Post by Kento Waffles on Jun 7, 2015 0:07:58 GMT -5
DISCLAIMER: THESE SCORES ARE TEMPORARY, AND WILL BE FUNCTIONAL FOR ALL NEW THREADS FOR NOW, BUT ARE SUBJECT TO THE POSSIBILITY THAT THEY MAY DRASTICALLY CHANGE AFTER THE CAPTAINCY TESTS HAVE CONCLUDED.
So, before I actually post the scores, here's a little explanation. We ranked Captains with scores in various categories (which I won't be naming) and then added up their different scores into a final, total score. Therefore, Captains were ranked by highest score to lowest score. The highest possible score was 100, however the scores in comparison to 100 were not indicative of the totality of a character, and rather were indicative of the totality of the character's attributes in our chosen categories. It's important to note that these scores also are not indicative of who would necessarily beat who, or of battle ability alone. Combat was certainly an important factor, but it wasn't the only factor. We considered a character's personality, story relevance, and ability to lead or be part of a team as well, as these are all relevant for Captains. The system was that each of three mods: Rudy, Kento, and Z, came up with our own score cards for each captain, and then at the end, averaged the final total score for each one. So, the scores are based on decisions not from any one mod, but from three, to avoid bias. Furthermore, we had conversations to justify people's rankings by explaining where they were weak and where they were strong. Anyway, I've rambled on long enough. You guys don't care. You just want to see your scores. Those are below this disclaimer message!
P.S. Some people tied.
1. Sozen Kuchiki (95)
2. Okami Shihoin (81)
3. Kyomei Kuchiki (74)
4. Taiho Kasumi'Oji (69)
5. Kagami Murai (66)
6. Raion Souretsu (63)
7. Kaijin "Harle" Quinn (62)
8. Aramis Tezuka AND Hokori Kuchiki (60)
9. Hotaru Kuchiki (57)
10. Rose (53)
11. Alexander Kuma-Hebi AND Kimiko Shihoin (49)
12. Francis Grin (42)
Explanations are below.
Sozen Kuchiki
Strong Points - Sozen was always going to be on top of the rankings. There was never any doubt of that. That's not just me saying it because it's my character, or even because it's my character. In terms of raw combat ability, Sozen has demonstrated absolute strategic brilliance with incredible offensive capabilities and even highly effective defensive capabilities. He has brought down mighty foes. Schultz, Caesar, Kuroi. He functions well in a team too, as seen against the Ogatago with Rave, and in that war to begin with. Additionally, we have seen that Sozen has an unparalleled ruthlessness, to the point of practical extremist behavior. You can see this in his betrayal of Zouma Santeku's trust, torture of the Vizards, or murder of Kenryoku. It's also worth mention that the biggest story impact from an individual character on site is from Sozen. Look at who he has on his side. As Kuchiki Head, he effectively controls Squads 5, 6, and 10, as well as the Kido Corps, not to mention has an associate in Squad 13 and another in ZEI. Plus he's married to one of Zero Division's highest ranked. So, of course, he scored exceptionally high.
Where Sozen can improve - Regardless, where Sozen suffered was his ability to function in a team. He's good at being a team player, but he often has his own agenda. Even when working with Rave, it was more like Sozen calling the shots than working as equals with Rave. And in cooperation with the other nobles, Sozen is usually pulling the strings more than "working with them." Ultimately, he is too good at playing the game of politics and manipulation, and it is very difficult to truly trust someone like that. I doubt any character has worked with Sozen that isn't at least a little suspicious of his motives.
Okami Shihoin
Strong Points - All of us mods, at the end of scoring Okami, were surprised by how high he scored. We did indeed expect he would likely achieve rank 4, but what we didn't realize was by this much. It's not just his combat abilities, which are pretty spectacular, as seen in his ability to fight well against Aiko, or even just in the unique, mighty build of his Zanpakuto. Okami's strongest point isn't combat, but story, and leadership. As opposed to even Sozen, who is a manipulator, Okami is a real team player. He's strong, respectful, and wise. He's not unwilling to be extremely disciplined and to discipline his subordinates or allies when need be, and he clearly has a good head on his shoulders for leading. Even with Kimiko Shihoin as the Head of the Shihoin family, it is Okami's personality which dominates. He is clearly the leader, even if it isn't in name, and this effectively gives him the same control as the Shihoin House--three squads owned by this nobility. Obviously this means his ability to influence the story is immense.
