How to Defeat Any Character

[Deleted member 5032]

(If you want to see what I have planned for every character please see my Kano post. This is what all character posts will be like as soon as I get the appropriate information and experience.)

This thread lists information on a character-by-character basis. It lists each character's strengths and weaknesses as well as ways to exploit them. This guide will not make you the ultimate MK9 player by any means, but it will serve to educate you on tactics that you can use to greatly enhance your overall game. These are general strategies not specific to use by any one character. This was originally going to be a Kano-specific guide, but by posting slightly more generic strategies and information it can be utilized by any character in the game. It's almost more of a "How to Defend Against Any Character" guide, but if a character can't effectively use his or her tools to fight you then the match is already lost.

On a side note, I am strictly a Kano player, and I have never played as many of the MK9 characters. All of my information comes from fights that I have had with these characters and information posted on Shoryuken, the 5-star rated MK9 Miniguide for iphone, and these forums. As such, some of these tactics and information are theoretical and based solely on posted information. I'll be sure to post (below the character name) when I am drawing these strategies purely from posted information and not actual gameplay scenarios. If you see anything that you think to be incorrect, or if you know better strategies than the ones I have listed, please post your thoughts and findings. Thank you. On that note, make sure to read the posts submitted by readers. As already stated several times, the Baraka info is not completely accurate and some people disagree with a few of the other strategies. This was completely expected (as without my 360 currently this is all theoretical) and the influx of information is only going to serve to strengthen the effectiveness of this guide. You should also see those (and all) character posts updated shortly.

DLC Characters appear at the end of the guide in the order in which they were released.

I'm going to go ahead and get the skeletal info on each character posted and I will go back in and add many more details. The current info is admittedly a little generic but you've gotta start somewhere. I plan on adding frame data and info on every special and notable normals.

MK9 Strategy 101

The strategies listed in the posts below are character-specific. However, there are some very good foundation skills that you need to master because these will apply to almost every fight you experience during your time with MK9. They are as follows:

Wavedashing

Your character is most vulnerable while airborne, plain and simple. You can't block and you're stuck in a set trajectory just waiting to get picked off by your opponent. Some characters have good reason to be airborne because of certain attacks they possess, but unless you are specifically taking advantage of air superiority your feet should be planted firmly on the ground. So if you can't just jump around randomly, how are you supposed to get around? The answer is Wavedashing. Wavedashing is simply "dash, block, dash, block" repeated very rapidly. This allows your character to scoot across the floor in a defensive stance. Rather than floating through the sky like a balloon you are rolling towards your opponent like a tank. I really can't stress this enough: keep your feet on the ground.
*The exceptions to the "feet on the ground" rule would be Kung Lao, Cyber Sub-Zero, and Sonya's Dive Kicks, which control the air very well. Kano's Air Ball is in the same category. Kitana, Mileena, and Kabal can control the air from afar with their projectiles. But again, unless you have a specific reason for being airborne plant yourself on the ground.

Wavedash Baiting

Now that you've got the basics of Wavedashing down let's add another useful application of the skill: Wavedash Baiting. Typically you are wavedashing to get around the playing field. Wavedash Baiting involves wavedashing specifically to bait out and punish an attack from your opponent. Smoke's Teleport, for instance, is an easily abused move that is fast enough to punish most actions in the game. However, the great thing about Wavedash Baiting is that the more powerful and abusable a move is, the easier it is to bait out and punish. You simply dash forward and block like you are starting up a wavedash, but hold off for a sec on the 2nd dash. The objective is to trick your opponent into committing themselves to a move that now has no chance of success. This works wonders on wakeup. Again, the better the move the easier it is to bait. Kung Lao, Nightwolf, and Johnny Cage all have fantastic wakeup games that can be punished severely with Wavedash Baiting. In the case of wakeup, you want it to look like you are dashing in to mount an offensive, only to block a few frames before they bust out their wakeup.

To Jump or Not to Jump

In Mortal Kombat you will never be more vulnerable that you are while airborne. Unless you have a specific reason for taking to the skies your feet should be planted firmly on the ground. Random jumps will lose you the match. Some characters are good at controlling air space and when playing those characters that might be a viable strategy and warrant prolonged hangtime. But even with those characters, sloppy use of these tactics can net severe punishment opportunities from their opponents. Jumping as a means of covering ground is always a bad idea. It might feel awkward at first but wavedashing is a much more effective maneuver for closing in on your opponent. There will be times when you are forced to jump, such as when avoiding Cyrax's Bombs. Many attacks like that aren't actually meant to hit you but are meant to force you to jump. That alone should tell you what a horrible idea it is to jump during a match.

