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This thread is to discuss the various Kameo options and what each gives Li Mei. I’ll cover the most commonly used ones which provide her the most utility. If anyone else wants to chime in, please feel free.
Scorpion is probably the variation you’ll see most used. He provides Li Mei with several combo extensions/routes and insane damage; both mid screen and in the corner. This allows her to convert in many situations she otherwise wouldn’t and overall makes her mixup/pressure, and punish game much better.
Pros:
Allows a launch off db3 (both regular and ex). This gives her a 7 frame launching punish with huge damage.
Allows a launch off bf4 making this a huge threat in the mid-range game.
Allows a launch off ia db4(ex). This gives her true launching 50/50s for 40% + damage.
Insane (and very practical) damage from all her regular starters, both in the corner and midscreen. This makes it very scary for your opponent because if they get hit by anything they’re risking 50% of their lifebar.
Decent wakeup with scorpion back spear. Allows you to escape many oki situations midscreen that would otherwise trap you (eg. Against Kenshi).
The f+K overhead can provide a pseudo mixup of b3, and it is safe.
Cons:
Doesn’t provide anything to enhance her full screen presence
Execution heavy; particularly punishing with ex db3.
Doesn’t plug any of her gaps in her strings
Pros:
Allows a launch off db3 (both regular and ex). This gives her a 7 frame launching punish with huge damage.
Allows a launch off bf4 making this a huge threat in the mid-range game.
Allows a launch off ia db4(ex). This gives her true launching 50/50s for 40% + damage.
Insane (and very practical) damage from all her regular starters, both in the corner and midscreen. This makes it very scary for your opponent because if they get hit by anything they’re risking 50% of their lifebar.
Decent wakeup with scorpion back spear. Allows you to escape many oki situations midscreen that would otherwise trap you (eg. Against Kenshi).
The f+K overhead can provide a pseudo mixup of b3, and it is safe.
Cons:
Doesn’t provide anything to enhance her full screen presence
Execution heavy; particularly punishing with ex db3.
Doesn’t plug any of her gaps in her strings
Khameleon is still very fresh but the sheer amount of things she offers Li Mei should not be understated. While her central gimmick can take a while to get around and get used to, each of her different variations/disguises serves a purpose and enhances her gameplay in unique ways. Regardless of the disguise available, you’ll be getting decent damage midscreen and really good damage in the corner. As the game develops I expect to see more Li Mei/Khameleon just because of everything it offers her.
Pros
All of Khameleon’s assists recharge very fast. This means you basically always have access to an assist and if you use one in a combo, it’s usually recharged by the end of the combo.
Jade disguise offers a mid projectile which gives a full screen convert for 35%+ damage if it hits. On block it’s plus which means you can poke against people who try and mash.
Jade glow is the best of the anti-zoning options in the game. Recharges super fast, applied as an ambush (so you can do it while blocking) and makes you immune to ALL projectiles. With this applied and Jade’s mid projectile, Li Mei’s zoning becomes sooo much scarier.
Jade’s glaive can be used on wakeup in tandem with pressure to armour break. You can end combos with 4~K instead of 4~bf4 or aerial db4, and the glaive in tandem with your normal on wakeup will armour break and provide plus frames for more pressure/jailing.
Kitana’s fan hits mid up close and armour breaks. It is also safe on block. This allows us to enforce our plus frames with little risk. No more poking out of b34, 214 and 434. If they get caught, they’re launched for a full combo.
Fan jump allows Li Mei to sequence break, giving her a grab combo. You’re looking at 17% meterless of 22% for a bar.
Fan jump also allows Li Mei to combo off bf1 from full screen.
In combination with plus frames, fan jump gives kitana some nice pressure on block, forcing the opponent to guess. If they try and unblock your jump in, they’re risking an increased damage throw
Mileena’s ball roll is incredibly fast and travels quite far. Can be used to hit people at midscreen distance and it’s hard to properly punish when spaced. Up close it’s a double hitting overhead which can be used as a launching mixup with her f4; although it’s unsafe.
Ball roll is an invincible, launching wakeup. While unsafe and it can be stuffed, it’s still really strong.
Air sais allow her to combo off db3 and ex db3. While the combo isn’t as punishing as scorpion kameo, it will still net you 28% and 35%+ if you want to spend a second bar.
