Strategy Ask mortal_jason Anything About MK2!

[mortal_jason]

Why get into mk2 over the other available Mk games? What exactly is it that makes it superior to say, UMK3? These are all kind of the same question rephrased but if I was on the fence about picking it up what would change that in favor of doing so?

When you buy the Mortal Kombat Arcade Kollection, you get MK1, MK2, and UMK3.
MK2 is the best MK of all

 

[Dyzvhtynzal]

mortal_jason
If scorpangel loses >60% of the time over 10 encounters of random matchups, and we adhere to the criteria, then yes, he would not be considered elite. It is complicated. But we have to start somewhere. By encounter, I mean 1 set of 10, so 100 matches. 1 set/day for 10 days to lessen, not eliminate, predictability should be sufficient.

Since Mike and you are almost unquestionably the very best out there right now, I think any results against either would be a good indication of ability. If I were to be truly honest, I'd say that there are probably only 5-7 elites in existence, maybe even less as even elites are not perfectly equal. The remainder of us are just advanced players that get lucky due to the complacency or boredom of the elite.

I'll stick with my percentages until there is some thoughtful criticism.

 

[mortal_jason]

mortal_jason
If scorpangel loses >60% of the time over 10 encounters of random matchups, and we adhere to the criteria, then yes, he would not be considered elite. It is complicated. But we have to start somewhere. By encounter, I mean 1 set of 10, so 100 matches. 1 set/day for 10 days to lessen, not eliminate, predictability should be sufficient.
I'll stick with my percentages until there is some thoughtful criticism.

To me I tend to look at it as someone has "an elite Liu" or "an elite Reptile".
Like, I would say Jester has an elite Raiden, Billy_Bats has an elite Lao, ProjectilePoint has an elite Cage, etc.
If you pick top tier 100% of the time, that tells me your skills are probably limited and you have to use the best fighters all the time to hide your weaknesses.
Scorpangel, Insane_Niki, RockyRose, REO- these guys use(d) top tier 99% of the time.
And I would consider their best fighter to be elite.
If I play Insane_Niki 100 Random Select matches, and he never gets Mileena, and I win 95-5... I'd still consider him elite because his Mileena is as good as you can get.
But amongst most reputable MK2-ers, if you can't hold your own on Random Select, you're kind of a joke if you claim greatness.
When I first got on PS3, I was really only good with Kitana and Mileena, and I took a lot of crap for relying on them too much (deservedly so).

I guess the biggest test to see if you're elite is- using bottom tier (especially Reptile), can you beat top players' higher tiered fighters?
Because that is the true test of eliteness IMO.

 

[mortal_jason]

Ththuvhul my personal list of true elites would be defined as people who are elite-level (or damn close) with all 12 fighters.
Based on those I've played, these would be:

Caldwell
btbb99
Foozer1
Fusion
Real_Talk
KANOMK2

You're right, it's a short list. Those 6 guys are absolutely not afraid to Random, because they are amazing with every character.
Even someone like btbb99 who hates Lao, still is good enough with him to win most matches even vs advanced players.
There are some guys from og days that I can't remember their names.
If more people played regularly, I'm sure I would add a few guys to that list.

 

[ProudDisciple]

How is the netcode and what is the prefered platform for elites to play on? Did or have most of the elites played together offline?

 

[Dyzvhtynzal]

mortal_jason
I think it would be more useful to stick with players who are great with every character. It is more comprehensive. I agree with your list. I suppose you could take challenges to support the system. I'm almost positive that anyone who is truly elite can win 40% of the time against you if we average everything. Advanced players should win 10%-40% of random matchups. If both players are competing seriously. Those who are not advanced should win 0%-10% of the time. Again, we'd want to average the results and not rely on 1 encounter.

On top of that, we'd have to test ourselves at least twice a year. I think that many believe that once you attain elite status you're always there - a misconception. Even you could be reduced to merely 'advanced' under the right circumstances. Something spectacular would have to happen to make that so however...