 

[Deleted member 5032]

Baraka
(based on info provided by TheChad_87)

A competent Baraka is NOT going to make the first move. He’s going to try and force you into making mistakes and then he’s going to punish you for it. Keep this in mind. If he tries to rush you down, chances are you’re either (a) better at rushdown than him or (b) a character with a teleport/pseudo-teleport and better zoning skills. If you’re (a), then show the tarkatan what rushdown is all about and apply more pressure. Just be mindful of Chop Chop as it can be chained into Blade Charge or even X-Ray. If you’re (b), then get outta there and zone him out, his projectile is one of the worst in the game. With fairly standard damage (8%) and horrible cooldown, he’s not likely to win any zoning wars any time soon.
Be aware that his counter game is fierce. If you whiff a combo starter, you will pay for it with around 30% of your life total (without X-Ray). Never jump in on him. His blade spin is quick to start-up and will punish any jump-ins; but, at only 9%, it’s not too scary. The real danger of jumping in comes if he gets in Chop Chop. In which case, he can follow-up with D+4, Blade Charge for ~20%.
Stay out of the corner. Again, stay out of the corner! Baraka’s real potential shows through when he corners an opponent. He will shred you without mercy if he can back you up against the wall. Don’t let him. Remember that his rushdown is not so good, so if you get close to the corner, switch it up and start pushing him back. Just watch out for Blade Rush as it has some push back.
Stay on your toes, and only strike at him when you feel like you have the upper hand and apply zoning pressure when possible. Keep this in mind, and this nomad will be relocating to the Netherrelm.

Here are some additional points to consider:

Baraka definitely has a difficult time dealing with zoning characters. His only 2 options are his own projectile which is one of the worst projectiles in the game and his EX Blade Dash, which can blow right through your projectile. Even normal Blade Dash is fast enough to catch you from around sweep range. EX Blade Dash is Baraka's go-to move for almost any situation. As long as you can keep Baraka outside the range of his EX Blade Dash you can pretty much control the entire match.

Another note about EX Blade Rush is that it can blow through some frame traps. Be careful if your offense relies on frame traps when Baraka has meter.

Baraka's 50/50 mixup game is scary and if he ever gets you in the corner you're pretty much screwed. Whatever you do, do NOT let Baraka get you in the corner!

Best Matchup: Most characters are going to have an advantage over Baraka. The one character he seems to be able to beat consistently is Smoke. Smoke can't Smoke Bomb pressure from less than full screen because it's easily punishable. Smoke really only has one good wakeup option in TelePunch which can be easily baited and punished. Blade Spin or even Blade Rush can stuff any Teleport shenanigans. Smoke can't throw out Smoke Bombs in this matchup at all which kills a lot of his game. Shake is a non factor because Baraka doesn't zone. Smoke has no armor moves outside of Xray so he has no escape from Baraka's frame traps or resets. Its just a very tough matchup for Smoke through and through. (thanks to SomeCubanGuy for his fantastic insight into Baraka's game).

Worst Matchup: Baraka has many bad matchups in this game unfortunately. Kung Lao, Raiden, Kitana, and Cyrax being some of the worst, but his absolute most difficult matchup is against Reptile. Baraka is easily zoned out by force balls and spit. Without meter, a zoning Reptile is nearly impossible to get in on. All of Baraka's specials (minus Slices) are easily punished on block by Elbow Dash. Baraka can't use B+3,1 because it's punished on block by Dash. Resets are risky and frame traps are difficult to pull off because of the sheer speed of Dash. Baraka's wakeups can be punished from full screen on whiff. He's just problems all around for Baraka. It's probably one of the most lopsided matchups in the game. (again, thank you SomeCubanGuy!)

 

[Deleted member 5032]

Cyber Sub-Zero
(based on info provided by TheChad_87)

He isn't the powerhouse Story Mode made him out to be, but he can still be one of the most destructive characters in the game. Play a balanced style of attack since CSZ has a tool for aggressive and defensive fighters. Get at a decent distance from him and prepare for a Freeze Ball or Slide. Stop the slide with a projectile or the Freeze Ball by ducking or jumping. Should you jump, be aware that an Ice Beam will still catch you. When he is in the air, prepare for a Dive kick or an X if he has the meter, both of which can be blocked, leaving him open for a second. Note that the X is MUCH easier to punish than a dive kick.
His Parry is high so low attacks will stop it and don't worry about being frozen by Ice Bombs unless there is more than one on the field. They are quite easy to avoid for the most part. Be aware though that jumping is not a good idea if CSZ has meter as Ice Beam will most likely catch you in the air.
His wake up game isn’t much to worry about. If you’re going on the offensive strike with low combo starters if possible so the parry can’t catch you, and if going for the defensive style, block low to avoid a slide, being aware that EN Dive Kick is an overhead. Slide is a very punishable move. It can be baited by standing and blocking, then quickly crouching on reaction to the slide, leaving CSZ open for a full combo. This, as well as his teleport, are most definitely his weakpoints in terms of specials. Punish both ruthlessly. Zoning is probably the best tactic. Characters with high/low projectiles (Liu Kang, Sindel, Kabal) are probably your best bet, but any projectile zoning will do. Just be aware of the threat Ice Ball, and more importantly Ice Beam, poses.
Play carefully against him, and be wary of his jumps and you'll send him to the scrap heap.

