Does Flawless Block ruin neutral?

[grandabx]

There are a few things in Mk 11 that detract from it's focus on slower, neutral-based combat, like the Fatal Blow mechanic, chip-kill from normals/DOT, projectiles that don't collide, ect.

Then there's Flawless Block. A mechanic that just invalidates a ton of strings from just existing. The system could work in a game where combos are more freeform, but one with predetermined strings?

What would MK 11 be like without Flawless Block?

 

[NeroOps]

Flawless block would be exactly how it is now most people don't care to use that advance mechanic.
Its only useful to stop chip damage or counter a specific string that leaves the opponent unsafe for a punish within the string gap.
Now if you add u2 with it that's only useful when you know the little damage you do will kill the opponent.
U3 resets the neutral between y'all and is only useful when u2 doesn't have the reach.

 

[spidey300]

i don't know maybe. one of the best pieces of flawless block tech is doing flawless block while recovering from a negative on block string or even recovering from hitstun. you're effectively taking turns that aren't yours.

 

[Kiss the Missile]

Flawless Block definitely helps the neutral in this game. Without it, you'd be able to just autopilot so many thing. When you show your opponent you can Flawless Block you usually force them to actually participate in neutral instead of flying half screen at you with an advancing attack

 

[MadPropz101]

I hate the fact that this mechanic even exists tbh

 

[Eddy Wang]

No it doesn't
Flawless block it's like armor was in previous MK games, however it requires skill to use, someone with attacking patterns are easily readable which in turn are flawless blocked a lot.

 

[Saltea Moonspell]

One of a few mechanics, that make this game deeper. The meta is on the level of MK2 without it.

 

[Blewdew]

Flawless block would be exactly how it is now most people don't care to use that advance mechanic.
Its only useful to stop chip damage or counter a specific string that leaves the opponent unsafe for a punish within the string gap.
Now if you add u2 with it that's only useful when you know the little damage you do will kill the opponent.
U3 resets the neutral between y'all and is only useful when u2 doesn't have the reach.

That‘s just not true. Fb‘s are extremely useful to take back turns after barely minus strings and when your opponent hits you with a poke or wakeup u3 to blow up their followup. It‘s also one of the more reliable anti airs because how effective they are against jump kicks. Fb u3 is useful against string gaps than can be special canceled, fb u2 is useful against anything that can‘t be special canceled.
I also don‘t think they ruin strings because you can special cancel early und create mindgames around it to condition your opponent into respecting the whole string so I don‘t see how this can be argued in and way.

 

[Jynks]

no

 

[Marlow]

Nope.

 

[Swindle]

I fuck wit flawless block

 

[Tony at Home]

Tbh flawless block can get it from me

 

[DixieFlatline78]

The mechanic is good it's just that certain strings are pretty much useless against someone who's good at it

 

[Gooberking]

No. It's something that adds a lot of additional layers between you and the other player to think about.

Specifically talking about "invalidating strings", I don't think that is really true. You have to respect the gaps existence and think more about things like conditioning your opponent around the options available for the string. On the other side, If you are really good at FB'ing those gaps you can force your opponent to dig deeper and really think about how to pressure; not just go for the easy stuff over and over.

 

[Lt. Boxy Angelman]

I wasn't the biggest fan of it in the beginning, simply because of the online inconsistencies and not ever being great at parrying, which is essentially what Flawless Block is: an armored parry. I suck at parries almost as DBF inputs. BUT, once you get used to it, it gives you the feel of what this game is all about as compared to past titles. And it doesn't hurt that I main Noob, who I feel has one of the best FB U2's in the game.

Also, I will take Flawless Block mechanics over the damned Run Button and Run Cancel combos EVERY day of the week.

 

[scarsunseen]

I think it's silly that you can steal your turn when you're minus. It's an advanced tactic and it's impressive when people use it though. I generally don't like it and don't want it back.

 

[Cashual]

I wasn't the biggest fan of it in the beginning, simply because of the online inconsistencies and not ever being great at parrying, which is essentially what Flawless Block is: an armored parry. I suck at parries almost as DBF inputs. BUT, once you get used to it, it gives you the feel of what this game is all about as compared to past titles. And it doesn't hurt that I main Noob, who I feel has one of the best FB U2's in the game.

Also, I will take Flawless Block mechanics over the damned Run Button and Run Cancel combos EVERY day of the week.

Why don’t you like run cancel combos? That was one of my favorite mechanics in mkx.

 

[Marlow]

I think it's silly that you can steal your turn when you're minus. It's an advanced tactic and it's impressive when people use it though. I generally don't like it and don't want it back.

