| Bob (Tekken 7) |
|---|
| Bob | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Key techniques | Wave dash |
| Stances |
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| Fastest launch |
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| Fastest CH launch |
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| Fastest wall splat |
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| Archetypal moves | |
| Mid check |
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| Hopkick | uf3 (i20, js9) |
| Orbital | bb4 (js15) |
| Stature kick | db3 |
| Power low | f,n,d,df4,1+2 |
| Generic moves | |
| Remapped | d1 → db1 |
| Missing | d4 |
| External links | |
| Lore | Robert Richards |
| Discord | [1] |
Bob is a Pseudo-Mishima-style character whose playstyle adheres to his signature catchphrase: Speed and Weight. Despite his stature, Bob boasts excellent mobility with his Mishima-style crouchdash (aka Wavedash) as well as his plethora of acrobatic, evasive mids- hence the Speed. Bob's f1+2 is a notably evasive and fast (i15) power crush, letting him evade or armor his way out of touch situations, while his bf1 is maybe the single most evasive backswing blow in the game. His ss1+2 lets him abuse his evasiveness with little risk, as unlike the other two tools, it is safe. Proper use of these evasive maneuvers gives Bob the ability to slip out of normally airtight offense.
His movelist includes many extremely high damage attacks, such as the highest damage 14 frame ws launcher in the game (ws2,1), a 40 damage long ranged 16 frame wallsplat (uf1+2,1+2), a safe 31 dmg i17 nc mid mid string for mixups (b1,2), and a 50 damage counterhit confirmable wallsplat string (b1+2,1,2)- hence the Weight. Bob is blessed with the ability to get strong damage from his mixups thanks to his two very powerful high damage lows- his cd4,1+2 hellsweep and his db3+4,3+4 double low string, which leaves the opponent standing at heavy minus frames so Bob can continue pressuring. Even his main low-risk low poke, db3, is blessed with the ability to knock down on counterhit for a guaranteed b3 (steel pedal).
Ironically, Bob's signature catchphrase also defines his gravest weaknesses. While his moves generally have long range and solid tracking, they tend to be abnormally slow or have subpar frame advantage on block. His magic 4 has well above average range, but is i13. His main mid check (df1) is i14 and -3, while his only i13 mid checks (b2 and df4) are -5 and -9 on block respectively. His fastest high crush low is d3, which is i19 and launch punishable (although it does have an extension, which is also very risky). His fastest homing move (f4) is an i16 high with unusually bad frame advantage on block (-6) compared to similar moves like Julia's b4 or Asuka's f4. His orbital, bb4, is i26 but requires a bb input, making it at least i27 if not slower. Most notably, his cd1 (the Electric Wind Bob Fist) is two frames slower than a true Mishima EWGF and is -4 on block instead of +5. Mobility may be a strength of Bob's, but if you interpret "Speed" to mean startup and frame advantage, things don't look so rosy.
Perhaps to counterbalance his poor frame data, many of Bob's core tools have unusually good tracking- especially his df1 and hellsweep, which are extremely difficult to step for most characters and must be stepped in opposite directions. His ff2 also must be stepped in the opposite way as his hellsweep, making his wavedash mixup less susceptible to lateral movement than a Mishima wavedash mix.
On the weight front, Bob may have numerous high damage strings and attacks, but his combo damage has severe flaws. Bob generally relies on combo enders which do not grant clean wallsplats, such as b3 or 4,3,3+4 which spikes. This means that ending his combos with a wallsplat ender like d2,4 will usually result in a notable loss of damage during the main juggle itself- he doesn't have max damage, wallsplat friendly enders like Julia wr2,1 or Ganryu df4,2,1. His combo damage is also unusually poor from his main standing nh launchers, with uf4 leading to extremely limited juggles due to its awkward tailspin launch and db1+2 doing very low damage for an i18 launcher. Worst of all, while Bob is blessed with the highest damage i14 ws launcher in the game, he lacks a dedicated i13 ws punisher and must rely on his ws4 to punish minus 13 lows. This subpar i13 ws punish dmg greatly limits his ability to play defensively against characters like Bryan and Dragunov.
Compared to true Mishimas, Bob lacks the sheer power of many of their core tools, although in return, he requires far less execution (especially since has no just frame required for his budget godfist, cd1). Compared to the Mishimas' tools, his 1,1,2 does not knock down and is only +3 on hit, his cd1 is slower with worse frame advantage, and his hellsweep has worse okizeme than Kazuya's. What sets Bob apart from them in a positive way is his versatility and numerous useful strings. His jabs have several extensions which all fill different roles, such as a counterhit launching ender (1,21+2), a low ender (1,d4), a safe high dmg ender (1,4) and a safe mid extension (2,1). His main mid pokes, df1, b2, and d2, all have non-jailing extensions for different purposes. Many of his strings have very niche and situational use, such as his FC df2 strings or his uf3+4,4 string, meaning that mastering Bob requires notable knowledge of specific tech. With the combination of versatile poke strings and solid tracking, plus a bona fide stature kick in db3, Bob's poking game becomes solid in its own right- good at countering characters who rely on movement up close like Alisa and Zafina, but bad against characters who can play the frame game like Law and Katarina.
Overall, Bob is a well-rounded character, comparable to the likes of Devil Jin in his mobility and poking prowess but with a greater emphasis on evasion and versatility. While he lacks the Mishimas' raw effectiveness and difficulty of execution, his strong poking and broad toolkit make him a potent threat. For players who want depth from their characters, Bob may not have a high execution ceiling to work towards, but his vast pool of situational tech and matchup-specific defensive options present a fulfilling alternative.