Here are some additional points to consider:

Unlike most of the rest of the cast, Cyber Sub-Zero mainly threatens low. Many of his chains that lead to his more damaging kombos hit low, and his slide threatens low from range. He does have 1 decent mid-hitting chain so don't get lazy, but you're typically safe blocking low.

His wakeup game is very dangerous because of his wakeup Ice Parry. It's important to remember, however, that his Ice Parry only counters throws and high attacks, so sweeping Cyber Sub-Zero on wakeup can be an effective tactic as well as dash baiting the Ice Parry and launching a projectile. Watch out if he has meter because his EX Ice Parry will catch almost any move in the game.

His Dive Kick can easily control the air and will take priority over the majority of attacks. If the Dive Kick is started low it can be very difficult to punish on block. It can also be used to punish projectiles from midscreen so always keep that in mind.

His Ice Ball can be crouched without blocking, making it slightly easier to punish.

Don't let him get you in the corner if he has at least 2 meter because of his corner trap. Only some teleporters can escape his corner trap.

Cyber Sub-Zero lack a decent anti-air option. Don't get sloppy or you will eat his parry, but for the most part your are safe using jump attacks from close range. Even if you do eat the parry you only take 8% damage. The risk/reward is in your favor.

Cyber Sub-Zero's bombs are actually quite deceptive. Most players will toss them out not to actually freeze you but to force you to move in a certain way. Keep this in mind and don't fall for their traps.

 

[Deleted member 5032]

Cyrax
(based on info provided by TheChad_87)

You have to be aware of the presence of bombs and the threat of a net at any time. If you are caught in a net and Cyrax has at least 1 bar of meter, you’re likely to eat ~60%. Note that you can take >35% off of a net even if he is without meter. The Net is blockable, but his Bombs are not. This can create some sticky situations as jumping the bomb is often tricky due to the huge vertical space the net encompasses and blocking the net will only insure that you are blasted by the bombs. Dash block to move about.
Should Cyrax go for a command grab, be quick to hit 1 as this will counter it.
Keep in mind that Cyrax’ teleport is unsafe and use this to your advantage. His teleport always puts him close to you meaning within striking distance. Cyrax is an offensive monster with great juggles and good mix-up game to go with it; however, his defenses are frail. Rushdown is the bane of this robot’s programming, so go on the offensive. Be aware that his EN Donkey Kick hits low, so if you dash in on him, duck and block, all the while watching for the start-up animation of B+2. If you can manage to corner him, you should be able to take the match from him. Just don’t get careless with your rushdown as a single Net can spell disaster for anyone with less than ½ health remaining if Cyrax has access to EN attacks.
Basically, you’ll need to employ a guarded rushdown strategy to effectively handle this guy. Use this information wisely and you’ll snuff out Cyrax’ firepower.

Here are some additional points to consider:

Cyrax has no low-hitting chains so you typically want to block high against him. You still want to try to avoid having to block his chains because most of them are safe.

There are a few differences between Human Cyrax and Cyborg Cyrax: Human Cyrax has a safe Teleport but his Bombs and Net are slower. Never try to punish Human Cyrax's teleport!

You can break his command grab with FP.

His Net is not safe from close range but his EX Net is completely safe and drains your super meter while you are in it.

Try to stay out of the air when fighting Cyrax. Wavedashing is your best bet for moving around. It's just too easy for him to catch airborne opponents in his net. He also has several anti-air moves that make jump-in a dubious tactic.

Cyrax is one of the character where you will always want to use a kombo breaker. If you are ever hit with a Net, use the kombo breaker as soon as he tries to hit you. His kombos can easily do 50+% damage!

If Cyrax throws a Bomb from long range he is most likely trying to bait out a jump so he can catch you in his Net. Do not fall for this. Dash forward or backward until you are out of the Bomb's range and make sure t block his Net.

Best Matchup: Sub-Zero seems to have a very hard time against Cyrax. Typically Sub can hide behind an Ice Clone and do whatever he wants but Cyrax's bombs completely destroy that aspect of Sub's game. Once outed from his Ice Clone defense Sub-Zero is forced to use his limited tools to close the distance on a Bomb and Net-spewing Cyrax and eat a 40%-50% kombo for any mistakes he makes along the way.

Worst Matchup: Any character with a strong dashing attack, such as Johnny Cage, Reptile, or Jade. These characters can consistently punish Bomb setups, severely limiting Cyrax's offensive game. If I had to single out a specific character I would say Kabal would be Cyrax's worst matchup. Not only can he punish Bomb setups with Nomad Dash, but he can also zone quite effectively with his air fireball and Buzzsaw specials.

