OFIDYAN
F3
Featuring some of your favorite players! WoundCowboy, Alucard, Michaelangelo, Forever King, Perfect Legend, Jop, BoiToi, Digit, Perm, JagoBlake, and more!
I've been doing my best to try and learn some matchup's for MKX. I'm far from perfect when it comes to playing them, but I'm trying to learn just like everyone else. With this thread I hope we can figure some things out as a Reptile community. What characters you can throw Forceballs on, what characters you have to rushdown only, how to punish certain things, make reads on situations etc. Hopefully get into the deep thought process of how to approach each character in the game. This will be a living thread I'll continue to edit.
I've been doing my best to try and learn some matchup's for MKX. I'm far from perfect when it comes to playing them, but I'm trying to learn just like everyone else. With this thread I hope we can figure some things out as a Reptile community. What characters you can throw Forceballs on, what characters you have to rushdown only, how to punish certain things, make reads on situations etc. Hopefully get into the deep thought process of how to approach each character in the game. This will be a living thread I'll continue to edit.
From the feel of this one Reptile can definitely zone a bit against Kotal. After Alucard and I played this matchup rather extensively, he said he feels like this might be in Reptile's favor overall. Reptile also has great punishes for War God, like Reptilian Dash for example. Kotal Kahn can't really full combo punish Klaw, so you can throw it out a bit more often if you're feeling like they may poke or start a string.
This is a matchup you definitely don't want to throw too many projectiles from full screen, you most likely wont win the zoning war against any variation. Staying on Quan is the general strategy of course, but with Reptile's mediocre pressure it will be difficult. Be sure to adjust your combos for Sorcerer Quan Chi because you don't want to bring him back into his armor circle if you do actually happen to hit him out of it. Basically against all variations you just have to keep being aggressive and mix him up repetitively.. just hope he doesn't hit you.
Most likely fighting against Raiden you will be facing the Thunder God variation, even though Digit has started to branch out and look at the advantages for certain matchups using the other variations, Thunder God will often be the pick for Reptile. There aren't really many holes in the play-style of a good Raiden, this is a character I believe can still win more majors. Watch for the Overhead! You can full combo punish it with 34~Noxious combos if they happen to mess up the OS which they will sometimes I promise! Also don't throw too many forceballs on a Raiden that knows the matchup. They will Superman through them and then kill you in the corner. I'm still trying to tell myself to stop doing it, but punishing a Superman read just feels so good.
Wound told me he feels like Boneshaper is probably best for Reptile. He said he doesn't like how Impostor steals such a terrible move aka forceball. This matchup is going to be tough, of course he can out zone Reptile, but a few well placed EX slides can go a long way. Hope you block the low scoop and you can full combo punish. I don't know much on this one yet. We didn't have much time to play it.
Toi Bridges is by far one of the best Jax player's I've ever fought and he also happens to be my training partner. The thing with Jax is you want to test his offensive with d3 pretty regularly because most likely the first hit is always a High, but it happens so fast. Jax's thing is he is medium/high risk, but always gets a very decent reward. You may see a lot of 123 (High, Mid, Low) or 12 cancelled into his 5 frame Overhead special move. There are plenty of other pressure options of course, but just be ready to do things after "The Briggs" if they aren't canceling into other specails, and don't be afraid to throw out a few EX Klaws after his plus frames.
Kung Lao is a solid Top Tier character, it feels like he always has been. He is beatable, but it is very difficult. You must watch for reckless spins and punish. Under pressure from Tempest attempt EX Klaws for the plus hat, and sometimes even do it after the plus hat. They may throw a high after being plus on hat and you can d3 if you want to take that risk, but sometimes just respect his pressure. Do not let Kung Lao's jump in on you for free, that is the main reason you'll be using your meter in this matchup.. EX Klaw. I still have much to learn for this one, but its a work in progress for sure.
This one is just kind of in here for fun. I don't have a whole lot of matchup exp in the mirror, and we didn't get much recorded. One thing that is entertaining to talk about is which variation does best? Noxious? Nimble? Deceptive? What sucks is all that mainly changes is offense, and not much for defense. Paulo might need to finish whatever they were trying to do with Reptile's variations in my opinion, but thats none of my business. Hope you enjoy dd3 and EX dd3 for your differences bois.
Johnny isn't huge on mixups, but beware! Jop and Mike will low poke you to death if you only block standing. This is a character heavily based on spacing and frame traps so yes EX Klaw is there to save the day, but you still have to use it sparingly. Don't use it so much to the point it becomes expected and then blocked! Watch for the low kick after the first two punches. Still much to learn in this one as well.
You get zoned, don't be too hard headed. Try not to jump often obviously because of incoming fans. EX Slide is a friend. I have much to learn on this one for sure. I don't see Kitana often, but when I visit Florida next time I'm gonna try to get some matches in with my boy @Kitana Prime, he'll show me everything I need to know I'm sure! 
ShutUpAndBrawl's very own and fellow teammate @SUNB Perm has been showing me the ways of Kung Jin. He's a very solid character in all variations which I've seen from YOMI | Slayer as well. Mainly I fight against Ancestral, because Bojutsu has a lot of things Reptile can punish rather easily. You can't let Kung Jin jump too much on you so use EX Klaw when you can, but beware his ability to jump in attack and then immediately EX Dive Kick for the armor to open you up after Klaw hits his armor. His njp's are easy to punish/trip guard with Reptile's f2 if you play the proper spacing. Be very careful throwing projectiles, but absolutely don't test him if he has the blue arrow loaded, you will end up in an awful trade.
By far one of Reptile's hardest matchups. A good Sub-Zero will starve you from getting any meter, and of course Reptile needs his bars so it is going to be hard to put them to good use. EX Slide is okay, but it knocks the opponent away and then they can create another ice clone. You can not make trades once ice clone is securely out, you do not want to get frozen by an ice ball and then carried to the corner. Your best bet is to make reads on when they will clone in neutral and then use Acid Spit to take it down. If you happen to block the overhead (b2) from Sub-Zero I recommend EX Reptilian Dash if you have the bar, or at least do regular. You can punish his overhead with f4 from certain distances, but good Sub-Zero's will do it from max range making Reptilian Dash much more reliable. Stay on him, respect his wakeups, and do what ever you can to stay out of the corner!
Last edited:
