Early tier discussion

[ElJag]

So, here are my few takes on tiers; it's still quite early, and this game has not gotten as much attention as I think it deserves, but this is just based on what I've heard from others and my own experience in winning and losing, using different characters and seeing others playing them.

It's important to note that I've seen both great and not so great players using all sorts of characters, so mileage may vary, these tiers are just based on the majority of cases that I am aware of. So please share your experiences or input, to improve our current perception of each fighter's potential. I will also include what I consider the major pros and cons for each character.

S TIER
Shovel Knight.
Pro: Amazing damage! He is capable of defeating others with just a couple of combos and chip damage.
Con: Slow and not so good at long range potential, that's about it.

Quote.
Pro: He mixes it up very well. Combos from different angles, unpredictable moves, he could come low, running at you or from the air. His range is also tricky due to his gun.
Con: Unless his timing is decent, specially for the low roll, he can struggle with oponents at long range.

A TIER
Emiko.
Pro: Fast attacks and range give the upper hand in most situations, usually the best in close and mid range, have seen her punish moves that are generally safe against other characters. Damge is pretty good too.
Con: Has a difficult time with characters that are faster or normally have longer range, zoning characters usually hit her with ease due to Shakemaru's huge body.

Master T.
Pro: Good range and good speed, he can create a long string of combos, while keeping a safe distance as needed; but of course, you want to close in when necesary, and he can do that in a blink.
Con: Some moves require expert timing, and if done slightly before or after the right moment, there is a large window for punishment.

Liongate.
Pro: His style of keep away with fireballs and countering with anti air or front attack when the opponent closes in, while being able to up the pressure with enough energy bar, makes him pretty good.
Con: I've seen him struggle against opponents that can also play the keep away game, specially from the air and mixing different types of projectiles.

Lina.
Pro: Superb zoning and speed.
Con: Superb punish when you can predict the zoning.

Curly.
Pro: Probably the best keep away character; close in soon or her chip damage will start to hurt, really bad!
Con: Once a skilled player gets up close, it could be game over unless you get Curly out of there immediately, usually through a quick combo.

B TIER
Solange.
Pro: Best at mid range, she can poke and, depending on the opponent, has access to safe moves that put pressure. Can keep away for a while with certain opponents and punish with anti-air if they get too close.
Con: Not so good at short range (mostly due to speed) and from crouching position. Some opponents, can punish her generally safe moves (due to range mostly); some of her attacks have low priority, if done at the same time as an opponent's attack it will hurt.

Ali.
Pro: Long combos, trickster style of fighting that can catch the opponent off guard, difficult to tell if you want her at mid range or close to you, as she can turn the situation around with bombs and closing in from different angles.
Con: Her range is generally bad, you need very precise timing to do your thing or your attacks will be cancelled by a hit before you even get to your opponent; her combos, while long, do not deal as much damage as you would expect.

Kawase.
Pro: Long range and juggles galore! With precise timing you can pull your opponent, toss him away, get in or get out slightly like Bionic Commando. Really good against mid range characters.
Con: Generally not good against characters that specialize on the extremes (close or keep away), if you mess up the timing with any of your special moves, punishment will be severe due to a long recovery window.

Gunvolt (this one could be rank A, I've seen unskilled players mostly, just a few good ones).
Pro: Switches from keep away to close range, highly unpredictable.
Con: Generally suffers terribly if he sticks to a single style, as his moves become predictable.

Helen.
Pro: She closes in quite fast, specially because of her shield; once she gets the grove on, there is no stopping her, as she plays mind games attacking low, high, fast or slow.
Con: If you don't let her get the unpredictable combo grove on, putting on pressure can be the end for her; her shield attacks and summersaults can be predictable.

C TIER
Noko.
Pro: Good against close range fighters, can create seemingly difficult to escape pressure on opponents.
Con: Keep away characters are her bane, there are some glaring punishable windows to take advantage of during her pressure.

Isaac.
Pro: If he gets enough breathing space, can create a wall of varied projectlies, flies, spiders, tears, that can give the opponent a headache. Difficult to hit due to small size.
Con: Most of the time someone manages to stop this range attack festival early, he ends up losing.

What are your tiers?