Where Okami can improve - I don't think any of us doubted for a second that Okami could be more vicious and more strategic. His powers are strong, but what we've seen isn't the same absolute brilliance as other characters. This isn't to say that he's not cunning. Because he is. He is a cunning warrior with strong abilities. However, Okami isn't at the level where he can outsmart the likes of Kuroi, or Taiho. This means that it is in Okami's best interest to be more manipulative, closer to Sozen in that regard.
Kyomei Kuchiki
Strong Points - I don't think this takes much justification. As the kindest of the Kuchiki Captains, and the one most respected other than Sozen, Kyomei was once nominated for Captain Commander. There's no doubt that he's pretty influential and functions well in a team. But, that's not where we gave it to him the most. You all know it's because of his raw power. That's not just his raw stat values as a technique master. It's the techniques that he can actually use. Kido elementation. Kido fusion. His power is combined with such an amazing versatility that most people are just completely overwhelmed by him both offensively and defensively. It's no question that Kyomei is indeed ridiculously powerful.
Where Kyomei can improve - However, his leadership suffers. He's rather meek, and isn't as dominating as Sozen or Okami. While those two appear larger than life, Kyomei still feels like just a man, and this takes away from his ability to lead. Functioning in a unit isn't a problem for him. Where he's lacking is confidence as a battle commander. Otherwise, however, Kyomei is pretty solid overall. Anything additional he might need is well within his reach.
Taiho Kasumi'Oji
Strong Points - Obviously, where Taiho just outstripped everyone was raw combat ability. I remember when Taiho first got accepted, all the mods were basically like "oh my f***." Because that virus ability is lethal. Taiho may have scored fourth overall, but in terms of battle ability, Taiho is second only to Sozen, and behind only by a small margin. Taiho's Kasumi'Oji techniques and relentless, ruthless Zanpakuto make her easily one of the scariest characters that you can encounter. She has the capacity to just completely overwhelm you with offensive ability well beyond any of the other Captains.
Where Taiho can improve - Taiho is pretty unstable, and also very new to leadership. As the Kasumi'Oji Head, she's definitely not as well adjusted as her sister Azumi was, and she's powerful, but otherwise can't exert any real influence right now. The criminal empire she runs is Azumi's, and having just gotten into the game, Taiho still doesn't have many real allies or supporters. Overall, what she needs is just relevance to the plot, her own big story arc, and some canon participation. With those will come what she also needs, which is an opportunity to mature. Taiho just hasn't had any experiences yet.
Kagami Murai
Strong Points - Kagami has a lot of strategic value. Where we scored him highest was his versatility. His Kido spells and his Zanpakuto ability give him an enormous number of options, and he showed us against Harle and in previous threads, including his brief skirmish with Adalo, that he knows very well how to make combo attacks happen. His mirrors and combos are also very difficult to counter, as seen in how Harle was overwhelmed during the first half of their fight. Even for characters with relatively equal combat abilities, Kagami came out far ahead of Harle in that fight because of his combination attacks making it very difficult for her to do anything at all very early on.
Where Kagami can improve - However, Kagami loses out in control. He too is an unstable character, and though he has a lot of reiatsu and can support a combo based strategy, that's bad for stamina. We saw in the second half of his fight with Hotaru and in his skirmish with Adalo that once his combo is broken, Kagami is almost out of options. His ability to plan ahead, in other words, is limited. Furthermore, he's not a very controlled or stable individual, which has diminished his leadership ability (he is absent from Soul Society regularly) and his teamwork ability, given he has no trust or faith in anyone else. Plus, since he still doesn't actually have his criminal empire up, he exerts close to no influence right now. We'll see if this changes later, when his plot is more up and going. He's just entering phase 2 of his story. My bet is he'll be scoring a lot higher in future.