 

[mortal_jason]

How is the netcode and what is the prefered platform for elites to play on? Did or have most of the elites played together offline?

The netcode leaves a lot to be desired. We are all hoping when MK2 is playable on PS4 that it will solve most of the lag issues.

Most high level players play on PS3.
Though a lot of the great players in other countries play on Mame/Kaillera.

I'm not sure how many elites have played locally vs each other. The only good MK2 player I've fought locally is my sister (she can hold her own!).

 

[EMPEROR PRYCE]

is there a combo system in mk2? all gameplay i see i never see combos at all. seems like a footsie based game that relies a lot on good spacing and counterpoking am i right?

 

[mortal_jason]

mortal_jason
I think it would be more useful to stick with players who are great with every character. It is more comprehensive. I agree with your list. I suppose you could take challenges to support the system. I'm almost positive that anyone who is truly elite can win 40% of the time against you if we average everything. Advanced players should win 10%-40% of random matchups. If both players are competing seriously. Those who are not advanced should win 0%-10% of the time. Again, we'd want to average the results and not rely on 1 encounter.

On top of that, we'd have to test ourselves at least twice a year. I think that many believe that once you attain elite status you're always there - a misconception. Even you could be reduced to merely 'advanced' under the right circumstances. Something spectacular would have to happen to make that so however...

You're right- I am reduced to "advanced" any time I play someone in awful lag!
Hell sometimes I'm reduced to "NOOB" in bad enough lag

Yes, 2 elites battling each other should go very even in a set of Randoms.
And everyone has good and bad days, so averaging out a few encounters would be a good test.

I'm always happy to play anyone.
However remember it is hard to test in laggy conditions.
For instance, I would play my friend MNGameBoy in perfect conditions and win 19-1.
But when it was laggy, I was only winning 4-1.
So lag is a huge handicap for the better player, and has some bearing on "elite tests", if you will.

Elites definitely lose a bit of skill if they don't play often, but not much. Once you understand the game, it is like riding a bike.
Just a matter of playing a few times to get your timing back.

 

[mortal_jason]

is there a combo system in mk2? all gameplay i see i never see combos at all. seems like a footsie based game that relies a lot on good spacing and counterpoking am i right?

MK2 definitely has combos. Here is just a small sample of MK2 combos:

Kitana- Fan Raise/JK/Air Fan/Sq Wave Punch
Mileena- Roll/JP/Air Sai
Jax- Uppercut/Ground Pound
Scorpion- aaHP/Telepunch/Spear
Sub-Zero- Freeze/JK/Ground Freeze/Uppercut
Reptile- Forceball/HP/JK

Every fighter has combos like these. Aggression and defense both have their place in MK2.
MK2 is the ultimate chess game. MK2 doesn't have any cheesy combos though like where you press HP, LP, HP, HP, HK, HK, LK and do 45% damage.
I think all the MK games after MK2 have some kind of chain combos up close like that.

Here's an example of my best MK2 combo:

 

[Mobbnz]

Yo Jason my main is Jax. i have a Hard time fighting Zoners like Shang Tsung, Mileena, and Liu Kang. i Try to be patient but i still end up getting punished

 

[mortal_jason]

Yo Jason my main is Jax. i have a Hard time fighting Zoners like Shang Tsung, Mileena, and Liu Kang. i Try to be patient but i still end up getting punished

Hey Mobbnz!
Jax is the biggest turtler in MK2. He mainly wins by staying away from his opponent.
His Ground Pound, high kick, and Wave Punch are the 3 big things that make this possible.
So in theory, fighting zoners is right up Jax's alley.
IMO Jax is the hardest character to learn. But when you do, he is nearly unstoppable.

Liu has a hard time against Jax. Just block his Low Fireball within half screen, and immediately Ground Pound. Most Lius stay away and Fireball spam Jax.
But if one gets in your face use crouch punches/kicks followed up with Grounds Pounds to keep him back. You can also Ground Pound under Liu's High FB.
If Liu retreats and Low Fireball spams, time a jump kick and follow it up with a Ground Pound. If you time it right the GP is unblockable.

