The closest thing this game has to a "secret character", Skulloton is... pretty interesting, to say the least. While I've only just started playing this game at all in the last few days, and had very little time to learn much of anybody, Skulloton is rapidly seeming like a good match for me.
Skulloton seems to be a "power character". Most of his attacks do fairly good damage, and combos come very naturally. He definitely likes being close-in to the opponent; while he does have some longer-range options, you're not going to be able to just sit back and hit the opponent from range. Skull Bash and Bonemerang do allow for some mindgames. For mobility, in addition to standard movement, Skulloton has Bone Club, 3B, and 3C. That may not sound like much, but it's enough.
All damage statistics are based on Sack Dummy, and are very rough estimates.
Some Notable Normals:
j. B: Skulloton puts out both feet and hands -- a foot and hand in front, and another behind. Not only does it come out quickly, but just as it appears, it hits both in front of and behind Skulloton. Because of this, this move can easily be used for a crossup. This move is also useful for air-to-air, due to how well it covers Skulloton.
j. C: Pretty standard angled kick. As simple as it gets, but it's decent for air-to-air, and when used as a jump-in, is very easy to follow up on. Like j.B, this can be used for a crossup; depending on the specifics, you can end up either in front of or behind the opponent, and hit with this either way.
j. 4B: Skulloton stretches out an arm at a downward angle. A good move for covering yourself while retreating, or for poking. Not much for power compared to most of Skulloton's normals, but very good range; I recommend mixing this up with Skulloton's other jumping attacks to mess with opponents that try to counter you by assuming a j.B or a j.C. Can be useful for air-to-air, though given the angle, you will have to watch your aim.
2C: Ducking kick. Knocks the opponent up into the air a little, and if not followed up, is a knockdown. Can be followed up with 5A to keep the opponent in the air slightly longer, or by 5C. Can combo into itself, though this fact doesn't seem to be all that useful.
3A: Skulloton stretches out his arm for a punch. Not much for damage, but it comes out quickly enough and has very long range for a Skulloton normal (about a third of the screen).
3B: Skulloton quickly moves forward and sticks out a foot for a kick to the midsection. Again, not exactly great on the damage, but like the 3A, it's the range (and in this case, movement) that matters. Range is a little less than 3A, but still about a quarter of the screen.
3C: Sliding kick. Slower than 3A and 3B, but has longer range and better power, and is a knockdown. It does come out much slower than 3A or 3B, though, so be careful. Still useful, though; it's a knockdown, hits low, and moves Skulloton forward.
5C: Standing kick. Mostly useful because it is easy to combo both into and out of. For combo'ing in, your best bets are jump-in C and 2C. It can also be combo'd into from jump-in B, though you have to throw out the B relatively late, and the timing is tight even then. A very close hit of 5C will combo into another 5C.
5ABAC: Technically, this is a combo, but I'm putting it under Normals due to how it works. It's a "canned combo", so to speak. Skulloton starts with his normal 5A (a quick standing punch), then follows up with an elbow strike, then a knee, then a high kick. The kick hits twice, and launches. Note that each hit must connect (blocked or not) for the next hit to be available. This is an extremely useful move. It combos off of jump-ins, and the launcher leads to many possible follow-ups. Also, this string alone causes quite a bit of damage; combos that include this string can be VERY damaging.
Special Moves:
Bonemerang (2, 6, any attack): Skulloton declares "Bonemerang," and throws a wrench at the opponent. If it misses initially, it will come back toward Skulloton, and can still do damage. The stronger the attack button, the longer it takes to come out, and the farther it travels. The weak version is relatively easy to combo into, though the medium and strong versions... not so much. After a knockdown, can be used to force a block on wakeup (A-Bonemerang is best for this). Be careful, as this move can leave Skulloton vulnerable for a fairly long time, especially for the B and C versions.
Skull Bash (2, 4, any attack): Skulloton ducks down, sticks his head out, and declares, "Come on!" It's kinda reminiscent of Cammy's Beretta Counter, for those of you who play Capcom fighters. If hit by any attack at the right point during this move, he will take no damage, and will counterattack the opponent. The window for a counter is short, and there is a significant delay after that window in which Skulloton is vulnerable. Which attack button is used seems to change how Skulloton counters. I haven't tested this as thoroughly as the other moves. Best used as a surprise move, and should only be used if you're very good at prediction.