 

[Deleted member 5032]

Ermac
(based on info provided by TheChad_87)
Be sure to visit Kindred's thread here.

Some of Ermac's best game goes into keep away tactics. Jumping at him is dangerous due to the presence of Force Push, an excellent anti-air. Also note that the hit boxes on Ermac’s X-Ray and Force Lift are both HUGE and extend over his head. Ermac isn't much at projectile fights, but his teleport helps him at fighting from far away to punish enemies who are better at projectiles than himself. Up close, he can chain practically anything to send you away so be prepared to keep up an aggressive close-midrange game, and use your superior close up combos and don't let him get too far. Stay out of sweep distance. This is Ermac’s sweet spot. You should also abuse cross-ups as much as possible as he has very few, if any answers to it.
Do NOT approach him without blocking on wake-up. He will Forcelift you and then chain whatever to send you back across the screen. He really struggles up close and personal, but it’s going to be a battle to stay there. He’s going to try to hit you with a Force Push to put you out of his face. You have to play a defensive rushdown or it’s going to work, blocking after each string to prevent being Force Pushed away and then punish the force push.
Ermac has great specials, but all of them are punished on block. His Force Lift and Force Push both leave him very vulnerable if you are anywhere near sweep distance or closer.
Abuse dash-block to close in on him. Ermac really can’t do much other than throw against a dash-blocking opponent, and once you get in on him, he’s not so scary. Stay there and keep the pressure up. Rushdown characters do really well in this match-up when they get in. It’s getting in that presents the problem.
Close distance and keep pressure up and soon you’ll be microwaving this EasyMac.

Here are some additional points to consider:

Ermac has no mid-hitting chains and only 1 low-hitting chain. The only time you should definitely block high against him is against a jump-in. Once he starts a chain you can block low without fear.

Force Push can punish pretty much anything within range outside sweep distance safely. Once you get within sweep distance Force Push becomes punishable.

Never jump-in on Ermac unless you like getting hit with 30+% kombos. Stay on the ground and wavedash to get around.

Your best bet against Ermac is to force him to come to you. Pelt him with projectiles and try to bait out a teleport so you can block and punish. Watch out for his wakeup Force Lift because it comes out very fast and will beat out almost anything you can throw at him. Once he has meter you have to watch your every move because his X-Ray comes out very quickly and will punish pretty much any minor mistake you make.

 

[Deleted member 5032]

Jade
(based on info provided by TheChad_87)

Jade is a difficult character to approach and even after approaching she's difficult to stay near. Using projectiles around her is dangerous. Though she doesn't have a teleport, she does have numerous other ways to deal with projectiles, most notably, via Glow/EN Glow. She can also use her U+3 to go over low flying projectiles and send you into the air. Also note that if Jade has meter available, she can follow it up with EN Shadow Kick or even an X-Ray.
Be aware of U+3, but it shouldn’t really be feared unless X-Ray is available. Note that you CANNOT punish it with a full combo string unless you are using Kung Lao (His EN Spin can catch her and punish with full combo). Otherwise just nail her with a quick special and try to get in to apply pressure.
One of her few problems is that her attacks have some pretty obvious cool down that can be taken advantage of. Keep pressure on her, but with safe combo strings (If you leave yourself open, she will punish). Up close, she isn’t as dangerous as expected and has very little mix-up potential.
Stay out of range of her staff when approaching, then punish her when she tries to use it. Always, always, always, be cautious with your offensive if she has meter. EN Glow will give her combo starter of choice armor, and this can easily give her the match.
Stay careful, force her to attack so you can punish her, and don't projectile too much and you'll soon be knocking this pole cat off of her fence.

Here are some additional points to consider:

Jade has no mid chains, so you can typically block low against her without fear. You have to watch out for her mid-hitting Staff Overhead, but it is a very slow attack and you should be able to block high on reaction.

At range you want to stay low. This will counter pretty much anything she can do. You can block her low Boomerang but if you crouch under her Shadow Kick without blocking it will whiff and you can punish her severely. You shouldn't have any issues baiting out her Shadow Kick on wakeup, as it's one of her best wakeup options.

Though her Shadow Glow makes her immune to hitstun it causes Jade takes significantly more damage while active. Keep this in mind if you are trying to finish her off because most Jade players will drop their guard when Shadow Glow is in effect.

Also, keep an eye out for her pokes. She has very good long-range poking tools and can easily poke you from up to sweep distance.

