Having done numerous cycles of this or that I'm back to basics. Short acting esters or compounds with no ester (Prop, Tren A, TNE, Susp, etc.) certainly have their place but for me, I think the gains are easier to maintain with longer esters like Cyp, Test E, Tren E, EQ, and Deca.
Pick 2 or 3 compounds like Test E, EQ and Tren E for example or Test Cyp and Deca. Let the body play "catch up". The more compounds you use the more they all compete for space on the AR.
So often you hear about kickstarting with an oral or fast acting compound only to have the gains decrease after discontinuation. Kickstarting is for impatient mofos like me that are unwilling to wait for the longer esters to kick in. I think there is logic to the concept of "growing into your cycle". On almost every cycle I hit a plateau, usually around week 8. That's where an oral or a fast acting ester can come into play - to break through plateaus.
Then you hear about these "cutting" versus "bulking" cycles. You can "cut" on any compound including dbol. dbol + AI = bloat free growth. Are some compounds better than others for "cutting"? Sure, but the central fact remains you can cut or bulk on any compound if you understand how to manage estrogen levels.