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MKII Tier List Discussion

1. Mileena *
2. Jax *
3. Liu
4. Kitana
5. Kung
6. Baraka
7. Cage
8. Shang Tsung
9. Scorpion
10. Raiden
11. Sub-Zero
12. Reptile


*Most people believe Mileena is N1 and Jax is N2 but my personal list is Jax #1, Mileena #2.
The sadness part is that i think Jax is the first one here but Shang Tsung can rape an Jax Player but he got to "Suffer" all the round to beat jax same against mileena.,..
 
Can Shang compete against the top tier? And can JC also?
Long answer? No. Why not? No.

Now granted, Shang can fight Jax but he has to outsmart (or chase down rather if hes just walking back with GP prepped at the start) Jax to get the range he wants to harrass him with jabs and JKs, but for JKs if anticipated, Jax can just SUJK/SUJP or just HK @ midrange.

HK. Just fucking throw it out there, throw it out there.
 
maybe because reptile's force ball is very slow to throw, and his acid spit does very low damage. i agree with reptile being the worst of the 3 "ninjas"
 
If you could play a character to its greatest potential, shouldn't Raiden be the best? If you had hairtrigger reflexes and could shock, double high punch, jump kick, and superman, it would take two attacks. They put him on the side of the machine for a reason.
 

Mikemetroid

Who hired this guy, WTF?
If you could play a character to its greatest potential, shouldn't Raiden be the best? If you had hairtrigger reflexes and could shock, double high punch, jump kick, and superman, it would take two attacks. They put him on the side of the machine for a reason.
Ya know sindel is on the side of MK3, definitely not the best ;)
 

mortal_jason

Kitana's Bodyguard
I made this MK2 Tier List a few weeks ago, and this seems like the appropriate place to post it. Hopefully it generates some discussion, and more importantly, gets people back playing MK2!
I think it's pretty easy to read- pick a fighter on the left, and match it up to another fighter from the top row to see how they fare vs each other. For instance, the first fighter on the left is Liu Kang. and the first fighter he matches up against from the top row is Kung Lao. Kang has a 3 vs Lao, because he has the advantage in that match.
mk2tierjpg.jpg
 

mortal_jason

Kitana's Bodyguard
there are a few match-ups that I went back and forth debating. they were:

Baraka vs Tsung - Tsung probably has an advantage here, but it's close so I gave it a 2
Baraka vs Scorpion - this should probably be a 2, they are pretty evenly matched I think
Scorpion vs Cage - should maybe be 3 for Scorpion
Mileena vs Sub-Zero - could be a 3 for Mileena instead of a 4, but I've only lost to 1 Sub-Zero this year- MIKECALDWELL 's. Subz's freeze keeps her from spamming, but she still owns him from everywhere. next to Reptile and Cage, I think it's the easiest match for Mileena

Kang has all the answers to Kitana especially with instant fireballs, if played well
no way is Kitana vs Sub-Zero/Scorpion a 4
if I play 10 matches of Kitana vs the best Scorpions, I do not win all 10
same vs Sub-Zero, Sub-Zero is tricky for her, she needs to get in close to win, but he can keep her away
also his slide and freeze keep her from using instant fans, a weapon she can use vs nearly every other fighter w success

an elite Jax vs an elite Baraka... Jax can demolish Baraka.

I doubt anyone plays this game more than I do at the moment, so while definitely open to other people's opinions/suggestions, I do feel I provide very good insight into every matchup in MK2. I learned some stuff by creating this tier list. I used to think Cage was #12, but it seems Reptile is slightly weaker. also, maybe I underrated him, but I would've put Tsung at the #4 spot before I made this chart. Caldwell and I were undecided on Kang's spot, thinking maybe he was even #1 if mastered. but I no longer have any doubts after comparing and contrasting him w the other fighters.

now everyone get your asses on og MK2 and play so we can test out this tier list!!
 
With enough matches and enough evidence, I feel Baraka should be placed higher than 11. Not many people try to play him but once you have a basic fundamental hold of the game then you'll be okay.
 

MKB

Forum General Emeritus
With enough matches and enough evidence, I feel Baraka should be placed higher than 11. Not many people try to play him but once you have a basic fundamental hold of the game then you'll be okay.
He's definitely not 11th. Baraka could be ranked anywhere from 8th to 10th. The players above him in the same range (Scorpion and Raiden) slightly edge him out.
 

MKB

Forum General Emeritus
He's sixth or seventh. Scorpion, Raiden, Sub-Zero, Cage, and Reptile are below him imo.
There's no way Baraka could be 6th (Shang.) I could see a case being made for passing Raiden or Scorpion, but their teleports and added safe moves (ie: superman) give them enough of an advantage to win the majority against Baraka.
 
Just because Raiden and Scorpion has teleports, doesn't mean it impacts the matchup for several characters. Because Scorpion vs Mileena is still a 4-6 for Scorpion and Raiden vs Kitana is still a (3-7)(?) for Kitana. Hell I've seen people play with Reptile, Sub-Zero, Cage and baraka and have owned those who picked up the teleporters just based surely on their overall techincal skill.
 
Just because Raiden and Scorpion has teleports, doesn't mean it impacts the matchup for several characters. Because Scorpion vs Mileena is still a 4-6 for Scorpion and Raiden vs Kitana is still a (3-7)(?) for Kitana. Hell I've seen people play with Reptile, Sub-Zero, Cage and baraka and have owned those who picked up the teleporters just based surely on their overall techincal skill.
Mileena loses to nobody overall. She beats Scorpion at least 6-4. Also, keep in mind that tier lists are based on the characters being played to their fullest potential.
 
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mortal_jason

Kitana's Bodyguard
Mileena beats Scorpion 8-2 at the worst, not 6-4.