 

[Deleted member 5032]

Jax
(based on info provided by TheChad_87)

Jax is a bit of a push over. It's not too hard to approach him. His projectile isn't that great, and his anti-air has bad range. What you should look out for is the Dash Punch. That thing is fast and will shut you down in the air or on the ground. He's not as scary as he seems, and if you can stay out of the corner, you should be okay against him for the most part.
Zone him out. This is, absolutely, the best way to deal with Jax. His only means of closing space is going to be his EN Dash Punch and that requires meter. Be aware that he can reach you from just outside jump distance with an EN Dash Punch. This means playing mid-range against Jax is risky. If you have armored EN moves, using them on reaction to Dash Punch is a great way to shut Jax down as Dash Punch and Ground Pounds are really all he has.
Don’t be too afraid to jump in despite his anti-air grab. It has horrible range so he’s only going to catch you if you are VERY close (It will not reach outside of about 1 dash’s distance, or just inside sweep range).
He moves quickly and his attacks are even quicker. Even Ground Pound is, deceptively, not punishable on whiff. If you want to punish this move, you have to get in on Jax before he hits the ground. Also be aware that his Energy Wave fires quickly, but has a pretty noticeable recovery. You can win out in projectile wars, it just takes some getting used to Jax’ rhythm.
Basically, Jax can present a problem if you’re not sure how to approach him because he is very hard to punish with all of this moves that grant advantage on block. The best strategy is going to be to zone him out. Otherwise, you’re gonna have to play him from mid-rang and respect the Dash Punch. If you go in close range, be sure that you’re better at the rushdown (i.e. Johnny Cage, Sonya, Kung Lao) or that you can for sure get away from him (i. e. Kitana) and make him pay for that POS, MK: Special Forces.

Here are some additional points to consider:

Information in Jax is lacking. I'll be cruising his forum for concrete info but for the time being expect his post to be slim.

Jax has a good mixup game, though most of his kombos are going to stem from mid-hitting chains.

 

[Deleted member 5032]

Johnny Cage
(based on my fights with him and posted information)

Johnny Cage is a rushdown nightmare. You don't want to let him get in close because you will get kombo'd. Most of his normals and chains are safe on block and many of them leave him with the advantage.

He has one of the best uppercuts in the game. It's fast, it covers his head, and it even reaches slightly behind him.

His Shadow Kick is a very fast attack that most Cage players are going to abuse. It makes a fantastic wakeup attack and can punish many small mistakes. However, it can be ducked without blocking for an easy punishment opportunity, though it can still be punished on block.

Flip Kick is a fantastic wakeup move that is very difficult to punish.

Cage's X-Ray will beat out almost anything in the game including projectiles launched from too close! However it's extremely punishable if whiffed.

 

[Deleted member 5032]

Kabal
(based on my fights with him and posted information)

I was unable to find a lot of great information on Kabal so this post will be pretty light for the time being. Here are the points worth mentioning:

Kabal has 2 mid-hitting chains but they don't appear to kombo into anything. His low-hitting chain does kombo, so you are typically better off blocking low against him. Even at range you need to watch out for his low projectile. You still need to watch out for his special moves, some of which are close-range overheads, but they can usually be blocked on reaction.

Don't be tricked into committing to a move when he uses his Nomad Dash. It can be canceled right up until it hits which is the basis for Kabal's mindgame strategies. Typically you will just want to block Nomad Dash, as it's very punishable.

Stay on the ground when fighting Kabal unless you absolutely have to avoid a low projectile. Kabal can easily catch airborne opponents in his Nomad Dash. The only reason you should be in the air is to punish his low projectile.

 

[Deleted member 5032]

Kano
(mostly taken from my Ultimate Kano Guide: http://testyourmight.com/forum/showthread.php?8014-The-Ultimate-Kano-Guide

Kano's Strengths

Kano’s main strength is his versatility. He can zone with his amazingly fast knife attack, he has an airthrow, fantastic rushdown/mindgame tactics, he can play a mean defense thanks to his wicked anti-air Upball, his sweep has deceptively long range and comes out fast, and he has one of the best X-Rays in the game. Though his kombo damage output isn't nearly as high as some other characters, the overall damage of his moves and chains is above average.
Here are some specific strengths:
1. Kano is one of the most versatile characters in the game. He’s got a good mix of zoning, rushdown, and defensive tools to keep him safe while constantly threatening his opponents from basically any range.
2. His sweep is fast and has very nice range. It can actually beat out several characters’ wakeup attacks. I have caught Scorpion mid-teleport many times with a simple sweep. Here's a short video showing his maximum sweep range from a dash:

3. His X-Ray is an unblockable throw with super armor that can reach across a 3rd of the screen (about half-screen with a dash) for 41% damage! It’s almost not even fair…
4. His knife attack has very good recovery. It can actually be used it to bait out certain attacks, only to block before they connect.
5. His Upball is a fantastic anti-air move. It will frustrate most players.
6. His Airball is perfect for punishing zoners. Kano can just jump over most projectile and slam into his opponent.

