Thread:Saris Khan/@comment-24384232-20141211031559/@comment-136273-20141212093434

What SCB said, with an emphasis on this: Well, you know, you could just stop god-modding with the kido.

I've already seen canon Kido Masters in action. I know what they're capable of. It is perfectly normal to elaborate upon the concept of Kido in Bleach fanfiction. However, there's a limit to how far you can flat-out improve upon the concept in a reasonable manner. There's a fine line between "impressive" and "ludicruos".

You don't see such skilled combatants as Tessai or Urahara casting 10 Senju Koten Taiho's at the same time, each moulded into a different shape and made invisible and... Even Hogyoku Aizen cast only a single full-power Kurohitsugi at Ichigo... and what did Ichigo do? He bitch-slapped the spell out of existence.

Battles between spiritual beings are battles of spiritual power and resolve. Zankensoki are just expressions, or tools, employed to weaponise them. This is exactly the reason why a Hakuda Master is capable of shattering a Kido Master's barrier, or why a Zanjutsu Master can deflect a Kido Master's blast with one's blade.

And I strongly disagree with the notion that someone who specialises solely in Kido would automatically be superior to someone who has a comparable skill in Zanjutsu and high skill in other fields to boot. Crippling overspecialisation much? Normally, Kido doesn't give you god-like powers. Powerful spells require horrible amounts of energy to cast. In the meantime, your opponent will approach in the blink of an eye with the use of Shunpo, use a Hoho technique to make you think you hit him with the spell and then cut off your head with Zanjutsu or punch a hole in your chest with Hakuda. Dead.

Anyone who ignores the nuances of Zanjutsu usage has a spot on my black list. Go on, cast your galaxy-destroying Kido spells one after another or a dozen at a time. I'd rather engage in an intense sword-fight where factors such as strength, speed, stamina, durability, wit, resolve and skill all play a role.

To sum up, this is Bleach universe, not Dragon Ball Z. Use canon to establish a limit of how powerful and skilled your characters can be. Captain-class is perfectly viable to depict epic combat. Not every single character has to boast divine power that (oftentimes very explicitly) overshadows the canon cast. This includes the usage of Kido, which can be easily abused by narrow-minded people with a poor understanding of competitive balance. Zanjutsu is equal to Kido, it has its own tools to make it work. Hakuda is equal to Kido, it too has its own tools to make it work. Hoho is largely of supplementary use, but it is also a vital skill.