Who said Baraka was 11th? Baraka is around 8. He is a good fighter. You just won't see many elite players using him.
 
Mileena beats Scorpion 8-2 at the worst, not 6-4.

Who said Baraka was 11th? Baraka is around 8. He is a good fighter. You just won't see many elite players using him.
Last time I seen a MK2 tier list was with Baraka at 11th and Reptile below him. How he went to 8 is BEYOND me.
 

mortal_jason

Kitana's Bodyguard
Last time I seen a MK2 tier list was with Baraka at 11th and Reptile below him. How he went to 8 is BEYOND me.
The tiers have changed over the years, especially with "instant moves" being possible on the ps3 controller.

Baraka is #8 because he:

- has an advantage over Reptile

-goes pretty even with Cage and Sub-Zero

- (and the biggest factor is) he does better against Mileena, Jax, Liu, Lao, Shang, and Raiden than Reptile, Sub, or Cage do

Reptile, Sub, and Cage have almost no prayer vs Top Tier, but Baraka has a much better shot at them.
His jump attacks and sweeps are arguably the best in the game, and his close-quarter combat is super good.

He is usually considered #8 above Scorpion because of how much trouble Scorpion has vs Top Tier. Though I'd definitely give Scorpion the edge in a match vs Baraka.
 
Reptile, Sub, and Cage have almost no prayer vs Top Tier, but Baraka has a much better shot at them.
His jump attacks and sweeps are arguably the best in the game, and his close-quarter combat is super good.
He definitely does better than Reptile, but it's arguable whether he does better than Cage or Subbie. In addition to the jump-ins, sweeps, and cqc you already said, Baraka also has an above average uppercut and awesome fucking roundhouse, but he also has the worst mobility options in the game in addition to being saddled with the worst projectile, no decent body attack, and a god-awful walk cycle.

To make matters worse, Baraka doesn't have any serious combos or opportunities for big damage when he can some work in on the upper-tiers. I mean, Subbie and Cage have a pretty hard time getting anything off against Liu/Jax/Mileena, but when they do, at least they can occasionally do some serious damage. Baraka really has to stay tight like glue and constantly apply pressure to have a chance against the top 3.

Food for thought, anyway. =o)
 

mortal_jason

Kitana's Bodyguard
He definitely does better than Reptile, but it's arguable whether he does better than Cage or Subbie. In addition to the jump-ins, sweeps, and cqc you already said, Baraka also has an above average uppercut and awesome fucking roundhouse, but he also has the worst mobility options in the game in addition to being saddled with the worst projectile, no decent body attack, and a god-awful walk cycle.

To make matters worse, Baraka doesn't have any serious combos or opportunities for big damage when he can some work in on the upper-tiers. I mean, Subbie and Cage have a pretty hard time getting anything off against Liu/Jax/Mileena, but when they do, at least they can occasionally do some serious damage. Baraka really has to stay tight like glue and constantly apply pressure to have a chance against the top 3.

Food for thought, anyway. =o)
Baraka has the fastest walk in MK2- he can chase down top tier very well. Cage's walk is slow, and the ninjas are average.
Mobility-wise, Baraka is only challenged because he doesn't have a teleport-type move. But he can often rely on his awesome jump attacks to safely get him closer to his opponent.

Sub-Zero may have better combos, but Baraka more than overcomes that with his ability to pressure up close.

You're right that Baraka has to stay tight like glue to beat top tier, but CQC is his strength anyway.
 
Baraka has the fastest walk in MK2- he can chase down top tier very well. Cage's walk is slow, and the ninjas are average.
Mobility-wise, Baraka is only challenged because he doesn't have a teleport-type move. But he can often rely on his awesome jump attacks to safely get him closer to his opponent.

Sub-Zero may have better combos, but Baraka more than overcomes that with his ability to pressure up close.

You're right that Baraka has to stay tight like glue to beat top tier, but CQC is his strength anyway.
It's not the speed of the walk that matters; everybody walks forward much faster than anyone else can backpeddle in the game. The difference, and you'll also feel this if you play with Shang a lot, is that Baraka's walk frame takes forever, so you're vulnerable while you're walking forward or backward. With Cage this is less of an issue since his walk cycle is better and with the male ninjas it's no problem at all; they take baby steps and can cancel their walk cycle at will. In other words, a Sub-Zero player can walk forward at you and, should you try to take advantage by jumping in, he can cancel that walk cycle with an aaRH. If Baraka walks forward at you and you jump in on him, the Baraka player has little opportunity other than to hope his BL cancels his walk cycle quickly enough to avoid the damage.

Mobility wise Baraka is limited four ways; first is walk cycle. Second is lack of a teleport move. Third is the lack of a decent body attack. Fourth is the lack of any air moves or air projectiles. Additionally, while his jump ins are the best in the game, the only top tier that struggles against it is Jax (tough to aaHK a Baraka JK). Liu and Mileena players can easily snuff his jump ins with well timed uppercuts.

Baraka's normals are awesome, the best in the game I'd have to say. The lack of good specials and the awful mobility, however, neuter him in my opinion.
 
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Not true. There is a way to mitigate that risk.


Baraka dominates Sub-Zero as does every other character in the game. Cage is a bad match up for Baraka, but that's character specific. Baraka vs Scorpion is a 5/5 matchup.
Vs. top tier, not head to head. I'd also pick Baraka in a head to head matchup over Subbie and Cage. We aren't talking head to head, though.



The only thing he lacks is the "Tatsumaki" move or the teleport move like you said. Every other character in the game has one, but not Baraka. Meaning, he has no move that advances him horizontally or diagonally.
In case it wasn't clear, this is what I meant by body attack. This greatly limits his mobility. Personally, I think he'd be a very easy character to fix, but as it stands he's extremely limited.