Kano's Weaknesses

Despite all of Kano’s strengths he still has several shortcomings that might steer some players away from choosing him. Among those weaknesses are:
1. Kano's mixup game is not fantastic. His primary medium and low attacks have slow startups and can be dangerous to utilize.
2. His primary zoning attack, the knife, can be ducked completely and can also become very predictable. His other zoning attack, the Kanoball, can be punished severely on block.
3. His maximum kombo damage output is low compared to other characters, and the timing on his kombos is very stiff. I don’t think there is another character in the game whose kombo timing is as strict as Kano’s.
4. His X-Ray, while fantastic, cannot be directly linked into, making it a risky maneuver in most cases.
5. His wakeup game is pretty weak. Waking up with his Upball can frustrate some players but it can become very predictable, and I've found that it never seems to come out in time when I'm being rushed down.
6. Kano simply lacks the tools to effectively deal with some characters (like Sub-Zero).
7. His Airball, while a fantastic move, never seems to go off when you need it to. While other characters (like Kung Lao) simply have to press d4 while airborne, Kano has to press f, d, b, f.
8. His Ex moves are definitely overpowered by his X-Ray. You shouldn't see too many Kano players busting out EX moves very often.

In a Nutshell

As stated, Kano is an incredibly versatile character. You need to make sure you can play your chosen character in a variety of ways because a good Kano player isn't going to let you beat them without changing up your tactics 2 or even 3 times through the course of a match.

Kano poses a threat from any range. His Knife Throw is an above-average zoning tool that can be difficult to punish. His 3 Ball attacks can dominate most of the playing field. You need to keep your guard up against his sweep, because it has deceptive range, comes out fast, and can be used to initiate his effective wakeup strategies.

It goes without saying that you should never be airborne against Kano. He just has way too many tools to deal with airborne opponents even from full screen. If you are having trouble dealing with his zoning your best bet is to wavedash forward and eat the chip damage. Odds are the Kano player will get impatient/uncomfortable and carelessly toss out a Kano Ball or Upball. His Knife can also be crouched completely without ducking which can frustrate the Kano player. Just be careful because his EX Knife can hit you while crouched and open you up to a follow-up attack or 2.

Kano's kombos are fairly short and easy to drop. They also max out at around 37% damage (including a JP starter). You are typically better off saving your meter for uses other than breakers.

You want to avoid Kano's X-Ray at all costs. Many Kano players will save up for his X-Ray and then just hang onto it knowing how it can negatively impact your performance. If Kano throws out a random X-Ray you can typically avoid it by jumping towards him because it can't connect with an airborne opponent. You can punish a whiffed X-Ray pretty severely. If Kano has access to his X-Ray and you are grounded it can be worth it to hold down to stay on the ground. Hopefully this will cause Kano to mistime his X-Ray, causing it to whiff. Watch out if you see him start his overhead (which is very slow but has good range). If you see the overhead windup just press block and hope for the best.

Kano has access to some very good poking options. Watch out for his b1 poke because it starts one of his better chains, but it also can be linked into a throw. This tactic is fairly difficult to deal with and will just take experience to be able to counter it successfully.

Best Matchup: I would have to say Kano's best matchup is against Quan Chi. His only wakeup option is Sky-Drop, and that's just not enough to keep Kano from initiating his wicked mindgame pressure. Kano can zone Quan Chi without fear because the recovery on his Knife is low enough to block and punish Sky Drop. Quan Chi has 0 options when being zoned by Kano.

Worst Matchup: Definitely Sub-Zero. Kano has no tools to get around his Ice Clone. Kano's only real option is to hang back and zone. The problem is that Sub-Zero can just duck the Knives completely. Also, a zoning war with Sub-Zero usually ends up with both parties getting tagged. This sucks for Kano because Sub-Zero will take 9% damage but he will be able to get off a full kombo on Kano. This is one of the most boring matches to watch because the Kano player has no choice but to stay on the defensive or eat full kombos.

 

[Deleted member 5032]

Kratos

I'm going to go ahead and say I'm a 360 player and couldn't care less about Kratos. And did I hear right that he's not allowed in tournaments? In any case, if info gets posted about him I'll be happy to add it to the guide but I'm in no hurry to do the research myself...

 

[Deleted member 5032]

Kitana
(based on my fights with her and posted information)

Kitana only has 1 low-hitting chain that can't be kombo'd. You are safe from any large-damage scenarios by blocking high. This should help you when confronting Kitana face-to-face, which is exactly where you want to be. Unfortunately that will rarely be the case against a decent Kitana player. She does have a good low-hitting poke that is almost impossible to punish, but again, it won't lead to any game-changing damage.

Kitana's Fans are going to be the real problem. Her Ground Fans are completely safe even from up close. A good Kitana player will be adept at her instant Air Fan, making that attack very difficult to jump over. She can easily punish jump-ins with her Fan Lift. Luckily Fan Lift takes a huge commitment, making it a risky move to pull off. Watch out if she has meter, however, because Ex Fan Lift comes out instantly.