Raion Souretsu
Strong Points - Raion scored surprisingly high. Enough to get rank 4. How? His ability to inspire loyalty in his comrades. The fact that he's such a good time--basically getting drunk and partying all the time--has actually inspired confidence and loyalty in him by his team members and his subordinates. Therefore, even if Raion seems a bit crazy, he is followed very vehemently, which has given him solid influence and a solid ability to work with others. Furthermore, while his offensive and defensive capacities are basically average, Raion has the advantage of being constantly drunk. Drunk people get crazy, unexpected ideas. A lot. This has made Raion very difficult to predict.
Where Raion can improve - Pure combat ability. He's not weak, by any stretch of the imagination. And when he gets you drunk, you can really be screwed. However, he doesn't have the same raw ability to fight as other Captains do. That's why Raion basically needs to buff up his power levels. Still, considering that his power levels got him to rank 4, I'd say he's doing pretty well. Regardless, for a rank 4, Raion has a large gap in combat ability between him and the next guys up on the ladder.
Harle
Strong Points - Kido combinations. Harle is fantastic at Kido combinations. Put this in conjunction with her illusions, and you've got a deadly strategy. Not unlike what Kagami does, Harle is a highly effective illusionist and acrobat who makes her fights into a show, and layers moves on top of each other. The difference is that she has a versatility far exceeding even Kagami's, as her illusions have very few actual limits as to what can be created. While in terms of strength her illusions may suffer, their ability to go with her Kido should never be underestimated. Without a doubt, Harle's offensive strategy and her ability to defend herself make her fall only just barely short of getting rank 4. Actually, she originally did get it, but then we remembered that we needed to grade Raion, who managed to beat her out, albeit barely.
Where Harle can improve - Harle, however needs to be more cunning. She is good at layering her attacks, but she isn't good at doing so in a lethal way. Her greatest weakness is that her attacks are just barrages, and don't have an ulterior goal in mind. In other words, her plans are two dimensional. They don't have more than a few steps, and they don't branch off. Harle would benefit from having three dimensional plans, which have many steps ahead planned for the game, and also have several different routes that she can take as various situational factors change. Once that gets going, Harle will be an incredible force to reckon with.
Aramis Tezuka
Strong Points - When we were discussing Aramis, we had mixed feelings. On one hand, he lacks Bankai. On the other, he has Saisei Oni. So ultimately what gave him his best benefits was having that Hellish powerset that people not only don't expect, but have never encountered before. He has something unique that many wouldn't know how to counter, and to begin with his power is something that takes advantage of a fundamental weakness that many characters share. So, his offensive ability did pretty well for him. Also, this helped versatility. We did dock him a bit on account of only having a couple of non-release techniques, but so far he seems able to handle himself with just his releases and basic skills.
Where Aramis can improve - Well, once Aramis has a whole massive technique list at his disposal, he'll be a real force to be reckoned with. At the very least, in my opinion, Aramis will easily get the rank 4 listings once he's a bit more adjusted and buffed. Therefore, his best method of improvement would also be influence. He is a naive, young, untested commander. His ability to influence people or the story is very limited. He definitely needs to engage in his own story arc and mature quite a ways before we score him higher for stuff like that.
Hokori Kuchiki
Strong Points - Hokori's Zanpakuto power is dangerous. Second only to Sozen and Taiho, and perhaps with the potential to be even more dangerous than the both of them, Hokori's power is the type of thing that can destroy even the most powerful of adversaries. Combine that with his deadly Speed Hana combinations, and you've got a guy who more or less has one of the best combat abilities on the forum. Additionally, his loyalty and devotion to the House Kuchiki show that he can exhibit devotion to his group, meaning his teamwork is also pretty good.
Where Hokori can improve - Unfortunately, Hokori is only so cunning when using his power. Though it's quite powerful, he has not shown a use of it that is quite as lethal as Taiho's use of her virus. A little bit more strategic advance from Hokori would go a long way, and make him much more fearsome. Additionally, Hokori is someone who could benefit from more story and maturity. He doesn't seem all that commander-like right now, especially on account of being so uptight without realizing when the right time to be uptight is.
