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The Zoning Academy (Mortal Kombat X Edition)

Shark Tank

I don't actually play these games
When Quan Chi gets knocked down in the corner, which will happen at least once during a fight, just put your controller down because you will never escape. Many characters can simply time a meaty attack as he is waking up and shut down all of his defensive options. You will block EX teleport in time and get a full combo punish.
To clarify, I was recanting my statements on his space controlling options are bad. They're okay, but by "they" I mean rune and bat. I think he' still free on wakeup and his normals are below average. If he had armor on something other than teleport in summoner.

Also while we're ranting I want to add I don't know why a lot of the flowchart projectiles are so bad. Like skulls does no pushback, hits high, and really unsafe, low damage, ex has no utility at all.
 

SaltShaker

In Zoning We Trust
How are you guys using B1 as an anti-air for Kano? When they jump at you or when they cross you up?
When they jump at you.

Against non dive kick characters it should be your #1 anti-air since it combos into the laser reset or your grenade EX combo. If your reaction is late settle for upball.
 

MrProfDrPepper

NRS, Guilty Gear, and KI, the holy trinity
@General M2Dave is it too late to join the zoning academy? since i ave noticed in MKX since i play balanced kenshi I am way more of a zoner than I ever have been before. And I feel like I need training from the people that have been zoning for a majority of their NRS carreer. I played Kenshi in MK9 but i tended to rush down with him, and i played green lantern, deathstroke, and nightwing in injustice, again i tended to rushdown. I want to play to my characters strengths this time, and also i found that i really like getting in others head just like kenshi does and predict what they will do before they know that is what they will do and zone accordingly. as well as baiting out a run by purposefully missing a telekinetic slash.
 
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Introduction

With Mortal Kombat X on the horizon, the Zoning Academy has returned. Based on my early impressions of the game, a strategy based on zoning will be difficult to execute because of the run, abundant teleport special moves, and several anti-zoning variations. But a great man once said where there is a will to zone, there is a way to zone.

Founding Members of the Zoning Academy


m2dave
Main Character in MK9: Freddy
Main Character in MKX: ???

@Pig Of The Hut
Main Character in MK9: Kenshi
Main Character in MKX: ???

@R.E.O.
Main Character in MK9: Kabal
Main Character in MKX: ???

New Members

Every player is free to join provided that you do not belong in one of the following three categories.

1. You are an anti-zoning zealot.

2. You were a Smoke player in Mortal Kombat 9.

3. You were a Batgirl or Martian Manhunter player in Injustice: GAU.

Objective of the Zoning Academy


1. Zone.

2. Protect zoning from scrubs.

3. Demand buffs to zoning strategies if they are deemed too weak.

4. Avoid using "coward" characters who ignore zoning.

5. Support zoning players in offline and online tournaments.

Theme

I'm Zoning
Cybernetic Kano is good.his Knife throw comes out the fastest in that variation
 

Vilén

too smart to play MKX
Okay officially became fully dedicated to Kenshi.

My body is ready for the zoning academy.

What do we do about Jax? Fuck that character.
 

SaltShaker

In Zoning We Trust
After the patch of MKX, I had to bump this thread.

With the arrival of Pyro Tanya, along with much needed fixes to FA Jacqui and just as needed buffs to Kenshi, it appears our day may have finally arrived.
 

WakeUp DP

GT MK OshTekk.
With a name like "Bird Lao X" your loyalty may come into question.
I like both offense and defensive styles. But there's not "bird laos" in this game.

I use Kung Jin for my rushdown fiends and The rest for zoning.

My loyalty is so strong that in eveey threead you will see me asking for zoning buffs.
Larger stages, 1 bar pushblocks for better defensive play, faster recovery on instant air projectiles, faster start up on projectiles in general, better aas etc.

http://testyourmight.com/threads/reduce-recovery-on-ia-skulls-faster-start-up-on-grounded-skulls.52974/#post-1755852
 

Immortal

Blind justice....
After the patch of MKX, I had to bump this thread.

With the arrival of Pyro Tanya, along with much needed fixes to FA Jacqui and just as needed buffs to Kenshi, it appears our day may have finally arrived.
Kenshi is way better now, thou not that good as people think he is now.

The whole "He's now Kenshi from MK9" is biggest bullshit ever. Coz people do not factor that this isn't MK9. Here in MK X all players have RUN and 1/3 cast has teleport. TF may be -9 on block now but it still has ton of recovery on whiff and TKS isn't that great.

Kenjutsu is probably the best variation now since the dmg boost and ability to do RK into 111 combo / vortex. But the timing is VERY strict.

I saw yesterday Pokchop and DJT playing buffed Kenshi and while it wasn't bad it certainly didn't look like he's top 5/10. He's ok now but nothing to write home about. Certainly not on Quan / Kung Jin level. This upplaying needs to stop.

And for the record i play Kenshi since day 1 and never stopped playing him. Even thou he was in a really bad place before the buffs.
 

WakeUp DP

GT MK OshTekk.
dude, the ice clone is still fine? your game was around the broken version of the clone?
In MK9 ice clone didn't get destroyed when Subz blocked an attack! Was he considered OP or broke? lol

Also not saying Subz is ruined, he is a fine top10 char. He just doesn't fit my style anymore.
 

SaltShaker

In Zoning We Trust
Kenshi is way better now, thou not that good as people think he is now.

The whole "He's now Kenshi from MK9" is biggest bullshit ever. Coz people do not factor that this isn't MK9. Here in MK X all players have RUN and 1/3 cast has teleport. TF may be -9 on block now but it still has ton of recovery on whiff and TKS isn't that great.