The only time you should be airborne against Kitana is when avoiding her Fans from outside the range of Fan Lift. If you're lucky you will be able to get in a kombo before she Square Boosts to the other side of the screen.

 

[Deleted member 5032]

Kung Lao
(based on my fights with him and posted information)

Kung Lao only has 1 mid-hitting chain, which also hits low. This means you are usually better off blocking low against Kung Lao's pressure, especially since his Ground Hat hits low and makes his chains safe. Either way you shouldn't let him in close because his Chained Fist chain does 10% chip damage and builds a nice chunk of meter.

As stated, Ground Hat is usually safe. It is very hard to punish and when added to the end of his chains it makes his rushdown offense very difficult to deal with.

His Dice Kick takes priority in the air. Because of this you should stay on the ground at all times. Be careful if you need to jump over a Ground Hat because you simply don't want to be airborne against Kung Lao. Jumping in on Kung Lao is pretty much the worst decision ever.

His wakeup is pretty much the best in the game. But as with most awesome wakeups this can be used against him. Dash in like you are trying to maintain your offense and block. Odds are you will block a wakeup Spin and will be able to punish accordingly. Soon enough your opponent should learn not to use wakeup Spin and you will be able to turn up your offense.

 

[Deleted member 5032]

Liu Kang
(based on my fights with him and posted information)


Liu Kang is yet another rushdown nightmare. Though he only has 1 mid-hitting chain it still comes out very fast and leads to very damaging kombos. The moral of the story is to not let him in close. He does have a few ranged options, including a ranged low attack, but for the most part you should be able to deal with his ranged tactics fairly easily. He has a multitude of low attacks, but his 1 mid is just as useful so there's no telling which the Liu Kang player will go for.

It is difficult to maintain offensive pressure on Liu Kang due to his Parry. However, dashing in and using projectiles at close range can be an effective method to draw out and punish his Parry.

 

[Deleted member 5032]

Mileena
(based on my fights with her and posted information)

Mileena has low and mid-hitting chains but I'm sure you're familiar with her Splits overhead. This is her go-to kombo starter. She is also low-poke heavy, but that is really more of a deterrent than a damaging attack. None of her kombos start from low-hitting chains, so you are typically safe blocking high against her. You will learn when to anticipate her low poke and will block or jump accordingly. Don't ever try to counter her pokes because most of them have advantage on block.

Her Sai Blast is only punishable up close. Her Ball and Teleport are very punishable on block. You will find most Mileena players to be very Teleport and Ball oriented. Bait and punish accordingly. Watch out, though, because her Ball can travel under most projectiles.

 

[Deleted member 5032]

Nightwolf
(based on my fights with him and posted information)

Though Nightwolf have more mid-hitting chains than pretty much any other character he only has 1 low-hitting chain and it can't even kombo. This means you are typically going to want to block high against his pressure. You still don't want to let him in close because most of his chains have advantage on block.

His Lightning attacks, though unblockable, can't hit an airborne opponent. If jumped, Nightwolf's Lightening can be punished from almost full screen! Lightening is a guaranteed hit after a successful Shoulder ram unless you have an advancing invincible wakeup attack (I'll be posting a list of such moves soon).

Nightwolf's ranged options are very limited. As already stated, his Lightening can be jumped and punished from almost full screen. His Arrows are a sub-par projectile that can be crouched or crouch-blocked. They are completely safe even up close if standing-blocked, but they can be fully punished if crouched or crouch-blocked.

Nightwolf's Shoulder Ram is his dominating attack. It makes his wakeup game almost as dangerous as Kung Lao's, if not more dangerous! However it can't his crouched opponents. Just crouch and don't block and you can make him think twice about using that attack again. It's not too hard to wavedash bait his Shoulder Ram and just duck and punish. Most Nightwolf players are looking for any excuse to use this attack. Like his Arrows, it can be punished by crouching or crouch-blocking but is totally safe against standing block. This means that when within sweep distance you will want to block standing, but when outside of sweep range you will want to be crouching and only block when necessary.

 

[Deleted member 5032]

Noob Saibot
(based on my fights with him and posted information)

Noob only has 1 low-hitting chain and it can't even kombo. This means you are typically safe blocking high against his pressure. He does have low-hitting ranged options, so you probably want to block low from outside sweep distance.

His Shadow Charge projectile is very fast. If you get hit by it and Noob throws out another you Willi have no choice but to block the 2nd Shadow Charge.

Noob has one of the best anti-air moves in the game. It even manages to hit behind him somehow. Jumping in on Noob is a tactical mistake.

Noob's Teleport comes out incredibly fast. You must always be on the lookout for it. Don't commit to any slow moves outside of kombos or you will be hit by it.

Noob has one of the fastest uppercuts in the game. Again, don't jump in on him!

Noob got buffed in the recent patch and now has some pretty spiffy Portal traps. I will be posting specific instructions on how to get out of this trap shortly.