Bone Club (2, 4, 6, any attack): Skulloton rears back, takes his wrench in both hands, and jumps toward the opponent, declaring "Bone Club." Which attack button is used determines how far Skulloton rears back and how far forward he jumps. I've only ever managed to combo into the weak version, and only in one way. I'll go into that in the combo section. It is possible for this move to land two hits under certain circumstances. The most obvious use for this seems to be the movement. Be careful, though, as Skulloton is pretty vulnerable if you miss or are blocked. All versions will knock down the opponent on a successful hit.
Bullet Punch (6, 4, 6, any attack): Skulloton releases three quick punches, declaring, "Buh-buh-buh". Which attack button is used determines how far ahead of himself Skulloton punches. Even the A version has more range than most of Skulloton's normals; the C version goes out about a third of a screen. Regardless of which version you're using, the second punch has the most range of the three. If the third punch hits, Skulloton charges in for a fourth punch, declaring, "Punch!" In the C version, this fourth punch knocks down. I recommend throwing out a B-Bonemerang when knocking an opponent down with C-Bullet Punch, as with proper timing, the Bonemerang will be in perfect position to hit the opponent when they get up. The A version can be combo'd into Bone Rush, although due to damage scaling, this seems to actually do less damage than Bone Rush would on its own. The timing is tight, but it can be done. The A version can also be combo'd into A-Bonemerang. Again, tight timing, but it works. All versions can be combo'd into from a jump-in or from 5C. When hitting an airborne opponent with this move, how much will hit depends on the opponent's exact elevation when you hit them. This move cannot land all 4 hits against an airborne opponent, but proper timing will allow the final hit to land. When any version's final hit lands against an airborne opponent, the opponent will be knocked to the opposite end of the screen and knocked down.
Throw:
Performed with the standard command (A+B). Skulloton grabs the opponent, jumps over them declaring, "Worthless!", kicking them as he lands from this maneuver, then tosses the opponent forward in a high arc. A B-Bonemerang launched after the throw will be in perfect position to hit the opponent as they get up from this throw -- yet another example of Skulloton's wakeup game.
Ability:
Spite (B + C): Skulloton stands up on one foot, puts his thumbs in his ears with his fingers up, and declares "Nah-nah-nah-nah-nah-nah!" in the usual singsong. (Quite a weird effect, considering Skulloton's "robotic" voice.) His own super meter drains, but his opponent's super meter drains faster. Skulloton can use any attack to cancel this ability. Personally, I don't much recommend using this, but it is there, and it makes Skulloton appear vulnerable without actually making him all that vulnerable. True, he can't cancel by moving or jumping, but since he can attack out of it, he should be fine. Can conceivably be a good way to lure an opponent into falling for Skull Bash.
Super:
Bone Rush (2, 6, 4, any attack): Skulloton declares, "Take This!", and brings out his wrench. He swings forward twice, then goes into the air for a spinning strike (5 hits), then gives another forward swing. If one of the first two swings connects on a grounded opponent, all of the spinning strike and the final swing will connect as well. Against a non-grounded opponent, a hit with one of the first two swings does NOT guarantee that the spinning strike and final swing will fully connect. A full connection without being combo'd into will take off about half of the opponent's lifebar. This ends with a knockdown, so make sure to follow up properly.
Combos:
Please note that, since I have little experience with this game, there's probably far better combos available than what I have listed here. Moves in brackets can be skipped. Jump-in refers to jumping in with an atatck; I test with jump-in C, but jump-in B and jump-in 4B also work.
1. [jump-in] > [2C > 5C, 2C > 5A, 5C > 5C, 5C, or 5A] > A-Bonemerang.
For some versions, the combo counter claims that B-Bonemerang or C-Bonemerang will work, but I recommend sticking with A-Bonemerang for all versions, since in the versions where the stronger versions do work all end up with the opponent landing first, the timing is tougher, and there's no difference in damage. Different versions of this are a big part of Skulloton's offense, simply because depending on the version, you can do some pretty high damage.
2. [jump-in] > 2C > 5A > A-BoneClub.
The only way I've managed to combo into any version of Bone Club. Incidentally, done right, this will give you two hits from the Bone Club. A little harder to land properly than the A-Bonemerang combos, though, and doesn't seem as worthwhile; the A-Bonemerang combos seem to do more damage.