To me that's just part of fighting games though. Finding a way to steal back your turn. If someone keeps flawless blocking you, make the read and start throwing them, or delay your attack. I like Flawless block, I think it adds more depth and decision making to the game.

 

[Marinjuana]

What strings are made useless by flawless block?

 

[Morgan the pilgrim]

What strings are made useless by flawless block?

F34 , Shao kahn ( for example).

 

[CrimsonShadow]

Seems like people seem to be confused on what 'neutral' is.. Flawless block barely affects Neutral. Neutral is the mind game you play with your opponent when you're in footsie distance or just outside of it. Once someone actually lands a hit (either blocked or otherwise) that game is over until someone/something resets the neutral.

Flawless block deals with what happens defensively immediately following the neutral game, but it's not the neutral tool. The neutral game is still what it is. It simply gives you more options for what to do just after you block something. You still have to play neutral.

So the answer is no.

And to people complaining about getting a turn back, you do that at the risk of your opponent baiting it, and at the cost of your resources. It's another mind game, which are things that help add depth to fighting games.

 

[Lt. Boxy Angelman]

Why don’t you like run cancel combos? That was one of my favorite mechanics in mkx.

It's not that I didn't like them so much as I was terrible at them, so there were whole variations that I couldn't ever use to their full potential. My first devoted main was Aftershock Tremor, but as the meta went on, Crystalline and the run cancel flash parries became the end all be all of his playstyle, and I just couldn't get comfortable with it. And the Run Button itself...it was weird, but not terrible, but not something I'll miss if it never comes back. I tried to play every damn body in that game but mained Killer Leatherface almost exclusively after MKXL came out, so I had a LOT of shenanigans I could get off canceling regular moves out of the Run just getting people to jump thinking they were about to get the unblockable. If he didn't have so many pain in the ass matchups, I'd probably go back and try to pick it up again.

 

[Cashual]

It's not that I didn't like them so much as I was terrible at them, so there were whole variations that I couldn't ever use to their full potential. My first devoted main was Aftershock Tremor, but as the meta went on, Crystalline and the run cancel flash parries became the end all be all of his playstyle, and I just couldn't get comfortable with it. And the Run Button itself...it was weird, but not terrible, but not something I'll miss if it never comes back. I tried to play every damn body in that game but mained Killer Leatherface almost exclusively after MKXL came out, so I had a LOT of shenanigans I could get off canceling regular moves out of the Run just getting people to jump thinking they were about to get the unblockable. If he didn't have so many pain in the ass matchups, I'd probably go back and try to pick it up again.

I hear ya. I just loved the satisfaction of landing that stuff it just felt good. Even like kitana mb fan combos mid screen with the run cancel into d1xxfan link was really fun to me. We still sort of get that with the micro dash cancels mid combo in 11 so not a big deal, but yeah, run mechanic in general was a bit much.

 

[DixieFlatline78]

Seems like people seem to be confused on what 'neutral' is.. Flawless block barely affects Neutral. Neutral is the mind game you play with your opponent when you're in footsie distance or just outside of it. Once someone actually lands a hit (either blocked or otherwise) that game is over until someone/something resets the neutral.

Flawless block deals with what happens defensively immediately following the neutral game, but it's not the neutral tool. The neutral game is still what it is. It simply gives you more options for what to do just after you block something. You still have to play neutral.

So the answer is no.

And to people complaining about getting a turn back, you do that at the risk of your opponent baiting it, and at the cost of your resources. It's another mind game, which are things that help add depth to fighting games.

I agree but I think people are more concerned with primary footsies strings having exploitable gaps making the risk reward much higher for using them. Erron's F31 has a gap, none of Kabal's do for instance. Ofc these two characters are strong for different reasons and arent supposed to have the same strengths so

 

[DeftMonk]

I will take Flawless Block mechanics over the damned Run Button and Run Cancel combos EVERY day of the week.

Run cancel combos in mk11 wouldn’t be as big of a deal since flawless blocks would be an answer to that style of pressure. Nrs bring that shit back for ur boy pls <3.

 

[Trustful_Whale]

Run cancel was just their attempt at necroing an old mechanic that didn't need to come back in favor of always trying to outdo themselves. They literally just turned off dash canceling and replaced it with run cancel between MK9-X.

I always found it so annoying that you can physically dash the required distance for a combo in that game but just can't continue because they want you using their shitty run mechanic instead. Same-ish input, more convoluted result.

Oh look we're back to dash cancels that's weird.