 

[Deleted member 5032]

Quan Chi
(based on my fights with him and posted information)

Quan Chi surprisingly has a very good mixup game. You can never be sure whether he will be attacking low, medium, or high, all of which lead into damaging kombos. Whatever you do, don't let Quan Chi get in close or your will eat his most damaging kombos.

His only wakeup option is his Skydrop. This is a rather weak wakeup move and you should take full advantage of this.

 

[Deleted member 5032]

Raiden
(based on my fights with him and posted information)

As we all know, Raiden is one of the stronger characters in the game. You have to watch your every move because in an instant he can be behind you starting a kombo. His Torpedo attack comes out incredibly fast and most Raiden players like to abuse it. Because of the sheer speed of his Teleport and Torpedo you simply cannot commit to any long moves outside of kombos. Period.

The best strategy against your average Raiden player is the bait and punish approach. If your character doesn't have a special or kombo fast enough to punish his teleport you should go with a low poking attack. Though not very damaging, these are almost always going to be fast enough (even in lag...) to interrupt his offense after a Teleport. It should also be enough to keep him from throwing you after Teleporting. Most Raiden players simply don't know what to do when they can't just Teleport in and mess you up. His Torpedo is another issue altogether. Though extremely fast, if you can gain a sense of when he is about to use it (hint: always!) the it is quite easy to block and punish with a full kombo.

His ranged attack is a pretty poor special and can be pretty easily punished from mid-screen.

Raiden's wakeup is very strong. Your best bet, rather than continue pressure, is to feign offense so you can bait out and punish his wakeup Torpedo.

 

[Deleted member 5032]

Reptile
(based on my fights with him and posted information)

Reptile has a pretty good mixup game so you don't want him close by or you will most likely eat a kombo. As we all know, this is easier said than done thanks to his Eldbow Dash attack. However, there are a few things to keep in mind that can increase your chances significantly.

Even though the Elbow Dash is a mid-hitting attack for some reason it can be blocked low. Between this and his Slide attack your best option at range is to block low. The Elbow Dash is punishable on block. It also doesn't go through projectiles so it can be worth it, as with many dash-based characters, to keep a projectile between you and him as kind of a barrier. Keep an eye out if he has access to X-Ray, though, because it travels full-screen and goes straight through projectiles.

Keep an eye out for his Acid Hand (which shouldn't be hard to block on reaction) as it has semi-decent range, hit's mid, and is safe on block.

 

[Deleted member 5032]

Scorpion
(based on my fights with him and posted information)

Scorpion only has 1 low-hitting chain that is typically used after crossup punches. Keep an eye out for his Takedown maneuver (which is not safe on block), but your are typically pretty safe from his most damaging options by blocking high. His main overhead launcher is not safe on block and should be punished accordingly. Try not to let him mount a close-range offense because many of his chains grant frame advantage.

Most good Scorpion players aren't going to be throwing out his Spear at random, but just in case keep in mind that it whiffs on crouching opponents and is very unsafe from close range.

Always be wary of his Demon Fire attack. It can only be avoided by jumping or using some specials that quickly put distance between you and the fire. However, a jumped Demon Fire can almost always be punished with a full kombo, even from a distance away.

Scorpion's Teleport is easy enough to punish, but don't try to counter his EX Teleport because it's completely safe on block.

 

[Deleted member 5032]

Sektor
(based on my fights with him and posted information)

I honestly don't have a whole lot of good info on Sektor right now. I'm going to hold off on this post until I get some better facts.

 

[Deleted member 5032]

Shang Tsung
(based on my fights with him and posted information)

Shang Tsung actually has a pretty wicked mixup game. As much as you don't want to give him any breathing room, you don't want him to gain the chance to mount a close-range offense. Just remember that if you like to use breakers you have to use them during the chain portion of his kombos, as once you are getting hit by his Skulls you can no longer use a kombo breaker.

His Close Ground Skull gives him frame advantage and is invincible as a wakeup attack. Blocked Upskulls give him a ton of frame advantage. Soul Steal is completely safe on block.

 

[Deleted member 5032]

Sheeva
(based on posted information)

Sheeva has a very good mixup game. You can never be sure whether you should be blocking low or high so your best bet is to either keep her away with zoning or keep her locked down with rushdown. Keep on the lookout for her Low Grab special that specifically targets crouched opponents and leads to a 35% kombo.

One strange thing to keep in mind is to always have the same stance as Sheeva (also know as a closed stance). This means that if her back is to the screen your back should be to the screen, and visa/versa. It seems that some of her kombos are stance specific and keeping a closed stance will cause some of her kombos to whiff.

 

[Deleted member 5032]

Sindel
(based on posted information)

Though she has low and mid-hitting chains, it seems like only her mid-hitting chains are komboable, so you are typically better off blocking high against her.

Her wakeup options are pretty limited so you shouldn't let me keep you from maintaining offensive pressure.