Shang you usually must keep away from to win. Shang's jab will eat Jax alive. Keep your distance and time the Ground Pound so that it hits as Shang lands when he jumps towards you. Shang's walk cycle is super slow so he will resort to jumping (or morphing) to get close to you. If he sits and spams Skulls, time Ground Pounds underneath. You will probably take some damage but should come out ahead.

Mileena is the Jax killer. But, he is actually well-equipped to beat her.
Learn to time Ground Pounds under her Sai spam. This is extremely difficult but there should be vids on Youtube showing how to do it.
High kick her when she jumps at you (watch out for her Air Sai though).
Stupid Mileenas will Roll and Telekick alot. The Roll especially is punishable with big damage- JK/Backbreaker after you block the Roll.
Versus Mileena you actually want her to try zoning you so that she stays away from you. Once she is in close, Jax is in trouble. Though a crouch punch/Ground Pound or a random high kick works well here too.

 

[Kaz]

What do you do to beat a low toe that nullifies your jumpkick? Best plan of attack to counter Jax's crouch punch to ground pound?

 

[mortal_jason]

What do you do to beat a low toe that nullifies your jumpkick? Best plan of attack to counter Jax's crouch punch to ground pound?

There's really not much you can do to nullify an opponent low toeing your jump kick.
But not all fighters' hit points connect the same.
So take into consideration what the match-up is.
For instance, Kitana/Mileena can almost always low toe anyone's JKs without getting hit. The girls are basically invincible to a lot of things when they low toe. But Lao has a hard time low toeing JKs especially Baraka and Shang's.
Remeber to know your fighter, your opponent's fighter, AND your opponent.
Some of my personal strategies include:

1) Throw in some jump punches to confuse an opponent.
2) Crossover kicks work great against players (Kangs especially) that spam low toes.
3) Hold off on your JK til one of the last possible frames- it has a better chance of connecting.

And most importantly BE PREPARED for what happens after your JK gets low toed. There is usually a surprise factor that leaves the jump kicker shocked they didn't connect, and standing there vulnerable. If you have Reptile or Subz and your opponent low toes you, you can usually get them with a slide as you land.
With Baraka you can shredder right away, Scorpion spear, etc. These tactics are important for both the JKer and low toer.

Countering Jax's crouch punch/Ground Pound, again, depends on who you're using.
My suggestion would be space yourself so you're close enough to sweep, but far enough away not to get hit by that long arm of Jax.
But if Jax times it right he will crouch punch you out of your sweep. So faking out Jax can get him to crouch punch early and then you can get your sweep in. This is hard to do with Lao since his sweep is so short. In that case, Lao's amazing low toe comes in handy instead.
Crossover kicks are another great option against a Jax sitting in crouch waiting to push you back.

 

[Skkra]

mortal_jason MK2 is my favorite MK, and while I love it, and still play it with friends for fun, I don't actually know much about it. Here is the first of several questions I have...

THE SWEEP
1. Are some characters sweeps better than others?
- If so, why? Do they have longer range? Faster startup?

2. How useful are sweeps in competitive play?
- I've never been able to find frame data for this game, so I don't know any specifics. If your opponent blocks a sweep, who has the advantage? It almost feels like the attacker can just keep sweeping until they opponent is pushed out of range. It almost feels plus on block to me.

 

[james1926]

Hi! Nice thread. Is there any videos/playlists with MK2 top players matches? I learn better by watching than reading.

I really like this game, but my friends underestimate it and it's so difficult to find people to play in Europe. I also think that MK2 is a lot better than UMK3 for the exact reasons you mentioned.

 

[mortal_jason]

mortal_jason MK2 is my favorite MK, and while I love it, and still play it with friends for fun, I don't actually know much about it. Here is the first of several questions I have...

THE SWEEP
1. Are some characters sweeps better than others?
- If so, why? Do they have longer range? Faster startup?

