| Paul (Tekken 7) |
|---|
| Paul | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Key techniques | |
| Heat | {{{heat}}} |
| Heat Smash | {{{heatSmash}}} |
| Heat Engagers | {{{heatEngagers}}} |
| Stances | {{{stances}}} |
| Fastest | |
| Launch | |
| CH launch |
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| Wall splat |
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| Archetypal moves | |
| Mid check |
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| Hopkick | u/f+4 |
| Generic moves | |
| Remapped | (none) |
| Missing | (none) |
| External links | |
| Lore | {{{lore}}} |
| #{{{twitter}}} | |
Paul is, simply speaking, a powerhouse. While other characters might rely on strings, speed or trickery, Paul relies on sheer, direct force to break his opponents down. He has some of the most devastating single-hit mids in the game -- most infamously the Phoenix Smasher, commonly referred to as the Deathfist -- and once the opponent is respecting these mids, he has access to several damaging lows and a great throw game to punish opponents that are being too passive. He also controls space very well thanks to several long range moves, arguably the best set of homing moves in the game, and a good set of whiff punishers. An opponent also has to be careful about trying to commit to unsafe moves against him, as Paul has amazing block punishment for most situations. On top of this, he might be the single scariest character in the game when he has rage, thanks to his powerful rage drive and his unique ability to cancel his rage art for enormous damage.
In previous Tekken games, Paul was notorious for having very unsafe lows, but that's not really true in Tekken 7, as SS3 and CD3 are relatively safe for what they do, even though you can still go for his damaging but launch punishable demoman if you feel you need it. However, while he's incredibly explosive once he finds an opening, Paul's poking game is rather mediocre, largely lacking fast, safe options that let him control the match up close, and allows certain poke-heavy characters to bully him in close range. As powerful as his options are, they are usually slow and / or telegraphed to some extent, and can be hard to land against an opponent playing compact. That being said, while it might take a bit of work to land a hit against a disciplined opponent, Paul really only needs that one good hit, whether it is a sneaky df2, a well-timed counter-hit or a well-timed power-mid against a ducking opponent, to steal the round. If you want a character that thrives on getting big damage from the smallest opening, the Phoenix might be your man.
Strengths
- damaging set of mids to discourage duckers
- strong set of powerful lows
- solid mid-range control thanks to good overall range
- a full throw game, including two wall-splatting throws and a floor-breaking throw
- powerful (though often somewhat slow) counter-hit options
- one of the best sets of block punishers in the game
- his safe df2 tends to randomly go under jabs
- decent and damaging set of panic moves
- very scary wall game and good wall combo damage
- an absolute terror when he has rage
Weaknesses
- mediocre poking game, lacking an i13 df1 and safe string options
- his main lows are better used as call-outs and mixups than as pokes
- relies a lot on relatively slow moves, which makes him prone to getting counter hit
- mediocre sidestep
- lacks safe approach tools, relies a lot on basic movement
- mediocre corner carry and combo damage without rage / walls
- backdash canceling with him can be difficult to learn as he's a sway-character