Kitana General Discussion

[Espio]

I haven't tried Kustom Kitana online yet, but I'm def going with this one. Sounds like she's gonna be just like Kabal with the air shennanigans. Especially since she gets Air Ass too iirc. I wonder if you can use it after advance flutter. Might be able to use it to get out corner for free

You are correct she does keep it in that variation. She reminds me of Blue Beetle which Deoxys was premium with.

You can definitely cancel your air flutters into any air specials so you can cancel into air ass to increase your moblility.

All three of Kitana's flutters allow her to alter her jump arc three different times so it's super good and obnoxious for the opponent to guess.

Examples: jump 1, float backwards, air fan toss or like jump kick, float forward/backward into string or air fan.


Also on hit after her ex downward fan she's +16 to +21 maybe higher depending on arc but that's what I get so you're guaranteed a back 1,4,2 string and if they decide to mash you can get your 30% KB or send them to the corner. It's wildly good.

You can also do jump kick diagonal fan, standing 1, lift into different ender and if you want you can get your 27% or 35% with the KB off of jump kick air fan for the MK9 and classic MK players that like those older combos.

That input though...

It's similar to command grab or Blue Beetle's flight where since you're doing it in the air it's easier to do than command grabs. It's awkward but not terribly difficult in my opinion.

 

[Dogeofthesea]

I really really wish ground war would become a base move, not a ability slot anymore. Then I can forgive NRS for treating her dirty for so long

 

[Juxtapose]

and had a lot of fun with replacing the Flutter out of Fan-Fare with Low Fan... Took it into KL and it felt great.

The only match-ups i struggled with FF were heavy zoning match-ups, but i made a second variation with HBS and ground war, which should help.

These are the exact two Variations I've made.

 

[Dogeofthesea]

Btw, I tried equipping piercing dagger with Mileena stance. Turns out when meter burning the teleport, straight air fan will come out instead of downward fan

 

[PlusFrames]

Any of you guys use standing 2 for anything? I know it got buffed this patch, but i’m not sure what to use it for - standing 1 has more reach and is still faster. I guess 21 does 1% more damage then 12 does, but I don’t see mich use for anything off of standing 2, except for some brutalities

Edit: didn’t pay attention to the hit/block advantage. Maybe it’s a good stagger?

 

[xKhaoTik]

Any of you guys use standing 2 for anything? I know it got buffed this patch, but i’m not sure what to use it for - standing 1 has more reach and is still faster. I guess 21 does 1% more damage then 12 does, but I don’t see mich use for anything off of standing 2, except for some brutalities

Edit: didn’t pay attention to the hit/block advantage. Maybe it’s a good stagger?

It combos into fan nado. She has somewhat of a quick punish now if she has fan nado equipped .

 

[PlusFrames]

It combos into fan nado. She has somewhat of a quick punish now if she has fan nado equipped .

Ahh, i see. Thanks!

 

[Pan1cMode]

Any of you guys use standing 2 for anything? I know it got buffed this patch, but i’m not sure what to use it for - standing 1 has more reach and is still faster. I guess 21 does 1% more damage then 12 does, but I don’t see mich use for anything off of standing 2, except for some brutalities

Edit: didn’t pay attention to the hit/block advantage. Maybe it’s a good stagger?

The brutality

 

[gitblame]

I like Kitana this patch. I feel like customs did a lot of good to her and previous tournament variation made this character way more boring than she could be. You really can make her the way you want. You can have more defensive / zoning oriented character. You can be jumping / air controlling machine. You can have pepega mixups. I don't think she will end up having one proper variation that will everyone use and we will see a lot of variaty with her - I guess what customs were designed to provide. Also this multiple archetypes you can achieve with customs should be something character specialists are looking for. I see a potential to have mutliple Kitana loadouts to cover every matchups.

Don't get me wrong, she did not really move up the tier list. Compared to other chars she is still this solid mid tier character she was, but now she is also fun to use on top of that. I think I will keep on maining her until Reptile or inj3

 

[Pan1cMode]

I like Kitana this patch. I feel like customs did a lot of good to her and previous tournament variation made this character way more boring than she could be. You really can make her the way you want. You can have more defensive / zoning oriented character. You can be jumping / air controlling machine. You can have pepega mixups. I don't think she will end up having one proper variation that will everyone use and we will see a lot of variaty with her - I guess what customs were designed to provide. Also this multiple archetypes you can achieve with customs should be something character specialists are looking for. I see a potential to have mutliple Kitana loadouts to cover every matchups.

