Air Man
By Coreeno
Moves:
Normal Shot: Air Tornado: Air Man’s normal shot fires a singular tornado that stays in place briefly before flying forwards quickly. Holding down while shooting will fire a tornado that moves instantly and travels along the ground. These grounded tornadoes are slower and stop on walls however. Air Man can shoot up to 2 tornadoes at once. They deal 3 damage.
Special 1: Tornado Cluster: Air Man shoots out a cluster of 4 tornadoes in a semi-random pattern, the tornadoes stall in place briefly before flying forward. The tornadoes shot by S1 deflect projectiles, making this a good defensive tool. Holding up or down also changes the position the cluster spawns. The cluster tornadoes deal extra knockback, allowing for an easier escape, They deal 3 damage and cost 6 energy points.
Special 2: Rising Tornado: Air Man shoots out 3 tornadoes that immediately fly upwards in a curved angle, the same as Air Shooter from the original Mega Man 2. The upward angle of this attack makes it a good anti-air tool. The rising tornadoes knock opponents upward, meaning they're useful for keeping foes away. This move deals 3 damage and costs 3 energy points.
Other: Air Man's bulk packs him extra defense, at the cost of not being able to slide. By pressing slide in the air, for the cost of 3 ep, Air can push himself backwards, almost like an aerial wavedash, useful for escaping opponents.
Strengths:
Air Man is a powerful long range fighter with solid defense to boot. At a distance Air Man can use both his Normal Shot and Special 1 to fill the screen with projectiles, creating a bullet hell for any opponents unfortunate enough to be caught in his storm.
Staying away and being campy is an absolutely valid strategy with Air Man. He has increased defense by 15% and can block almost any shot with Special 1, allowing him to stay safe from afar even better.
Air Man can also deal well with opponents above him, Special 2’s ability to shoot upwards makes for a good anti air tool, so vertically oriented stages are Air Man’s friend when he has the low ground. Add on Special 1’s wide radius and upward tilt and he can stay safe while hiding away.
Weaknesses:
Air Man particularly struggles with powerful close range characters, Air Man’s shots all spawn a little bit in front of him, meaning opponents are safest when they’re right on top of him.
Due to Air Man’s lack of a slide, it’s also difficult to quickly flee from an opponent that’s too close in the heat of a match. Keeping your distance is a definite must. Your S1 and S2 should help with this.
