too finicky to try much of anything on. Hell, v.3 is the ONLY one you can easily close in on. No. Meltdown is quite decent enough against anybody without decent-good range moves. AKA: Long-Ranged Magic.
.....................You are not serious do you? Lv.3 is a counter bait , just get Tidus above Terra when she charged along enough then prepare a counter with Energy Rain, even easier if you are good at reverse dodge cancel, and you can get Tidus into his move's counter range once you figure out the motion of lv.2, and lv.2's slow trvaeling speed at the beginning, give you the time to adjust for the range you need.