Don't get me wrong, she did not really move up the tier list. Compared to other chars she is still this solid mid tier character she was, but now she is also fun to use on top of that. I think I will keep on maining her until Reptile or inj3

I agree somewhat although I think she almost certainly moved up the tier list. Her zoning/mobility/pressure with customs is too good to simply deny now.

 

[DavesHotnJuicy]

I didnt. Im not too worried about it not catching backrolls because it basically makes your opponent concede all of his other wakeup options and defensively back into a corner

Mk11 is known for people being squirmy on wakeup so my goal is to get them to chill on the damn ground and stop hunting for combos. Lol

idk why I said backrolls, I meant forward rolls when they’re cornered my bad

 

[M2Dave]

I agree somewhat although I think she almost certainly moved up the tier list. Her zoning/mobility/pressure with customs is too good to simply deny now.

How could the pressure be better when she used to have a safe and meter-less special move that could be released at three different points and did 5% of chip damage?

The zoning is better because of the low fan, but context matters. Is the zoning genuinely better when many characters can equip their best anti-zoning special move? When fighting characters like Geras, Shang Tsung, and Skarlet, players will always equip the low sand trap, the shake, and the teleport, respectively, against when they see you choose Kitana.

As far as mobility is concerned, she moves very slow in comparison to the majority of characters. Unless you equip half-blood stance, which requires two slots, or ground war, which requires one slot, I fail to see how the mobility is "too good to deny now."

Highborn was boring to play, but I am confident that Kitana was a superior character pre-patch. Meter-less razors used to be Kitana's best pressure and meaty tool as well as her best preemptive anti-aerial and anti-zoning tool. Speaking of anti-zoning tools, characters had access to less anti-zoning options because of the preset variation system. When opponents see you place your cursor on Kitana now, they are equipping their teleport, reflect, absorption, or projectile parry, particularly if you have equipped the low fan toss.

I really hope that I am mistaken, but I see no evidence that she is better in any of the categories that you and others claim. Perhaps if ground war were a base move and you could equip low fan toss and half-blood stance, she could be better. As someone who legitimately used Highborn despite the monotony, I have been struggling to win with this character since the patch.

She has basically gone from a great zoning and pressure character to an even greater zoning character if you equip low fan toss and half-blood stance, but she has lost all the pressure and advantages that razors used to provide, which is why I ultimately believe that she is weaker overall.

 

[DarksydeDash]

How could the pressure be better when she used to have a safe and meter-less special move that could be released at three different points and did 5% of chip damage?

The zoning is better because of the low fan, but context matters. Is the zoning genuinely better when many characters can equip their best anti-zoning special move? When fighting characters like Geras, Shang Tsung, and Skarlet, players will always equip the low sand trap, the shake, and the teleport, respectively, against when they see you choose Kitana.

As far as mobility is concerned, she moves very slow in comparison to the majority of characters. Unless you equip half-blood stance, which requires two slots, or ground war, which requires one slot, I fail to see how the mobility is "too good to deny now."

Highborn was boring to play, but I am confident that Kitana was a superior character pre-patch. Meter-less razors used to be Kitana's best pressure and meaty tool as well as her best preemptive anti-aerial and anti-zoning tool. Speaking of anti-zoning tools, characters had access to less anti-zoning options because of the preset variation system. When opponents see you place your cursor on Kitana now, they are equipping their teleport, reflect, absorption, or projectile parry, particularly if you have equipped the low fan toss.

I really hope that I am mistaken, but I see no evidence that she is better in any of the categories that you and others claim. Perhaps if ground war were a base move and you could equip low fan toss and half-blood stance, she could be better. As someone who legitimately used Highborn despite the monotony, I have been struggling to win with this character since the patch.

She has basically gone from a great zoning and pressure character to an even greater zoning character if you equip low fan toss and half-blood stance, but she has lost all the pressure and advantages that razors used to provide, which is why I ultimately believe that she is weaker overall.

This. If Razors had remained the same, it would be, without question, her strongest move. And because it would only take two slots, you could rock low fan, and ground war.

 

[Dogeofthesea]

Regarding the Razor nerf, I agree with NRS it was a stupid move, too cheap and too powerful for no reason. It should be nerfed.
But yea and of course I don't agree with how they still treat her dirty: she needs a lot of fixing on her punishable-on-hit moves and hitbox inconsistencies.
And for some reason they give all new DLCs INSANE dash speed while she and other low tier characters move like sloths. All her mids are tied to dial-up strings so she is the most vulnerable against high mobility characters

 

[DarkSado]

Regarding the Razor nerf, I agree with NRS it was a stupid move, too cheap and too powerful for no reason. It should be nerfed.
But yea and of course I don't agree with how they still treat her dirty: she needs a lot of fixing on her punishable-on-hit moves and hitbox inconsistencies.
And for some reason they give all new DLCs INSANE dash speed while she and other low tier characters move like sloths. All her mids are tied to dial-up strings so she is the most vulnerable against high mobility characters

Was it cheap? How many Kitana made top 8 with that move? LMAO

 

[Pan1cMode]

Have you guys had a play around with advancing/retreating flutter? The input is stupid, but it’s really fun and complements her well.

