Ok. I'm new here, so I'm not really sure how the forums operate here, but I'm assuming this guide is applicable to Blazblue as well. That being said, I'm not really sure where these questions should be asked, so I'm just gonna ask them here. Anyone feel free to point me in the right direction if this is the wrong place to post this.
So, I have a good amount of experience with BB. I've played Extend a lot before and the characters I seem to regular are Relius, Haku and Arakune. Really leaning toward Relius as a main though. However even though I've played this game for a pretty long time, I've never taken the time to seriously get into it like I have with fighters like VS or Street Fighter. Therefore, I have a lot of (probably) stupid questions in regards to the mechanics, terminology, and overall just how the game works. Please feel free to be as painfully detailed as possible, I want to get a good grasp on this game:
1.What are the important differences within this game in terms of the mechanics that separates it from other fighters?
2. Is there some sort of tier list? How balanced is this game actually? Characters like Noel and Litchi seem to be close to the top.
3. Any tips for someone who doesn't use a fight stick? Hence the 360 controller being notoriously bad for fighting games.
4. Astrals. Do they serve any practical purpose or are they just to basically show off?
5. Is there anywhere I can find hitbox data and such?
6. How do "Instant Block" and "Fatal Counters" work exactly?
This is all I have for now. I'm sure I'll have more down the road. Thanks in advance, ya'll.