Air sais also allow you a mini-combo off ex bf4 making her armour more damaging. They also let you convert off regular bf4, although the damage isn’t as good as scorpion.
Midscreen she has respectable damage regardless of which disguise she has active. Talking 40%+ with 1 bar
In the corner her damage is very good (45%+ for a kameo + 1 bar, regardless of which kameo).
Both Mileena’s sais and kitana’s fan jump allow you to convert from d2 which gives you a better anti-air option.
Cons
Very steep learning curve.
Because of the rotation, you might not have the exact kameo that you want at a specific time (eg. going for an ex db3 punish, or throw combo, or armour break).
Can become slightly telegraphed since what you can do is dependent on which disguise you have available. This requires your opponent to track your kameo however, which does add to the mental load of fighting against her.
Pros
All of Khameleon’s assists recharge very fast. This means you basically always have access to an assist and if you use one in a combo, it’s usually recharged by the end of the combo.
Jade disguise offers a mid projectile which gives a full screen convert for 35%+ damage if it hits. On block it’s plus which means you can poke against people who try and mash.
Jade glow is the best of the anti-zoning options in the game. Recharges super fast, applied as an ambush (so you can do it while blocking) and makes you immune to ALL projectiles. With this applied and Jade’s mid projectile, Li Mei’s zoning becomes sooo much scarier.
Jade’s glaive can be used on wakeup in tandem with pressure to armour break. You can end combos with 4~K instead of 4~bf4 or aerial db4, and the glaive in tandem with your normal on wakeup will armour break and provide plus frames for more pressure/jailing.
Kitana’s fan hits mid up close and armour breaks. It is also safe on block. This allows us to enforce our plus frames with little risk. No more poking out of b34, 214 and 434. If they get caught, they’re launched for a full combo.
Fan jump allows Li Mei to sequence break, giving her a grab combo. You’re looking at 17% meterless of 22% for a bar.
Fan jump also allows Li Mei to combo off bf1 from full screen.
In combination with plus frames, fan jump gives kitana some nice pressure on block, forcing the opponent to guess. If they try and unblock your jump in, they’re risking an increased damage throw
Mileena’s ball roll is incredibly fast and travels quite far. Can be used to hit people at midscreen distance and it’s hard to properly punish when spaced. Up close it’s a double hitting overhead which can be used as a launching mixup with her f4; although it’s unsafe.
Ball roll is an invincible, launching wakeup. While unsafe and it can be stuffed, it’s still really strong.
Air sais allow her to combo off db3 and ex db3. While the combo isn’t as punishing as scorpion kameo, it will still net you 28% and 35%+ if you want to spend a second bar.
Air sais also allow you a mini-combo off ex bf4 making her armour more damaging. They also let you convert off regular bf4, although the damage isn’t as good as scorpion.
Midscreen she has respectable damage regardless of which disguise she has active. Talking 40%+ with 1 bar
In the corner her damage is very good (45%+ for a kameo + 1 bar, regardless of which kameo).
Both Mileena’s sais and kitana’s fan jump allow you to convert from d2 which gives you a better anti-air option.
Cons
Very steep learning curve.
Because of the rotation, you might not have the exact kameo that you want at a specific time (eg. going for an ex db3 punish, or throw combo, or armour break).
Can become slightly telegraphed since what you can do is dependent on which disguise you have available. This requires your opponent to track your kameo however, which does add to the mental load of fighting against her.
Kung Lao gives Li Mei the low hat, which is potentially the best Kameo move in the game. This complements her full screen zoning and also helps plug the gaps in her strings; forcing the opponent to burn the bar for armour if they want to take their turn.
Pros
Very easy/intuitive to pick up. Execution isn’t hard and his game plan is fairly straightforward.
Having a fast low projectile that is safe/plus on block from a distance complements her zoning and allows her to control space at full screen quite well.
Low hat can give hard-to-block-ables with ia db4 and f44 although they only result in a splat knockdown.
Low hat can allow her to better enforce her plus frames as it discourages mashing in gaps.
Wakeup spin has decent invincibility, although it no longer launches when used as a reversal/wakeup.
Spin can be used mid-combo to provide good damage. Looking at 40%+ of all her strings midscreen and in the corner. The recharge time on spin however is longer than low hat, so it’s something to consider since you might be committing yourself to not use low hat until it recharges.
Tele can be used to provide a safe-jump set up on wakeup which gives her some decent oki.
