What's new

Reptile's Sweet Spot

THTB

Arez | Booya | Riu48 - Rest Easy, Friends
So while I'm not playing MK9 at all anymore, I'm still doing a lot of brainstorming about the game to get some ideas down to help those that still do play.

I've been going over some Reptile stuff in my head a little bit. I'm starting to think about where on the screen Reptile is really good at. And this spot is pretty much a particular range where slow forceball is advantageous enough to where SFB > dash is an airtight frame trap. I haven't played in a while, so I can't give an exact position, but from what I remember, this position is around jump distance, about a step away from it.

Now, why here? Why not outside dash distance? The trick I have is this...I'm pretty sure this range is approximately the same range if you do not move after landing a dash, and the opponent does not techroll. The opponent's only response here, other than anti-projectile, is to jump, which puts them at risk of landing on EXFBs. Also, from this range, forceball trades are more viable due to you being close enough to dash in for a combo. I've noticed a lot of Reptile's moves on a knockdown put him in a scenario to easily get to this position. Acid hand on hit then dashing, 321 connects, slide on hit after techroll, b4, etc.

It seems this part of the screen gives him a lot of control against certain characters. You can't guess jump over FB due to EXFB. Blocking an SFB is a mixup of am I going to dash or not. And this space allows EX spit to be used as well. And of course, dash is still a major threat. It just seems like at this range, Reptile's tools are in full effect and are probably at their most dangerous potential. And as I said, Reptile can get an opponent back to this range. Of course there will be characters that this doesn't really work on, but they aren't so plentiful that this is unviable. I think if Reptile players can perfect what he can do at this range, we'll start seeing more success than we already do.

So any thoughts?
 

Seapeople

This one's for you
Good stuff man, really well said. One thing I've never understood though is why use ex spit from this range when ex forceball gives bigger pushback, bigger frame advantage and can also AA?
 
So while I'm not playing MK9 at all anymore, I'm still doing a lot of brainstorming about the game to get some ideas down to help those that still do play.

I've been going over some Reptile stuff in my head a little bit. I'm starting to think about where on the screen Reptile is really good at. And this spot is pretty much a particular range where slow forceball is advantageous enough to where SFB > dash is an airtight frame trap. I haven't played in a while, so I can't give an exact position, but from what I remember, this position is around jump distance, about a step away from it.

Now, why here? Why not outside dash distance? The trick I have is this...I'm pretty sure this range is approximately the same range if you do not move after landing a dash, and the opponent does not techroll. The opponent's only response here, other than anti-projectile, is to jump, which puts them at risk of landing on EXFBs. Also, from this range, forceball trades are more viable due to you being close enough to dash in for a combo. I've noticed a lot of Reptile's moves on a knockdown put him in a scenario to easily get to this position. Acid hand on hit then dashing, 321 connects, slide on hit after techroll, b4, etc.

It seems this part of the screen gives him a lot of control against certain characters. You can't guess jump over FB due to EXFB. Blocking an SFB is a mixup of am I going to dash or not. And this space allows EX spit to be used as well. And of course, dash is still a major threat. It just seems like at this range, Reptile's tools are in full effect and are probably at their most dangerous potential. And as I said, Reptile can get an opponent back to this range. Of course there will be characters that this doesn't really work on, but they aren't so plentiful that this is unviable. I think if Reptile players can perfect what he can do at this range, we'll start seeing more success than we already do.

So any thoughts?
hmm, interesting intake on positional things reptile can do. I actually like a distance like this bcuz if the jump, I'll AA them. If they decide to walk up, my d4 comes into play. Anything whiffed will result in a dash and pretty much what you said. Reptile's should definitely utilize this spot of the screen, he does very well here.
 

THTB

Arez | Booya | Riu48 - Rest Easy, Friends
Good stuff man, really well said. One thing I've never understood though is why use ex spit from this range when ex forceball gives bigger pushback, bigger frame advantage and can also AA?
At this range, it will ALWAYS hit faster than even EXFFB. So it's a safer check to an opponent trying to move after blocking a forceball. Also, it's harder to jump over.
 