3. [jump-in] > [5C] > [5C] > A-Bonemerang or Bone Rush.
Though perhaps not as great as the next entry, this could be considered one of Skulloton's bread-and-butter combos. Simple, but painful. Remember that 5C > 5C requires the first 5C to be very close in.
4. [jump-in] > 5ABAC > [j. C] > [5C] > A-Bonemerang, B-Bullet Punch, or C-Bullet Punch.
This is one of Skulloton's bread-and-butter combos. In fact, this should probably be considered his primary bread-and-butter combo. Relatively easy to land, and very painful. You can probably replace the jumping C with a different jumping attack; I've only really tested with C myself. According to the combo counter, if ending with an A-Bonemerang, you can add a second A-Bonemerang, though the opponent does land first and the second A-Bonemerang doesn't do a lot of damage. When ending with a Bullet Punch, the opponent will be knocked to the other end of the screen and knocked down; throw a C-Bonemerang after this for the wake-up. In the corner, you'll be using a lower version of Bonemerang. Remember, though, the timing with a Bullet Punch is a little tricky. The damage isn't much different for Bonemerang versus Bullet Punch. Whether you go for Bullet Punch or Bonemerang really depends on whether you prefer the knockaway knockdown or the opponent remaining fairly close for you to continue your offense.
5. [jump-in] > 5ABAC > (any) Bullet Punch.
Personally, I'd go for the above combo rather than this one, though this works too. No matter which Bullet Punch you use for this one, make sure you learn the timing. A proper connection will have the Bullet Punch contributing 3 hits; it can't land 4 on an airborne opponent, but those 3 hits will include Bullet Punch's final hit. The timing's a bit tight on that Bullet Punch. With the right connection of Bullet Punch, as in the previous combo, no matter which Bullet Punch you used, the opponent will end up knocked down on the other end of the screen; throw a C-Bonemerang (use a lower version in the corner) for the wake-up.
6. [jump-in] > 2C > 5C > A-Bonemerang.
Yet another example of how simpler is sometimes better. It's only 3-4 hits, but it does very good damage. With the jump-in, damage is about 1/3 of a lifebar. Even without the jump-in, it's still about 1/4.
Well, that's all I've got for now. Discuss!
Skulloton seems to be a "power character". Most of his attacks do fairly good damage, and combos come very naturally. He definitely likes being close-in to the opponent; while he does have some longer-range options, you're not going to be able to just sit back and hit the opponent from range. Skull Bash and Bonemerang do allow for some mindgames. For mobility, in addition to standard movement, Skulloton has Bone Club, 3B, and 3C. That may not sound like much, but it's enough.
All damage statistics are based on Sack Dummy, and are very rough estimates.
Some Notable Normals:
j. B: Skulloton puts out both feet and hands -- a foot and hand in front, and another behind. Not only does it come out quickly, but just as it appears, it hits both in front of and behind Skulloton. Because of this, this move can easily be used for a crossup. This move is also useful for air-to-air, due to how well it covers Skulloton.
j. C: Pretty standard angled kick. As simple as it gets, but it's decent for air-to-air, and when used as a jump-in, is very easy to follow up on. Like j.B, this can be used for a crossup; depending on the specifics, you can end up either in front of or behind the opponent, and hit with this either way.
j. 4B: Skulloton stretches out an arm at a downward angle. A good move for covering yourself while retreating, or for poking. Not much for power compared to most of Skulloton's normals, but very good range; I recommend mixing this up with Skulloton's other jumping attacks to mess with opponents that try to counter you by assuming a j.B or a j.C. Can be useful for air-to-air, though given the angle, you will have to watch your aim.
2C: Ducking kick. Knocks the opponent up into the air a little, and if not followed up, is a knockdown. Can be followed up with 5A to keep the opponent in the air slightly longer, or by 5C. Can combo into itself, though this fact doesn't seem to be all that useful.
3A: Skulloton stretches out his arm for a punch. Not much for damage, but it comes out quickly enough and has very long range for a Skulloton normal (about a third of the screen).
3B: Skulloton quickly moves forward and sticks out a foot for a kick to the midsection. Again, not exactly great on the damage, but like the 3A, it's the range (and in this case, movement) that matters. Range is a little less than 3A, but still about a quarter of the screen.
