Strategy - Kitana Kitana General Discussion/Strategies

[Dirty Justice]

Spent some time in the lab today and came up with this. Full screen confirms?

EDIT: Apparently earlier in the thread, full screen confirms were already known about! Although I can't seem to get the air fan, runxxF4,3 as consistently as air fan, run xx 1xx gFan. It is more damage with the runxxF4,3 though.

 

[Shiizu]

The more I play mournful, the more it actually feels like the best variation. You can still do 25 - 30% meterless easy combos from it. And her glaive projectile is a mid that is only -3 on block, so you can cancel blocked strings into it to make them safe. There's no way to keep her block strings safe in her other variations as far as I know.

I don't know if it's just me but her glaive seems to whiff against crouchers up close. Is this a bug?

 

[OldSchool973]

I am also playing the Royal Storm Variation at the moment, it seems to have all the tools I need to be succesful. I have not tried the other variations yet, but soon I will. What characters have any of you Kitana players struggled with online so far?

 

[Konqrr]

I am also playing the Royal Storm Variation at the moment, it seems to have all the tools I need to be succesful. I have not tried the other variations yet, but soon I will. What characters have any of you Kitana players struggled with online so far?

I struggle against Sub-Zero and Goro right now... not played too many matches yet though. Most of my time right now is in training mode.

I am seriously considering using Assassin unless I need the ranged Fan Lift of RS because of how @Riyo played here:

 

[Riyo]

I am seriously considering using Assassin unless I need the ranged Fan Lift of RS because of how @Riyo played here:

lol at the first comment calling me a terrible Kitana.

Anyways, I recently started to play Assassin more because of db3. Sometimes I would misjudge the range of bf3 and get blown up for it.

Didn't even know this video existed. I really want to see where I went wrong in my matches.

 

[Laos_boy]

Shadow kick is my favorite move right now. Unless I'm fighting kung Lao. That match is the struggle. I'm getting used to mournful. I still think it's hit or miss.

 

[RunwayMafia]

I've been saying this... but nobody believes me! I love RS though, so I will never give it up lol

I love that Mournful is turning out to be her better variation simply because so many Kitana players (Jimmy potato, lol you know I love you) would suggest it sucked merely because it was affiliated with Jade. That line of thinking is so stupid.

I win way more matches playing lame with mournful than the other two. When I sense trying to move in or jump my glaives...bam shadow kick.

 

[Shords]

The more I play mournful, the more it actually feels like the best variation. You can still do 25 - 30% meterless easy combos from it. And her glaive projectile is a mid that is only -3 on block, so you can cancel blocked strings into it to make them safe. There's no way to keep her block strings safe in her other variations as far as I know.

That's my reasoning for using mournful over the other two variations at the moment.

 

[Konqrr]

Kitana has the same "bug" that Liu Kang has in this video:

Her landing recovery frames are gone if the ground fan hits from more than 1/2 screen away and you do an iAF afterwards. Too bad she's not like Liu Kang and can't run up for a free combo on hit ;_;

 

[Laos_boy]

@Konqrr I'm sad ij2 is mid not overhead... I didn't know.

 

[Konqrr]

@Konqrr I'm sad ij2 is mid not overhead... I didn't know.

All jumping attacks are mid on the way up. Even NJP/NJK are mid if you do them too soon after a float. You have to wait a bit for them to be overheads.

 

[Ardul]

And her glaive projectile is a mid that is only -3 on block, so you can cancel blocked strings into it to make them safe. There's no way to keep her block strings safe in her other variations as far as I know.

??? With Assassin, 111~GF and f111~GF are safe on block. Tested with Mileena's bd4 (6f launcher). f22u4 is not punishable 100% with her variations. In Assassin, AF on hit is at least 17% combo (AF, db3) or 31% depending where. And db3 ender let you in really nice position (and frames adv) to set up. Higher dmg in combos too.

 

[JDE]

d,b+2 EX is decent because it can anti-air if you think they might be jumping in as their knockdown pressure. Throat Slice is probably the best bet though. EX Assassin Strike for the best damage.

Does she combo after db2 EX? Because a lot of the Ex's off of her knockdowns also stops EX wake up attacks.

 

[DarksydeDash]

Mournful is so much fun but I have to ask, why would they make shadow kick duckable? :'(

 

[Madog32]

Mournful is so much fun but I have to ask, why would they make shadow kick duckable? :'(

otherwise, it just wouldnt be a Jade move...

:-P

 

[16 Bit]

No

 

[DarksydeDash]

otherwise, it just wouldnt be a Jade move...

:-P

B-but its -8...