THTB

Arez | Booya | Riu48 - Rest Easy, Friends
You're mistaken, I believe this area is the deadzone where reptile players have no options.
The worst thing about the range is that reactions to FBs are possible and normals don't reach, but again, it's at the very edge of jump distance. I need to do some number crunching to be sure, but SFB > dash whiff I'm pretty sure isn't truly advantageous at all.
 

THTB

Arez | Booya | Riu48 - Rest Easy, Friends
So some number crunching I did...at half screen, SFB on block is +25 on block. As far as I remember, dash max range is actually further than half screen. So I was wrong about dash whiff not being advantage, but it did some confirmation on exactly where I was thinking to play. Which is a lot better than I realized. Yes, this is reaction city...again, not all characters can force Reptile out of zoning here.
 

Seapeople

This one's for you
So some number crunching I did...at half screen, SFB on block is +25 on block. As far as I remember, dash max range is actually further than half screen. So I was wrong about dash whiff not being advantage, but it did some confirmation on exactly where I was thinking to play. Which is a lot better than I realized. Yes, this is reaction city...again, not all characters can force Reptile out of zoning here.
How much advantage would you say reptile is at after a blocked forceball from the "sweet spot"? Somberness has mentioned that forcebals have 21 frames of block stun so I would assume it couldnt be higher than that
 

Showtime

Reptile/Sonya
TBH this is why reptile is good, that sweet spot were you dash in for free. One of the best tools of the game once reptile players learn this perfectly its non stop rush down. The sfb into wiff dash is great to but I prefer ex sfb. The setups after that are limitless and your opponent usually makes a mistake

Sent from my SGH-T999 using Tapatalk 2
 

Seapeople

This one's for you
After 12b1 on hit you could possibly use ex fb or ex spit to keep your opponent in check and push you back to the sweet spot.
Another thing about this range is that its a perfect position to anti air with f3. Maybe I'm wrong but f3 seems like one of his most consistent AAs.
 

NRF CharlieMurphy

Kindergarten Meta
TBH this is why reptile is good, that sweet spot were you dash in for free. One of the best tools of the game once reptile players learn this perfectly its non stop rush down. The sfb into wiff dash is great to but I prefer ex sfb. The setups after that are limitless and your opponent usually makes a mistake

Sent from my SGH-T999 using Tapatalk 2
this is why SZ is such an opposite MU for him.
But yeah... dude... once Reptile starts rolling... he is tough to get out of those sweet spots. I've seen a few matches with you where you made people just constantly block. He is too fast at times.
 
After 12b1 on hit you could possibly use ex fb or ex spit to keep your opponent in check and push you back to the sweet spot.
Another thing about this range is that its a perfect position to anti air with f3. Maybe I'm wrong but f3 seems like one of his most consistent AAs.
I do 12b1 on hit to d4 ball all the time, I catch a lot of jumpers.

Sent from my HTC PH39100 using Tapatalk 2
 

Slips

Feared by dragons. Desired by virgins.
Chris G figured this out at launch date. Me and 16 Bit mentioned this more than once in episodes of KTP. This is the reason why people complain about Reptile players downplaying their character cause they play him like idiots. SFB is like a Guile sonic boom. He gets one on the screen, he gets in for free or you gotta take a huge risk to avoid it. Once he's in if you try and get out of pressure you get launched or knocked down into another SFB and he gets back in. You block then his neutral throw tosses them full screen where he gets to shoot another SFB and get back in again. This is the essence of why Reptile is good.
 

Briggs8417

Salt Proprietor of TYM
TBH this is why reptile is good, that sweet spot were you dash in for free. One of the best tools of the game once reptile players learn this perfectly its non stop rush down. The sfb into wiff dash is great to but I prefer ex sfb. The setups after that are limitless and your opponent usually makes a mistake

Sent from my SGH-T999 using Tapatalk 2
I generally only use normal sfb's if I know it's a character that doesn't have many options on wake up, like Liu Kang, or if I want to catch someone off guard and try to get a hit in when they don't expect it. Otherwise I use ex for free pressure.
 

Seapeople

This one's for you
It looks like slow forceball is neutral on block if done from the starting point on the screen.
Taking one jump backward from the starting point on the screen...if you do a slow forceball from this range and the opponent blocks it, you can elbow dash in and get a guaranteed 321 string before they can even jump to escape.