How did you choose a pocket character?

[Kingshootahz]

Just wondering how you guys chose your pocket character because I tried to tier select and it was very boring to me, I play Jax and to me he is the funnest character in the game, every one else is meh.I also like high tech jacqui but she's unviable and not really a counterpick for anything. How do you guys choose pockets based off your mains and make it not feel like a chore?

 

[Adorkable_Psycho]

I used to main Kung Lao and picked War God Kotal as a pocket. For me I just bounced all over the roster and picked a character I felt was the most fun but also viable. For me I wasn't looking for a character who played just like Lao i picked Kotal because of his excellent footsies and whiff punishing.

 

[Vigilante24]

I main Pumped Up and I pocket Heavy Weapons and Wrestler.

 

[Enexemander]

Well, I started off maining DF Liu. Then after the Tom Brady video fiasco and nerfs, I got annoyed with the changes and having to relearn the muscle memory for the fireball cancels.

So I decided my next character was not going to have run cancels, by God. At the same time, countrypistol made a great basic MKX guide starring Kano, so I started practicing with him and really enjoyed it. So now my Kano is probably better than my Liu overall.

 

[Kingshootahz]

I main Pumped Up and I pocket Heavy Weapons and Wrestler.

You and me could be the best of friends.

 

[Kingshootahz]

Well, I started off maining DF Liu. Then after the Tom Brady video fiasco and nerfs, I got annoyed with the changes and having to relearn the muscle memory for the fireball cancels.

So I decided my next character was not going to have run cancels, by God. At the same time, countrypistol made a great basic MKX guide starring Kano, so I started practicing with him and really enjoyed it. So now my Kano is probably better than my Liu overall.

I kinda like RCs tho.. they look cool.

 

[Matix218]

I play Ninj and HF Scorp and GM and Cryo Sub as my mains. Ive always been into the ninjas. In MK9 I mained Smoke, Scorp and Ermac (as an example).

I usually end up going pretty random with my secondary characters.

Im mk9 my secondary characters were noob, sub (ninjas obviously) but also lao and cage just because I found them fun to play.

In mkx my secondary is cyber kano because I just find him very fun to play. I literally just started randomly messing with him cause I wanted to see how his eye laser moves worked but I ended up learning him and really enjoying playing him on the side

 

[Enexemander]

I kinda like RCs tho.. they look cool.

Yeah, I've picked him back up. The annoyance wore off. It does kind of seem like NRS has something against run cancel pressure though, so I'm hesitant to pick up another Run Cancel character. They take more execution to play, and thus more time investment. I don't want to blow hours of work on Johnny Cage just for Paulo to get another bug up his ass and rework the timing on all the cancels again.

 

[EndofGameBoss]

If you guys need secondaries for certain match ups, then NRS has failed with the variation system for some characters. I only use Mileena. Having low sai can help in certain match ups.

 

[Kingshootahz]

In mkx my secondary is cyber kano

I play a bit of cyber kano and his combos are fun but I don't like throwing knives all day no offense

 

[Enexemander]

If you guys need secondaries for certain match ups, then NRS has failed with the variation system for some characters. I only use Mileena. Having low sai can help in certain match ups.

I think they did, for some characters. I don't think Flame Fist and Dragon's Fire Liu are substantially different in how their variations affect match ups. I also don't think Dualist does better at any match-up than either of those two.

Kano has a good spread on his variations in terms of match up, though. Pick safe 50/50s, mid projectiles, or command grabs with tick options.

 

[Kingshootahz]

NRS has failed with the variation system

I play all jax variations and they are all in terms viable against everything even light zoning but then being a pressure heavy character leaves him open to being blown up by heavy zoners and teleporters in my opinion. All in all if you play one Jax you play them all because they aren't very different.

 

[Matix218]

I play a bit of cyber kano and his combos are fun but I don't like throwing knives all day no offense

I like his b1, b2 personally

 

[Kingshootahz]

I like his b1, b2 personally

The walking knife thing? That thing is awesome especially when you AA with it and continue a juggle

 

[Vigilante24]

Maybe we should be friends King, we seem a lot alike.

