Let's Talk Low Starters.

[Lt. Boxy Angelman]

One of the most dangerous tricks in the game to have at your disposal is a low starting combo.
Not everybody's got 'em, but the ones who do, IMO, are always a blowup waiting to happen if they play their tricks right.

So let's get to talking. Gather information. Debate and argue and so forth.
It's a fundamental point I think everybody should spend some time getting a lesson on, myself included.
Who's got 'em? Whose are superior? Pointless? Linkable? Risky? Safe? Appetizing to watch (does Jade have one? ^^) ?
We've got Smoke, Jax, Scorpion, Liu Kang (fucking B312's...), Mileena makes starting low into a goddamn science...
Let's get low.

 

[A F0xy Grampa]

Low starters are overrated IMO

Jax gets punished for his
Shang gets punished for his
KL gets poked out before his (Except B33)
Kenshis is OK

Liu has the best one

But I'd rather have somebody constantly blocking high than low

 

[1man3letters]

smokes low starter???

yea kangs is the best
barakas b3,1 is good but punishable b3,2 good for pressure,not not much damage unless ya throw in ex slices in corner

 

[Lt. Boxy Angelman]

I was seeing a lot of Scorpions tricking people up with the foot tap into Spear. Nasty yellow bastard...
Mileena's B3 into Roll is evil as hell, too.

 

[RomeoBravoDelta]

Pretty much everyone can get punished if their's is blocked. I know Sektor's b34 can, at least. His how starters is only really useful against someone who's inattentive or doesn't know the match up. Yeah, it's the fastest (at least last I heard), has decent reach, and leads to good damage, but I don't land it often because people know about it and his lack of a reasonable mid means that you can just block the first hit low if he get's in and be safe every time.

 

[SZSR]

One of the most dangerous tricks in the game to have at your disposal is a low starting combo.
Not everybody's got 'em, but the ones who do, IMO, are always a blowup waiting to happen if they play their tricks right.

So let's get to talking. Gather information. Debate and argue and so forth.
It's a fundamental point I think everybody should spend some time getting a lesson on, myself included.
Who's got 'em? Whose are superior? Pointless? Linkable? Risky? Safe? Appetizing to watch (does Jade have one? ^^) ?
We've got Smoke, Jax, Scorpion, Liu Kang (fucking B312's...), Mileena makes starting low into a goddamn science...
Let's get low.

Smoke doesn't have a low starter.

 

[Lt. Boxy Angelman]

Smoke doesn't have a low starter.

...3D12 doesn't start low?

Fuck. I rescind my Smokey statement. I barely ever play him, I could've sworn it did. Maaaaaaaan...

 

[smokey]

...3D12 doesn't start low?

Fuck. I rescind my Smokey statement. I barely ever play him, I could've sworn it did. Maaaaaaaan...

3d12 hits high mid high. Catches anyone ducking and launches to combo. Smokes only lows are his pokes. We dont abuse them for the fun of it you know

 

[eskuAdradit0]

Shang gets punished for his

That is not true. A good shang will most likely never get punished for this. Not even against another shang mainer.

Oh and the golden rule here is to block low always until you see the slow-ass overheads coming. There are some exceptions (like Smoke's B2 which isn't as easy to react to in the middle of an intense fight), but it's the best option since footsies are so good in this game.

Against Mileena you always wanna crouch block. Only times you wanna release "down" is when you see the U4 and after a blocked F3. (Worse case here being: You'll eat the 5% of the incoming sweep after a F3)

 

[jokey77]

I was seeing a lot of Scorpions tricking people up with the foot tap into Spear. Nasty yellow bastard...
Mileena's B3 into Roll is evil as hell, too.

Scorpion´s low Starter can be punished easily, if you try to link it into spear. However you usually use the low Starter after a Jump-in-punch and thus it aint this bad after all.

I guess, Quan Chi has the best low starter I have come across. B+3, 1+2 can be followed up with F+1, 2... afterwards you can hitconfirm into trance.

 

[AK Toxic]

Quan's B3 1+2, F1 2 and B3 3
mmmmmm.