Hotaru Kuchiki
Strong Points - Hotaru is unique even on this list. Why? Because to be perfectly honest, she's totally average. She has no huge strong points, but she has no real weaknesses either. Hotaru is consistent. From her ability to use her physical prowess to the actual, raw power of her Zanpakuto, Hotaru is extremely dangerous, but not at as low a level as some, or at as high a level as some. She is neither overwhelming nor underwhelming. She is merely whelming. Her combat style is pretty good, too. War of attrition. Hotaru doesn't get kills easily, but she herself is hard to kill, and we can see that she is often able to wear down opponents as the fight progresses, as seen when she fought Kagami. Kagami found himself under pressure once he realized that Hotaru could begin wearing him down like that. Hotaru is someone you would want on your team, no doubt, for her consistency. Additionally, she's clearly a very kind, caring individual, who works well with others and is always someone whom you can look to for guidance, if she has any knowledge on the subject matter.
Where Hotaru can improve - Hotaru could probably just get more lethal. This is nothing a few quick updates won't change. Her power is something that, with refinement, is going to really suck for a lot of people. Hotaru's best bet for future improvement is to enter more canons for the experience and to concentrate on how she can increase the effectiveness of her Zanpakuto.
Alexander Kuma-Hebi
Strong Points - I really don't think I should have to justify this. Look at those stats and his huge, aggressive battle style. Look at that and tell me you don't know what his strong points are. He's just an overpowering monster. Enough said.
Where Alexander can improve - HOWEVER, he isn't terribly cunning or strategic. In fact, he has none of that. He basically just tries to force his way through with brute power, and isn't very accepting of anything that isn't his own thoughts, either. Aside from being pretty racist and stuff, Alexander gets along terribly with other characters. He is a solo warrior, who does not function well at all with other characters, and whose ability to strategize even on his own is super limited. There's no doubt that his greatest strengths and weaknesses are both combat related. He may have huge power, but he lacks huge cunning to make use of that. So he balances out into where he is now. Also of relevance, because he is so wily, he can't exert any really big influence on any other characters or on the story, except in the realm of combat.
Kimiko Shihoin
Strong Points - Kimiko has really good defensive capacity, and her abilities aren't too bad as attacks, either. She's aggressive, and knows how to take a win when she wants one. So, of course, Kimiko's strongest attributes are her physical abilities. Better than Alexander at using physicals, Kimiko is someone that you really don't want to mess with up close. Furthermore, her Zanpakuto ability makes fighting her at a close range difficult anyway, as those wolves have the potential to cause some serious damage.
Where Kimiko can improve - Still, Kimiko may have great powers, but from what we've seen, she could use help in learning how to use them. Or, more accurately, her love for her wolves prevents her quite often from using them in a more aggressive way against opponents. She relies on the enemy trying to kill them. So, she finds herself in quite a bind when they're shut down by the enemy not making them multiply. Almost her entire strategy goes out the window at this point. However, Kimiko's greatest needed area of improvement is actually her temperament. She's not subtle at all, and she isn't terribly good at playing the game of politics. At the very least, making allies is difficult for Kimiko, and she suffers as the Head of the Shihoin for this. Her brash, blunt, abrasive personality are why Okami seems more like the leader with his controlled atmosphere and personality.
Francis Grin
Strong Points - Grin's strongest point is his ability as a Shihoin warrior. His blood is a good release offensive, but he's a lot better at hand to hand. Maybe he could use a few lessons on stealth, and on keeping his cool, or at least not being so boisterous, but Grin is still someone to fear in combat. He does have a lot of dirty fighting tactics which make him a unique combatant with lots of moves that people ordinarily don't expect to see someone else use against them.
Where Grin can improve - Okay, I'm starting to fall asleep as I type these. It is way too hot here right now. Anyway, Grin needs temperament improvement to be considered more effective. Because of his abrasive nature, it's difficult for him to lead and difficult for him to make allies. Even with a strong Zanpakuto, one can only go so far without one's comrades to assist. Imagine trying basically to solo Kouhai. Good luck.