Im just like you man, I had a bunch of previous mains like A-List Cage, Cyber Kano, Buzzsaw/Hat Trick Lao, Cryo SZ (prepatch). But as soon as I touched Jax for a day, took him to EGL Dallas 10k only playing this character a day, didn't go 0-2 in the main or side tourney, and managed to somewhat hold my own vs Trepound (when he wasn't Flamefist Liu Kang RIP me ) , I knew he was my main. I no longer have fun playing any other character in this game to the point where I just use the variation system as my secondaries. When people be like "imma pick up my secondary and just have some fun, nothing serious", I literally just switch off my main variation to one of the other 2 variations. Usually pick HW since it is my weakest of the 3. I feel naked without Energy Wave pressure so its my go to "casual" variation. NRS has blessed this black man with 3 viable variations to choose from.

As a Jax main, id say you really don't need a pocket character haha. The variations system with Jax works well with counterpicking/making MUs easier to deal with, and just simply having fun.

If you really just want to have a pocket character, play Kano or Johnny Cage. They both have knees!!! #LookAtThatKnee

 

[Kingshootahz]

aybe we should be friends King, we seem a lot alike.

Ok buddy we are friends now,now go buy a ps4 and let's be best jax buddies

 

[Vigilante24]

Look under my name, my psn is already posted lol.

 

[Damaja325]

i started with Scorpion and after a while i just got bored and wanted to learn a new character. i decided to go with Mileena because she was my favorite female, but still never used her in any other game until MKX. Now, she is my addiction and my current main. I adore her and never get tired of her. So after making Mileena my main, i was completely done with Scorpion because the passion and interest just wasn't there anymore. But i still decided I could use a good pocket character, so i learned Kung Lao. Lao can be be fun, but i find him easy to win with so i just keep him to the side for the most part. I've also picked up Jax recently and he is a hell of alot of fun to play, been using Jax alot more than Lao lately. It's a bit hard for me to branch out and learn new characters because i am so content and happy with my main.

 

[Kingshootahz]

. I've also picked up Jax recently and he is a hell of alot of fun to play,

Man jax is entering everyone's hearts
And I played ravenous mileena and ethereal, I like her style it's elegant and vicious but online ball spammers ruined her for me so now I just live to punish ball roll. Time to use these ideas and pick a pocket.

 

[CouldBeRoyce]

I play Jax, mainly Heavy Weapons. Simply because he's hella fun to play. I have a pocket Johnny as well, for the same reason really. I've tried other good characters, but I don't enjoy playing anyone else besides Jax & Johnny

 

[shmatka]

For me I know looked at who I mained and how I played. I know that I am a very defensive player that likes to zone out, or sit back and punish mistakes. So I wanted to choose a secondary that countered that playstyle. I chose my secondaries based off of holes in my main. Whatever bad matchups I had with my main, I attempted to find a secondary that could patch that crack.

 

[Xx-TGODPRINCE-Xx]

If you guys need secondaries for certain match ups, then NRS has failed with the variation system for some characters. I only use Mileena. Having low sai can help in certain match ups.

Look at any top player in the tournament scene! They all have counter picks and multiple characters (Sonic, All of Yomi)

 

[Pan1cMode]

High tech Jacqui is not unviable. She is a hard counterpick to Quan.

 

[TamedLizard]

I just looked into characters that filled the gaps in my main's gameplay and they also happened to be characters I've liked for years.

Ex: Reptile's mediocre pressure vs Tanya's. And he's extremely meter dependant where as Tanya can build meter like crazy and is most of the time, at any given point of the match, sitting on at least a bar.

Also, I've got Kitana for zoning and Marksman for anti-zoning.

So this makes the play come full circle for me and I'll always have numerous options going into any MU.

 

[Scott The Scot]

High tech Jacqui is not unviable. She is a hard counterpick to Quan.

Woah! I never knew this. Mind explaining it to me? Lol