Chris Tatarian has taken on a major role of the lone wolf. He is now one of the last remaining Ken players still traveling the circuit outside of Canada’s CeroBlast. On top of that, he’s the one making the most moves on the circuit, earning as many points as he could.
It’s a good thing he did, because those points gave him just enough to find his way in via the North American slot. Now, will Chris be able to give Ken the most unlikely title at Capcom Cup?
On Fire
Chris T’s Ken is explosive. You almost have to play that way. Comparitively, CeroBlast is perfect evidence for the zany Ken play that people come to expect; he makes it work, and when he gets going, so does Chris.
But there is a certain method to the madness with Chris, as he has very stable play as well. He doesn’t just rely on gimmicks: but will go for them when need be. But when he has space to breathe, he actually makes the character look legitimate.
En Fuego
This was evidenced by a strong tournament year for him. Where he had struggled to put wins on the board before, he made it work this year. With two wins — both in Latin America — he proved he damn well has the chops to take wins.
Before you even begin to write-off Latin American wins, Chris performed at least one of these in a bracket that featured Caba, Justin Wong, and MenaRD, you can’t simply write him off. Further, the last one he won in Chile featured the Latin American representative Pikoro.
But if you want more evidence, just look at his third place at SoCal Regionals, against a top 8 that only features one player not currently in Capcom Cup — and Samurai is not one to sleep on, either.
Stability Issues
But if there’s one thing that I worry about for Chris, it’s a big one: stability. This is a multi-faceted worry.
First off, Ken is a very unstable character. Sometimes things just roll your way, and sometimes they don’t. When they don’t, it’s just a bad ride. Ken mains try to fly in the face of this all the time, but it doesn’t make it any less true.
Further Chris doesn’t really have an secondaries he’s likely to bring out. It was often thought that he may search for greener pastures like Momochi, but there’s been no evidence of that. He has went on record to say his goal is to be the best Ken. He may have accomplished that, but if his goal is to win Capcom Cup, Ken is not the best vehicle to do so.
But further, personal stability can also play a role in your performance. Right now, Chris has had a lot of stability issues personally, with Capcom Cup’s schedule itself being a major personal stumbling block for him. If starting at 10:00 AM is a major hurdle for him to overcome, one has to question his determination to take this.
This is not the only tournament you have to worry about early start times at. Evo notoriously has had 8:00 AM starting pools, so why all of a sudden Capcom Cup? I understand the brevity of playing for a six figure payday, but if it’s that important to you, you have a week to adjust your sleep schedule to be ready.
Final Thoughts
Chris Tatarian starts his 10:00 AM matches with Fuudo. He has done well against R. Mika in the past should Fuudo go that route. If he doesn’t, Chris has also done well against Birdie, historically.
But the biggest x-factor will be how mentally ready Chris is going into this. If he allows the start time — or anything else — to shake him, he’s going to fall early. If he is able to push himself past this, accept it, and play his best, then expect a top 16 run at the very least.
CAPCOM CUP 2018 ANALYSIS SERIES
- Capcom Cup 2018 Analysis: Will Tokido finally hoist the cup?
- Capcom Cup 2018 Analysis: Will MenaRD claim the throne once again?
- Capcom Cup 2018 Analysis: Is the third time the charm for Problem X?
- Capcom Cup 2018 Analysis: How Sako made me eat my words in two tournament wins
- Capcom Cup 2018 Analysis: Will Fujimura take the title in his third shot at the cup?
- Capcom Cup 2018 Analysis: Is Fuudo more poised this year than last?
- Capcom Cup 2018 Analysis: Will Justin Wong finally make top 8?
- Capcom Cup 2018 Analysis: How will NuckleDu reclaim his lost throne?
- Capcom Cup 2018 Analysis: Will Oil King cut his opponents as short as his shorts?
- Capcom Cup 2018 Analysis: Will NL capitalize on his stellar 2018?
- Capcom Cup 2018 Analysis: Will Daigo Umehara finally scale the one height he has yet to reach?
- Capcom Cup 2018 Analysis: Has Luffy prepared enough to make a serious run this year?
- Capcom Cup 2018 Analysis: Has Haitani Improved Enough?
- Capcom Cup 2018 Analysis: Has Xiao Hai finally fixed his focus issue?
- Capcom Cup 2018 Analysis: Is Big Bird big enough to take it?
- Capcom Cup 2018 Analysis: Will Caba prove Dominican domination at Capcom Cup?
- Capcom Cup 2018 Analysis: Will Phenom stand out as phenomenal?
- Capcom Cup 2018 Analysis: Will Gachikun survive his fateful first round?
- Capcom Cup 2018 Analysis: Will Xian be quickly on the top 8 scene?
- Capcom Cup 2018 Analysis: Is momentum on CJ Truth’s side?
- Capcom Cup 2018 Analysis: Will Bonchan let out a roar?
- Capcom Cup 2018 Analysis: Has Punk put himself in the right position for this year?
- Capcom Cup 2018 Analysis: Will Mago’s top tier pick work out for him?
- Capcom Cup 2018 Analysis: Will Itabashi Zangief shift into overdrive?
- Capcom Cup 2018 Analysis: Will Momochi put his opponents on ice?
- Capcom Cup 2018 Analysis: Will StormKUBO fill a giant pile of bodybags?
- Capcom Cup 2018 Analysis: Will Verloren be able to reclaim his status as best Cammy?
- Capcom Cup 2018 Analysis: Will Angry Bird knock over everyone’s tower of dreams?
- Capcom Cup 2018 Analysis: Will Nemo have a repeat performance?