Anyway, if you guys want, I can be more detailed later. It's just now I can't even flipping keep my damn eyes open.
So, before I actually post the scores, here's a little explanation. We ranked Captains with scores in various categories (which I won't be naming) and then added up their different scores into a final, total score. Therefore, Captains were ranked by highest score to lowest score. The highest possible score was 100, however the scores in comparison to 100 were not indicative of the totality of a character, and rather were indicative of the totality of the character's attributes in our chosen categories. It's important to note that these scores also are not indicative of who would necessarily beat who, or of battle ability alone. Combat was certainly an important factor, but it wasn't the only factor. We considered a character's personality, story relevance, and ability to lead or be part of a team as well, as these are all relevant for Captains. The system was that each of three mods: Rudy, Kento, and Z, came up with our own score cards for each captain, and then at the end, averaged the final total score for each one. So, the scores are based on decisions not from any one mod, but from three, to avoid bias. Furthermore, we had conversations to justify people's rankings by explaining where they were weak and where they were strong. Anyway, I've rambled on long enough. You guys don't care. You just want to see your scores. Those are below this disclaimer message!
P.S. Some people tied.
1. Sozen Kuchiki (95)
2. Okami Shihoin (81)
3. Kyomei Kuchiki (74)
4. Taiho Kasumi'Oji (69)
5. Kagami Murai (66)
6. Raion Souretsu (63)
7. Kaijin "Harle" Quinn (62)
8. Aramis Tezuka AND Hokori Kuchiki (60)
9. Hotaru Kuchiki (57)
10. Rose (53)
11. Alexander Kuma-Hebi AND Kimiko Shihoin (49)
12. Francis Grin (42)
Explanations are below.
Sozen Kuchiki
Strong Points - Sozen was always going to be on top of the rankings. There was never any doubt of that. That's not just me saying it because it's my character, or even because it's my character. In terms of raw combat ability, Sozen has demonstrated absolute strategic brilliance with incredible offensive capabilities and even highly effective defensive capabilities. He has brought down mighty foes. Schultz, Caesar, Kuroi. He functions well in a team too, as seen against the Ogatago with Rave, and in that war to begin with. Additionally, we have seen that Sozen has an unparalleled ruthlessness, to the point of practical extremist behavior. You can see this in his betrayal of Zouma Santeku's trust, torture of the Vizards, or murder of Kenryoku. It's also worth mention that the biggest story impact from an individual character on site is from Sozen. Look at who he has on his side. As Kuchiki Head, he effectively controls Squads 5, 6, and 10, as well as the Kido Corps, not to mention has an associate in Squad 13 and another in ZEI. Plus he's married to one of Zero Division's highest ranked. So, of course, he scored exceptionally high.
Where Sozen can improve - Regardless, where Sozen suffered was his ability to function in a team. He's good at being a team player, but he often has his own agenda. Even when working with Rave, it was more like Sozen calling the shots than working as equals with Rave. And in cooperation with the other nobles, Sozen is usually pulling the strings more than "working with them." Ultimately, he is too good at playing the game of politics and manipulation, and it is very difficult to truly trust someone like that. I doubt any character has worked with Sozen that isn't at least a little suspicious of his motives.
Okami Shihoin
Strong Points - All of us mods, at the end of scoring Okami, were surprised by how high he scored. We did indeed expect he would likely achieve rank 4, but what we didn't realize was by this much. It's not just his combat abilities, which are pretty spectacular, as seen in his ability to fight well against Aiko, or even just in the unique, mighty build of his Zanpakuto. Okami's strongest point isn't combat, but story, and leadership. As opposed to even Sozen, who is a manipulator, Okami is a real team player. He's strong, respectful, and wise. He's not unwilling to be extremely disciplined and to discipline his subordinates or allies when need be, and he clearly has a good head on his shoulders for leading. Even with Kimiko Shihoin as the Head of the Shihoin family, it is Okami's personality which dominates. He is clearly the leader, even if it isn't in name, and this effectively gives him the same control as the Shihoin House--three squads owned by this nobility. Obviously this means his ability to influence the story is immense.
