Guide - Cryomancer Sub-Zero CRYOMANCER Guide

[Biohazard]

ohhh so i have it then lol. didnt realize pallette swap silly me.

ok on topic here im unsure if i want to maek a seperate thread for this. But im really trying to breakdown options. what are my options given a certain situation basically that cryomancer does. lets start with the most obvious and probably the most common. options after a f+4,2,grab.

it restands them and leaves you at neutral. there are exactly 3 things i can see you doing immediatly.

B+1,2 combo. This has the reach to connect and is 10 frames on the B+1. 1,1 is faster but wont connect. so this is our best option if we think we can beat them to it and continue a combo. in wich case i can see B+1,2>ice ball>B+2>run up>F+4,2,grab being the best option without meter.

D+4 it has 8 frames and has the reach to connect, D+3 whiffs that this range. this is good footsies and trains them to block low. if you effectively train them to blow low you can...

B+2...16 frames slow...so slow. risky. but if you think you trained them to block low. leads to a free 31% combo B+2>F+4,2,grab you could also do...

EX hammer...24 frames (or 27 cant remember) so hella slow. however it also has armor. and can lead to something like EXhammer>B+2>F+4,2,grab for 33%

Slide-8 frames. so another option but that puts them into knockdown not sure if you want that.

other then that you can back dash, NJP, cross jump (maybe) or block.. now lets examine some closer

D+4 This moves leaves you with -5 on block, +17 on hit (assuming my frame data is accurate) but also pushes them away. So what are our options once we have pushed them away? if they block it you better block back or prepare to be punished probably.

Honestly on the restand I always pressure low, it trains them to block low when you get the corner push, and in the corner if they block low you have a 40% combo cooking in the oven. It comes down to the player. If you have the bar, F4 2 xx ex hammer. you can hit confirm it that way and if they do block you are still safe from the push.

 

[NRF CharlieMurphy]

cryomancer has 40% no run combo midscreen

that in itself makes me happy.

 

[Absinthesize]

Honestly on the restand I always pressure low, it trains them to block low when you get the corner push, and in the corner if they block low you have a 40% combo cooking in the oven. It comes down to the player. If you have the bar, F4 2 xx ex hammer. you can hit confirm it that way and if they do block you are still safe from the push.

thats 11 frames so i guess thats doable too. i will have to find time to find what characters can attack faster at that range.

 

[Lokheit]

cryomancer has 40% no run combo midscreen

that in itself makes me happy.

Which one? I think I know about 2 but both of them require running (including a run and then b1,2 which can be challenging). Is it 40% only with a starting jump in punch?

 

[Absinthesize]

Which one? I think I know about 2 but both of them require running (including a run and then b1,2 which can be challenging). Is it 40% only with a starting jump in punch?

i know one for a bar of meter. i have it listed in my easy online combos thread for cryomancer. 41% no jump in.

 

[NRF CharlieMurphy]

Which one? I think I know about 2 but both of them require running (including a run and then b1,2 which can be challenging). Is it 40% only with a starting jump in punch?

b12 ~ exHammer *step forward* b2, f42 3+4

 

[Absinthesize]

b12 ~ exHammer *step forward* b2, f42 3+4

you do have to "run up" in between the B+2 and hte F+4,2,grab but ya thats one.

 

[NRF CharlieMurphy]

you do have to "run up" in between the B+2 and hte F+4,2,grab but ya thats one.

no you don't
just take a slight step forward

either you'll stay same side, and the f42 connects with no run

or the b2 will cause the bounce on the OTHER side and you'll be right next to them for the f24

 

[Absinthesize]

no you don't
just take a slight step forward

either you'll stay same side, and the f42 connects with no run

or the b2 will cause the bounce on the OTHER side and you'll be right next to them for the f24

if you delay your B+2 long enough you dont have to bother with that accidental switch and can always do the command grab line...but again, requires a slight run. i havent been able to do it with just moving forward.

 

[NRF CharlieMurphy]

if you delay your B+2 long enough you dont have to bother with that accidental switch and can always do the command grab line...but again, requires a slight run. i havent been able to do it with just moving forward.

i'll record it if you need me to

as long as you just do a slight step forward you don't have to run cancel at all.
and sometimes i want to switch the side... primarily on a good punish with my back to the corner.

 

[TheIrishFGCguy]

Just tried it, definitely doesn't require a run. Just inch forward very slightly after the hammer.