3C: Sliding kick. Slower than 3A and 3B, but has longer range and better power, and is a knockdown. It does come out much slower than 3A or 3B, though, so be careful. Still useful, though; it's a knockdown, hits low, and moves Skulloton forward.
5C: Standing kick. Mostly useful because it is easy to combo both into and out of. For combo'ing in, your best bets are jump-in C and 2C. It can also be combo'd into from jump-in B, though you have to throw out the B relatively late, and the timing is tight even then. A very close hit of 5C will combo into another 5C.
5ABAC: Technically, this is a combo, but I'm putting it under Normals due to how it works. It's a "canned combo", so to speak. Skulloton starts with his normal 5A (a quick standing punch), then follows up with an elbow strike, then a knee, then a high kick. The kick hits twice, and launches. Note that each hit must connect (blocked or not) for the next hit to be available. This is an extremely useful move. It combos off of jump-ins, and the launcher leads to many possible follow-ups. Also, this string alone causes quite a bit of damage; combos that include this string can be VERY damaging.
Special Moves:
Bonemerang (2, 6, any attack): Skulloton declares "Bonemerang," and throws a wrench at the opponent. If it misses initially, it will come back toward Skulloton, and can still do damage. The stronger the attack button, the longer it takes to come out, and the farther it travels. The weak version is relatively easy to combo into, though the medium and strong versions... not so much. After a knockdown, can be used to force a block on wakeup (A-Bonemerang is best for this). Be careful, as this move can leave Skulloton vulnerable for a fairly long time, especially for the B and C versions.
Skull Bash (2, 4, any attack): Skulloton ducks down, sticks his head out, and declares, "Come on!" It's kinda reminiscent of Cammy's Beretta Counter, for those of you who play Capcom fighters. If hit by any attack at the right point during this move, he will take no damage, and will counterattack the opponent. The window for a counter is short, and there is a significant delay after that window in which Skulloton is vulnerable. Which attack button is used seems to change how Skulloton counters. I haven't tested this as thoroughly as the other moves. Best used as a surprise move, and should only be used if you're very good at prediction.
Bone Club (2, 4, 6, any attack): Skulloton rears back, takes his wrench in both hands, and jumps toward the opponent, declaring "Bone Club." Which attack button is used determines how far Skulloton rears back and how far forward he jumps. I've only ever managed to combo into the weak version, and only in one way. I'll go into that in the combo section. It is possible for this move to land two hits under certain circumstances. The most obvious use for this seems to be the movement. Be careful, though, as Skulloton is pretty vulnerable if you miss or are blocked. All versions will knock down the opponent on a successful hit.
Bullet Punch (6, 4, 6, any attack): Skulloton releases three quick punches, declaring, "Buh-buh-buh". Which attack button is used determines how far ahead of himself Skulloton punches. Even the A version has more range than most of Skulloton's normals; the C version goes out about a third of a screen. Regardless of which version you're using, the second punch has the most range of the three. If the third punch hits, Skulloton charges in for a fourth punch, declaring, "Punch!" In the C version, this fourth punch knocks down. I recommend throwing out a B-Bonemerang when knocking an opponent down with C-Bullet Punch, as with proper timing, the Bonemerang will be in perfect position to hit the opponent when they get up. The A version can be combo'd into Bone Rush, although due to damage scaling, this seems to actually do less damage than Bone Rush would on its own. The timing is tight, but it can be done. The A version can also be combo'd into A-Bonemerang. Again, tight timing, but it works. All versions can be combo'd into from a jump-in or from 5C. When hitting an airborne opponent with this move, how much will hit depends on the opponent's exact elevation when you hit them. This move cannot land all 4 hits against an airborne opponent, but proper timing will allow the final hit to land. When any version's final hit lands against an airborne opponent, the opponent will be knocked to the opposite end of the screen and knocked down.
Throw:
Performed with the standard command (A+B). Skulloton grabs the opponent, jumps over them declaring, "Worthless!", kicking them as he lands from this maneuver, then tosses the opponent forward in a high arc. A B-Bonemerang launched after the throw will be in perfect position to hit the opponent as they get up from this throw -- yet another example of Skulloton's wakeup game.
