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Johnny Cage matchup chart

WITNESS

Worlds Famous
100% combo character if smoke lands reset, fantastic run away and footsies... sorry I don't buy it
9/10 your gonna be able to break the reset anyway, why would i want to play footsies with you, i dont want to be near you at all. Smoke run away game is good but not great. Your pressure is just too good for smoke to handle (this is also why he loses to sonya) and you have good chip damage.
 
9/10 your gonna be able to break the reset anyway, why would i want to play footsies with you, i dont want to be near you at all. Smoke run away game is good but not great. Your pressure is just too good for smoke to handle (this is also why he loses to sonya) and you have good chip damage.
sonya beats because her down 4 and armor make the footsie game impossible

smoke can hit and run and use the threat of smoke bomb to keep johnny on his heels... there is a huge difference between smoke and sonya.

Smoke also builds meter the whole match.

also, down 1 smoke away
 

WITNESS

Worlds Famous
sonya beats because her down 4 and armor make the footsie game impossible

smoke can hit and run and use the threat of smoke bomb to keep johnny on his heels... there is a huge difference between smoke and sonya.

Smoke also builds meter the whole match.
I can throw smoke bombs to keep everyone on their heels. Yes I do build meter by doing but thats not doing much if iam just gonna run away from you and wait till you mess up.
 
I can throw smoke bombs to keep everyone on their heels. Yes I do build meter by doing but thats not doing much if iam just gonna run away from you and wait till you mess up.
smoke away... i actually think more is less with smoke bombs.
 

Fractured_Shadow

Really likes to throw things at you.
@Peckapowa

The reason I put Cage vs Smoke at 6-4 is because Cage will eventually get Smoke into the corner. The properties on Smoke's EX-Port are too inconsistant to always use to escape, his EX-Shake is pokeable and 9% at worst, and God help him if you get a hard knockdown in the corner because his port glitch will just keep him there.

The match is really dependent on meter, chip, and life lead. All of which Cage does better at controling. While Smoke can run there is really nothing keeping the Cage away. If the Smoke is abusing Smoke bomb just deep jump kick that shit. D4? Crossover deep jk. Running to the corner? Let him.

Cage has an answer for everything.

As I have demonstrated offline and online vs @The_REAL_xVAPORx and @RiBBz22 Cage will get in and it will hurt.
 

zaf

professor
I have cage ermac at 5-5

Contrary to popular belief ermac is not actually zoning in this match up but more or less playing a mid range footsies game against cage.
His best tools are whiffed standing 2 ( TKP fake outs - this is used to get a reaction from the cage player and bait or punish something), grabs and IAFB. You are using these way more then using fireballs. TKP is a good whiff punish and is better used as that, then as a zoning pressure tool.

Ermac can use his d3 to make certain strings from cage whiff, as well as his f3 whiff. You can use this to get out of pressure rather then just d1 out. D1 is also another option out of pressure ( universal), but like it was mentioned earlier when this is the only option out it is not a good thing as it is a full combo punish on a counter poke set up.

So the way I see it. Cage has to get in, which is not always as simple as it is made out to be. Any whiffed normal trying to get in, is a full combo punish by Lift. Or a tkp to push him back out. Once in, it is hard for ermac to get cage off of him. So if cage gets in, he usually wins. If cage is not able to get in, ermac usually wins. Ermac gets wrecked in the corner as well. But bigger stages can help with that.

@Peckapowa
 
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RiBBz22

TYM's Confirmed Prophet/Time-Traveler
@Peckapowa

The reason I put Cage vs Smoke at 6-4 is because Cage will eventually get Smoke into the corner. The properties on Smoke's EX-Port are too inconsistant to always use to escape, his EX-Shake is pokeable and 9% at worst, and God help him if you get a hard knockdown in the corner because his port glitch will just keep him there.

The match is really dependent on meter, chip, and life lead. All of which Cage does better at controling. While Smoke can run there is really nothing keeping the Cage away. If the Smoke is abusing Smoke bomb just deep jump kick that shit. D4? Crossover deep jk. Running to the corner? Let him.

Cage has an answer for everything.

As I have demonstrated offline and online vs @The_REAL_xVAPORx and @RiBBz22 Cage will get in and it will hurt.
Yeah I think it is probably 6-4. Online obviously favors Cage even more, but in either case I would rather play as Cage in the MU as it is easier for me. I will have to free up your Cage sometime.
 