 

[Absinthesize]

Just tried it, definitely doesn't require a run. Just inch forward very slightly after the hammer.

no i mean run forward after the B+2 not the hammer. maybe im not getting something, when i do it i have to run forward after the B+2

 

[TheIrishFGCguy]

no i mean run forward after the B+2 not the hammer. maybe im not getting something, when i do it i have to run forward after the B+2

Oh, my bad. I think it has to do with the timing of the B2, because the first few times I tried it they were being knocked too far for me to connect the F4,2,1+3. If you land the B2 at just the right time after you inch forward then they bounce nicely in front of you so that you can easily land the string without running because the F4 is in range. Keep practicing, it's pretty easy when you finally get it.

 

[Qwark28]

EX Ice hammer is safe vs Buzzsaw ex spin

 

[SecretAgent226]

Here is a 32% meterless combo.

 

[Absinthesize]

Here is a 32% meterless combo.

imo cryomancer dont need iceball to do combos, lowers his damage too much and is really unsafe on block so you have better options. you can get as much or more damage with a simpler JIP>B+2>run up>F+4,2,grab

 

[Lokheit]

It's not really like running makes it so hard, at first yeah but now I've made it B+2 and Run something instintive, I think I miss more times when I try to not run because I'm doing something different (and in the corner it has helped me in some cases even if you don't need the run, as the timming for the run makes B2B2F4213 easier to mentally synchronize).

I keep practicing hard with Cryo and totally mained it, still don't think it is on the same level than the other 2, but is good for casual fights and against the IA as things end fast.

A side effect of this variation is that now when I ser combo videos of other characters doing less than 30% on open field situations I'm like "lol I'm not even getting out of bed for that crappy damage".

 

[Durango]

My findings, summed up by both personal experience and what I've read in this thread.

B33 and F33 will *not* chain into Ice Ball midscreen. Only works in a corner.
Best corner combos:
-B12, EX Hammer, NJP, B2, F421+3 (meter)
-B12, Ice Ball, JIP, B2, F421+3 (meterless)
Slide recovers superfast now and is hard to punish.
F42 is hard to punish even if someone jumps over it. It gives Sub-Zero enough distance to avoid punishments. Adding 1+3 to the end of that will likely get you completely punished.
Best ways to follow-up F421+3:
-B2
-D4
-B3
-Low Block
-Standing Block
-B12
-D2 (Uppercut)
-Maybe even Slide since it's not as easy to punish.

Summing up notes mainly for personal reference, but hopefully this will help other players as well.

 

[Absinthesize]

My findings, summed up by both personal experience and what I've read in this thread.

B33 and F33 will *not* chain into Ice Ball midscreen. Only works in a corner.

i dont know about F33 but B33 works on females midscreen for some reason

Best corner combos:
-B12, EX Hammer, NJP, B2, F421+3 (meter)
-B12, Ice Ball, JIP, B2, F421+3 (meterless)

best is kinda subjective, those hit mid in the corner, easy to block.

overhead B+2>B+2>F+4,2,grab 37% no meter, 38% with jump in

or B+3,3>iceball>B+2>B+2>F+4,2,grab i think is 33-35%[/quote]

Slide recovers superfast now and is hard to punish.

i think this is somewhat due to two things. online latency and the game being new, expect to get punished a lot easier in the future.

F42 is hard to punish even if someone jumps over it. It gives Sub-Zero enough distance to avoid punishments. Adding 1+3 to the end of that will likely get you completely punished.
Best ways to follow-up F421+3:
-B2
-D4
-B3
-Low Block
-Standing Block
-B12
-D2 (Uppercut)
-Maybe even Slide since it's not as easy to punish.

B+2 is slow but if you train them to block low with D4 and slide it does wonders
D+4 and slide are probably the two safest outside of blocking
uppercut imo is bad because you cant combo off of it and a whiff/block is gonna hurt like hell.
B+1,2 is your fastest comboable option but will get punished on block
b3 in my experience doesnt connect from that distance
dont forget ex hammer as it has armor

Summing up notes mainly for personal reference, but hopefully this will help other players as well.

thought id help out ^^

 

[Qwark28]

Slide will not get punished, even offline unless you're 100% expecting it. 12 recovery frames is insanely fast to the point where I'd use it from ranges people don't expect it to hit simply as a movement special.

 

[Killyox]

Unfortunately many combos are a nightmare to perform in online play which is... well, not so good. So I myself will probably stick to 1-2% less dmging combos but easier to time/perform. Finally got B2,run in,F4,2,1+3 felt. Now trying to feel b2 into b2 (can tell proper timing by enemy's groans)

Sub is like one of the best chars to pick-up if for Tom's guides alone since new player like me can learn a ton of stuff.

 

[TheJaquio]

I wish more people were labbing cryomancer; there are only 3 or 4 of us that give a damn it seems.