Ability:
Spite (B + C): Skulloton stands up on one foot, puts his thumbs in his ears with his fingers up, and declares "Nah-nah-nah-nah-nah-nah!" in the usual singsong. (Quite a weird effect, considering Skulloton's "robotic" voice.) His own super meter drains, but his opponent's super meter drains faster. Skulloton can use any attack to cancel this ability. Personally, I don't much recommend using this, but it is there, and it makes Skulloton appear vulnerable without actually making him all that vulnerable. True, he can't cancel by moving or jumping, but since he can attack out of it, he should be fine. Can conceivably be a good way to lure an opponent into falling for Skull Bash.
Super:
Bone Rush (2, 6, 4, any attack): Skulloton declares, "Take This!", and brings out his wrench. He swings forward twice, then goes into the air for a spinning strike (5 hits), then gives another forward swing. If one of the first two swings connects on a grounded opponent, all of the spinning strike and the final swing will connect as well. Against a non-grounded opponent, a hit with one of the first two swings does NOT guarantee that the spinning strike and final swing will fully connect. A full connection without being combo'd into will take off about half of the opponent's lifebar. This ends with a knockdown, so make sure to follow up properly.
Combos:
Please note that, since I have little experience with this game, there's probably far better combos available than what I have listed here. Moves in brackets can be skipped. Jump-in refers to jumping in with an atatck; I test with jump-in C, but jump-in B and jump-in 4B also work.
1. [jump-in] > [2C > 5C, 2C > 5A, 5C > 5C, 5C, or 5A] > A-Bonemerang.
For some versions, the combo counter claims that B-Bonemerang or C-Bonemerang will work, but I recommend sticking with A-Bonemerang for all versions, since in the versions where the stronger versions do work all end up with the opponent landing first, the timing is tougher, and there's no difference in damage. Different versions of this are a big part of Skulloton's offense, simply because depending on the version, you can do some pretty high damage.
2. [jump-in] > 2C > 5A > A-BoneClub.
The only way I've managed to combo into any version of Bone Club. Incidentally, done right, this will give you two hits from the Bone Club. A little harder to land properly than the A-Bonemerang combos, though, and doesn't seem as worthwhile; the A-Bonemerang combos seem to do more damage.
3. [jump-in] > [5C] > [5C] > A-Bonemerang or Bone Rush.
Though perhaps not as great as the next entry, this could be considered one of Skulloton's bread-and-butter combos. Simple, but painful. Remember that 5C > 5C requires the first 5C to be very close in.
4. [jump-in] > 5ABAC > [j. C] > [5C] > A-Bonemerang, B-Bullet Punch, or C-Bullet Punch.
This is one of Skulloton's bread-and-butter combos. In fact, this should probably be considered his primary bread-and-butter combo. Relatively easy to land, and very painful. You can probably replace the jumping C with a different jumping attack; I've only really tested with C myself. According to the combo counter, if ending with an A-Bonemerang, you can add a second A-Bonemerang, though the opponent does land first and the second A-Bonemerang doesn't do a lot of damage. When ending with a Bullet Punch, the opponent will be knocked to the other end of the screen and knocked down; throw a C-Bonemerang after this for the wake-up. In the corner, you'll be using a lower version of Bonemerang. Remember, though, the timing with a Bullet Punch is a little tricky. The damage isn't much different for Bonemerang versus Bullet Punch. Whether you go for Bullet Punch or Bonemerang really depends on whether you prefer the knockaway knockdown or the opponent remaining fairly close for you to continue your offense.
5. [jump-in] > 5ABAC > (any) Bullet Punch.
Personally, I'd go for the above combo rather than this one, though this works too. No matter which Bullet Punch you use for this one, make sure you learn the timing. A proper connection will have the Bullet Punch contributing 3 hits; it can't land 4 on an airborne opponent, but those 3 hits will include Bullet Punch's final hit. The timing's a bit tight on that Bullet Punch. With the right connection of Bullet Punch, as in the previous combo, no matter which Bullet Punch you used, the opponent will end up knocked down on the other end of the screen; throw a C-Bonemerang (use a lower version in the corner) for the wake-up.
6. [jump-in] > 2C > 5C > A-Bonemerang.
Yet another example of how simpler is sometimes better. It's only 3-4 hits, but it does very good damage. With the jump-in, damage is about 1/3 of a lifebar. Even without the jump-in, it's still about 1/4.
Well, that's all I've got for now. Discuss!