Kenjutsu is probably the best variation now since the dmg boost and ability to do RK into 111 combo / vortex. But the timing is VERY strict.

I saw yesterday Pokchop and DJT playing buffed Kenshi and while it wasn't bad it certainly didn't look like he's top 5/10. He's ok now but nothing to write home about. Certainly not on Quan / Kung Jin level. This upplaying needs to stop.

And for the record i play Kenshi since day 1 and never stopped playing him. Even thou he was in a really bad place before the buffs.
I agree 100%. Just earlier today I wrote something very similar to Brady. This-

I don't know who is saying Kenshi is top 5 outside of a small few in the Kenshi community, but that's a huge overstatement. Once the hype of getting buffs dies down they'll realize all that happened is that a bottom 3 character got buffed to mid tier at best. This game plays nothing like MK9 and that is the biggest factor in why.
I think the changes made him good enough to compete finally, but not this juggernaut some are remembering from a past game.
 

Paul the Octopus

Slow Starter
I agree 100%. Just earlier today I wrote something very similar to Brady. This-



I think the changes made him good enough to compete finally, but not this juggernaut some are remembering from a past game.
I agree. I think I saw pig mention that he is on vaca so I'm pretty sure he hasn't even played post patch Kenshi yet. Just getting a little overexcited I think. Let's not forget that pig thought mkx Kenshi was great when the game dropped too, he's certainly not immune from over reactions.
 

WakeUp DP

GT MK OshTekk.
Kenshi is way better now, thou not that good as people think he is now.

The whole "He's now Kenshi from MK9" is biggest bullshit ever. Coz people do not factor that this isn't MK9. Here in MK X all players have RUN and 1/3 cast has teleport. TF may be -9 on block now but it still has ton of recovery on whiff and TKS isn't that great.

Kenjutsu is probably the best variation now since the dmg boost and ability to do RK into 111 combo / vortex. But the timing is VERY strict.

I saw yesterday Pokchop and DJT playing buffed Kenshi and while it wasn't bad it certainly didn't look like he's top 5/10. He's ok now but nothing to write home about. Certainly not on Quan / Kung Jin level. This upplaying needs to stop.

And for the record i play Kenshi since day 1 and never stopped playing him. Even thou he was in a really bad place before the buffs.
At first I didn't want him buffed but since I'm thinking on maining him too along with Quan, I'm gonna have to agree with you.

If we keep downplaying him and crying loud enough he might get some more buffs :)
I truly hope he does since like I said I will pick be picking him up!
 

Immortal

Blind justice....
At first I didn't want him buffed but since I'm thinking on maining him too along with Quan, I'm gonna have to agree with you.

If we keep downplaying him and crying loud enough he might get some more buffs :)
I truly hope he does since like I said I will pick be picking him up!
I swear you're like the biggest selfish troll posting useless stuff on TYM nowadays.

Nobody is crying, he's not great and not bad atm. That is all. Stop being a selfish prick.
 

WakeUp DP

GT MK OshTekk.
I swear you're like the biggest selfish troll posting useless stuff on TYM nowadays.

Nobody is crying, he's not great and not bad atm. That is all. Stop being a selfish prick.
Haha I'm just being honest.

I said what most think but wont say.
I'm semi-troll, I can also be serious sometimes.
I'm not ashamed and I will admit I tier whore.
I like both zoning and rush down but lean more towards zoning.

The other day I saw a thread and basically said no reason to upplay your char before patching is done.

Lastly I do agree, he still needs buffs. I guess I word it wrong when I said "downplaying".
 

ShaolinGunFu

Warrior
In MK9 ice clone didn't get destroyed when Subz blocked an attack! Was he considered OP or broke? lol

Also not saying Subz is ruined, he is a fine top10 char. He just doesn't fit my style anymore.
ok i respect that, gotta pick what suits you best but Ive seen tom and a few other players make adaptations that make it seem fine. I dont use the OS bug but it seems to favor Sub more than any char I can think of.
Ever give unbreakable a good chance? I started to like it once i learned to anticipate the jump ins
 

M2Dave

Zoning Master
After the patch of MKX, I had to bump this thread.

With the arrival of Pyro Tanya, along with much needed fixes to FA Jacqui and just as needed buffs to Kenshi, it appears our day may have finally arrived.
Unless there are some hidden Dark Shroud zoning strategies to be discovered, the projectiles in Pyromancer seem too slow and too unsafe to me. For example, the low fireball has 20 frames of start up and is -18 on block.

Machine gun being the number one scrub killer is irrelevant at a high level. From about half screen away, more than half the cast can punish a neutral-crouched machine gun with a well-timed advancing special move. Jacqui will turn into a pressure and 50/50 mix up character as the game develops.

I agree with @Immortal. The Kenshi overestimation is ludicrous and unjustifiable. He may not even be top 10, much less top 5.

Cybernetic Kano is mid tier. You cannot win without pressure and 50/50 mix ups in this game.

Summoner Quan Chi is still the best zoning character in the game even though he cannot wake up whatsoever.

Basically, some powerful offensive characters, namely Erron Black And Raiden, have been normalized, but the game still revolves around 50/50 mix ups. If you are in denial, watch any high level stream, such as yesterday's Yomi tournament, for evidence. So, unfortunately, the game is still as boring and as shallow as ever. For the vast majority of characters, you must select a strong 50/50 mix up variation if you intend to have any chance at victory. Unless defensive options are improved or Tremor and Predator are the next Freddy and Zod, zoning will be remain worthless.