I had an idea for a fan character. I started with gameplay but decided to make a simple backstory because why not.
Barnes Tepesh
Eclipse Troupe Ringmaster
Barnes is the undead ringmaster to the mysterious wandering Eclipse Troupe.
More than anything he enjoys putting on a good show. When Quince hires him to portray Quince as a defender of the people, he leaps at the chance. Maybe Quince should have clarified that helping the Scourge find Flagstone was not exactly what he had in mind…
80 hp
5 cp
Innate: Circus Antics
When Barnes’ normal attacks are blocked by normal blocks, next turn the opponent can’t dodge. Barnes’ attacks and throws become 2.0 speed faster to a maximum of 1.0 and he can do mixup normals.
Normal attack speed: x.6
Normal throw speed: x.4
Normal throw damage: 5
Normal throws are 2 CP starters and knock down.
2 A/D
3 A/D
4 A/B
5 B/D
6 A/B
7 A/T
8 T/B
Side Switch [combat]: if you win combat with this throw and the opponent has a larger hand, they discard down to your hand size. You draw that many cards.
9 A/B
10 T/B
J Fireworks Shot (attack) 2.4 Speed. 5 damage (1 chip). Ender. If this does chip damage, the opponent does not draw a card.
Q Somersault: attack. 0.0 speed. 0 damage and chip. Can’t Combo.
If the opponent dodges, they can’t follow up.
K Heel Strike: attack. 3.6 speed. 1 CP linker. 6 damage/2 chip.
A Big Top Bunt: attack. 1.0 Speed. Can’t Combo. 10 damage/ 3 chip.
AA The Trapeze: attack. 4.8 speed. 2 CP ender. 18 damage/ 4 chip.
I started with the notion of a Magneto style mixup character.
I know my outline is disorganized, but I would like feedback: does this character seem interesting? Does he look too strong or weak? If you read this far, thank you.
Quick question: why doesn’t the innate just read “when your normal attacks are blocked by normal blocks, knock down the opponent”? Seems like it does pretty much the same thing.
That aside, it seems pretty obnoxious. In the early game, Barnes can throw normals with relative impunity since the opponent is unlikely to have many face cards. You just keep throwing normals and getting normal draw and potentially getting lucky mixups through your opponent’s blocks, and the only thing they can do is block and hope they draw into reversals.
I think I’m most worried about that. What’s the core idea you’re trying to work towards with it?
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For the first question, this is a minor difference but it means that abilities like Gloria’s healing and Troq’s War Stomp are not affected.
As for the second thing, would it be significantly better if the opponent could still dodge?
The general concept is a character focused on block pressure based mixups. Think Magneto in MvC2 or Valkenheim in BlazBlue.
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I think allowing the opponent to dodge would at least give them a meaningful way to deal with that normal pressure, although it still costs them card advantage. Not sure how to feel about that. I think the main issue is that you’ve got a sort of vortex setup that’s very easy to get into (although I guess winning combat with a normal resets the vortex). So either the vortex needs to have room for the opponent to gain some sort of advantage, or there has to be a way to knock Barnes “out of” it to get some breathing room, I’d say. Or you make it harder to earn? Maybe you have Circus Antics as an ongoing ability on a card that the opponent can do a thing to discard/earn a discard of it.
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How about “Circus Antics doesn’t apply if Barnes is knocked down” I do want the vortex to be a central part of the character so reserving it for an ongoing doesn’t sit right with me. I’m fine with there being a way to disrupt it but I want it to be his primary means of offense.
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That’s not quite much of a counterplay, because most characters don’t have ways to knock down without a throw, and a constant barrage of normal attacks doesn’t really play well with throws.
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Maybe “if Barnes is hit, Circus Antics can’t activate next turn.”
Another change idea: he has to discard a card and doesn’t draw if the Circus Antics boosted normal is played but doesn’t hit. This way, he has to either score a hit quickly or back off to not burn his hand with nothing to show for it.
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A character with Access to 8 starters, that draw cards on block and hit, with speed 1.0 and 1.6, is ridiculous. In addition, the K linker does all of that as well, without drawing the card.
Zane is considered the best character in the game, and he has to win combat and have the correct card in hand to get Meaty attacks. Barnes Tepesh also needs to win combat, but with the safest combat reveal in the game - the block.
So, balance wise, this character would be properly broken 
Maybe not as bad if they didn’t have 5 CP and if throws where 3CP. In addition, the 8 throw - which becomes a 6.4 throw - which with the exception of grapplers and super-throws, is the fastest throw in the game Also, the 8 ability is terrible with this character.
Thematically, rushdown characterrs usually have poor defence, so giving the character access to their rushdown by playing defensively doesn’t jive right with me.
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Gets his mixups by blocking? He gets it when his attacks are blocked, so I’m not sure what you’re talking about.
Maybe not as bad if they didn’t have 5 CP and if throws where 3CP. In addition, the 8 throw - which becomes a 6.4 throw - which with the exception of grapplers and super-throws, is the fastest throw in the game