Where Okami can improve - I don't think any of us doubted for a second that Okami could be more vicious and more strategic. His powers are strong, but what we've seen isn't the same absolute brilliance as other characters. This isn't to say that he's not cunning. Because he is. He is a cunning warrior with strong abilities. However, Okami isn't at the level where he can outsmart the likes of Kuroi, or Taiho. This means that it is in Okami's best interest to be more manipulative, closer to Sozen in that regard.
Kyomei Kuchiki
Strong Points - I don't think this takes much justification. As the kindest of the Kuchiki Captains, and the one most respected other than Sozen, Kyomei was once nominated for Captain Commander. There's no doubt that he's pretty influential and functions well in a team. But, that's not where we gave it to him the most. You all know it's because of his raw power. That's not just his raw stat values as a technique master. It's the techniques that he can actually use. Kido elementation. Kido fusion. His power is combined with such an amazing versatility that most people are just completely overwhelmed by him both offensively and defensively. It's no question that Kyomei is indeed ridiculously powerful.
Where Kyomei can improve - However, his leadership suffers. He's rather meek, and isn't as dominating as Sozen or Okami. While those two appear larger than life, Kyomei still feels like just a man, and this takes away from his ability to lead. Functioning in a unit isn't a problem for him. Where he's lacking is confidence as a battle commander. Otherwise, however, Kyomei is pretty solid overall. Anything additional he might need is well within his reach.
Taiho Kasumi'Oji
Strong Points - Obviously, where Taiho just outstripped everyone was raw combat ability. I remember when Taiho first got accepted, all the mods were basically like "oh my f***." Because that virus ability is lethal. Taiho may have scored fourth overall, but in terms of battle ability, Taiho is second only to Sozen, and behind only by a small margin. Taiho's Kasumi'Oji techniques and relentless, ruthless Zanpakuto make her easily one of the scariest characters that you can encounter. She has the capacity to just completely overwhelm you with offensive ability well beyond any of the other Captains.
Where Taiho can improve - Taiho is pretty unstable, and also very new to leadership. As the Kasumi'Oji Head, she's definitely not as well adjusted as her sister Azumi was, and she's powerful, but otherwise can't exert any real influence right now. The criminal empire she runs is Azumi's, and having just gotten into the game, Taiho still doesn't have many real allies or supporters. Overall, what she needs is just relevance to the plot, her own big story arc, and some canon participation. With those will come what she also needs, which is an opportunity to mature. Taiho just hasn't had any experiences yet.
Kagami Murai
Strong Points - Kagami has a lot of strategic value. Where we scored him highest was his versatility. His Kido spells and his Zanpakuto ability give him an enormous number of options, and he showed us against Harle and in previous threads, including his brief skirmish with Adalo, that he knows very well how to make combo attacks happen. His mirrors and combos are also very difficult to counter, as seen in how Harle was overwhelmed during the first half of their fight. Even for characters with relatively equal combat abilities, Kagami came out far ahead of Harle in that fight because of his combination attacks making it very difficult for her to do anything at all very early on.
Where Kagami can improve - However, Kagami loses out in control. He too is an unstable character, and though he has a lot of reiatsu and can support a combo based strategy, that's bad for stamina. We saw in the second half of his fight with Hotaru and in his skirmish with Adalo that once his combo is broken, Kagami is almost out of options. His ability to plan ahead, in other words, is limited. Furthermore, he's not a very controlled or stable individual, which has diminished his leadership ability (he is absent from Soul Society regularly) and his teamwork ability, given he has no trust or faith in anyone else. Plus, since he still doesn't actually have his criminal empire up, he exerts close to no influence right now. We'll see if this changes later, when his plot is more up and going. He's just entering phase 2 of his story. My bet is he'll be scoring a lot higher in future.