Cons
Kung Lao doesn’t provide any special conversions that some of the other kameos do.
Pros
Very easy/intuitive to pick up. Execution isn’t hard and his game plan is fairly straightforward.
Having a fast low projectile that is safe/plus on block from a distance complements her zoning and allows her to control space at full screen quite well.
Low hat can give hard-to-block-ables with ia db4 and f44 although they only result in a splat knockdown.
Low hat can allow her to better enforce her plus frames as it discourages mashing in gaps.
Wakeup spin has decent invincibility, although it no longer launches when used as a reversal/wakeup.
Spin can be used mid-combo to provide good damage. Looking at 40%+ of all her strings midscreen and in the corner. The recharge time on spin however is longer than low hat, so it’s something to consider since you might be committing yourself to not use low hat until it recharges.
Tele can be used to provide a safe-jump set up on wakeup which gives her some decent oki.
Cons
Kung Lao doesn’t provide any special conversions that some of the other kameos do.
Sub Zero provides projectile armour which enhances her ability to chuck things from full screen against most of the cast, this lets her dictate the pace of the game.
Pros
Fairly straight forward and easy to use
Extra health helps with turtling play style.
Ice armour forces the opponent to approach in most matchups.
Shoulder charge helps to plug gaps and also provides a good wakeup/reversal. Decent invincibility frames.
Excellent damage both midscreen and in the corner. (40%-50% for one bar and kameo)
Cons
Projectile armour is kind of matchup dependent and so won’t help against the entire cast.
Lacking any special conversions
Pros
Fairly straight forward and easy to use
Extra health helps with turtling play style.
Ice armour forces the opponent to approach in most matchups.
Shoulder charge helps to plug gaps and also provides a good wakeup/reversal. Decent invincibility frames.
Excellent damage both midscreen and in the corner. (40%-50% for one bar and kameo)
Cons
Projectile armour is kind of matchup dependent and so won’t help against the entire cast.
Lacking any special conversions
Goro provides safety and further plus frames. He can be used to plug her gaps and continue her pressure. He’s a bit of an off-meta pick, but definitely viable.
Pros
Raise the roof has heaps of utility. Can be used to plug gaps, and also at the end of strings for extra plus frames and to continue your pressure.
Goro allows converts of ex db3, gives a 7 frame punish.
Can convert off ex bf4, although the damage is honestly pitiful.
Can also convert off regular bf4 for a bit of extra damage.
Corner damage is decent.
Cons
Slower recharge time means you’re not using Goro as much as you’d like
-50 health is a bummer
Damage is ok, but lacking compared to what every other kameo offers.
Enters from a jump making him vulnerable to air projectiles
Pros
Raise the roof has heaps of utility. Can be used to plug gaps, and also at the end of strings for extra plus frames and to continue your pressure.
Goro allows converts of ex db3, gives a 7 frame punish.
Can convert off ex bf4, although the damage is honestly pitiful.
Can also convert off regular bf4 for a bit of extra damage.
Corner damage is decent.
Cons
Slower recharge time means you’re not using Goro as much as you’d like
-50 health is a bummer
Damage is ok, but lacking compared to what every other kameo offers.
Enters from a jump making him vulnerable to air projectiles
Sonya is a decent choice to pair with Li Mei but is often under utilised because everything she does, someone else does as well; usually better. She still does pair quite well complementing her zoning and providing some decent combo routes.
Pros
140 damage throw. This is off both her back and forward throws, since you can interrupt her back throw with neutral kameo for 140 damage.
Decent damage midscreen. Good damage in the corner.
Mid hitting projectile complements Li Mei’s zoning game. This also recharges lightening fast.
Conversion off ex db3 allows 7 frame punish.
Cons
Loses conversions off bf4 and aerial db4
No way to plug her gaps
Mediocre wakeup with limited use in combos (you’re almost always better using another launcher).
Pros
140 damage throw. This is off both her back and forward throws, since you can interrupt her back throw with neutral kameo for 140 damage.
Decent damage midscreen. Good damage in the corner.
Mid hitting projectile complements Li Mei’s zoning game. This also recharges lightening fast.
Conversion off ex db3 allows 7 frame punish.
Cons
Loses conversions off bf4 and aerial db4
No way to plug her gaps
Mediocre wakeup with limited use in combos (you’re almost always better using another launcher).