Fractured_Shadow

Really likes to throw things at you.
Yeah I think it is probably 6-4. Online obviously favors Cage even more, but in either case I would rather play as Cage in the MU as it is easier for me. I will have to free up your Cage sometime.
Well I'm totally over Destiny after the DLC botch and have been on MK9 pretty exclusivley and it will stay that way until the new Dragon Age, so hit me up any time you see me online. I really wanna run some Kenshi-Smoke and Kenshi-Sonya to get ready for AB.
 

RiBBz22

TYM's Confirmed Prophet/Time-Traveler
Well I'm totally over Destiny after the DLC botch and have been on MK9 pretty exclusivley and it will stay that way until the new Dragon Age, so hit me up any time you see me online. I really wanna run some Kenshi-Smoke and Kenshi-Sonya to get ready for AB.
I am back loving Destiny after getting Fatebringer/Hawkmoon/Found Verdict last night after the reset. Glory to RNGeezus. Yeah if I start getting back into MK again like I did when I got it on steam I would be down for sure.
 
I have cage ermac at 5-5

Contrary to popular belief ermac is not actually zoning in this match up but more or less playing a mid range footsies game against cage.
His best tools are whiffed standing 2 ( TKP fake outs - this is used to get a reaction from the cage player and bait or punish something), grabs and IAFB. You are using these way more then using fireballs. TKP is a good whiff punish and is better used as that, then as a zoning pressure tool.

Ermac can use his d3 to make certain strings from cage whiff, as well as his f3 whiff. You can use this to get out of pressure rather then just d1 out. D1 is also another option out of pressure ( universal), but like it was mentioned earlier when this is the only option out it is not a good thing as it is a full combo punish on a counter poke set up.

So the way I see it. Cage has to get in, which is not always as simple as it is made out to be. Any whiffed normal trying to get in, is a full combo punish by Lift. Or a tkp to push him back out. Once in, it is hard for ermac to get cage off of him. So if cage gets in, he usually wins. If cage is not able to get in, ermac usually wins. Ermac gets wrecked in the corner as well. But bigger stages can help with that.

@Peckapowa
I agree with the last part. If cage gets in he wins, if he doesn't, he doesn't win. But the thing is, it's easier for cage to get in than it is for ermac to keep him out in my experience.
 

coolwhip

Noob
Depends on what Lao you're playing.
No it doesn't. We're talking about the character match-up here, not player skills. Regardless, the best two Laos, PL and ForeverKing, both think Cage beats Lao so that answers your question. And since you're playing that card, show me a Kung Lao who would go even with Dizzy in his prime.
 
No it doesn't. We're talking about the character match-up here, not player skills. Regardless, the best two Laos, PL and ForeverKing, both think Cage beats Lao so that answers your question. And since you're playing that card, show me a Kung Lao who would go even with Dizzy in his prime.
Never played PL but yes when I played king when i use to play i felt it was 6-4 . Yeah, they might be the best lao players overall but i don't like the way they play against cage. I didn't play against foxy's lao that much but when I did it was a tougher fight. But I'm not even getting into that. Because that arguement will just go no where. It's not like we are going to agree so.
 

coolwhip

Noob
Never played PL but yes when I played king when i use to play i felt it was 6-4 . Yeah, they might be the best lao players overall but i don't like the way they play against cage. I didn't play against foxy's lao that much but when I did it was a tougher fight. But I'm not even getting into that. Because that arguement will just go no where. It's not like we are going to agree so.
You felt it was 6-4 in whose favor? I understand the whole Bird Lao thing but watch Dizzy vs King at UFGT last year and see how much Dizzy was actually punishing Lao's jk/dk with uppercuts. Bird Lao helps KL in the match-up a lot, as far as gaining space, but not enough to make it 5-5. I always enjoyed playing this match-up, even if it feels a losing one for Kung Lao. It's definitely manageable, and KL does have options against Cage's pressure, but the risk reward is not in Lao's favor. His pokes are slower so he has to either 21 out of pressure (which gets beaten by Cage's D3) or risk a spin, which when read, means 37% damage plus standing reset, more pressure, and chip damage.

Kung Lao can try to keep distance with low hats, F2, and 24 but ultimately, those alone are not going to win the match-up for him. Cage punishes Lao's tele hard too, so Kung Lao cannot go crazy in the match-up.
 

Fractured_Shadow

Really likes to throw things at you.
or risk a spin, which when read, means 37% damage plus standing reset, more pressure, and chip damage.
Lol wut? You got some tech you are hording?

Also in regards to the Bird Lao talk, Cage can snatch a crossover dive kick out of the air with d1 to covert into combo or of it was barley caught by the d1 then a F3~Nut punch at least