2. How useful are sweeps in competitive play?
- I've never been able to find frame data for this game, so I don't know any specifics. If your opponent blocks a sweep, who has the advantage? It almost feels like the attacker can just keep sweeping until they opponent is pushed out of range. It almost feels plus on block to me.

Cool Skkra nice to hear from you. MK2 is addictive and like most things, becomes MORE fun the better you get at it.

To answer your questions:

1. The best sweeps in the game belong to Baraka and Kitana/Mileena because they are long and fast.
Here is my rank of sweeps from best to worst:

Kitana/Mileena
Baraka
Shang Tsung
Lao
Liu Kang
Cage
Reptile/Sub-Zero/Scorpion
Raiden
Jax

2. Sweeps are one of the most powerful moves in MK2, and that includes competitive play.
If you block a sweep, you CAN instantly counter with a sweep of your own, before they can sweep you again.
Unless you're playing online in delay lag, which will render it trickier.
This also will be harder to do if you're using Raiden/Jax vs someone like Lao who has the fastest (but shortest) sweep in the game.

 

[mortal_jason]

Hi! Nice thread. Is there any videos/playlists with MK2 top players matches? I learn better by watching than reading.

I really like this game, but my friends underestimate it and it's so difficult to find people to play in Europe. I also think that MK2 is a lot better than UMK3 for the exact reasons you mentioned.

Hey James,
There are plenty of matches in the MK2 Video thread which feature top players. Or you can check out my YouTube to see a few high-level matches:

http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeXY0zfcTFIHj37Y1zdsJjQ/videos

I would like to make some video tutorials but it's very hard to do because I can't control both fighters at once.

 

[Mobbnz]

How do i beat MIKECALDWELL Lol

 

[mortal_jason]

How do i beat MIKECALDWELL Lol

Same way you got a win off me- use top tier vs his bottom tier.
If you play it well enough, Jax slaughters Cage, Sub-Zero, and/or Reptile no matter what they do against you.

Mileena and Jax have a big advantage on half the cast of MK2.
Keep practicing and eventually your Jax will be a tank.

 

[Nightmayerx]

Could you explain Jax's ground pound in more depth? Do jax players pretty much always hold it down?

When should I throw as Jax?

 

[mortal_jason]

Could you explain Jax's ground pound in more depth? Do jax players pretty much always hold it down?

When should I throw as Jax?

Sure, what do you want to know specifically?
It's one of the only unblockable moves in MK2. It comes out fast and is hard to punish.
You only need to score 8 of them to win a round.

I would say solid Jax players are charging low kick most of the time- except maybe when they're in close and want to sweep.
The Ground Pound, I consider to be the 2nd best Special Move in MK2.
(http://testyourmight.com/threads/top-5-special-moves-in-mk2.38102/)
It forces opponents to jump around a lot and get hit by Jax's high kick, backbreaker, or Wave Punch.

You should throw with Jax anytime you can.
His Multi-Slam (throw someone and keep hitting high punch) takes off over 1/3 of your opponent's health.
But Jax gets beat up close by others' jabs, so be careful.

 

[Nightmayerx]

Sure, what do you want to know specifically?
It's one of the only unblockable moves in MK2. It comes out fast and is hard to punish.
You only need to score 8 of them to win a round.

I would say solid Jax players are charging low kick most of the time- except maybe when they're in close and want to sweep.
The Ground Pound, I consider to be the 2nd best Special Move in MK2.
(http://testyourmight.com/threads/top-5-special-moves-in-mk2.38102/)
It forces opponents to jump around a lot and get hit by Jax's high kick, backbreaker, or Wave Punch.

You should throw with Jax anytime you can.
His Multi-Slam (throw someone and keep hitting high punch) takes off over 1/3 of your opponent's health.
But Jax gets beat up close by others' jabs, so be careful.

Thanks! I was also wondering if there there were times you cant start charging it, maybe while being knocked down or something.

 

[16 Bit]

What are your top 5 favorite things about princess Kitana?

 

[mortal_jason]

Thanks! I was also wondering if there there were times you cant start charging it, maybe while being knocked down or something.

You can charge low kick any time, yeah.