On that note, I noticed that off of ex hammer, if you walk forward the right distance and b2 then your opponent ground bounces behind you but stays right next to you. Unfortunately, due to scaling and gravity, I couldn't find anything new and exciting about it other than a new 2 bar combo:

b12xxEXHammer, walk forward, b2, b12xxEXHammer, f421+3 (46%)

It works with other starters too, but is easiest off of b12 because of how close you are for EX Hammer. Unfortunately, the gravity is so high after the b2 that I couldn't make any new 1 bar combos work.

 

[Durango]

I feel it's imperative at this point to sort out the most useful and practical combos now. There are some that seem they could chain longer for more damage, but I don't feel they're practical because they're much easier to drop. This can cost you a match no matter how much you practice, and I'll sooner lose the 3% damage than risk my opponent slipping out for a kill.

For example, the corner combo. B12, Freeze, JIP, B12, EX Hammer...

You can either choose to jump at this point or use B2. Use B2. If you do NJP, the opponent won't juggle as high at the end. Even if you know the timing, it's much more likely for them to fall out and counterattack you. The additional few percents of damage aren't worth the gamble.

After spending a little more time in the lab, I filtered out the most important combos. None of them require NJP, and Ice Ball should only be used for meterless combos only. Unlike MK9, NJP only hampers your combo, while Ice Ball is no longer required for potent strings. In addition, if you're one of those people (like me) who mess up on hit-confirms and go full-combo on someone who's blocking, you'll be MUCH better off either using EX Hammer or stopping your combo mid attack. B12 and B33 are safe against many attacks on block.

---------------

All damage numbers are without JIP.

Meterless Midscreen:

B12 Ice Ball, JIP, B2, Run F421+3 (32%)
B2, Run F421+3 (31%)

Meter Midscreen:

B12 EX Hammer, B2, Run F421+3 (39%)
B33 EX Hammer, B2, Run F421+3 (35%)
EX Hammer, B2, Run F421+3 (33%)

Meterless Corner:

B2 B2 F421+3 (37%)
B12 Ice Ball, JIP B2 B2 F421+3 (37%) - 32% on one B2.
B33 Ice Ball, JIP B2 B2 F421+3 (33%) - 30% on one B2.

Added the one B2s since I know it's a risky combo and if you're about to close a match, no point in taking that chance when you've already got them.

Meter Corner:

B12 EX Hammer, B2, F421+3 (39%)
B33 EX Hammer, B2, F421+3 (35%)
EX Hammer, B2, F421+3 (33%)

Naturally, the EX Hammer combos are situational, such as going out of Cold Blooded (F421+3) and looking for an overhead option that has armor. If you manage to combo out of it, you can end up with doing ~70% damage to an enemy in a single round.

-------------

The other thing I'm looking to address is the moment you either hit someone with Ice Ball - standing or aerial - or when you hit someone out of the air with NJP.

Frozen Enemy (Standing):

JIP B2 Run F421+3 (24%) - Meterless
JIP B12 EX Hammer B2 F421+3 (30%) - Meter

Frozen Enemy (Air):

B2 Run F421+3 (23%)

Not surprisingly, NJP into B2 won't run you into Cold Blooded. If someone knows more reliable aerial combos for a frozen opponent, do let me know.

Aerial Opponent:

NJP B2 F421+3 (32%)

Remember two things:

1) Ice Ball is only used to link meterless combos. Don't bother using it unless you're using it as a projectile.
2) NJP will not help you the way it did in MK9. The juggles are harder to execute to the point that it's impractical to use on a reliable combo, and any damage that it could add isn't worth it.

Amidst FURTHER testing online against a very tough Kung Jin user, I've learned a few things:

1) B2 is a wonderful "full-combo" punisher from afar. Sub-Zero lacked this in MK9.
2) While B12 is great as a normal combo starter, B33 is what opens opponents up. JIP B33 or JIP B2.
3) B4 (Sweep) is a good option after Cold Blooded.
4) Sub-Zero is again a beast in the corner since B33 combos into Ice Ball on males.
5) B33 into EX Hammer is your best starter against a tough opponent who guards against your B12 starter.

 

[liamthing]

I can not for the life of me do the njp after f1,2,2. This is making me so salty, I have no idea what I'm doing wrong. Whyyy

 

[Durango]

I can not for the life of me do the njp after f1,2,2. This is making me so salty, I have no idea what I'm doing wrong. Whyyy

As I said, best not to bother with it if it's not reliable or practical. Dropping that can cost you a match even more than simply not doing the combo for the additional 3% damage.