Raion Souretsu
Strong Points - Raion scored surprisingly high. Enough to get rank 4. How? His ability to inspire loyalty in his comrades. The fact that he's such a good time--basically getting drunk and partying all the time--has actually inspired confidence and loyalty in him by his team members and his subordinates. Therefore, even if Raion seems a bit crazy, he is followed very vehemently, which has given him solid influence and a solid ability to work with others. Furthermore, while his offensive and defensive capacities are basically average, Raion has the advantage of being constantly drunk. Drunk people get crazy, unexpected ideas. A lot. This has made Raion very difficult to predict.
Where Raion can improve - Pure combat ability. He's not weak, by any stretch of the imagination. And when he gets you drunk, you can really be screwed. However, he doesn't have the same raw ability to fight as other Captains do. That's why Raion basically needs to buff up his power levels. Still, considering that his power levels got him to rank 4, I'd say he's doing pretty well. Regardless, for a rank 4, Raion has a large gap in combat ability between him and the next guys up on the ladder.
Harle
Strong Points - Kido combinations. Harle is fantastic at Kido combinations. Put this in conjunction with her illusions, and you've got a deadly strategy. Not unlike what Kagami does, Harle is a highly effective illusionist and acrobat who makes her fights into a show, and layers moves on top of each other. The difference is that she has a versatility far exceeding even Kagami's, as her illusions have very few actual limits as to what can be created. While in terms of strength her illusions may suffer, their ability to go with her Kido should never be underestimated. Without a doubt, Harle's offensive strategy and her ability to defend herself make her fall only just barely short of getting rank 4. Actually, she originally did get it, but then we remembered that we needed to grade Raion, who managed to beat her out, albeit barely.
Where Harle can improve - Harle, however needs to be more cunning. She is good at layering her attacks, but she isn't good at doing so in a lethal way. Her greatest weakness is that her attacks are just barrages, and don't have an ulterior goal in mind. In other words, her plans are two dimensional. They don't have more than a few steps, and they don't branch off. Harle would benefit from having three dimensional plans, which have many steps ahead planned for the game, and also have several different routes that she can take as various situational factors change. Once that gets going, Harle will be an incredible force to reckon with.
Aramis Tezuka
Strong Points - When we were discussing Aramis, we had mixed feelings. On one hand, he lacks Bankai. On the other, he has Saisei Oni. So ultimately what gave him his best benefits was having that Hellish powerset that people not only don't expect, but have never encountered before. He has something unique that many wouldn't know how to counter, and to begin with his power is something that takes advantage of a fundamental weakness that many characters share. So, his offensive ability did pretty well for him. Also, this helped versatility. We did dock him a bit on account of only having a couple of non-release techniques, but so far he seems able to handle himself with just his releases and basic skills.
Where Aramis can improve - Well, once Aramis has a whole massive technique list at his disposal, he'll be a real force to be reckoned with. At the very least, in my opinion, Aramis will easily get the rank 4 listings once he's a bit more adjusted and buffed. Therefore, his best method of improvement would also be influence. He is a naive, young, untested commander. His ability to influence people or the story is very limited. He definitely needs to engage in his own story arc and mature quite a ways before we score him higher for stuff like that.
Hokori Kuchiki
Strong Points - Hokori's Zanpakuto power is dangerous. Second only to Sozen and Taiho, and perhaps with the potential to be even more dangerous than the both of them, Hokori's power is the type of thing that can destroy even the most powerful of adversaries. Combine that with his deadly Speed Hana combinations, and you've got a guy who more or less has one of the best combat abilities on the forum. Additionally, his loyalty and devotion to the House Kuchiki show that he can exhibit devotion to his group, meaning his teamwork is also pretty good.
Where Hokori can improve - Unfortunately, Hokori is only so cunning when using his power. Though it's quite powerful, he has not shown a use of it that is quite as lethal as Taiho's use of her virus. A little bit more strategic advance from Hokori would go a long way, and make him much more fearsome. Additionally, Hokori is someone who could benefit from more story and maturity. He doesn't seem all that commander-like right now, especially on account of being so uptight without realizing when the right time to be uptight is.
