With the removal of option select, the huge cost of stamina on zone attacks, for most characters, should be re-evaluated. The functionality of zones should also be re-evaluated.
I believe that Dodging should be classified into 2 grounds, back dodge or side dodge. Undodgeable shouldn't be universal for back and side. For instance, if someone like a warmonger is doing dodge forward heavy, it should be a chaser move that catches a back dodge, but not side dodge. While a Zone attack should catch side dodges. Zhanhu has undodgeable zone, which is a good idea, it is also a combo extender, but the price of stamina is VERY high. A Tiandi can do undodgeable dodge light practically instantly, at a low stamina cost.
Also, because of the state of the game, we must talk about bashes. Bashes are the counter for hyper armor. Any character who lacks a bash, is at a serious disadvantage in a situation that requires an interruption. Bashes for an opener also force enemies to move, when they would otherwise turtle. All characters need either a dodge bash, neutral bash, or soft feint attack with bash property.
What follows is specific changes per character:
Warden: Zone undodgeable to sides, stamina cost 20-25, Chasing dodge forward heavy undodgeable to the back
PeaceKeeper: First hit of zone undodgeable to the sides, Stamina cost 30, All lights after heavies to add bleed REMOVED. Increase damage of heavies to proper levels in regards to their DPS. Bleed is cute for damage BUT bleed doesnt cause executions, Bleed is also completely negated by ANY healing. This makes fighting as a PK near things such as "healing banner" or "Healing Aura" or if a gryphon is near by with a crossbow, Level 3 healing feat, or a someone is dancing on a zone line, or someone throws a smoke bomb down(please remove smoke bomb in general, make it just a DoT poison bomb cloud). There is also an issue with trying to light after a heavy IF someone else has bashed or attacked the person, you get guarded, so removing it in general is just for the better, less revenge feeding. Turn the dagger cancel soft feint into a "bash" property move like Aramusha ring the bell, but make its recovery punishable by dodge GB. This would give PK an opener, and a proper option during mix up. Currently someone just needs to turtle vs a PK and just avoid GB. They have no reason to dodge, no pressure. Dagger cancel is a light currently and if someone uses it, they eat a light parry. This will help PK apply a bleed without being external blocked in team fights. Last but not least, add chasing undodgeable to dodge forward heavy and increase its damage to reflect the removal of light bleed.(side dodge heavy as well)
Conqueror: Zone unchanged. Charged side heavies become undodgeable to side dodges. Add dodge forward heavy with chasing.
Lawbringer: increase speed of shove to match Shugoki. Add 5-10 damage like Shugoki's, remove stamina stun. Add side undodgeable status to zone, lower stamina cost, give a dodge forward heavy attack chaser. Add cancel to "The Long Arm" to catch dodgers.
Centurion: Undodgeable to zone first hit for side dodges, same stamina cost, zone ender gains unblockable. Dodge forward chaser undodgeable for back dodge. Add base 10 damage on all bashes. Remove chain effect on bashes to lights.
Gladiator: Shield bashes 10 damage, heavy side finishers undodgeable to the sides, top heavy unblockable.
Black Prior: Zone stamina cost slightly reduced, 10 damage added. Side dodge heavy attack added that leads to chain.
Warmonger: Dodge forward heavy only tracks back dodge. Zone reduced cost, undodgeable to side dodge.
Gryphon: Zone reduced cost, undodgeable to side dodge. Dodge Forward Heavy undodgeable to back dodge.
Raider: Storming tap slower, but given bash properties, damage reduced to 10, both dodge light and heavy soft feint into light. Hyper armor returned to heavy attacks, heavy side chains given undodgeable status for side dodges, top chains undodgeable for back dodge.
Berzerker: zone cost slightly reduced, S+GB for a neutral bash.
Warlord: Zone cost reduced, Undodgeable only for side, board and blade able to select direction of heavy (Zone and board and blade only come from 1 direction, the same direction, there is no diversity so it becomes predictable). Headsplitter leap undodgeable for back dodge.
Valkyrie: Zone stamina cost reduced, first hit undodgeable to side dodges, zone finisher unblockable. Heavy soft feint into bash slightly increased speed.
Highlander: Zone slightly reduced stamina cost, Undodgeable to side dodges, zone finisher unblockable. Side dodge light added, hilt strike like assault light, can chain into assault stance on hit, GB punish on whiff.
Shaman: first hit of zone undodgeable to side dodges, Slight stamina cost reduction. Dodge forward headbutt increased speed.
Jorm: Zone stamina cost reduced, undodgeable to side dodges. Dodge forward heavy undodgeable to back dodge. Top liight finisher unblockable, no longer undodgeable. Side light finishers undodgeable to side dodges. Bashes 5-10 damage.
Kensei: Zone stamina cost reduced, first hit undodgeable to side dodge, final hit unblockable. FIX THE EXTERNAL TIMING ON ZONE. Dodge forward heavy undodgeable to back dodges.
Orochi: Zone cost slightly reduced, undodgeable to side dodges. (Currently dodge lights are not registering as lights when parried, fix please.)
Shugoki: Zone stamina cost reduced, undodgeable to side dodges. Dodge forward heavy undodgeable to back dodge.
Nobushi: Zone cost reduced, First hit undodgeable to side dodges. Dodge forward bash added, just add kick at same speed as gryphon's push.
Shinobi: Remove the wall splat on the kick heavy "Bash". Turn sickle rain into just a heavy for 25-30 damage. Sickle rain currently takes a player out of combat AND can be chained into other sickle rains. If you turn it into just an attack, this is fixed. Slightly reduced zone stamina cost, undodgeable to side dodge for the whole string. Dodge heavy and dodge light returned to the character (at a single dodge, not 2). Double dodge leading to heavy finisher.
Aramusha: Zone cost reduced, first hit undodgeable to side dodges. Dodge forward heavy undodgeable to back dodge. Heavy finishers from side Undodgeable to side dodge, heavy finishers from top unblockable.
Hitokiri: Zone cost reduced, Undodgeable to side side. Hyper armor removed from Endless Myriad and Rei Kick and Rei Sweep. (Current state of Hito is that you force your enemies onto a defensive 50/50, there is already hyper armor on the chain light, Hyper armor on charged heavy is fine, but for normal heavies to have hyper armor, you are left with no offensive option). Dodge forward heavy undodgeable to back dodge.
Tiandi: Dodge forward heavy Undodgeable to back dodge.
Nuxia: Zone cost reduced to 20-25, Undodgeable to side dodges. Dodge forward light undodgeable to back dodges. New function: Holding down heavy during heavy animation activates the heavy finisher "grab". Remove it from automatically happening on finisher. This would be the substitute to bash, because currently traps are easily counter by just light attacking in another direction OR dodge attacking. Also getting stuck in the throwing animation becomes deadly in team fights when you are surrounded.
Jiang Jun: Zone cost slightly reduced, undodgeable to side dodge. Dodge forward heavy undodgable to back dodge.
Shaolin: Dodge forward GB for kick. Zone cost slightly reduced, first hit undodgeable to side dodges, last hit unblockable. Dodge forward heavy undodgable to back dodge.
Zhanhu: Dodge forward light undodgeable to back dodge. Zone stamina cost reduced, undodgeable only to side dodges.
With these changes, all characters would be on an even ground as far as basic combat.