 

[armani]

Kitana fights like she has a brick on her arm. it's annoying af tbh

 

[cannoli_kahn]

Have you guys had a play around with advancing/retreating flutter? The input is stupid, but it’s really fun and complements her well.

I’ve been practicing for days with it. It’s MAD work. More than I’ve had with ANY characters. It’s cool and fun but definitely not a variation I’d pick to win a match. Too much effort for combos that will never happen with the lack of get in tools. Rip Kitana. Btw I fought u before! I think you gave me a fatality... not out of sportsmanship I suspect.

 

[Pan1cMode]

I’ve been practicing for days with it. It’s MAD work. More than I’ve had with ANY characters. It’s cool and fun but definitely not a variation I’d pick to win a match. Too much effort for combos that will never happen with the lack of get it tools. Rip Kitana. Btw I fought u before! I think you gave me a fatality... not out if sportsmanship I suspect.

Did we? What’s your username? It was probably an accidental easy fatal . I really fatal on purpose

 

[cannoli_kahn]

Did we? What’s your username? It was probably an accidental easy fatal . I really fatal on purpose

It’s Esper-P. U also beat me yesterday w Sheeva. It was a poor match-up lol. If u want to see some advanced fan-flutter combos hit me up!

 

[Pan1cMode]

It’s Esper-P. U also beat me yesterday w Sheeva. It was a poor match-up lol. If u want to see some advanced fan-flutter combos hit me up!

Oh yeah! I remember . You’re solid with kitana haha

 

[M2Dave]

So, is low fan toss and half-blood stance the best variation? Or perhaps low fan toss, square wave, and razors? What have you guys been using competitively?

I am struggling up close without the pre-patch razors. I must have been doing 20% of chip damage with nothing but b+1,4 xx razors.

 

[Arqwart]

So, is low fan toss and half-blood stance the best variation? Or perhaps low fan toss, square wave, and razors? What have you guys been using competitively?

I am struggling up close without the pre-patch razors. I must have been doing 20% of chip damage with nothing but b+1,4 xx razors.

I wouldn't say Low Fan + HBS is inherently the BEST variation, but I will say that the combination of the two is very strong and gives Kitana a lot of options in every single situation.

If you're looking for a strictly pressure-focused variation, Low Fan + Razors + Flutter/Piercing Dagger/Royal Protection is my suggestion. Low Fan + Razors works well as a core shell with Flutter / Piercing Dagger being nice complements if you're looking to get air-based mindgames going. Royal Protection is a nice counterpick option for zoning matchups like Cetrion, ghost ball Noob, other Kitanas, Kabals, etc. The damage boost is a lot better than people give it credit for and even just the threat of it scares the hell out of some opponents to the point where they stop trying to zone against you entirely. Meanwhile, you still have Low + Regular + Air fans.

 

[xWildx]

I think Royal Protection needs a buff before it can really be used properly. Sure, it lasts longer, but Kitana is left so wide open after using it that certain characters (Jade, for example) can punish her after she absorbs their projectile.

And we all know it’s damn near useless against characters that can throw more than one projectile at the same time.

 

[DYNA$TY]

I wouldn't say Low Fan + HBS is inherently the BEST variation, but I will say that the combination of the two is very strong and gives Kitana a lot of options in every single situation.

If you're looking for a strictly pressure-focused variation, Low Fan + Razors + Flutter/Piercing Dagger/Royal Protection is my suggestion. Low Fan + Razors works well as a core shell with Flutter / Piercing Dagger being nice complements if you're looking to get air-based mindgames going. Royal Protection is a nice counterpick option for zoning matchups like Cetrion, ghost ball Noob, other Kitanas, Kabals, etc. The damage boost is a lot better than people give it credit for and even just the threat of it scares the hell out of some opponents to the point where they stop trying to zone against you entirely. Meanwhile, you still have Low + Regular + Air fans.

I've been using Low Fan + Flutter + Piercing Fan. You can definitely mess with jump-in and piercing fan timings. Flutter also lets you throw piercing fan further at the max jump height.