Hotaru Kuchiki
Strong Points - Hotaru is unique even on this list. Why? Because to be perfectly honest, she's totally average. She has no huge strong points, but she has no real weaknesses either. Hotaru is consistent. From her ability to use her physical prowess to the actual, raw power of her Zanpakuto, Hotaru is extremely dangerous, but not at as low a level as some, or at as high a level as some. She is neither overwhelming nor underwhelming. She is merely whelming. Her combat style is pretty good, too. War of attrition. Hotaru doesn't get kills easily, but she herself is hard to kill, and we can see that she is often able to wear down opponents as the fight progresses, as seen when she fought Kagami. Kagami found himself under pressure once he realized that Hotaru could begin wearing him down like that. Hotaru is someone you would want on your team, no doubt, for her consistency. Additionally, she's clearly a very kind, caring individual, who works well with others and is always someone whom you can look to for guidance, if she has any knowledge on the subject matter.
Where Hotaru can improve - Hotaru could probably just get more lethal. This is nothing a few quick updates won't change. Her power is something that, with refinement, is going to really suck for a lot of people. Hotaru's best bet for future improvement is to enter more canons for the experience and to concentrate on how she can increase the effectiveness of her Zanpakuto.
Alexander Kuma-Hebi
Strong Points - I really don't think I should have to justify this. Look at those stats and his huge, aggressive battle style. Look at that and tell me you don't know what his strong points are. He's just an overpowering monster. Enough said.
Where Alexander can improve - HOWEVER, he isn't terribly cunning or strategic. In fact, he has none of that. He basically just tries to force his way through with brute power, and isn't very accepting of anything that isn't his own thoughts, either. Aside from being pretty racist and stuff, Alexander gets along terribly with other characters. He is a solo warrior, who does not function well at all with other characters, and whose ability to strategize even on his own is super limited. There's no doubt that his greatest strengths and weaknesses are both combat related. He may have huge power, but he lacks huge cunning to make use of that. So he balances out into where he is now. Also of relevance, because he is so wily, he can't exert any really big influence on any other characters or on the story, except in the realm of combat.
Kimiko Shihoin
Strong Points - Kimiko has really good defensive capacity, and her abilities aren't too bad as attacks, either. She's aggressive, and knows how to take a win when she wants one. So, of course, Kimiko's strongest attributes are her physical abilities. Better than Alexander at using physicals, Kimiko is someone that you really don't want to mess with up close. Furthermore, her Zanpakuto ability makes fighting her at a close range difficult anyway, as those wolves have the potential to cause some serious damage.
Where Kimiko can improve - Still, Kimiko may have great powers, but from what we've seen, she could use help in learning how to use them. Or, more accurately, her love for her wolves prevents her quite often from using them in a more aggressive way against opponents. She relies on the enemy trying to kill them. So, she finds herself in quite a bind when they're shut down by the enemy not making them multiply. Almost her entire strategy goes out the window at this point. However, Kimiko's greatest needed area of improvement is actually her temperament. She's not subtle at all, and she isn't terribly good at playing the game of politics. At the very least, making allies is difficult for Kimiko, and she suffers as the Head of the Shihoin for this. Her brash, blunt, abrasive personality are why Okami seems more like the leader with his controlled atmosphere and personality.
Francis Grin
Strong Points - Grin's strongest point is his ability as a Shihoin warrior. His blood is a good release offensive, but he's a lot better at hand to hand. Maybe he could use a few lessons on stealth, and on keeping his cool, or at least not being so boisterous, but Grin is still someone to fear in combat. He does have a lot of dirty fighting tactics which make him a unique combatant with lots of moves that people ordinarily don't expect to see someone else use against them.
Where Grin can improve - Okay, I'm starting to fall asleep as I type these. It is way too hot here right now. Anyway, Grin needs temperament improvement to be considered more effective. Because of his abrasive nature, it's difficult for him to lead and difficult for him to make allies. Even with a strong Zanpakuto, one can only go so far without one's comrades to assist. Imagine trying basically to solo Kouhai. Good luck.
Anyway, if you guys want, I can be more detailed later. It's just now I can't even flipping keep my damn eyes open.