With all the ex buff tech being discovered and Cutthroat's overall reliance on meter (midscreen 50/50 combos etc). I am starting to think using Combo breakers as Cutthroat is generally not a good use of meter, especially against other meter reliant characters or the ones that don't do more than let's say 35% with their bnb's. I would also opt to not use meter when launching someone with the f2-string and not gaining the corner during the combo. Something to also consider about ex buff is that an uppercut will do 21% on hit and 5,25% on block. If you know your opponent is gonna wake-up and they are low on health (Goro ex punch walk herp-a-derp) then just trade with their wake-up attack with d2. Throw with ex buff active will do 18%.
With an active buff, you still need to have 1 bar to get the most out of your time under the buff and with the potential uses of ex buff, it can be said that Cutthroat Kano needs to be sitting on 2 bars of meter at all times to be at his highest potential, however, this potential is wasted if you choose to break as soon as you get caught in a combo. When you think about it, eating a combo as CT kano is not the end of the world unless you are going to lose the match or be near death after the combo. Your opponent may gain corner positioning, but they are just 1 throw away from being cornered as well. Commando may also not want to break when in a considerable life lead, with Commando's armored options you have great okizeme defence options. Once again, opponent is only 1 powerbomb or generic throw away from getting cornered and commando has a corner game almost on par with Cutthroat.
I will also make this claim for best uses of meter for different variations.
Cyber: Combo breaker (you don't generally want to be near the corner). Armor with ex kanoball cancel. Meter burning 2+4 as mix-up from staggered b1-block strings. Ex knife(?) for potential chip-out deaths, pressure or empty jump AA's into b2 conversion, as well as character specific situations, for example clone punish vs GM Sub.
Commando: Ex command grabs, ex kanoball cancel for midscreen combos, combo breaker, ex choke for an AA that is unbreakable and will kill.
Cutthroat: Ex bladeslice midscreen after anything except f2,1,2. Ex bladeslice in the corner from non 50/50 launchers aaaand pretty much everything else, armor, ex buff after NJP, ex buff after kanoball when opponent has no meter (pressure them, put yourself at a disadvantage with any string into knife, then ex kanoball through counterpokes with ex buff still active). Blowing all your meter for a killing combo.
Discuss.