 

[OldSchool973]

I struggle against Sub-Zero and Goro right now... not played too many matches yet though. Most of my time right now is in training mode.

I am seriously considering using Assassin unless I need the ranged Fan Lift of RS because of how @Riyo played here:

I have not played much online myself yet, mostly practice mode. Last night I did jump online and had success, the only thing that was causing a bit of trouble was the lag. Very difficulty to find people with good connections. I have Verizion Fios direct connection no WiFi nonsense, but I am sure many people are going online with lackluster connections. I would have to believe that NRS dropped the ball again with the online play.

 

[JDE]

Has anyone began exploring Kitana tech other than her unbreakable situations? Like explore tech on knockdowns?

 

[Jimmypotato]

I love that Mournful is turning out to be her better variation simply because so many Kitana players (Jimmy potato, lol you know I love you) would suggest it sucked merely because it was affiliated with Jade. That line of thinking is so stupid.

I win way more matches playing lame with mournful than the other two. When I sense trying to move in or jump my glaives...bam shadow kick.

lol, no I don't like it because I lose air fan combos and she has no variation specific strings that incorperate the staff.

The shadow Kick hits high,

The one "good" thing I guess is that glaves can't be ducked.

If she had gotten the staff slam move and Jades U2, that would also be something, I just don't think the varation is worth playing when you have RS or Assassin available.

Also, even though glave is "-3" on block, doing it to end strings can be blown up by armor reversals before the glave even comes out.

Edit: 111~Glave can't be interupted, so theres that lol
212~Glave as well,

Another thing I just found after another 5 mins in practice mode, EX glave doesn't always seem to return if you do it right after a normal glave hits when you throwing them from full screen. mmmm just got this to happen at mid screen too, wierd,

 

[xWildx]

So I was tinkering around in practice mode today and discovered this:

Now, this is obviously a very shallow example, but there's a lot of depth here as far as oki setups go. Ending combos with F43 flips them back over Kitana's head one final time and puts them in the perfect position to be crossed up on wakeup. If you read the wakeup you can hesitate your descent with her float and punish with a njP. Even better, this dodges all advancing specials giving Kitana her space back, and if the opponent tech rolls you can still catch them but you have to be more wary of the following wakeup. Once they respect your options go right into blockstring pressure with B14 shenanigans or whatever pleases you.

Sorry if people are already doing this, but I didn't see it anywhere. Play around with it and let me know what you guys think. Happy fan tossing!

@RunwayMafia
@Eldriken
@xKhaoTik
@Laos_boy
@DarksydeDash
@Jimmypotato
@GGA 16 Bit
@Konqrr

 

[Jimmypotato]

The more I play mournful, the more it actually feels like the best variation. You can still do 25 - 30% meterless easy combos from it. And her glaive projectile is a mid that is only -3 on block, so you can cancel blocked strings into it to make them safe. There's no way to keep her block strings safe in her other variations as far as I know.

The only 2 strings that can be made safe by this are 111 and 212, everything else into glave can be blown up by armor reversal.

 

[Xero_18]

It's good when you use it in f334 strings and your opponent likes to duck as it'll send them flying to let you play neutral again

 

[Jimmypotato]

d1 on hit gives you a free instant j2. So far, the only seemingly guaranteed blockstring after is f22 which you can hit confirm. Instant j2 is sort of like f22u4 and the meta surrounding it. You can d1, ij2, throw (duckable) or d1, ij2~f22 or d1~ij2~d4~fan (-10). The problem is that most blockstrings after the ij2 from the range after a d1 hits can be ducked by the opponent and countered with armor or their own d1. It is tricky and something to add to your arsenal.

You can also get ij2 from a d4 on hit, but not at max range and you have to walk forward to get it. The move is +20 by itself so maybe just doing f22 straight away is better than risking a ij2?

Test it out and see for yourselves.

Let me know if you find any issues with these two:
j2 (hit), ij2~f112~xray blockstring (18.5%) **I know, why would you give up an opportunity of a combo if j2 hits... it's the idea of getting huge block damage that is key from this video.

d1~ij2~f22~xray blockstring (13.5%) **from what I can tell, unavoidable. Can you armor before the f2 connects?

Only one I could not armor was 212, you can armor before the F2 connects, they would have to be on point though, the ij2 happens fast.

 

[learis1]

Meh, really liked Kitana but she definitely feels weak to me Just no real mixups to open ppl up. Doesn't matter how high your damage is if you can't open ppl up. If I was to change one thing about her, I would make her overhead a ground bounce that allows for combos. I think that would be enough to make her viable.